We’d like to take a minute with you to remember the people, and reflect upon the things they valued, about the CRM Science Giant Puzzle Party at the Eventbrite headquarters during Dreamforce 2015. It’s a curious thing to put together a party; very much like creating a puzzle, or conceptualizing a new game. Some of the pieces are known commodities: A space, food, beverages, music, tables, and of course, people. Beyond these obvious components, there are unknowns, or perhaps better stated, there are wild cards, or expansions packs. One can add any number of variables to an event to afford depth, texture, and complexity. And in either case, whether a common or exotic party piece, how each will be applied to an event must be considered with a desired end in mind.
Our desire, at CRM Science and Eventbrite, was to solve the party puzzle for our clients, partners, and friends, by giving them a seamless registration and entry experience. We thought to provide a well lit, comfortable space, with easy food, and good drinks. We wanted it to be social, in both the digital, as well as the face-to-face sense. We desired people to have great conversations, whether around work, life, or Dreamforce. And we hoped that those who attended would have found they had had the best of times with each other around some fun puzzles and games.
Without your photos, and reflections from the party, we have a bit of an unfinished puzzle, don’t we? It needs your contribution, however great or small. In fact it’s often the odd pieces that make things fit together. So please, look over the pictures, and take a moment to recall what you valued from that night. And then add your piece, so we can see the whole picture together.
By the by, here’s a pre-composed tweet to make it easy for you to share the post with friends.
And, send me your friendly feedback. I'm listening.
Friendly Feedback
“Loved the mingling at the puzzle party! Samir and I were on a mission to connect with friends from the Salesforce community in person, and the party was the perfect venue! I thought the giveaway of the large rubik cubes was a great fit with the theme. Looking forward to next year!” ~Amy Campbell
“I loved the idea of playing games. It always seemed easier for me to relate to someone in that setting. I was so busy chatting with people, though, that I nearly missed playing any games. The exception being Street Fighter arcade. I had a really interesting conversation with Brian Makas as I was transported back to 1992.” ~John Graf
“The puzzle party was seriously the best DF15 party. It had all the usual things like great food and drinks. But what really set it apart were the games, puzzles and space where the event was held. It was a nice relief to have space to move around and talk to people without bumping into someone, stepping on there toes etc. Incorporating games into event was stellar. Nothing better then working together to solve a puzzle or playing games to break the ice so to speak. I was impressed with the event and look forward to another one next year =)..... my calendar day cube is soooooooo cool!” ~Mathew Nesci
“I've been attending Dreamforce since 2006, every year the crowds get bigger and the parties get louder. After 10-12 hours of keynotes, breakouts and dozens of meetings with vendors it's great to have a break at night but there comes a point when shoulder to shoulder crowds alongside music so loud it's hard to think becomes counter productive. The last thing I need after a busy day of non stop crowds is a busy night of non stop crowds. Big parties don't do their sponsors any favors either, it's only been a few weeks since Dreamforce but can you remember any of your party hosts ... will any party you attended influence your future purchasing decisions? The puzzle party hosted by Eventbrite and CRM Science was the notable exception. Though the invite list was small (and had to be) I met more people than I have at any other party, have more memories and learned more about the hosts than I did any other vendor at the conference.
Even though I found out my Street Fighter skills have failed the test of time and my Jenga skills are even worse the connections along with escape from the masses are what mattered most ... The Eventbrite/CRM Science Puzzle Party was a clear highlight of the conference and I'm already looking forward to the encore in October 2016.”
"Without rambling, here are some of my bullet points on the Puzzle Party and other things:
More puzzles... small ones, medium ones, large ones. Different ones. Visual ones, maybe auditory ones! Or tactile ones! I went around and solved them, and LOVED it!
It was hard to hear people speak when they were on the stage. (Amy and I looked at each other, and agreed we couldn't quite hear whoever was speaking on stage)... maybe it was the acoustics or the mic/speaker setup. Either way, we followed along with the slides and the folks who went up to claim a prize!
How about a "Puzzle Arcade" type thing, where there is a leaderboard and those who solve the puzzle have their name, and time to completion on a screen? That would encourage friendly smart competition." ~Samir Patel
