It’s almost time for “the world’s largest software conference, with a healthy dose of magic.” With tons of workshops, product launches, and exciting keynotes, plus the enigmatic presence of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dreamforce 2022 promises to be truly spectacular. But with the sheer number of talks and speakers, it can easily get overwhelming. Whether you’re attending in-person or remotely, here are some suggestions by Salesforce professionals and previous Dreamforce attendees on the top things to do and see this year.
Attending in-person
Denise Carbone
Sr. Delivery Manager at RafterOne
Chicago Admin Trailblazer, Community Co-Leader, and Salesforce MVP HoF.
Are you excited to be back in person?
“Yes! It’ll be great to be back in San Francisco, I look forward to seeing so many familiar faces in real life and it’s Dreamforce’s 20th anniversary which makes it even more special! I was supposed to attend last year, but had to change my plans last minute. I did participate digitally, and in my opinion, it’s a great extension of the event to those who may be unable to make the trip. It helps you feel connected one way or another, and my dogs appreciated the fact that I was home!”
What are you most looking forward to hearing about at Dreamforce 2022?
“I’m most interested in learning what’s new with Sales, Service, Sales Enablement, Slack, Platform, and MuleSoft! I work in consulting, so we need to be informed about the latest and greatest in order to support our clients and enable our teams to upskill. I also plan to spend some time in the expo hall to check out any new ISVs and visit some of my favorites listed on the AppExchange.”
Is there anything you're hoping to hear more about or see announced?
“I look forward to the keynote, as it’s always inspiring! Plus there’s a little bit of a surprise announcement every time.”
What's your top tip for surviving Dreamforce?
“My top tip is to take care of yourself, hydrate, eat, and get some rest! Also, for any first-timers attending, study the map and the streets. For example, how to get to Moscone from Union Square, where’s Moscone West, locations where lunch is served for attendees. Plan ahead and be flexible! As far as what to do, I suggest checking out this site, as it captures all the ancillary events happening around #DF22.”
Looking to solve your Salesforce skills gap?
Salesforce skills shortage is nothing new. As experts in cloud talent creation, we’ll be taking to stage at this year’s Dreamforce to discuss the current issues around finding and retaining Salesforce talent while sharing our tips and knowledge on how you can access the talent you need in this competitive market, without breaking the bank. We hope to see you at one of our talks!
MuleSoft: Build digital skills to future-proof your company
Tue, 20 September, 12.30-12.50pm
Trailblazer Theater
Think differently about skills, talent, and hiring. Learn tips on creating programs that build diverse, inclusive, and regenerating technical skills from an expert-led MuleSoft panel.
Panelists:
- Katherine Black, Srn Director, Training, Salesforce
- Omar de Silva, Co-Founder, Fourth Rev
- Trey Roldan, Chief Commercial Officer, Tenth Revolution Group
Accelarate company growth through talent partnerships
Tue, 20 September, 3.30-4.10pm
Golden Gate Ballroom A
As customer demand for Salesforce 360 grows, so does the need for skilled talent on your team. Hear success stories from leaders who leveraged workforce development orgs to build their practice.
Panelists:
- Simon Bozzoli, Founder and CEO, LDN Apprenticeships
- Rebecca Davis, Salesforce.com Solutions & Design Director, EPAM
- Gavin Brown, CEO, PwC’s Indigenous Consulting
- Kyle O’Brien, Director – APAC, Revolent
- Reena Gupta, Founder, Mom Relaunch
- Rajeev Gupta
- Ashley Morris, Director, Workforce and Talent Development at Salesforce, Salesforce
From crisis to opportunity:
Leveraging net-new talent to grow the Salesforce ecosystem
Tue, 20 September, 4.45pm
The House of Shields
How can Salesforce Partners and end-users leverage net-new talent to grow the ecosystem and solve their skills gap? To find out, join Salesforce Summit Consulting Partner, West Monroe, for a fireside chat alongside Salesforce and cloud talent creation experts, Revolent, at one of San Francisco’s most iconic landmarks—The House of Shields. Stick around after the chat for a happy hour and some mingling.
