#BuckeyeDreamin
Conference Program
Time & Location
Buckeye Dreamin' 2026 kicks off in the afternoon of July 28, 2026 and concludes in the afternoon of July 30, 2026 at the Columbus/Polaris Hilton
Program
Welcome to Buckeye Dream, Ohio's premier Salesforce community conference! Our mission is to empower individuals and organizations to maximize Salesforce's potential through collaboration, learning, and networking.
What to Expect:
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Engaging Sessions: Dive into topics like best practices, trends, and hands-on training.
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Expert Speakers: Learn from industry leaders, MVPs, and community champions.
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Networking: Connect with professionals, developers, and Trailblazers.
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Solutions: Explore innovative products and services from our sponsors.
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Community Engagement: Get involved in Ohio's, and neighboring states', vibrant Salesforce community.
Why Attend:
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Inspiration: Hear success stories and transformative experiences.
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Education: Stay updated with the latest Salesforce innovations.
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Networking: Build meaningful connections and collaborations.
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Opportunity: Explore career growth and business partnerships.
Join us at Buckeye Dreamin' 2026 for an unforgettable experience of learning, inspiration, and community. Follow us for updates on speakers, sessions, and registration. See you there!
Day 1 -Welcoming Day
Opening with a celebratory "Welcoming Reception" for all to join at the Hilton Polaris/Columbus
Day 2 - Practitioner Day
A day full of workshops, presentations, panels, and discussions focused on the many Practitioner roles of the Salesforce eco-system. Concludes with the "Dreamin Reception" at Smash Park Westerville
Day 3 - Industry Day
A half-day full of workshops, presentations, panels, and discussions segmented by industry interests. Concludes with the "Awards Lunch"
General
July 28, 2026 - Welcome Day
2:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Registration Desk
Registration
Welcome to Buckeye Dreamin’ 2026! 🎉 Head over to the registration desk to check in, grab your badge, and get all the details you need for an amazing event. Need help? Our awesome volunteers are ready to assist! Whether it’s directions, event info, or just a friendly high-five, they’ve got you covered. 🙌 Let’s make this the best Buckeye Dreamin’ yet—get your registration packet and get ready! 🔥🎟️
General
July 28, 2026 - Welcome Day
2:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Exhibit Hall
Sponsors Exhibit
Our amazing sponsors help make Buckeye Dreamin’ 2026 possible—now it’s time to show them some love! 💙 Head over to the exhibit hall to check out their booths, grab some swag, and learn how their solutions can take your Salesforce game to the next level. 🔥 Don't forget to stamp your Sponsor Passport! 🔥 Visit each sponsor, get your passport stamped, and you’ll be entered to win an awesome prize at the end of the event! 🎟️🏆 Whether you’re looking for new tools, expert advice, or just some great conversations, our sponsors are here to help. Go say hi, collect those stamps, and make some valuable connections! 🚀
Workshop
July 28, 2026 - Welcome Day
2:45 PM - 4:45PM
Crewcat Room
Workshop: Next-Generation Agentforce Builder with Agent Script
The era of static chatbots has evolved into the age of autonomous action. In this comprehensive two-hour hands-on workshop, you will move beyond basic prompt templates to master the Next-Generation Agentforce Builder. We will dive deep into Agent Script, the logic engine that allows architects to define sophisticated reasoning paths, manage complex state transitions, and execute multi-step business workflows. No more different answers for the same question on different days. You will learn how to bridge the gap between generative conversation and programmatic execution by building an agent capable of navigating high-logic scenarios, integrating with external APIs, and utilizing real-time data. Whether you are looking to refine “Chain of Thought” processing or optimize agentic decision-making, this session provides the technical blueprint and practical experience needed to deploy truly autonomous AI within the Salesforce ecosystem.
Note: This is a technical, build-focused session. Please bring a laptop and be prepared to dive directly into the Agentforce development environment.
