Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast we’re starting a two-part episode featuring the Admin Evangelist Team to help all the Admins going to Dreamforce get ready for what’s coming. Next week, we’ll focus on what you can do to keep up with what’s going on if you can’t make it out to San Francisco this year.

Join us to learn about what to pack, where to go, and how to plan for your Dreamforce experience. Make sure to check out the end for a special bonus section on where to eat— after all, nobody wants to get hangry.

You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with the Admin Evangelist Team.

The Packing List

Dreamforce is just around the corner, so we wanted to get Mike, Gillian, and LeeAnne together to talk about the ins and outs of how to navigate this massive, amazing event. The first thing we go into is planning, and LeeAnne is a master: “If you spend time up front with planning for your trip then it gives you a lot more flexibility to enjoy your time when you’re there.” You don’t want to be thinking about your packing list once you’ve landed, you want to be there and part of what’s happening.

LeeAnne’s top five tips:

1. Wear comfortable shoes. You’re going to be on your fit for at least 15 hours, so definitely sacrifice fashion for comfort. Says LeeAnne, “I look at a day of Dreamforce as a 10-hour hike.”
2. Pack light during the day. You most likely won’t actually need your laptop during the day, so avoid a backpack if you can so you don’t have to worry about leaving something behind.
3. Bring a water bottle so you don’t have to buy water.
4. Bring snacks in case you need to hold off on lunch. Only you can prevent hanger.
5. Bring a battery pack so you’re not stuck by an outlet charging.

Gillian lives about a mile from Moscone, so she has some local insight. Early November in San Francisco is actually summer there, and it’s been quite warm lately. Check the weather, because you might be surprised. Along with warm temperatures in the daytime, it can get quite chilly at night so layers are key. Also, obviously, a light raincoat is clutch.

Plan for Swag

When it comes to Dreamforce, you also need to have a plan for swag. LeeAnne’s goto is to bring a packable tote bag, so in case you want to bring a hundred T-shirts or a giant Astro doll home with you there’s an extra bag you can check or carry on. As Gillian puts it, “If you leave Dreamforce without a new piece of swag you did something wrong.”

Some people even plan a particular day of Dreamforce to be their swag day. It can be helpful to strategize, as you’ll want to include time in your schedule to drop your new prizes off at the hotel before the evening events come around. This is especially key if you’ve been killing it in the Trailhead area.

Discover the Admin Theater

Mike managed and planned the entire Admin track this year— 130+ sessions of incredible content for Admins and by Admins. One element of the track this year is Admin Theater, masterminded by Gillian. It’ll be in Moscone West in the Trailhead area, right in the center of the action.

The Admin Theater will have 62 individual sessions covering a range of topics from how to use Lightning Login to Process Automation Showdown and Trailhead Bingo. The content is grouped into different themes, so if you come to the theater and see something you’re interested in you should stick around because there’s more to come.

The first day is going to be dedicated to discovering Lightning and extending Salesforce. Tuesday will be all about Security, Analytics, and Data Management, covering everything from best security practices to working with Einstein and tidying up your Org. Wednesday will be about rolling out and optimizing Lightning, where you can learn how to use Lightning Actions and hear stories about what a rollout is actually like. Finally, on Thursday, we’re bringing the Dreamforce theme of Personal Empowerment to life with an amazing lineup of content to develop your skills as a Salesforce Admin.

Breakout Sessions

One floor above the Admin Meadow, in Moscone West 2002, 2002, and 2006, are 70 breakout Admin sessions to complement what’s going on in the Theater. As you’re building your sessions, it’s important to remember that we always hold room for walk-ins. Not everyone who signs up can make it, so it’s worth it to show up and see if you can get in if it’s important to you.

If a session is too full and it’s just not happening, Mike’s tip is to mark it as something to follow up on. Have a plan B so you still get the benefits of a live session. You can always watch the breakout sessions that you missed later, so this way you really get the best of both worlds. There’s so much great stuff to see at Dreamforce so you have to be OK with the fact that you probably won’t be able to make it to everything.

When you’re going to a session, you want to take some time to figure out whether there is an opportunity since you’re live in the room with an expert. As Mike puts it, “You want to think about if there are specific questions you can ask the presenter that will be very helpful for everyone in the room.”

Don’t Miss the Admin Keynote

Finally, don’t miss the Admins Keynote featuring our own Gillian K. Bruce and LeeAnne Rimel. It’s the only keynote built entirely for Admins, and as LeeAnne says, “We really really think about you while we’re building it. What’s important for our Admins to see and what we want to do to involve them in our keynote.” Wednesday at 5pm in Mascone West in the Keynote Room on the top floor. See you there.

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