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Well that went by fast! After months of anticipation, Dreamforce '17 came and went in a flash. It was four days packed with keynotes, sessions, hands-on training, inspirational discussions with some of the world's biggest stars, and much more. There's so much to see across the entire Dreamforce campus, and it's (unfortunately) impossible to clone yourself and be in multiple places at once. So in case you missed some of these highlights, here are our top 10 moments from Dreamforce '17.
While Dreamforce may be physically located in San Francisco, millions of Trailblazers from around the world joined in via video and live streaming through Salesforce LIVE. These videos included not just the top sessions and keynotes, but also interviews with innovators, visionaries, and activists who are using the Customer Success Platform to make their industries, and the world, even better.
Amidst the sea of booths in the Cloud Expo, some of our top customers were featured in the campground. Big-name Trailblazer brands like adidas, Girl Scouts, 21st Century Fox, KONE, Citi, and UCSF showed how their businesses are innovating around the world with Salesforce. Check out adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted revealing the brand-new adidas app, and sharing the company's vision to create a premium digital experience to connect with customers across all touchpoints.
Earning new badges, hands-on training, coding camp for kids — Dreamforce is more than just about fun, it's a place to learn new skills from fellow Trailblazers. At Trailhead Academy experts assisted others with hands-on training, and the Trailhead Zone was buzzing all week with attendees earning hundreds of Trailhead badges, learning to code, and passing exams for Salesforce Certification. At the Admin Keynote, one lucky Trailblazer even was awarded the coveted Golden Trailblazer Hoodie — congratulations, Scott!
We learned about the #Trailheart formula: Be human. Have Fun. Be Purposeful. Give Back.
Thousands of Trailblazers took this formula to heart and gave back throughout the entire week of Dreamforce. In addition to raising $15 million for the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals at the Dreamfest, attendees participating in the Dreamforce Quest raised $1 million for Girl Scouts, Upwardly Global, and World Vision. Each day there were also opportunities for Trailblazers to donate their time, including packing backpacks for hurricane victims. Throughout the week our attendees embraced the Trailheart ethos and the opportunity to give back to others.
Equality was a major theme across Dreamforce, and nowhere more visibly than in the Equality Summit that included a keynote and interviews with special guests. Two Hollywood heavyweights, Taraji P. Henson and Natalie Portman, were a part of this year's Equality Summit lineup and took the stage to share their own stories and inspire others. In the discussion, “Changing the Face of Entertainment,” Henson shared some laughs and some tears about how she has been fighting stereotypes throughout her entire career, and continues to fight for others. In “The Path to Equal Pay,” Portman discussed her personal experience with pay disparity between herself and her male co-stars, and how she is working to eliminate the pay gap in Hollywood.
In one of the most emotional and inspiring hours of the entire week, actor and innovator Ashton Kutcher took the stage to discuss using technology to defeat some of the most challenging problems in our modern world. Kutcher co-founded Thorn, which partners across industries to fight the trafficking and exploitation of children with the power of technology. Citing Bono's crusade to end AIDS as one of his primary inspirations, Kutcher decided to “put down the phone and be the person who steps in to help.” If you missed this incredible session, check out the recording on Salesforce LIVE.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama graced the stage at Dreamforce for an exclusive fireside chat with Salesforce Chairman and CEO Marc Benioff. Mrs. Obama discussed life as a private citizen and the causes she and her husband, former President Obama, find near and dear to their hearts.
Back by popular demand, the Dreampitch returned to the Dreamforce stage to give entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their ideas in front of a star-studded panel. Judges included will.i.am, founder and CEO of i.am+, Chris Sacca, founder and chairman of Lowercase capital and frequent “Guest Shark” on Shark Tank, Shahrzad Rafati, founder and CEO of BroadbandTV, and Guy Oseary, talent manager to the stars for Sound Ventures. This panel judged pitches from three startups built on the Salesforce platform. Retrolux, a sales and marketplace solution unique to the lighting industry, Loop & Tie, a revolutionized corporate gifting solution, and Meta Saas, a SaaS service and vendor management company, each nailed their pitch — but only one could walk away with the winning prize of a $250,000 investment from Salesforce Ventures. Congratulations, Loop & Tie!
In a fireside chat, Marc Benioff was joined onstage by Ginni Rometty, Chairman, President, and CEO of IBM, to discuss the future of work. The two leaders shared their vision for AI's impact on the workforce, as well as other emerging technologies that are challenging traditional business models. They also discussed how the massive influx of data is drastically impacting the world. The discussion turned to workforce development, and like Marc, Ginni believes that education is the key to helping current and future employees thrive in a rapidly changing world. “The divide we see in this nation, it’s haves and have-nots, and the root of this is in education,” she said. She emphasized the importance of mentorships, apprenticeships, and in developing stronger technology curriculums for students.
Dreamforce is often compared to a “family reunion.” It's a place where old friends reconnect, new friendships are formed, and even marriage proposals occur. This year, from the Dreamforce Campground to the Trailhead Zone, from keynotes to breakout sessions, Trailblazers shared key insights, gave demos, and helped each other as one Ohana. Every Trailblazer has a unique story, but they all share the same traits of striving to be their best selves — and helping others along the way. Examples of this desire to share learning with others abounded all week, such as T-Mobile SVP Mike Katz, who recorded daily Dreamforce wrap-up videos for his community. All throughout Dreamforce we met Trailblazers like Stephanie Herrera, who founded ATX Girly Geeks and created Salesforce Saturday, a community gathering to learn Salesforce, and shared her unique story in the Opening Keynote with Marc Benioff. Dreamforce is an incredible reminder of the power of the entire Trailblazer community.
That's a wrap on Dreamforce '17 — see you next year!