Workshop
July 28, 2026 - Welcome Day
2:45 PM - 4:45PM
Stinger Room
Workshop: Yes, And… Build: From Idea to Salesforce App with AI
How fast can a Salesforce team move from a rough idea to something real? In this hands-on workshop, we’ll use AI, teamwork, and a little improv to find out.
The audience will help choose an app idea, then table teams will use AI as a delivery accelerator to turn that idea into Salesforce requirements, user stories, a data model, automation ideas, page designs, reports, and a working prototype. But just like real delivery, the requirements will not stay still. Throughout the session, new “Yes, and…” curveballs will be introduced: a new stakeholder, a changed process, a mobile need, an approval requirement, or a reporting ask from leadership.
This workshop is designed to show the power of moving quickly from conversation to configuration without skipping the thinking that makes Salesforce solutions successful. Participants will practice prompting AI for practical Salesforce delivery tasks, validating AI-generated recommendations, making fast tradeoffs, and adapting the build as the app evolves.
You’ll leave with a better understanding of how AI can help Salesforce teams accelerate discovery, design, and build — and where human judgment still matters most.
General
July 28, 2026 - Welcome Day
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Exhibit Hall
Welcome Reception
We are beyond thrilled to kick off Buckeye Dreamin’ 2026 with all of you—Salesforce innovators, admins, developers, partners, and trailblazers from across Ohio and beyond! This event is all about community, collaboration, and big ideas, and there’s no better way to start than by connecting with fellow Dreamers right here at our Welcome Reception. Over the next few days, you’ll dive into inspiring sessions, hands-on learning, and game-changing conversations—but tonight, it’s about relaxing, networking, and having fun! So grab a drink, meet new faces, reconnect with old friends, and get ready for an unforgettable Buckeye Dreamin’ experience. Thank you for being here, for bringing your energy, and for making this community what it is—one of the best in the Salesforce ecosystem. Let’s make this an event to remember! 🚀🔥 Enjoy the evening, and welcome to Buckeye Dreamin’ 2026! 🎉🍻
General
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Registration Desk
Registration
Head over to the registration desk to check in, grab your badge, and get all the details you need for an amazing event. Need help? Our awesome volunteers are ready to assist! Whether it’s directions, event info, or just a friendly high-five, they’ve got you covered. 🙌
General
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
7:30 AM - 8:45 AM
Brutus Hall
Breakfast
🍳 Rise & Shine, Buckeye Dreamers – Breakfast is Served! ☕🥐 Fuel up for an action-packed day at Buckeye Dreamin’ 2026 with a delicious breakfast! Grab some coffee, enjoy a bite, and connect with fellow attendees before sessions kick off. Start your day right—great conversations, great food, and plenty of Salesforce magic ahead! 🚀
General
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Exhibit Hall
Sponsors Exhibit
Our amazing sponsors help make Buckeye Dreamin’ 2026 possible—now it’s time to show them some love! 💙 Head over to the exhibit hall to check out their booths, grab some swag, and learn how their solutions can take your Salesforce game to the next level. 🔥 Don't forget to stamp your Sponsor Passport! 🔥 Visit each sponsor, get your passport stamped, and you’ll be entered to win an awesome prize at the end of the event! 🎟️🏆 Whether you’re looking for new tools, expert advice, or just some great conversations, our sponsors are here to help. Go say hi, collect those stamps, and make some valuable connections! 🚀
General
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
8:45 AM - 8:50 AM
Brutus Hall
Opening Remarks
Welcome to Buckeye Dreamin’ 2026! Join us as we kick off this exciting event with opening remarks that set the stage for two days of learning, networking, and innovation within the Salesforce community. We’ll highlight key themes, industry trends, and what to expect throughout the conference. Don’t miss this powerful start to Buckeye Dreamin’ 2026!
General
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
8:50 AM - 9:00 AM
Brutus Hall
More Than Tech: Turning Community Into Impact
This year, Buckeye Dreamin’ is proud to support His Daughters. His Daughters is a mobile boutique dedicated to restoring dignity, confidence, and hope to women who have survived trafficking. We bring gently used and new clothing, accessories, and other needed items directly to survivors, offering them the opportunity to “shop” for a new wardrobe that meets their everyday and career-focused needs at no cost. But this is about more than clothing; it’s about creating an experience of love, belonging, and renewal. Every detail is designed to remind each woman that she is seen, valued, and worthy of beauty and care as she takes steps toward rebuilding her life.
