Every year Dreamforce promises a whirlwind of people, ideas, and technology, and this year was no different. Dreamforce 2017 delivered the usual crazy crowds, speakers to remember, useful sessions, great parties and opportunities to connect with old friends and new – plus, of course, all the Salesforce information and inspiration that you possibly could ask for.
At Keste, we were particularly tuned in to the event’s theme of trailblazing. “Trailblazing” is a wonderful, evocative word for what we aspire to help our clients achieve. Forging your own unique path to digital transformation, complete with both old and new systems and, perhaps most importantly, the connections between them, is nothing if not blazing a trail. It was exhilarating to hear so many stories from trailblazers within and outside of the Salesforce family, and learn so many new ways to keep blazing trails for our clients and our own organization.
With that in mind, here are some of the top moments we’ll remember from Dreamforce 2017:
1. Force to be reckoned with. Salesforce proved again that they are nowhere close to slowing down. On top of having the tallest building west of the Mississippi and paving the way to being a $20 billion company, they are still constantly releasing new products and solutions. Dreamforce had a huge focus on Einstein, Communities, and Lightning. Check out how Keste leverages Salesforce products.
2. Using technology in a meaningful way. Being that this is a technology conference, it was great to hear Ashton Kutcher’s take on using technology for good. If you had asked us before Dreamforce whether Ashton Kutcher would make our top ten list, the answer probably would have been no. But the actor and co-founder of Thorn, an organization that uses technology to fight child trafficking and exploitation, was downright inspiring.
3. 49ers Dreamforce Kickoff Tailgate. Keste, Salesforce reps, customers, and friends gathered for food and fun before watching the San Francisco 49ers take on the Arizona Cardinals. We built a sense of community with everyone there which was a great way to relax before a productive week ahead!
4. Velvet Room Party. We had a blast at our Monday night Dreamforce “After Party!” Keste and Vlocity partnered together to host over 300 people at the beautiful Clift Hotel Velvet Room. We danced into the following day with fabulous cocktails, late night snacks, and most importantly, fabulous guests. If you were able to join us, did you SEE the DJ’s glasses?!
5. Breakfasts and lunches at the Educated Palate. Other than being a great name for a restaurant, the Educated Palate provided a delicious home base for our series of Quickstart Breakfasts and Lunch & Learns. We covered specific topics like modernizing insurance contact centers and inspiring your customers with Salesforce Communities, as well as overall themes like increasing engagement, improving speed, adding more value and driving channel growth.
6. Day 3’s product keynotes. Let’s not forget that this was a technology conference, and as a Salesforce Gold Consulting partner, we welcomed the opportunity to dig into the tech itself. Day 3 offered up some first-rate product keynotes on Sales Cloud, the newly-rebranded Lightning Platform, Commerce Cloud (complete with a very charming golden retriever), and Success Cloud. As Keste CEO Howard Moore mentioned to CRN, Salesforce is delivering “the economics to leverage their licensing under the hood,” allowing partners to build components, package them, and deliver them on AppExchange. Keste has done just that, leveraging its expertise in product configuration, Salesforce Community Cloud and CPQ (Configure Price Quote) to build over 50 Bolt solutions, with even more in the works.
7. Dreamfest and the Keste happy hour that preceded it. Lenny Kravitz and Alicia Keys put on an incredible show, but we think we put up a fight with our Bar VIA happy hour. We had a great time hosting over 80 people at the beautiful new Bar VIA space located directly across the street from AT&T stadium. Guests were able to enjoy a nice cocktail, glass of wine, and great food before heading into the concert.
8. Inspiring quotes from the Fortune CEO series. It’s impossible to catch every speaker and session at Dreamforce, but luckily Salesforce did a great job of summing up the most memorable moments from each day. Their “Top 5 Takeaways from Dreamforce Day 2” blog includes some thought-provoking quotes from the Fortune CEO series around authenticity, growth, and customer experience.
9. Giving back. We loved seeing Salesforce’s #Trailheart take off, where thousands gave back throughout the entire week of Dreamforce. Salesforce reported raising $15 million for the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals at Dreamfest and $1 million for Girl Scouts, Upwardly Global, and World Vision in the Dreamforce Quest. Salesforce also provided opportunities for attendees to donate their time, including packing backpacks for hurricane victims.
10. Unbeatable networking. At Keste, we’re always looking for smart, motivated people to join our team, and Dreamforce was filled with them. At each of our hosted events and the various formal and informal sessions and conversations we had throughout the week, we met interesting people with stories to tell. The Keste team isn’t complete yet so if you know Salesforce, we’re hiring.
That’s a wrap on Dreamforce 2017 for Team Keste. We’d love to hear what you found most exciting and share how we can help you turn that inspiration into a reality.
