Ten Reasons to go to Dreamforce '11 - Revisted
In about 4 weeks time, Dreamforce 2011 will be here. Last year I wrote a top ten reasons blog, so here is the 2011 edition of the 10 reasons to attend "The cloud computing event of the year." This year will be bigger then ever so if you are on the fence about registering, here are some reasons to put you over the top.
#10 California in the Summer
As mentioned in my 2010 blog, San Fransisco is a beautiful city that offers a lot to do. Alcatraz and Fisherman's Wharf are great sights to see. Since Dreamforce 11 is in the Summer this year, why not take the opportunity to visit AT&T park and catch a ballgame. The Chicago Cubs will be in town and what better way to kickoff the first night of Dreamforce then watching America's past time.
#9 Salesforce Acquisitions
Over the last year Salesforce has made a bunch of acquisitions that have led to new product offerings. Information on these products like Radian6, DimDim, and Heroku have been hard to come by so here is a great opportunity to take a deep dive. Dreamforce promises to have many training and demo opportunities to dig right into these products of the future.
#8 Metallica
Dreamforce always promises some great afterhours entertainment and this year doesn't dissapoint. I don't care what type of music you like, Metallica is a legendary band that anyone with the opportunity should see live. Even if you arent interested in seeing them live, the party itself is worth it. With great food, drinks and fellow Salesforce evangelists; its a party not worth missing. Did I mention will.i.am will be the late night DJ again?
#7 Extended Hours
Dreamforce is a goldmine for networking and this year will be better then ever. The Expo Hall will now be open for all four days and for 8 hours each day. Those are long days for us exhibitors but great for you. With extra time, you can now spend an extra few minutes checking out a new product or service that you didn't have time to last year. The number of exhibitors this year is expected to be over 300.
#6 Philanthropy
Marc Benioff is very vocal about his dedication to philanthropic efforts. Each Dreamforce is filled with opportunities to give back. I had the opportunity to participate last year and it was a lot of fun. In about 30 minutes I got to meet people from around country and make about 50 meals to be delivered to the homeless. There is nothing better then feeling like you did something for the community.
#5 The Keynote(s)
The Keynote will always make the list. This is time to see what Salesforce has planned for the upcoming year and Marc never dissapoints. Whether its a new product line, an acquisition or enhancements to the core, the Keynote delivers. Just make sure you get there nice and early to get a decent seat.
#4 Social Storm
The big theme this year is the social enterprise. No matter what industry you are in, the impact of social media on your business is crucial. Dreamforce is a great place to get educated on what others in your industry are doing and also hear from industry leaders themselves. Representatives from Facebook, Twitter and other community sites will be on hand to provide insight into a good strategy. One person in particular we are excited to see is Gary Vaynerchuk, author of the New York Times Bestseller "Crush It! Why Now Is the Time to Cash in on Your Passion".
#3 Arkus will be an Exhibitor
If you havent had a chance to meet us already, here is a great opportunity. We will have a booth at the expo this year and would love for you to stop by. In addition we will be showing off our brand new application coming to an AppExchange near you. Can't give anymore details so you will have to stop by to check it out. Look for the Arkus logo on the Expo Floor, we will be at booth #30.
#2 The Cloud Expo
The Expo is a great place to meet new people and hear about new products that can potentially save you time and money. The biggest names in cloud computing are there to speak to you directly and in most cases gave you great takeaways to bring back to your office to share with your colleagues. Salesforce will of course have a big presence on the floor but a new addition will be the Salesforce MVP booth. This is your chance to talk to experts in Salesforce but experts from the community. Our very own Justin Edelstein has been selected as an MVP and will be at that booth so feel free to stop over there and try to stump him!
#1 Education
The most important thing you will get from the conference is an education on the cloud. Whether its hands-on training, client success stories or just walking around the expo, you are going to learn something new about the cloud. It's the largest focus group your company could ever put together. With extended Expo hours, more training offerings and more breakout sessions, your opportunity to learn is better then ever.
So there is this year's edition of my top ten. Salesforce always trys to make each year better and from the sounds of it they have. With additional hours, training, product deep dives and huge list of industry experts in attendance, this year's Dreamforce should be better then ever. As mentioned, we will be an exhibitor this year so feel free to stop by Booth #30 to say hi!