General
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
9:00 AM - 9:05 AM
Brutus Hall
Opening Keynote Introduction
Don’t miss what promises to be one of the most thought-provoking sessions of Buckeye Dreamin’.
“The AI Symposium” goes beyond the typical AI conversation to explore bold ideas around intelligence, dialogue, and the future relationship between humans and machines. This keynote will challenge assumptions, spark imagination, and push the boundaries of how we think about AI and its role in our future.
If you’re interested in where technology, philosophy, and innovation collide, this is opening keynote you won’t want to miss.
Keynote
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
9:05 AM - 10:00 AM
Brutus Hall
Opening Keynote: The AI Symposium
"The AI Symposium" reimagines human-AI interaction through a groundbreaking conceptual experiment. By orchestrating dialogue between three advanced language models—ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude—We explore whether true intelligence emerges through conversation rather than command (prompting). This keynote will ask: Can AI develop "dialogic consciousness" through reciprocal exchange? The presentation blends philosophy, speculative fiction, and design thinking to challenge our assumptions about intelligence, communication, and coexistence with machines. Rather than viewing AI as merely responsive tools, it proposes a future where humans and artificial minds engage in genuine, thought-provoking dialogue. The AI Symposium asks whether true or even artificial general intelligence might emerge not through command and response, but through meaningful, reciprocal conversation between humans and machines.
General
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Exhibit Hall
Book Signing: "The AI Symposium" with Dr. David J Staley
Join us for a special Buckeye Dreamin’ exclusive! Author, futurist, and Ohio State professor Dr. David Staley will be on-site for a book signing of his latest work, The AI Symposium, a compelling exploration of how artificial intelligence will reshape society, organizations, and human creativity. Whether you're an AI enthusiast, a leader navigating digital transformation, or simply curious about the future, this is a unique opportunity to meet one of the region’s most thoughtful voices on innovation and foresight. Stop by to grab a signed copy, connect with David, and continue the conversation about how AI is redefining the world we build together.
General
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
10:00 AM - 10:20 AM
Exhibit Hall
Morning Networking Break
☕ Morning Break Time! 🚀 Take a breather, grab some coffee, and recharge before the next round of awesome sessions at Buckeye Dreamin’ 2026! This is the perfect time to connect with fellow attendees, visit our sponsors, and swap insights with your fellow Salesforce pros. Enjoy the break—more learning, networking, and innovation coming up! 🔥💡
Data & AI
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
10:20 AM - 11:05 AM
Crewcat Room
The power of Agentforce + Slack in Consulting industries
For most consulting teams, projects live across too many tools: Salesforce PSA, Slack, Confluence, email… Context switching kills productivity, consumes hours, it’s a hidden cost. In this session, I would love to show how bringing Agentforce and Slack together can change that.
I'll walk through a live scenario where a new project resource is assigned in Salesforce PSA, automatically notified in Slack (because who likes email alerts, right?), and immediately able to access project details and knowledge articles stored in Confluence, all through an Agentforce-powered assistant, all from Slack. Behind the scenes, Flow automations handle the orchestration, while Data Cloud connects Agentforce with Confluence, letting users query documentation and best practices without leaving Slack.
I'll show how simple configurations like Flows, prompts, and data connections can link what used to be disconnected systems into one seamless workspace. The result: faster onboarding, fewer manual steps, no jumping between tools, and a more efficient way to manage delivery.
If the goal is to make consulting operations more connected and responsive, this is a must-see session!
AppExchange
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
10:20 AM - 11:05 AM
Krash Room
FlexiPath: Your Advanced Salesforce Process Engine
FlexiPath by Summit is a 100% native, metadata-driven managed package built entirely on the Salesforce Platform. It extends the familiar Salesforce Path experience, providing unparalleled flexibility, scalability, and automation without a single line of code.
