CRM FYI

Dreamforce 09 is so close now. It begins next week in San Francisco and it’s without a doubt going to be the most exciting conference I go to this year. This will be my fifth Dreamforce and they grow not only in attendance, but in value each year.

It’s hard to believe, but four years and two months ago when they held Dreamforce 05, it was attended by about 3,500 people. We all nicely fit over at Moscone West, a small part of the entire convention center. This year, just 4+ years later, there are going to be more than 15,000 people in attendance. Not only is that mind-boggling, it can even be a bit daunting to some people. My aim is to give you some simple, yet effective tips on how to best enjoy Dreamforce, whether this is your first time, or maybe you’ve been coming for years. Try them out and see what works best for you.

New Attendee Orientation

If this is your first Dreamforce, you really should attend the New Attendee Orientation on Tuesday night at 5 PM in room N134. Led by Tom Wong, a.k.a. “Dreamforce Man”, you’ll get even more tips and tricks that help prepare you for an experience like no other. It’ll help set the tone for the whole week and you’ll be prepared to navigate the conference with ease.

The Expo

Browse the exhibitor guide online and look through the printed guide when you get your registration packet.  Plan out the “must visit” vendors you’re most interested in and memorize their location in the exhibit hall.  They can be your reference points for every time you explore.

Approach any exhibitor – If their sign doesn’t tell you enough about who they are, don’t just walk on by.  Stop and ask questions.  Regardless of whether their product applies to you directly today or not, you’ll learn more about what’s possible with Salesforce.  These people share a passion for Salesforce like you do and they’ll help expand your vision.

Carry a pad of Post-It notes in your gear bag – Undoubtedly, you’ll pick up information at throughout the Expo and you’ll want to distribute it to others when you get home.  Start organizing from the start by attaching a note for who you want to share the information with as well as any details you spoke with the vendor about but don’t want to forget.

Hit the Campground and hit it HARD – The Campground is your connection to the people of Salesforce.  There are experts in every aspect of Salesforce, from Security to Services and from Process to Programming.  They’re there for one simple purpose – to make you successful.  Take advantage of 1 on 1 time with people you’d run into no place but there.  If you’ve got a business issue you’ve been trying to figure out for months, bring it to them and see what they’d do.  Free and valuable advice is there for the taking.

Keynotes

Get there early – While the keynote hall is big, it’s going to be packed to the gills with 15,000+ of you new friends and you’ll want to get a decent seat.  Plan your day around keynotes as they’re packed with goodies, tidbits, and nuggets of success to bring home.

Don’t bug out – Stick around to the end of the keynotes.  They’ve planned buffers between keynotes and breakouts so you’ll get there.  Yes, breakout sessions can fill up, but keynotes are “good to the last drop”

Breakout Sessions

Don’t be surprised that they’ll fill up.  There are over 300 breakouts this year, but be sure to plan for alternate ones you’ll attend if the one you get to is full.  While it can be frustrating to not get into the one you want to attend, you can take a little comfort in the fact that Salesforce will publish videos of the breakouts after the Dreamforce.  You can watch for them on The Salesforce Channel as they get published.

General

Introduce yourself – You’re among friends (or they will be your friends soon).  Don’t be afraid that you won’t have anything to talk about.  You’re both interested in Salesforce and that’s a HUGE conversation starter.  When you attend a keynote or breakout, don’t just occupy a chair.  Turn around and see who’s around you.  You’ve got a lot to learn from each other.

Grab lunch with people like you – Wednesday and Thursday, lunch is organized by tables of topics or industries.  Take advantage of this time to learn how people like you use Salesforce at their company.  It’s not just lunch, it’s resources for the future.

Quick Tips

• Mail heavy stuff like books and print materials home from your hotel business center – It’s probably cheaper than extra luggage
• If you bring a laptop, bring a power strip with you and make friends by sharing an outlet with someone else
• Bring tons of business cards – You’ll need them to help make future connections with customers and vendors
• Pack an umbrella – You might not need it, but San Francisco is unpredictable and it’s better to be prepared
• Don’t just head back to your hotel – Spend a little time out with others before calling it a day – The social interaction will do you good
• Use a camera to quick snap pictures of Breakout Session PowerPoint slides for easy recall
• Wear comfortable shoes – You’ll be on your feet a lot as well as for the walk to Moscone – Happy feet make for a happy me
• Win some great stuff – I hear that the Amazon Kindle is the giveaway of choice this year, but tons of other stuff is out there too
• Listen to the buzz – Dreamforce will be covered on Twitter with amazing velocity this year.  See what’s being said here http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23df09
• Watch what’s happening on The Salesforce Channel – Videos during and after Dreamforce will be available here http://www.salesforcechannel.com/pages/dreamforce09
• Last up – Have fun