Tradeshows especially the ones as massive as Dreamforce require a lot of planning and even more faith once it comes to execution. I started this week searching the intertoobs for blog posts about Dreamforce and trying to see what everyone else was writing about the event that could help Dreamforce veterans as well as the newbies of the show.
6 Dreamforce 2012 Resources
1. Highlights from DF 2011 and a Dreamforce History Infographic by our friends at Marketo gives an awesome overview of what to expect at Dreamforce 2012! If you’re a newbie, these are some great resources! (Last year Dreamforce had 50,000 people and this year they’re expecting 70,000 so looks like an additional 20,000 people should be taking a look at this!)
2. InsideView created an online paper all about Dreamforce that shows some of the best news on Twitter about the event and highlights some of the most interesting posts by Dreamforce fans.
3. Bluewolf wrote a great blog post: Tips for Dreamforce First-Timers
4. Are you a sales professional? Check out InsideView’s latest blog post that is a firsthand guide of sessions to attend: 5 Dreamforce Sessions Sales Professionals Must Attend and Why #DF12
5. Dreamforce on Facebook - we can’t stress enough how rich in content Facebook pages are. You will also discover a wide network of people attending Dreamforce 2012.
6. Great promotional video from Salesforce that gives you some cool visuals about how alive the Moscone Center is: What is Dreamforce?
5 Great Spots for Meetings around the Moscone Center
This section is a curation of restaurants within walking distance of the Moscone Center that is great for business lunches and happy hours. The area will definitely be wildly crowded so plan accordingly!
1. Buckhorn Grill $ – 101 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
The Buckhorn Grill is just around the corner from Moscone West in the Metreon Center. It’s good for groups but located in a food court so not a lot of privacy. Be careful, it could be a little crowded. However, if you can get your hands on one of their tri-tip sandwiches, you won’t be sorry.
2. Tropisueno $$ - 75 Yerba Buena Ln, San Francisco, CA 94103
This mexican hotspot is great for happy hour and some fun. Invite five friends to have drinks at the bar and the host will buy you drinks for the whole evening! Check this place out to unwind and have some great, traditional mexican food.
3. Benu $$$$ - 22 Hawthorne St (at Howard St), San Francisco, CA 94105
If you’re looking for a quiet, classy lunch or dinner with clients, check out Benu and their famous Thousand Year Old Quail Egg. Keep on your dress slacks and coat because it’s dressy attire.
4. Mondo Caffe $ - 602 Mission St (between 2nd St & New Montgomery St) San Francisco, CA 94105
A great cafe with an outdoor patio, this Italian cafe is great for lunch and a morning breakfast serving traditional Italian sandwiches and coffee. Don’t expect to grab a bite from here too late though, the cafe closes at 3pm Mon-Fri.
5. Ristorante Umbria $$ - 198 2nd St (between Howard St & Natoma St), San Francisco, CA 94105
This family-owned restaurant serves authentic Italian dishes from the Umbrian region of Italy. Even the menu is in Italian (with English subtext of course)! A phenomenal stop for lunch and some authentic pizzas and pasta.