FlexiPath empowers you to:
- Overcome field and layout limits of standard Salesforce Path.
- Improve process consistency, visibility, and accountability.
- Accelerate user adoption with intuitive, guided layouts.
Practitioner - Architect
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
10:20 AM - 11:05 AM
Louseal Room
Three (un)Wise Men
Listen to the unwise words of 3 long time architects with decades of experience each across many technologies and industries tell stories and lessons-learned in the Salesforce world and beyond.
Practitioner - Developer
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
10:20 AM - 11:05 AM
Stinger Room
Save a Query (Read the Cache, Cybercowboy)
During development, it’s easy to fall into the habit of running a query whenever you need data. While each one may seem harmless, they can quickly add up! Recursion, weak coding patterns, or poorly designed service layers can lead to query limit exceptions and performance issues.
A more effective approach is to reduce unnecessary queries by leveraging caching. Salesforce provides robust, multi-layered caching that you can incorporate into your solutions to improve performance and reliability.
So before you add that next query, let’s learn about some scenarios where you already have access to the data you need.
Data & AI
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
11:10AM - 11:55 AM
Crewcat Room
Intelligent AI Starts with Intelligent Data
AI is only as smart as the data that powers it. Yet, many organizations rush to implement AI strategies without addressing duplicate records, inconsistencies, and incomplete data leading to unreliable insights and poor decision-making.
This session will equip attendees with actionable strategies to assess, clean, and maintain high-quality data, ensuring AI delivers real value. Whether you’re a data user, responsible for data governance, or leading an AI initiative, you’ll walk away with practical solutions to strengthen your AI foundation.
This session will focus on the following:
• How to identify and resolve issues: duplicates, incomplete data
• Understand how to have an impact regardless of your role; data user, responsible for data cleansing, or overseer of the team/process
• Where to start? Get going in the blink of an AI!
Attendees will walk away with quick wins identified and ready to implement or help their team right away to ensure their AI is truly intelligent!
Practitioner - Administrator
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
11:10AM - 11:55 AM
Krash Room
Survivin’ vs Thrivin’: 7 Power Moves Every Trailblazer Must Make
Sure, you’re surviving the unrelenting hamster wheel of major releases and Agentic AI — but how is that shaping what happens next in your work… and even your life?
Matthew shares seven of his most significant, hard-learned lessons — technical, business, and personal — from 21 years in the Salesforce ecosystem, a journey that culminated in receiving the UK’s most prestigious business award from the King.
Now, he’s opening his practical playbook for admins, developers, consultants, and architects who want to turn experience into influence, confidence, and real career momentum.
You’ll leave ready to make braver moves starting today - to stop just survivin’ and start thrivin’!
Practitioner - Architect
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
11:10AM - 11:55 AM
Louseal Room
CAB - Change Advisory Board or Chaos Arbitration Brigade
Have you gotten a seemingly small salesforce change request that caused downstream impacts no one saw coming? Have you ended up with multiple tools that accomplish the same task? During this session we will cover what tools and techniques you can use to create a more structured and collaborative approach to technology because technology should support process not cause headaches! While the concepts we cover will be tool agnostic I'll share some insights and examples of how you can leverage standard Salesforce features to help you on this journey!
Practitioner - Developer
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
11:10AM - 11:55 AM
Stinger Room
Apex: The Salesforce Boogeyman
For many teams, the word *customization* immediately raises concerns about risk, technical debt, and long-term maintenance. Apex often becomes the symbol of that fear — the moment when a Salesforce solution feels like it’s crossing a line.
This session reframes that reaction. We’ll explore how business logic lives inside the platform, what responsible customization actually looks like, and when structured engineering decisions reduce risk instead of creating it. We’ll also touch on how modern AI tools are changing the landscape, lowering the barrier to well-written code and reshaping how teams think about programmatic solutions.
If “customization” feels like a red flag in your org, this talk aims to bring clarity to the conversation — and a more confident framework for decision-making.
