Salesforce's annual festival/conference/family reunion is almost upon us and will kick off in spectacular fashion next week from September 25-28. It's an overwhelming experience for both first time attendees and veterans alike so it's a good idea to consider some best practices to make the most of this extraordinary event.

Plan Ahead

There are hundreds official sessions including keynotes, breakouts, workshops so it's essential that you have a rough agenda locked down before Tuesday. Luckily, Salesforce makes this easy with their Agenda Builder. Start building and dreaming away!

Set Goals

Why are you attending Dreamforce in the first place? Is it for networking, to meet and speak with experts, share and receive knowledge about your industry, or something else? Over 150,000 people are expected to attend Dreamforce and while you can make incredible connections, both professionally and personally, having an agenda on what you want to get out of the event will help you avoid coming off as over-eager, too sales-y, etc.

Networking

Obviously, there will be tons of opportunities to network, not just at the official events but also at the events, parties, after-parties hosted by the plethora of Salesforce partners and sponsors who rent out whole restaurants and bars during the event. A good portion of Dreamforce will be made up of sales veterans so don't try to outsmart the pros.

What's forgotten in the hustle of Dreamforce is that it's a great place to make connections and not just a sale. Show interest in the people you meet as people and not just as prospects. Many people are at Dreamforce to learn and have fun so be generous with your knowledge and resources in building genuine connections. Play the long game.

See you at Dreamforce!

So that's about it. Have a blast at Dreamforce and we hope it'll be a rewarding experience for you. Our Managing Partner, Sai Gudivada, will be at Dreamforce next week. Drop us a note if you would like to meet him.

Photo Credit: Dion Hinchcliffe at Flickr