Aug 21, 2014 By Marissa Kraines

6 Best Practices For Engaging Dreamforce Partners

in Dreamforce, Events, Featured, IT

Engaging with partners at Dreamforce is key to finding the solutions you’re looking for. With 350+ unique partner sponsors, 425+ partner booths, and over 10,000 partner attendees, it’s important to connect with the right partners in the right ways. Here are six best practices for getting the most out of the Dreamforce ecosystem.

1. Engage Early

Start getting to know the partners who will be at Dreamforce right now. The moment you register, you’ll automatically gain access to the Success Community and be able to network with partners. Join the groups appropriate for your business and start planning your Dreamforce experience. Get to know and set up meetings with potential partners prior to arriving on site.

2. Get Educated

This year, we’ll have over 20 standalone AppExchange sessions, so no matter what type of application you’re focused on, there will be a session directed at you. There will also be “Super Sessions” in the LAM Research Theater in Yerba Buena Gardens where sponsors will showcase their applications and findings. Customers of ISVs will also be present in most of the other 1,450+ sessions. It’s a great opportunity to get to know these products as well as network with their leaders.

3. Find the Right Partners

Before you get to the conference, do your research. Tour the Cloud Expo section of Dreamforce.com to see which partners or ISVs you can’t miss. Partners are transforming every department and every industry. Interested in custom application development and services? We have hundreds of consulting partners for that—Accenture, Deloitte, NTT Group, Capgemini, IBM and PwC and more. Interested in ready-to-buy apps? Visit hundreds of partners with AppExchange applications from our app vendors—DocuSign, Apttus, PROs, FinancialForce, ServiceMax and more.

And one of the best places to find and enjoy our partners? Join the App Bash on Wednesday, 9pm at City View at the Metreon to get to know peers, partners and more in an informal and enjoyable atmosphere.

4. Set Aside Time for the Cloud Expos

Block out your hours for the Expos now, just like you would with a session. And don’t miss any of the great showcases. We’ll have the Cloud Expo North in Moscone North with our Product Showcase, where you can play the AppMatch game in the Platform area, and get to know all of our product solutions. The Cloud Expo West in Moscone West is the second year we will be featuring our Customer Showcase—showing all the great things our customers are currently doing with our products.

5. Don’t Forget the DevZone

Did you know there is another expo besides the
Cloud Expos? It’s in the Developer Zone. Last year, we had 30+partners ranging from brand-new companies to established ones. This year, we expect more partners in the DevZone. Wearables are starting to gain traction, and we expect several of our Wearable Packs launch partners to be there. In addition to demo booths, there will be partner lead breakout and theater sessions where you can get your hands on and try out most partner solutions.

6. Dreamforce is Year-Round, So Follow-Up

As always, the Dreamforce community and conversation do not end once the conference is over. The same is true for the network and relationships you build while at Dreamforce. After the conference, don’t wait too long to follow up with the partners you connected with. Remember, Dreamforce doesn’t end on October 16.

Did you miss The Road to Dreamforce: Engaging with Dreamforce Partners? Learn more about our partners and get best practices for getting the most out of your interactions as you hear from Vice President, Partner Marketing, Leslie Tom, and Director, Partner Marketing, Adrienne Shimmel.