General
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
12:05 PM - 1:00 PM
Brutus Hall
Lunch
🍽️ Lunchtime at Buckeye Dreamin’ 2026! 🎉 Time to refuel! Grab a delicious meal, relax, and connect with fellow attendees. Whether you're diving into deep Salesforce discussions or just enjoying a break, lunch is the perfect time to network and recharge for the exciting sessions ahead. Eat, chat, and get ready for an amazing afternoon! 🚀🥗🥪
AppExchange
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
12:15 PM - 1:00 PM
Brutus Hall
Demo Jam – The Ultimate Showdown Over Lunch!
As you’re enjoying your well-earned lunch break, get ready for a side of excitement with a Salesforce Demo Jam! Buckeye Dreamin’ is keeping the tradition alive with a fast-paced, no-fluff, all-action battle of innovation, just like the legendary Demo Jams hosted by the AppExchange team at Salesforce.
Here’s how it works: Our brave competitors will take the stage, one by one, with only three minutes to dazzle you with a live demo of their product. No pre-recorded videos, no endless slide decks—just pure, unfiltered innovation, shown off in real time.
The Rules Are Simple:
1️⃣ Live Demos Only – No pre-recorded magic tricks. If it doesn’t work in real-time, it doesn’t count!
2️⃣ No Slides, No Fluff – Ok, maybe just one or two to introduce themselves, but after that, it’s all about the live experience.
3️⃣ The Three-Minute Countdown – When the moderator says, "Your 3 minutes begins now," the clock is ticking. When time’s up, it’s game over. No extensions, no exceptions.
And here’s the best part—YOU get to decide the champion! Once the last demo is complete, the audience will cast their votes, and one app will walk away victorious, crowned the Buckeye Dreamin’ Demo Jam Champion!
So grab your lunch, sit back, and get ready to be wowed. Who will bring the heat? Who will fumble under pressure? And who will earn the ultimate bragging rights? Let’s find out! 🍽️🎤🔥.
The Demo Jams:
🎤 End-to-End Document Automation in Action - PDF Butler by Talia Johnson
🎤 FlexiPath: Your Advanced Salesforce Process Engine - Summit by Chris Zath and Josh Hines
🎤 WatBox: Voice AI & SMS Conversation - Inno Valley Works by Manoj Thangavel and Anu Thangaraj
🎤 Profile Guard: Closing the Gap Between Rapid Dev and Real Security - Lockguard Plugins by Michael Salamone
🎤 You don’t need to be a conductor to orchestrate your data - Intellistack by Jordan Dimit
🎤 From production fire to future-proof with three guardrails - Gearset by Jerry Yang and Spencer Thomas
🎤 Searchable: Search that works the way your teams do - Searchable by Chris Gilzean
Data & AI
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
1:15 PM - 2:00 PM
Crewcat Room
Salesforce’s Rise as the Enterprise Data Platform
CRM is no longer enough. To power AI, analytics, and intelligent automation, organizations need a trusted, end-to-end data foundation. This session explores how Salesforce’s evolution into a data company, driven by bold product innovation and strategic acquisitions, has created a full-circle, enterprise-grade data platform.
Starting with data source-agnostic ingestion, integration with MuleSoft and Informatica, analytics and visualization through Tableau, extensibility with Heroku, and data protection via Own, Salesforce now connects the entire data management lifecycle. With Informatica strengthening governance, quality, and master data, Salesforce delivers what enterprises have long chased: a secure, zero-copy, governed single source of truth.
This investment and product alignment serves one ultimate goal: Now, Agentforce and Data 360 can turn trusted data into action, powering agentic workflows, intelligent automation, and real-time decisions.
Salesforce isn’t just managing data anymore, it’s activating it.
Practitioner - Administrator
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
1:15 PM - 2:00 PM
Krash Room
From Eye Rolls to Excitement: Lead Salesforce Initiatives Without the Conflict, Resistance, or Drama
Your boss just assigned you another Salesforce initiative. Your stomach drops because you already know what's coming: the kickoff meeting where people cross their arms and ask skeptical questions, the endless debates between teams about "the right way," the passive-aggressive Slack messages, and six months of feeling like a referee instead of a project leader.
