Dreamforce is Salesforce’s annual event that brings together the entire Salesforce community. If you’re part of the Salesforce ecosystem, it’s simply a can’t-miss event every single year, where “Trailblazers” from around the globe congregate en masse to network; share trials, tribulations and successes; and learn from one another.
Moreover, since its beginning in 2003, Dreamforce has grown into being so much more than your regular run-of-the-mill conference. Today, it’s a conference quite like no other, with sessions ranging from inspiring keynotes to visionary presentations, from futuristic technology to initiatives designed to change the fabric of the world and our global society.
Typically an in-person conference covering four full, empowering days, the COVID-19 pandemic moved the entire proceeding online last year. Unfortunately, this year Dreamforce is forced to do the same, with the conference being held virtually over the days of September 21-23, save for a very few fortunate in-person participants, including your humble correspondent.
But, that doesn’t change the value of Dreamforce to you or any other professional within the Salesforce community. Below, find some tips to help you squeeze every drop of value you can out of Dreamforce 2021: Success anywhere, Dreamforce everywhere.
A virtual Dreamforce means … a free Dreamforce!
A full-Conference pass to Dreamforce 2019 was $2,299. For these past two years, virtual Dreamforces have meant a free Dreamforce. Plus, attendees have no subsequent worries regarding travel, lodging, meals and more.
There are no costs holding you back from attending, learning and growing. So, it’s a no-brainer: Register today.
Introducing Salesforce+
On August 10, Salesforce officially announced Salesforce+, its new streaming service that serves as the one-stop shop for content from all of Salesforce’s live experiences, including Dreamforce. All virtual attendees at Dreamforce this year will be trying out the platform for the very first time.
After Dreamforce, the new platform will host original series, podcasts and other programming. Designed for audiences with B2B interests, Salesforce+ sits at the intersection of Salesforce’s Trailhead and video content streamers like Netflix, Apple TV and others.
A big agenda
There’s a big agenda in store at Dreamforce – that’s not a surprise, and it would be a massive disappointment otherwise.
For virtual attendees, sessions will be broadcast across three Salesforce+ channels, and will consist of a mixture of live and pre-recorded segments.
While there are sessions that stand alone in a time slot on the agenda, like the keynote opening presentation from Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, there are a number of parallel learning tracks to the Dreamforce agenda. Broadly speaking, the agenda is broken down into the categories of “roles,” from SFDC Administrators to developers at ISVs (Independent Software Vendors), and “industries.”
There are 38 episodes on the first day of Dreamforce alone! Below, find the sessions that pique my interest the most.
Day 1 of Dreamforce
- 9:45 am PDT – Dreamforce Main Show: Welcome to the Trusted Enterprise with Marc Benioff and special guests. The Salesforce CEO, along with a slew of special guests, will kick off the proceedings with ideas behind transforming your business to a “Trusted Enterprise.” You can bet there will be a big mention of SFDC’s Slack-First Customer 360.
- 11:30 am PDT – Industry Success from Anywhere. This episode centers on how Salesforce Industries solutions facilitate success in a digital-first, work-from-anywhere world.
- 12:00 pm PDT – Welcome to Your Digital HQ. It’s undoubtedly a digital-first world, and it’s redefining what’s possible in business across all industries and segments.
- 12:30 pm PDT – The Next Normal Designed by the Next Generation. A panel representing younger generations share how they’re reimagining the future and leading a movement for inclusive change.
- 4:30 pm PDT – The New Sales Playbook to Accelerate Growth from Anywhere. It’s all about the Slack-First Sales Cloud and breaking new ground with powerful insights, upskilled reps, and self-service buying.
- 5:30 pm PDT – Dreamforce Opening Celebration. Day 1 closes with an exclusive, live concert. Hey, I’m a musician; of course I’m interested in that.
Day 2 of Dreamforce
- 9:30 am PDT – Getting Back to Growth: B2B Sales Reimagined. The pandemic has changed how buyers go through their customer journeys. This session aims to re-examine and reimagine sales strategies in the complex and dynamic world of B2B sales.
- 10:00 am PDT – Right Here, Right Now: The Power of Community. This session highlights the SFDC movement with its community of nonprofits, educators and philanthropists committed to driving change around the world.
- 11:30 am PDT – Protect Yourself from 99 Percent of Security and Data Loss Incidents. Gartner research states 99 percent of data failures are the fault of customers, not the SaaS provider. This session presents a framework with the controls, monitoring and backups to protect your data and minimize risk.
- 1:00 pm PDT – Redefining the Future of Work. Leaders and their organizations are designing new ways to work that are inclusive, flexible and, most of all, productive. When digital workspaces will be more important than physical one, connecting employees with one another will be more important than ever.
- 3:30 pm PDT – Rewriting B2B Selling for Digital Buying. Digital-first buying journeys require B2B go-to-market professionals becoming knowledgeable on the different ways humans engage with digital information.
- 4:30 pm PDT – Tapping into the Gold Medal Mindset. With the Tokyo Olympics still fresh in mind, this session presents Team USA Olympic athletes who will speak to being a leader on a global stage, the power of winning as a team and how to use technology to connect with others.
Day 3 of Dreamforce
- 9:00 am PDT – Sustainability Priorities in the Race to Net-Zero. This session will center on how Salesforce and its customers are accelerating paths to net-zero with sequestration and reforestation, entrepreneur mobilization, mass education and policy influence.
- 10:00 pm PDT – Accelerate B2B Commerce in Every Industry. The focus here will be on using digital commerce to drive sales and growth more quickly.
- 11:30 am PDT – The New Power Couple: AI and Growing Businesses. The pandemic forced digital transformation in 2020. 2021 and beyond will test which businesses discover and seize upon opportunities to innovate.
Success anywhere, Dreamforce everywhere
A virtual Dreamforce is a rare opportunity for everyone, everywhere, in the Salesforce ecosystem and community to participate. Take advantage of this relatively rare opportunity to learn, recharge and think about very real, very immediate applications to both your personal and professional lives.
At LeanData, we’re proud to be platinum-level sponsors of Dreamforce. We know the importance of this annual event for our customers, our market and our company. We invite you to join us at our OpsStars virtual event too.
Check back with the LeanData blog for nightly recaps of the conference, and drop us a virtual “hello” on social media too!
See you at Dreamforce 2021!
