Recently, the Portugal Dreamin’ conference brought together the Salesforce community for an event that was as much about music and fun as it was about Salesforce insights. Gary McGeorge, Founder and Director at Desynit, shares his experiences after attending the event in Porto.
“Where words fail, music speaks,” Hans Christian Andersen once said, and never was that more true than at the recent Portugal Dreamin’ conference. Portugal holds a special place in my heart, and Porto, with its charming streets and inviting atmosphere (perfect for a Super Bock or two!), proved to be the ideal setting for an event that truly sang. From the moment I arrived, the warmth of the Portuguese people and the ever-present rhythm of music set the stage for an unforgettable experience.
If you wanted a way to infuse a sense of fun and community from the get-go, then Portugal Dreamin’ smashed it. Imagine being greeted with live music as you picked up your badge! The buzz was electric. This melodic welcome continued right into the keynote, where the group leaders themselves, Miguel, Daniel, Ivo, Lourenco, and Beatriz, kicked things off with a fantastic musical performance. What a pitch-perfect start.
The keynote continued with an incredibly inspiring presentation from Alexandra and Jakub. Alexandra’s journey, from the favelas to Portugal Dreamin’, was a rich and powerful story that resonated deeply, especially her focus on preparing individuals for careers in the Salesforce ecosystem with a strong emphasis on AI Skills. As a Senior Program Manager in the Global Workforce Partner Program, Alexandra’s dedication to creating opportunities is remarkable. It truly is impossible not to be inspired by her.
After the keynote, I had the pleasure of supporting my colleague, Angus Brown, as he delivered his “Flow on the Fly” talk. Angus was brilliant, and it was fantastic to see such an engaged audience. A nice touch that kept the musical theme alive was the pre-session music played in all the session rooms – a subtle yet effective way to maintain the conference’s vibrant energy.
The beauty of these “Dreamin'” events lies in the sheer variety of talks. I attended a very engaging discussion on the future of Marketing Cloud and a practical session on how to integrate DevOps Centre with Slack. Each session offered valuable insights and kept the learning dynamic and diverse.
The final keynote of the day, a brilliant talk on working with neurodiverse colleagues by Roger Farrow and Margo Paskalova, left a lasting impression. Following that, Salesforce Ben flew in to DJ. Sadly, by that point, after a day indoors, the lure of the outdoors was all too much, and I found myself joining the gang for drinks on the terrace with great views.
The evening concluded with the after-party, and the theme? Karaoke! Our very own Angus Brown serenading Salesforce Ben with his take on a Sinatra classic was beautiful to see (if not to hear 😉 ).
Final Note
At Desynit, our most cherished pledge is “People are the Key.” This applies to our amazing customers, our dedicated colleagues, and even the unfortunate stag I sat next to on the plane – resplendent in his US-themed singlet, recently “kidnapped” and spray-tanned! We spent the flight discussing, in general terms, his work with GCHQ, the fintech app he’s been vibe coding, and his wife’s excellent cookies and macarons. But truly, the people of the Salesforce Community have always been, and continue to be, among the friendliest, funniest, most entertaining, and ultimately most sharing individuals you could hope to meet.
It was a genuine pleasure to connect with new faces from the wonderful Portugal Dreamin’ community.
I proudly announced my achievement of the Data Cloud Consultant certification, a valuable opportunity made possible by a free voucher offered at the conference. Thank you, Portugal Dreamin’!
What’s your favourite memory from a recent conference or community event?
Our independent tech team has been servicing enterprise clients for over 15 years from our HQ in Bristol, UK. Let’s see how we can work together and get the most out of your Salesforce implementation.