You dream of something different—meetings where people actually collaborate instead of creating conflict. Conversations that feel productive instead of draining. A project that energizes your team instead of crushing morale.
That dream is possible!
In this session, learn how to architecture communication pathways: a framework that transforms conflict-ridden Salesforce initiatives into collaborative wins. Learn why your meetings devolve into battles (hint: it's not your people) and how to design the environment where productive collaboration becomes inevitable.
You'll walk away with:
- A diagnostic tool to identify the 5 communication gaps and turn meetings into conflict free zones
- Your 30-Day Action Plan to use immediately
- A repeatable system for any future initiative
Practitioner - Architect
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
1:15 PM - 2:00 PM
Louseal Room
Accelerating Revenue Cloud with Agentforce Revenue Management
Revenue Cloud has evolved—but so has the complexity of selling. As product catalogs expand, pricing becomes more dynamic, and approvals grow more complex, revenue teams need more than automation—they need intelligence.
This session explores how Agentforce enhances Salesforce Revenue Cloud to streamline quote-to-cash, improve seller efficiency, and drive smarter revenue management. Through practical, real-world examples, we’ll demonstrate how to create accurate quotes, configure products efficiently, automate approvals and pricing logic, and reduce friction across the sales cycle using AI-powered agents.
Practitioner - Developer
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
1:15 PM - 2:00 PM
Stinger Room
Secure Salesforce Development and Integrations
With the expansion of complex business processes and automation both within and around Salesforce, developers need to ensure that their code, automation workflows and integrations with other systems do not inadvertently expose sensitive data or perform unauthorized actions. In this session you will learn to identify and fix insecure configurations, find and remediate security bugs and ensure that integrations with other systems follow leading security principles.
Data & AI
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
2:05 PM - 2:50 PM
Crewcat Room
No School Like Old School Redux
With the emphasis on Agentforce and AI, AI is only as good as your data. Salesforce Data Loader is still a dependable, affordable tool for ETL processes. Included in every Salesforce org, it pays to know what it can do, can't do and what its latest updates are. Join me for a walk through of the latest version of Data Loader.
Practitioner - Administrator
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
2:05 PM - 2:50 PM
Krash Room
Salesforce Inspector Reloaded - The (Free) Admin Multitool
Need to update a field that isn't visible on the page? Is there a quick query you want, but you don't want to clutter the org with yet another report? Wondering what the API name of that field on the lightning page is? Need to make changes to multiple records at once? All this and MORE are available with a quick click in Salesforce Inspector Reloaded. This free add-on for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox can enhance the experience for admins, developers, and architects working within a Salesforce org. This session will walk through the many uses of Salesforce Inspector Reloaded through real-world examples of how I use this tool every day.
Practitioner - Administrator
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
2:05 PM - 2:50 PM
Louseal Room
Unlocking Salesforce Data in any LLM
Your enterprise AI strategy shouldn't have to choose between the tools your team loves and the data that powers your business. Many organizations are building AI workflows around models like Claude, OpenAI, and Gemini, but connecting those models to Salesforce data hasn't always been easy. This session explores how a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server bridges that gap. We'll walk through (hands-on or via live demo) how to point Claude directly at your Salesforce data to surface insights and answer real business questions. You'll leave with a practical understanding of how MCP fits into a modern AI stack and what it takes to get started.
Practitioner - Developer
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
2:05 PM - 2:50 PM
Stinger Room
Mastering Salesforce Events: Streaming API / Pub-Sub API, and Real-World Use Cases
This session explores how Salesforce Events—Platform Events, Change Data Capture (CDC), and the modern Pub/Sub API—enable scalable, event-driven architectures beyond traditional REST integrations. Attendees will learn when to use Streaming API vs gRPC-based Pub/Sub, architectural considerations, and real-world integration patterns. Through live demos and practical use cases, we’ll demonstrate how to design resilient, loosely coupled, high-performance Salesforce ecosystems.
