Dreamforce 2021 IN PERSON

I had the incredible opportunity to be invited to Dreamforce 2021 #DF21 in San Francisco, after a year's hiatus and a bunch of Dreamforce2U events. 

There were only a couple hundred attendees, and CEO Marc Benioff walked around the campus with almost no security.  San Francisco was virtually empty (compared to past Dreamforces), and attendees were required to take two at home Covid tests, and another two rapid tests on-site leading up to the event. 

This is my fifth Dreamforce, and also the first Dreamforce I've ever attended not as a speaker- pretty wild considering it seems like just yesterday that I was so nervous doing my first large-scale presentation back at Dreamforce 2016. 

Dreamforce was an amazing chance to catch up with people I hadn't seen in years, like a bunch of other Marketing Champions, and Guilda Hiliare (who runs the Marketing Champions program) organized a boozy dinner for a few of us. 

Those that I didn't know became fast friends, and it was really cool to see old friends, like Cheryl Feldman, who was recently hired as a Product Manager for Permission Sets, presenting on the big screen in a TTTC (True to the Core) session with Bret Taylor. 

The weather was beautiful, but I've never seen the Dreamforce campus so empty, and there were no breakout sessions, private rooms or afterparties. 

One of the greatest things we got to do is meet some of the new TrailblazerCommunity team, like Marissa Burns and Jose Mora, who I've met on Zoom moderating LeaderCamp, but who I haven't yet met in person. 

I also had a chance to check out two of my favorite marketing automation rockstar presentations,

Jen Kazin talking about a cookie-less future, 

and Jennifer Schneider talking about conversational marketing and the Salesforce Campaign object. 

What's your favorite @Pardot Winter ‘22 Release feature? Here from @tigho @JenTalkTech2Me @WaltonForce @saracamden + others#momentmarketers #trailblazer https://t.co/JSotKToT8L

— 🟣 Guilda (@justguilda) September 28, 2021