IT Talks: Winning and retaining IT talent
Wed, 21 September, 1:00-1:40pm, 2:00-2:40pm, 3:00-3:40pm
IT Lodge, Moscone West - Level 2
Join your peers for an interactive discussion on the top challenges and opportunities facing today’s IT leaders when it comes to attracting and retaining talent.
Deepening Marketing & Commerce Cloud capabilities
Thu, 22 September, 12.30-1.10pm
Golden Gate Ballroom B
Partners can grow their practices by deepening their capabilities through learning journeys and other enablement, emphasizing partner opportunities around Marketing and Commerce Cloud + CDP.
Panelists:
- Trey Roldan, Chief Commercial Officer, Tenth Revolution Group
- Tracy Novotny, Senior Director, Marketing Cloud Alliances, Salesforce
- Lauren Noonan, Head of Salesforce Practices, North America, EPAM Systems
- Laura Lourenco, Sr. Director, Global Marketing Cloud & CDP Practice Leader, Slalom
- Anurag Gupta, SVP & Head – Partnerships, Revature
Zarina Varley Scott
Toronto Women in Tech Group Co-Leader
Zarina Varley Scott is an #AwesomeAdmin and Golden Hoodie recipient based in Canada. Zarina is passionate about helping businesses streamline their processes, and is an active member of the Salesforce Community. She is the co-leader of the Toronto Women in Tech Community Group and Vice-Chair of True North Dream, Canada’s first Salesforce Community Conference.
Are you excited to be back in person?
“I am incredibly honored to be returning to Dreamforce after three years to speak and re-connect with the community! The past few years have been tough on everyone, so I’m looking forward to seeing Trailblazers from all over the world and learning all the things!”
What are you most looking forward to hearing about at Dreamforce 2022?
“I’m most excited to reconnect with everyone and hear what they’ve been up to! I’m also really looking forward to learning about Omni Studio and hearing what is coming up, not to mention seeing fellow Canadian Simu Liu (aka Shang-Chi himself!) speak as well!”
What's your top tip for surviving Dreamforce?
“My top sneaky tip for Dreamforce is to get yourself a Clipper card! Dreamforce can be a challenge to get around, especially if you’re not staying right near Moscone, so a Clipper card will help you hop on a street car or a bus with ease! Also, make sure you bring a backpack and a water bottle—word on the street is that those aren’t being provided this year.”
Escape the crowds with our ultimate getaway
Whether you’re a business, organization, or Salesforce Partner, we can help you solve your Salesforce talent gap and escape the hectic crowds of Dreamforce. Come and join us in the heart of San Francisco for an exclusive, all-inclusive getaway at one of San Francisco’s historic landmarks, The House of Shields. Located just a few minutes’ walk from the Moscone Center, the House of Shields’ iconic antique décor and hand-crafted cocktails have been wowing visitors to San Francisco for over a hundred years. Known locally as “the place where time stands still”, this former Speakeasy is the perfect location to get away from the hustle and bustle of the main event.
Attending remotely
Manish Thaduri
Salesforce Technical Architect
A Salesforce MVP and Salesforce Marketing Champion (2020), 7x Salesforce Certified, currently working in Singapore with over 11 years of experience in Salesforce technology. Manish is the organizer of Singapore Salesforce Developer Group conducting meetups for all the developers in Singapore. He’s a Blogger, Speaker, Author, and an Instructor at Udemy.
How do you feel about experiencing Dreamforce 2022 virtually?
“I’ll definitely miss being there in person, as the vibe of Dreamforce is completely different from attending virtually. You lose out on meeting opportunities. However, I’m excited to watch digitally on Salesforce+. I’ll watch the keynote and some interesting sessions live while I bookmark the other ones to watch on-demand later.”
Is there anything you're hoping to hear more about or see announced?
