It is that time of the year again! The dates for Dreamforce 2017 – November 6th – 9th – have already been announced! We #SalesforceOhana can not wait to hear about new features of Salesforce; and, look forward to learning from what others have been doing. The event gets bigger year after year – with the plethora of acquisitions; sheer number of new products featured at the event are staggering.
San Francisco is in the Places to Visit list for nearly everyone. And Dreamforce is an excellent opportunity to get the best of San Francisco combined with the best of technology. Dreamforce’17 in San Francisco is going to be the place to be for well over 170K (2016 statistics) attendees.
I had the opportunity to attend Dreamforce (#DF16) and (#DF15). It does sneak up on you. Therefore, it is good to be prepared! Here are few tips to get you ready for the biggest event of the year.
Dreamforce Preparations
1. Positive Attitude: – The most important thing to bring to any event you attend – not to mention in life itself! Be open to meeting new people; for, you never know who you will meet. It could be your next partner, client, or best friend!
2. Hotel Reservations: – Have you booked your hotel yet? Seriously, this is going to be tricky for you. But it is still possible. Here are few tips for getting a hotel somewhere near to Moscone Center:
- Search for hotels several times a day. As people change hotels or cancel their registrations, the rooms that they had reserved will become available again.
- Reach out to the All Dreamforce group in the Success Community, and ask if anyone would be willing to share their room – many people have booked hotel rooms with two beds.
- Look for a room outside of the Dreamforce site. It can be done! Hostels, Airbnb, and many other travel sites will have rooms pop up between now and the conference.
If you want convenience, get a hotel near Moscone Centre, that way you can save some time when jumping between activities.
3. Join groups in the Success Community: – There are some awesome groups (All Dreamforce group, New to Dreamforce group). If you join the groups, it will keep you posted on all things about Dreamforce.
4. Attend the Road to Dreamforce Webcast: – The Road to Dreamforce session is ran by Dreamforce team. It will give you event news and tips that will help you get the most out of your trip to Dreamforce. Use this link to sign up for updates and watch the session videos here.
5. Learn to layer: – The weather in San Francisco is finicky, so it is smart to bring lots of layers. Know that the temperature varies from one neighborhood to another! Even if it is warm and sunny in Union Square, it might be foggy and windy in Golden Gate Park. By layering, you can add and remove layers as necessary. I always bring along a light sweater and a jacket so I can warm up or cool down as needed.
Dreamforce 2015 – Walking Distance
6. Wear comfortable shoes: – Go for comfort. You will be standing around and walking a lot. Wear your most comfortable shoes. In Dreamforce 2015, I almost walked 8 miles per day. I was able to do so, partly because, I walk at-least 10,000 steps per day and I was wearing decent shoes – like ASICS Gel-Kayano. If you are not doing so already, start walking 10,000 steps a day daily; this will tone you for life, not just Dreamforce! The American Heart Association uses 10,000 steps metric as a guideline to follow for improving health and decreasing risk of heart disease – the number one killer of men and women in America. Read the rest of this entry!