How A Veteran Dreamforce Attendee Can Help First-Timers

Anyone who’s been to Dreamforce before has experienced the awe-inspiring sight of Trailblazers who not only fill up the Moscone Center, but entire blocks of San Francisco’s streets, still wearing their badges and chatting about what they’ve learned.

For a first-time Dreamforce attendee, though, those crowds and the sheer magnitude of the event might seem overwhelming. What if you miss some of the most relevant sessions? How do you make the most of the networking opportunities?

Take Karen Rivera, a certified Salesforce administrator, who did the smartest thing a Dreamforce newbie could to prepare for the experience: ask around for help.

Posting on Twitter as @MsSteamGeek, Karen asked the Trailblazer community to share some of their best advice and how to overcome any initial nervousness about diving into such a major event.

Almost immediately, Karen got back advice, much of it very practical. This included grouping sessions you’re interested in based on the venue, so you’re not spending most of your time trying to get from one spot to another. Other tips included downloading a Starbucks app so you can order with a mobile device to save time, and balancing the in-depth educational tracks by joining the many parties to let off steam.

While Karen took the initiative in this case, there might be many other Dreamforce first-timers who aren’t as proactive because they’re shy or don’t realize the wealth of experience more seasoned Trailblazers can offer them. If you’re one of those people who know Dreamforce well, consider some of the following ways you can give back and make the event even better for everyone in 2019:

Lay the groundwork with a blog post or video

There’s still time in the last few weeks before Dreamforce to share your insights directly with an audience that will be all too eager to hear them.

Write an article to post on your company blog or LinkedIn where you sum up the biggest takeaways from your first time at Dreamforce, or some collected wisdom if you’ve been coming for years. How do you pick sessions? What kind of note-taking or other techniques did you use to capture what you learned? Where are the hidden gems in nearby San Francisco where you can go out with colleagues for a meal afterward? Any thought-starter questions you typically use when you meet other Trailblazers?

Be as detailed as possible, and encourage your audience to follow up with anything you might have overlooked.

Let the newbies lead via ‘ask me anything’ sessions

If you don’t feel able to articulate everything you know about Dreamforce, you can also go about it the other way — making yourself available as an expert and letting the first-timers drive the conversation.

Many organizations might send one or two people to Dreamforce the first time but increase the size of the contingent the following year. If you haven’t already, schedule a lunch n’ learn opportunity where you can help prep your coworkers, rather than leaving it for when you’re on the ground in San Francisco.

Outside of Dreamforce itself, of course, there are all kinds of Salesforce meetups and local Trailblazer groups that are hungry for great content. If you’re involved in one of these associations, consider hosting a Dreamforce Newbies session where you and perhaps some other experienced Trailblazers stage a town hall-style panel discussion.

In-person activities aren’t the only ways to let Dreamforce first-timers ask questions, though. Think about a Twitter chat, a Facebook Live or LinkedIn live video where you can take what Karen did to the next level.

Live the Dreamforce experience out loud for first timers

While it will no doubt be invaluable for first-timers to get advice prior to the event, they might only realize the kind of questions they have once they’re sitting in the audience among other Trailblazers. Of course, you can be the person they turn to for advice, but don’t ignore the many digital opportunities to serve as a sort of teacher or guide.

Twitter provides a great conduit for live-tweeting which sessions you’re going to and why, or even where the lineups for food aren’t as long. Maybe you could develop a specific hashtag for all your posts so your fellow Dreamforce attendees can easily find your advice over the course of the week.

Besides Twitter, short posts on LinkedIn can also work, or you can even use platforms like Instagram, where Stories offer a mix of text, still images and video. Encourage Dreamforce first-timers to virtually come along with you as you create a dynamic multi-media record of your journey in real-time.

Finally, keep the true spirit of being a Trailblazer alive by suggesting that first-time Dreamforce attendees follow in your footsteps. Not only should they come back to Dreamforce next year, but they should look for ways to pass on your advice and extra tips they’ve picked up on their own. This is the heart of a true community approach to making the most of an event like Dreamforce, and it’s one of the reasons the community, like the event, continues to grow.