“Dreamforce is about big announcements. I’m hoping to see some updates to the Automation side of things, especially Flows—since it will become the only* automation tool for Admins soon. Hoping for Salesforce to surprise us!”
What's your top tip for surviving Dreamforce?
“If you’re attending Dreamforce in person, it’s going to be fast-paced, running around the session halls. Pace yourself, do not overbook your time with sessions, give yourself some breathing space, and opportunities to meet people.”
Vicki Moritz-Henry
Solutions Architect
2021 Salesforce Marketing Champion and Salesforce Certified Instructor. 16x Certified and 5x Trailhead Ranger.
How do you feel about experiencing Dreamforce 2022 virtually?
“While I wish I could attend in person, this year just wasn’t possible for me. But I’m so glad for the opportunity to still be part of all the learning and announcements from my little corner of France. The Trailblazer Community has really rallied around the virtual experience as well with virtual watch parties. It helps to bring some of the Dreamforce magic wherever you are!”
Is there anything you're hoping to hear more about or see announced?
“There’s always new product announcements, so I’m looking forward to seeing what is on the roadmap for the upcoming year. I especially love any updates about enhancements to the learning paths. True to the Core is by far one of my favorite sessions and was live-streamed last year, so I’m hoping to catch that one again.”
What's your top tip for surviving Dreamforce?
“Oh, boy! I was 8 weeks pregnant at my last and only in-person Dreamforce, and remember it being quite the experience. Here are my tips:
- Leave some extra space in your suitcase to bring some goodies and swag back home with you. You’ll especially get them from the expo booths or from completing the quests.
- Plan for the evening weather, too. Wear light layers and make sure to bring a jacket or a sweater for the evenings, if it gets cooler. I made the mistake of forgetting a jacket for the Fleetwood Mac concert and it was a chilly walk!
- Pack snacks. There will be food, but the lines are sometimes long or you may find yourself in an area without any. Some healthy and energizing snacks will keep you going through jam-packed days of sessions and networking.
- Talk to your neighbor. Dreamforce is a great place to meet people, but it can also feel overwhelming. Start small and just spark a conversation with a person near you. We all have a common topic of conversation—Salesforce! I believe that’s how I first met Christine Marshall…
- Plan in some breaks. Unless you’re an extreme extrovert with Energizer bunny-like powers, the week is going to be intense. Don’t book yourself back-to-back from beginning to end—make sure to throw in some R&R time (even if it’s just sinking into a lump on a hallway floor)!
- Wear comfy shoes! There will be a lot of walking.
- Get to the most popular sessions (like keynotes) early. For Barack Obama, we thought we got there with plenty of time and still ended up watching the stream from a satellite room. Space is limited and the lines can get long.”
Mark Laing
Senior Salesforce Administrator for REA Group
Based in Brisbane, Australia, Mark has 25+ years as a tech professional and 3.5 years in the Salesforce ecosystem, where he’s acquired four Salesforce certifications so far.
How do you feel about experiencing Dreamforce 2022 virtually?
“Salesforce+ makes being a digital attendee a much better experience, but it still doesn’t remove any of the FOMO around not being there in person! I am really looking forward to planning a trip to the US next year and making Dreamforce a big part of that experience.”
Is there anything you're hoping to hear more about or see announced?
“As always, anything and everything from Cheryl Feldman and her awesome team! The parties sound like great fun and a chance to meet some internet friends in person for the first time.”
What's your top tip for surviving Dreamforce?
“Ask me next year! I do know that lots of people share their personal tips and tricks on LinkedIn and Twitter to help first-timers feel more comfortable.”
Don't forget to sign up for Salesforce+
Whether you’re attending Dreamforce in person or not, don’t forget to sign up for Salesforce+. This platform will allow you to access livestreamed sessions from Dreamforce, as well as 200+ on-demand episodes from global takeovers and other key dates in the Salesforce annual calendar. This is perfect if you’re feeling jet-lagged or have an important meeting to catch, or if you need to replay a session to catch all the details.