General
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
2:55 PM - 3:15 PM
Exhibit Hall
Afternoon Networking Break
☕ Afternoon Break – Time to Recharge! 🚀 You've been soaking up Salesforce knowledge all day—now it's time to grab a coffee, stretch your legs, and refuel! Get some snacks, networking, and a little downtime before we dive into the next round of sessions. Take a breather, connect with fellow Dreamers, and get ready for more great content ahead! 🔥💡
Workshop
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
3:15 PM - 4:50 PM
Louseal Room
Workshop: Slack vs. Teams - The Hidden Cost of Dual Collaboration Environments, and How Salesforce Can Help Fix It
Many organizations today operate in a fractured collaboration environment where Slack and Microsoft Teams coexist across departments, business units, and acquisitions. What starts as flexibility quickly turns into operational friction, fragmented communication, duplicated costs, reporting blind spots, compliance concerns, and disconnected customer engagement.
This interactive workshop explores the real-world business, technical, and organizational impact of maintaining dual collaboration ecosystems — especially for organizations running Salesforce at the center of their operations. Attendees will learn why these environments emerge, how they affect IT, sales, marketing, and executive leadership, and the hidden productivity tax that most organizations underestimate.
The session will also examine practical strategies for consolidation, interoperability, migration, governance, and Salesforce integration, including emerging tools and technical approaches that can bridge the gap while organizations work toward a long-term collaboration strategy. Whether your organization is fully committed to Slack, standardized on Microsoft Teams, or stuck somewhere in between, this session will provide a realistic roadmap for reducing fragmentation and creating a more connected digital workplace.
Data & AI
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
3:15 PM - 4:00 PM
Crewcat Room
How Enterprises Move from Pilot to Production
Most organizations are experimenting with AI, but very few are seeing meaningful business impact. Pilots stall, tools proliferate, and leaders struggle to translate promise into results. This session breaks down what actually separates organizations that generate real ROI from those stuck in proof of concept theater.
Drawing from enterprise case studies and hands on advisory work that has driven over 25 million in pipeline, Ashley shares how successful teams redesign workflows, decision making, and ownership models to move AI into production. Attendees will learn where AI initiatives most often fail, how to align AI to real business processes, and how to implement AI in a way that scales without overwhelming already stretched teams.
Practitioner - Administrator
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
3:15 PM - 4:00 PM
Krash Room
Boost Adoption with Better Design: UX Tips for Admins
User adoption doesn’t happen by accident. It happens by design. In this engaging and practical session, Talia Johnson (UX Designer, 6X Salesforce Certified, Workshop Facilitator, and Account Executive at PDF Butler) and Joe De Oliveira (14X Certified Salesforce Consultant and Admin) introduce Admins, Consultants, and Builders to the fundamentals of UX design with real-world examples and simple design tweaks anyone can implement.
This session has been presented at Dreamforce 2025, Texas Dreamin’, Midwest Dreamin’, and Tahoe Dreamin’ to enthusiastic audiences. Attendees consistently report that it changed how they approach building in Salesforce.
✅ Learn the top UX mistakes that frustrate users and how to fix them
✅ Discover design tweaks that boost adoption and make users happier
✅ Get introduced to UX principles without the jargon or intimidation
✅ Leave with practical tips and a stronger design mindset
Practitioner - Developer
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
3:15 PM - 4:00 PM
Stinger Room
Untangling OmniStudio Document Generation
OmniStudio (Vlocity) Document Generation is a powerful yet (at times) frustrating tool in the Salesforce ecosystem. If you’ve struggled with cryptic documentation, unexpected errors, and a steep learning curve, you’re not alone; I’ve been there too. This session is here to save you from the pain I went through, providing clear, actionable steps to cut through the confusion and make OmniStudio work for you.
