Last week, the cloud computing event of the year hit San Francisco with a mighty force and as a company with more than a passing interest in Salesforce.com, Dreamforce was of huge interest to us (we watched online along with a host of other people.)
Thousands of people joined together to innovatively learn about the future of computing and how it can successfully transfer their business into this new era of the second cloud. Through connecting with others, inspirational talks and practical seminars, Dreamforce aimed to provide the complete package to get your company ahead of the game.
Undoubtedly a highlight of the conference was the networking opportunities (for those who were there), with over 20,000 like-minded people; Dreamforce was the perfecting hunting ground for forging new, long-lasting friendships and business relationships.
This year the Dreamforce App was introduced which made networking more effective and concentrated. By updating you attendee profile on the App, conference goers were able to meet, greet and gain information from people specialising in specific topic areas of interest. After all, Dreamforce is about community innovation and so building exciting business relationships was central to the conference.
Bill Clinton joined to tell of his experience at being a president in changing times. He gave insight into his views on globalisation and the worlds growing independence. Having led a country into enormous economic growth and prosperity, Bills inspirational talk gave vision and also practical application theory leaving us with plenty to chew on and consider implementing back in our own company. Whatever your background, this presentation gave us all something to think about.
Then Dreamforce got practical. With over thirty hands on workshops, from ‘Have It Your Way: Customize Your Org to Fit Your Business’ to ‘Driving Collaboration with Chatter,’ there was a program to suit every need and answer every question. The sessions encompassed the most up to date information as well as workable strategies and tips for your business, in order that you were enabled to leave with the relevant skills needed for moving forward.
Finally, Stevie Wonder, the man who is practically the definition of success, topped everything off by performing some of his most famous songs at the Global Gala getting everyone to their feet dancing and singing along – if you were there anyway.
All in all, a very successful time seemed to be had by all and we most certainly came away (virtually) with lots to think about and lots to mull over.