Oct 02, 2014 By Marissa Kraines

11 Awesome Dreamforce Tips from Salesforce MVPs

in Dreamforce, Events, Featured, MVPs

Salesforce MVPs are an instrumental source of support for our community. They’re our evangelists and are recognized for their leadership, knowledge, and ongoing contributions. These individuals represent the spirit of the community and what it's all about.

Salesforce MVPs have been attending Dreamforce for a number of years, and can provide guidance for other attendees. Here are some MVPs and tips they’ve shared.

Andrew Fawcett— @andyinthecloud

1. Understand the layout of the event. It’s a massive event drawing tens of thousands of people, and while there's always a friendly face to help you on your way, it helps to have a good general idea yourself, so take some time to wander.

Tweet this: #DF14Tips "Understand the layout of the event" -@andyinthecloud http://sforce.co/1CGCN8r

Chris Zullo— @chriszullo

2. Visit at least one keynote. Whether it's product-specific or industry thought leadership, there is great value. These sessions are about the big picture and how successful cultures are built and maintained. It's about the impact of our technology on the world. It's about how we can learn from another.

Tweet this: #DF14Tips "Visit a keynote. Product-specific or industry thought leader, there is great value" -@chriszullo http://sforce.co/1CGCN8r

Elizabeth Davidson— @eliz_beth

3. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Drink water. Bring a reusable water bottle and participate in being green.

Tweet this: #DF14Tips "Hydrate. Drink water. Bring a reusable water bottle and participate in being green" -@eliz_beth http://sforce.co/1CGCN8r

4. Before you arrive, either weeks before or on the plane or train or in the car, make a list of 3 questions you want answered before Dreamforce is over. There is so much to do and so much to see it can get overwhelming. You may find yourself forgetting your questions with all the new things vying for your attention.

Tweet this: #DF14Tips "Make a list of 3 questions you want answered at #DF14, before you arrive at the event." -@eliz_beth http://sforce.co/1CGCN8r

Eric Dreshfield— @ericdresh

5. Leave the laptop at home, or if you must bring it, leave it secured in the safe at your hotel room. You will find that it quickly becomes very heavy to carry around with you all day. Opt for a tablet if you have one or even your smartphone if you are comfortable taking notes on it.

Tweet this: #DF14Tips "Leave the heavy laptop at home, or in your hotel. Opt for a tablet or your smartphone" -@ericdresh http://sforce.co/1CGCN8r

6. Make sure to be comfortable. Wear comfortable shoes. You will walk more than you think. After the first day at my first Dreamforce, I installed a pedometer app on my smartphone to see how much I was walking. I discovered that I was traveling an average of about 5 miles per day. Also, wear layered clothing and bring a jacket. San Francisco has beautiful weather nearly all year, but varies greatly from morning to night.

Tweet this: #DF14Tips "Make sure to be comfortable. Wear comfortable shoes, layered clothing & bring a jacket." -@ericdresh http://sforce.co/1CGCN8r

Rhonda Ross— @crmdr

7. Before going, schedule a meeting for when you return to share what you learned. This will hold you accountable to apply what you learned and have your company agree to send you next year.

Tweet this: #DF14Tips "BEFORE going to #DF14, schedule a meeting for when you return to share what you learned." -@crmdr http://sforce.co/1CGCN8r

Brian Kwong— @Kwongerific

8. Don’t overbook yourself with sessions. Most are recorded. Keep space for the Expo, Admin, & Dev Zones, and for networking!

Tweet this: #DF14Tips "Don’t overbook yourself with sessions. Keep time for the Expos, Zones & networking!" -@Kwongerific http://sforce.co/1CGCN8r

Christine Pechter— @ChrissyPechter

9. Update your online profiles including the Salesforce Success Community, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Ensuring that your professional information is accurate and that your profile picture is current will help with networking and connecting before, during, and after the conference.

Tweet this: #DF14Tips "Update your online profiles ensuring that your professional info is accurate." -@ChrissyPechter http://sforce.co/1CGCN8r

Becky Webster— @BeckyMaeW

10. Buy/bring a supplemental batteries (like Limeade or Mophie) to charge your phone and/or tablet. You'll be out and about from early morning until dark, and the last thing you want to do is sit by a wall while your phone charges when you would rather be in a session or the expo.

Tweet this: #DF14Tips "Buy/bring supplemental batteries to charge all your devices." -@BeckyMaeW http://sforce.co/1CGCN8r

Nicholas Zinser— @nzinser

11. Get out of your comfort zone. If you're an Admin, hang out in the Dev Zone for a while. If you're a developer, check out what's going on with the Marketing Cloud. It’ll help generate new ideas and inspire you!

Tweet this: #DF14Tips "Get out of your comfort zone. It will help generate new ideas and inspire you!" -@nzinser http://sforce.co/1CGCN8r

Do you have more Dreamforce tips? Use #DF14Tips on Twitter to share your knowledge.

Did you miss this week’s episode of The Road to Dreamforce: Get Ready? Join Scott Owens, Product Management Director, Events Application and Stacey Kashubeck, Director, Strategic Events as we help you with your final prep for Dreamforce. Get a first look at the Dreamforce mobile app, learn how to best get around the campus, and hear Gala best practices. Plus, check out all the awesome Dreamstore swag you can grab at the show.