Dreamforce 17 for Administrators
Although Dreamforce this year is kind of later than usual, at this point it is quickly approaching. Have you thought about your agenda? What sessions are important to you as an Administrator? Now that the Agenda Builder is live, and I must say, it’s better (hello Einstein) than last year’s version, it’s a great place to start.
But wait, hold on, and take a step back. Before you dive into selecting Keynotes, Product Keynotes, and Sessions in the agenda builder, it’s a good idea to evaluate your current skill set. What can you say you confidently know well? Where are the gaps in the knowledge you are either interested in learning more about, or skills you will be called upon in the near future to execute on in your day job as an Administrator? I personally like to take advantage of Dreamforce as an opportunity to seek out the features and functionality I know little about. Either because I’m starting to see a trend in inquiries related to these topics in my everyday world, or because I’m just interested in the topic in general.
Once you’ve done a bit of soul searching, it’s time to tackle the Agenda Builder!
First, sort by Trail Map as a top sort option, then filter by the Role of a Salesforce Administrator. That will give you a very abbreviated list to start with that includes Sessions and Keynotes (Salesforce for Admins). Once you’ve selected what may interest you through that filter, you may want to open it up to ‘All Sessions’ and use the filters, such as Roles, Category, Industry, and Level, etc…to find additional Keynotes and Sessions that fit your Dreamforce education goals. There’s a filter for Location which can be helpful as well since the Session locations can be several city blocks away from each other so pay attention to walk time between Sessions.
I have to give a shout out to Mike Gerholdt who has written a few blog posts to help out Administrators. His general post related to getting ready for the Agenda Builder links to this great Quip Admin Track Cheat Sheet for Sessions. That list alone has 107 great Sessions for Administrators. His other blog post targets the Administrators Dreamforce game plan and bullets steps to have a more effective and successful Dreamforce experience.
There is always the Admin Meadow, where you can learn about the latest features and jump into informative talks at the Admin Theater. This is a great place to squat between Keynotes and Sessions and perhaps get to know and collaborate with other Admins.
I highly recommend attending the product keynote sessions as well. Those are hosted by the Salesforce Product Managers and Evangelists who know of all things Salesforce now and planned for the future.
As always, wear comfortable shoes, bring layers (it’s San Francisco after all), pace yourself, and enjoy all that Dreamforce has to offer!
Do you have other recommendations for Admins at Dreamforce ‘17? Please feel free to comment below, on our Facebook page, or directly at me on Twitter @LeiferAshley or in the Success Community or Power of Us Hub.
