The “Coachella of Software,” aka Navigate Dreamforce, is Salesforce’s annual event that brings together their community of users and platform developers. With over 1,000 informative sessions and workshops from CRM, Marketing Cloud, Service Cloud, and Revenue Cloud, there are plenty of learning opportunities at Dreamforce. However, the work hard, play hard mentality is in full force.
Thousands of software companies flock to the Bay Area to sharpen their skills and network among the sea of other software companies. There’s no shortage of sponsored parties and activities for attendees across the San Francisco area. Navigating and scheduling which parties to attend can be exhausting, so we’re offering a few tips to on how to navigate Dreamforce like a pro.
Getting to the Mascone Center
Don’t bother trying to find parking near the Mascone Center, much less the entire San Francisco Bay Area. Parking can be a nightmare, and too many people end up unknowingly parking on the side streets unaware of the street sweeping schedule.
If you can avoid it, we highly recommend alternative means of transportation. But for those of you driving up from south bay or near by cities, there are a few parking garages near by, including a few near the Children’s Creative Museum which is a short five-minute walk to the Mascone Center.
We recommend doing valet at hotels if there’s availability, but the number one rule here – do not leave anything in your car! If you’re staying at hotels like the Intercontinental, The W or the Marriott, you will be walking-distance to the action.
If you’re staying in Union Square, walking will be faster than getting a car and sitting in traffic for 30 minutes since you’re only five to seven blocks away. If you do need a ride, download the flywheel app. Lyft and Uber are great options too, but be prepared for price surges.
Taking the BART
The Bay Area Rail Transit is best for getting to and from the Mascone Center. You can find the real-time schedule here: https://www.bart.gov/schedules/eta. 36 stations offer $3/day parking at the BART-operated stations.
Riders pay for BART with Clipper, the Bay Area’s all-in-one transit card, and fees vary by distance traveled. The red, blue, green, and yellow lines travel within inner San Francisco, and all have a stop near the Mascone Center.
Pack a Snack
The days are long, and the nights can be even longer. It’s easy to work up an appetite after all the walking you’ll be doing. Plenty of sponsors offer quick snacks in the Expo center, and many sponsored events and evening parties provide food and drinks to keep you energized.
We recommend you throw a protein bar in your backpack because most events quickly hit capacity. If you’re looking for breakfast and coffee, check out “Coffee with Coupa” hosted by our partners, Spaulding Ridge. Want to get away from all the hustle and bustle in the Mascone Center? Nearby hidden gem lunch spots include Mel’s Diner or Pine Crest Diner.
The Best Dreamforce Parties to Attend
Dreamforce is known for throwing their legendary Dreamfest, a one-night concert at Oracle Park. This year’s headliner is the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
While Dreamfest is the official after-hours party of Dreamforce, hundreds of off-site, vendor-sponsored events and parties are happening every night. A few of the can’t-miss parties are:
Hustle & Flow Revenue Cloud Party and DJ Set hosted by Neocol, Vertex, and RightRev, this will be THE Revenue Cloud party to attend. With a DJ set from Revenue Cloud Account Executive, Hannah Vilagi, and karaoke in between, specialty cocktails will flow, and Smash Burgers will be a hit for a late-night snack.
Come with your Salesforce CPQ, Salesforce Billing, corporate tax, and revenue recognition automation questions, or just come to say hi and dance with us! Located at Pandora, we’ll be feet away from the Hilton Union Square and Hotel Nikko, across Market St. if you’re coming from Soma, a block away from Westfield mall. We hope to see you there!
Pre-Dreamfest Happy Hour hosted by our friends at Logik.io and Spaulding Ridge
Kickin It with Kavaliro hosted by our friends at Kavaliro. Stop by their event for an open bar, appetizers, and a complimentary ride to the Dreamfest in their luxury chauffeur vehicles.
Cocktail Chillout and DJ Session
Lastly, don’t forget to dress in layers as the San Francisco nights can get chilly and make sure you have extra room in your backpack for all of the free swag you’ll be collecting!
We hope to see you at Dreamforce! Drop us a line on LinkedIn or Twitter if you want to meet up!
We’d love to show you more about RightRev’s features and capabilities. Request a demo or get in touch with us at sales@rightrev.com.
