Dreamforce has always been a fantastic event, but there were three things this year that set it apart and made it quite simply the best event of its kind. None of these three things have to do with the first-rate content of the "break-out" sessions (I plan on writing about some of the content tomorrow) or the big announcements which were, as usual, artfully unveiled with all the bells, whistles and flourishes we have come to expect from Marc Benioff and his stellar marketing team. What made Dreamforce really great this year was the level of attention they paid to the comfort and convenience of their attendees.
Dreamforce 2008 was the most user-friendly event that I have ever attended.
The reality of attending events these days is that more often than not, the people attending them are still expected to fit their regular work responsibilities in while leveraging their attendance at the event for learning, networking, and finding the tools to help them do their jobs better. Locals are stretched particularly thin, as they are often expected to hit the office either on their way to or from an event like this.
Salesforce.com took this to heart and made three changes that really illustrate their understanding of the needs of their customers and the on-demand workplace.
1) Completely Open WiFi Internet Access
This may sound like a no-brainer, but I have been to many events over the past year where this is far from a reality. I went to one event where WiFi was available for free...if you happened to be a guest of the hotel that the event was held at. A steep fee was required if you were not. Other events make you hunt down a password. Some allow it in the common areas, but not in the session rooms. Still others offer some cut-rate version that doesn't allow secure VPN access to your corporate networks. At Dreamforce I could log in no matter where I was, with no password required. Awesome.
2) The Attendee Portal
Sorting through all of the breakout sessions, finding the ones you like, and then applying them to an event calendar so you know exactly where you want to be and when. You could also schedule time to go and see any specific vendors you might be interested in. It was simple to use, convenient and a tremendous help in making sure I got to see everything I wanted to see. Because there was a TON of great stuff to see.
3) The "Cloud Dine" Lounge
I harped on the need for an area for attendees to comfortably sit, work, meet and unwind last year, and was so happy to see it executed. Lounge is a grossly inaccurate term for what it was, though -- basically, they left a huge area set up with hundreds of tables and chairs and left it open throughout the conference (rather than just at lunch time). Dreamforcers were able to comfortably sit and work, or meet with colleagues whenever they had down-time or simply needed to get caught up on email or voicemail. Gone were the days of wall-to-wall people trying to find an open patch of carpet at Moscone to get some work done, or trying to find a quiet corner to have a meeting or make some phone calls.
As much as many event planners would like to believe that their event is the most important and impactful thing on their attendees lives while they are there, the reality is that the event itself is just one of many things competing for attention. By taking these three simple steps to acknowledge that the other stuff is important too, Salesforce.com made it possible for people to remain at the show rather than waste valuable workday time dashing back and forth from hotel, office and event. It's like Salesforce.com took the best practices of its own software to heart, creating a sticky, friendly, easy to work in environment that does everything that it possibly can to make sure that you have no need to leave. Well done.
