AI innovation is inspiring an evolution in the storied conference’s theming
The park rangers are gone, and so is the canoe. Dreamforce 2026, Salesforce’s annual user conference and flagship marketing event that took place at Moscone Center in San Francisco Sept. 15-17, still had the camp vibe but felt more like a reunion before a space launch.
Traditionally, Salesforce uses this event to launch new products, and this time, all eyes were on the new Alforce that lets AI agents access and act on Salesforce data, as well as Koa, a new CRM reasoning model developed with NVIDIA and trained on 27 years of Salesforce CRM expertise. Translation: Static record-keeping systems are moving towards dynamic interfaces powered by agents.
The shift comes during a pivotal time for AI, when its power is both omnipresent and controversial. During Dreamforce, NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and OpenAI’s Sam Altman took to the stage to weigh in on the future of this technology and the need for potential guardrails.
On the ground at Dreamforce, the energy felt electric. The dichroic, color-shifting arches welcomed attendees to Dreampark, which took over Howard Street, connecting the campus. “Nuggets of data” sparkled in the mountains. Floating iridescent emojis added new dimensions.
Some 45,000 attendees came to feel part of the moment and walk away with real, tangible takeaways, such as new skills, tools and agents they built for their use cases.
“This year is about transformation,” says Suzanne Fritz-Hanson, vp-creative at George P. Johnson. “You don’t necessarily know what the future will bring, but Salesforce is there to get you there.” Project Worldwide teams from George P. Johnson Marketing, OS Studios, and Wondersauce partnered to produce this project.
Here’s what caught our attention.
1. A Frictionless Experience
This should be table stakes at trade shows and events at this point, but we still love:
- Express badge pickup with facial authentication, where you upload your picture during pre-registration and, on-site, you look at the camera for two seconds and pick up your badge in less than two minutes.
- AI chat in the app and on the website. Dreamforce uses Agentforce, an AI agent, and it makes it so much easier to build your schedule, find locations and navigate your own experience.
- Session audio on mobile app. Instead of racing to a session, attendees could grab a coffee, find a comfortable chair, and tune into the session’s audio or view captions in the mobile app on their device.
- Self-guided tours. There’s so much to explore, and it’s helpful to be able to scan a QR code and dive into the details on Spotify.
2. The Product to Persona-Centered Campground
The heart of the show—the Campground—opened with a futuristic Oculus entrance where attendees could explore creating “their own way to work.” The prompts they typed on one of the stations on the circular stage appeared on the transparent LED screen in front of them, and everyone else, manifesting the message of connection between multiple platforms and the possibilities this technology opens.
From here, attendees stepped into Agentic Enterprise City, where brands showcased how they use Salesforce’s agents and other technology. More on these activations later, but key moments include gamification everything, circle demo stations, and massive screens to help attendees follow along.
The rest of the Campground was organized around the problems the attendees were trying to solve, rather than products that the company wanted to showcase, a notable shift from previous Dreamforce iterations.
“Persona-led zones help people enter through the lens of their role and need, then discover products and solutions most relevant to them,” says Andrew Lacanienta, director of strategy at George P. Johnson. “The products are used as proof within a broader solution story.”
3. ‘Build with Us’ Hands-on Experiences
What used to be a few tables is now massive, immersive spaces where attendees are building, testing, and learning. With adoption a key focus for Salesforce, more physical environments than ever have been dedicated to one-on-one coaching and hands-on opportunities.
At Trailblazer Forest, among other activities attendees could take part in included security challenges and sponsored mini-hacks, getting solutions with pre-built agents, and completing a Trailblazer Quest that took them through 15-minute activities to experience the products and concepts.
Upstairs, expanded Learning Labs delivered even more hands-on learning, including helping attendees walk away with their own agents and other actionable solutions and tools they could use that day.
But it wasn’t all digital. Attendees could build their analog agentic playbook by talking to an agent, then adding physical pages to an actual book and customizing it with their photo.
4. A Content Engine and Creators
Broadcast has traditionally been a growing focus area for Dreamforce, with content reaching over 120,000 viewers on Salesforce+ during the event, plus almost a year’s worth of content created on the Broadcast Stage and around the event. Attendees also receive personalized watch lists, recapping and expanding their experience.
Now the reach strategy is also enhanced by the growing invite-only creator program, building an ecosystem of diverse voices that help the brand reach new audiences. Last year, the creator campaign generated 16.6 million paid and organic impressions and 1.3 million paid and organic engagements. This year, along with the expanded program, the event featured dedicated spaces for creators and influencers.
5. Cards, Paints and Plants
To keep things grounded in a high-tech environment, attendees could get their hands dirty with potting succulents for the Neighborhood Forest indoor plant program. If the feel of a brushstroke on canvas was their jam, they could flex their creative muscles helping to paint a mural for a local school. At the Community Cove, they could take a thoughtful moment to create a card for hospital patients, sharing inspiration and encouragement with a human touch.
Have a story idea? Reach out to EM’s editor-at-large Anna Huddleston.
