Dreamforce 2014 Preppers, Part III: (Offsite) Party Hard

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As with any conference, the appearance of DreamForce 2014 brings out the party in people. From networking events to happy hours (and even a few costumed-themed ragers that may rival your college years), the off-site scene at DreamForce will be nearly as important as the conference itself, especially when it comes to networking. I mean, be honest with yourself; how many chances will you get to be in a social situation with a SalesForce exec, or networking with some of the best and brightest folks in your field from all around the country? Probably not that often (unless your life is more exciting than ours).

The problem with these events is that 1) you’re really excited to be there, 2) there’re often free drinks, and 3) there’s at least a little bit of each of us that sees DreamForce as, at least a little bit, a vacation. Add those things up and the possibility of saying Heeeeyyy bro… shots? to someone you shouldn’t increases exponentially.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t attend these events; in fact, if you choose not to, I strongly encourage you to throw away your plane ticket and quit your job. These events are where the real deals will be made at DreamForce 2014, where the connections happen. Just follow my advice:

DON’T GET TOO DRUNK AT DREAMFORCE 2014

Now that’s out of the way, we can get down to it. You’ll see the offsite events breaking down into the following categories—Coffee, Breakfast, Keynote Viewing, Networking Event, Happy Hour, Party, After Party—and each kind of event will have its own benefits and drawbacks. You might find that, over breakfast, it’s more difficult to get people to talk because they’re tired from the night before, but that they’re alert, remember the connection they made with you, and follow up quickly. Conversely, that hard-to-reach VP may be totally loose and ready to talk at an after party, but that killer conversation the two of you had may be… a little hazy the next morning.

What I’m trying to say is that, while at DreamForce, you’ll be best served by attending a variety of offsite events. Some will be boozier, some more networking-heavy, but they’re all worth your time. Here they are:

An (At This Moment) Comprehensive List of All DreamForce 2014 Parties and Off-Site Events

DreamForce 2014 Parties and Events – October 13

DreamForce 2014 Parties and Events – October 14

DreamForce 2014 Parties and Events – October 15

DreamForce 2014 Parties and Events – October 16

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is all she wrote. If you don’t have a blast at DreamForce 2014, make a ton of contacts, and come back with at least a little bit of a headache, you’re doing it all wrong! Have fun and stay safe!

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]