Dreamforce 2025: What to expect from SF's biggest tech conference
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Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff speaks during Dreamforce 2024. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Dreamforce, the massive tech conference hosted by Salesforce, returns to San Francisco this week.
Why it matters: The annual gathering, which starts today and runs until Thursday, packs the Moscone Center with tech insiders, AI researchers, entrepreneurs and celebrity guests.
State of play: For attendees, the event grants access to celebrity keynotes, product reveals and demonstrations, industry panels, exclusive parties, networking opportunities and live music. Metallica and Benson Boone will headline this year's musical performances.
- For locals, the conference means street closures, more traffic, droves of badge-wearing crowds and a three-day revenue bump for hotels, restaurants and shops.
What to expect: More than 30,000 attendees are expected in downtown and SoMa, with the following street closures in place:
- Howard Street between 3rd and 4th streets: Fully closed until Oct. 19.
- 4th Street between Mission and Howard streets: No car traffic allowed from 6am-8pm until Oct. 16.
- Expect heavy congestion on 3rd, 4th, Howard, and Mission streets from 7am-7pm until Oct. 16.
The big picture: Salesforce is the largest private employer in San Francisco and one of the world's biggest providers of software that helps businesses track and manage interactions with their customers.
- The company launched in 1999 when founder Marc Benioff teamed up with several developers to build a new kind of software company that delivered applications over the internet.
- Dreamforce began in 2003 as a business conference for clients and has since evolved into one of the largest tech events worldwide.
By the numbers: Last year's conference drew about 45,000 attendees and was a huge economic driver for the city, bringing in a projected $93 million in revenue.
The intrigue: This year's theme is centered on AI and how the technology is evolving into a self-directed tool — one that will no longer require human prompts.
- This year's top speakers include Google CEO Sundar Pichai, actress Ellen Pompeo and Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Past celebrities have included Matthew McConaughey, Tim Cook and Michelle Obama.
