Here is a list of 10 things you can do to make your DreamForce experience a success:

1. Write down questions you want answered before the conference – Go prepared! All of us have ideas that we think can improve the salesforce.com system and questions on what we can do better. Write them down; talk to the appropriate people; get them answered. DreamForce is the best place to find the answers.
2. Get a session on the campground – Last year, there was a red carpet area where you could set up a one-on-one session with a salesforce.com Premier Support rep to review your instance of salesforce.com. If they do it again this year, then get a session. They can give you great ideas on how to improve your instance and what tools you need to do it. Get in early because the sessions fill up.
3. Attend all the events you can – DreamForce is jam packed with education and entertainment. Go to everything. Do your best to get good sleep so that you can attend all the events possible and have a clear mind. Come away exhausted because you don’t want to miss out on any of the events. Go to the breakfasts - it might not be the greatest tasting, but other users will be there. Get there early for the general sessions. Don’t hang out in the lobby during the breakout sessions. Don’t skip the gala events or dinners. Go and meet people, share your best practices, listen to others, network and have fun.
4. Actually talk to other users – If you are sitting at a table for lunch, or hanging around before a session, talk to the person next to you. Pop them a question like “Why did you come to DreamForce?” or “How long have you been using Salesforce.com?” We are all in the same boat and you can get some great insight from just talking to other users.
5. Try to visit every Expo booth – Each booth has something unique to offer, but with so many, how do you know where to go? If you are going with a group of people from your company, split up and try to visit all the booths. The first night you are there, review the collateral that comes in the welcome packet to see which booths might interest you. You might find a hidden tool that is exactly what you need to make your salesforce.com better. There are a lot of good give-a-ways and contests too (last year I won a 30 gig video Ipod!).
6. Take notes in the sessions – If you don’t, I guarantee you will forget. They do post video of all the presentations after the conference, but that is a couple of months later and you can do so much in that time. Write down not only what they say, but also what you can specifically get out of it for your organization.
7. Have a To-do-when-I-get-back list – This list will be your road map to the future. There are so many ideas that you will get from attending DreamForce that this list should be easy to make. If you only actually implement 50% of the items on the list, then you have improved your organization tremendously.
8. If you are in a boring Breakout Session, go to another one – The great organization of DreamForce is that you do not have to follow a specific track. You can go wherever you want. If you are sitting in a session that is boring, or is not what you expected, get out of there. The time is too short to waste on information you don’t need. Have a backup plan for each session and sit on the end or in the back row. If you find yourself in a session you don’t like, you can quickly (and quietly) move to another session.
9. Talk to the Speakers and Heroes – Each year, there are many Speakers and Heroes at DreamForce. These are the expert users. You can easily identify them by their name badges or lanyards. Get close to those individuals and find out what they have done to be successful. Get their business cards and keep in touch with them if you can. They are the ones that have taken their instance of salesforce.com to the next level and they can show you how to do it with yours.
10. Be ready to work when you get back – Don’t let DreamForce ‘07 stop when the conference is over. Take what you learn back with you. Set up a timetable to make the updates and changes to improve your salesforce.com instance. Prepare a presentation for your boss/co-workers about what you learned and where you want to take salesforce.com. Plan for the future with the information you receive about future releases. The only way that DreamForce will be a success for you is if you put into action at your organization what you learn at DreamForce.

There are many more ways to make DreamForce successful for you, so share what YOU have learned by adding a comment below.