Data & AI
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
4:05 PM - 4:50 PM
Crewcat Room
Agentforce for Voice Call Omni-Channel Routing
This initiative leverages Agentforce within Salesforce Omni-Channel to optimize voice call routing, improve agent utilization, and enhance overall customer experience. By integrating Agentforce capabilities into Omni routing logic, inbound voice interactions are intelligently distributed based on real-time agent availability, presence status, skill sets, and capacity thresholds.
Practitioner - Administrator
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
4:05 PM - 4:50 PM
Krash Room
5 Salesforce Fixes You Know You Need - and How to Start Them This Week
Most Salesforce professionals know their org needs better release communication, clearer documentation, a structured way to handle incoming requests, more reliable testing, and tighter permission control — but the “right” way to implement these best practices often feels too complex to start.
This session breaks down five foundational operational gaps that repeatedly show up in Salesforce orgs and shows the simplest practical way to begin fixing each one immediately. Instead of enterprise-scale redesigns, attendees will learn realistic starter approaches for communicating changes, documenting automation, organizing requests, validating deployments, and reducing permission sprawl.
You’ll leave with concrete actions you can start the very next week to make your Salesforce org more stable, predictable, and easier to manage, without needing new tools, a large team, or a major rebuild.
Practitioner - Developer
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
4:05 PM - 4:50 PM
Stinger Room
Breaking Salesforce: Live Exploits, Real Risks, and How to Defend Against Them
Modern Salesforce orgs face a growing threat landscape—one driven not by theory, but by real-world attack paths, risky third-party applications, and unintended user interactions that open the door to compromise. In this session, cybersecurity expert Mike (CISSP, OSWE, OSCP) walks attendees through the exact techniques attackers use to break into Salesforce environments, including creative exploits developed through over 50 private engagements and 15 public bounties.
General
July 29, 2026 - Practitioner Day
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Smash Park
Dreamin’ Reception 2026
🎳 The Dreamin’ Reception at Smash Park Westerville! 🎉After a full day of learning and networking, it’s time to unwind, have fun, and keep the connections going! Join us at Smash Park Westerville for the Buckeye Dreamin’ 2026 Reception, where you can enjoy bocce, corn hole, arcade games, great food, and drinks with your fellow Dreamers. This is your chance to relax, celebrate, and make lasting memories with the amazing Salesforce community. Don’t miss out on the fun—see you at Smash Park! 🎯🍻🎳 🚀
General
July 30, 2026 - Industry Day
7:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Registration Desk
Registration
Head over to the registration desk to check in, grab your badge, and get all the details you need for an amazing event. Need help? Our awesome volunteers are ready to assist! Whether it’s directions, event info, or just a friendly high-five, they’ve got you covered. 🙌
General
July 30, 2026 - Industry Day
7:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Brutus Hall
Breakfast
🍳 Rise & Shine, Buckeye Dreamers – Breakfast is Served! ☕🥐 Fuel up for an action-packed day at Buckeye Dreamin’ 2026 with a delicious breakfast! Grab some coffee, enjoy a bite, and connect with fellow attendees before sessions kick off. Start your day right—great conversations, great food, and plenty of Salesforce magic ahead! 🚀
General
July 30, 2026 - Industry Day
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Exhibit Hall
Sponsors Exhibit
Our amazing sponsors help make Buckeye Dreamin’ 2026 possible—now it’s time to show them some love! 💙 Head over to the exhibit hall to check out their booths, grab some swag, and learn how their solutions can take your Salesforce game to the next level. 🔥 Don't forget to stamp your Sponsor Passport! 🔥 Visit each sponsor, get your passport stamped, and you’ll be entered to win an awesome prize at the end of the event! 🎟️🏆 Whether you’re looking for new tools, expert advice, or just some great conversations, our sponsors are here to help. Go say hi, collect those stamps, and make some valuable connections! 🚀
Data & AI
July 30, 2026 - Industry Day
8:30 AM - 9:15 AM
Crewcat Room
Agentforce Without the Anxiety - Baby Steps to AI Brilliance with AgentOps
AI excitement is high. Anxiety might be higher. Agentforce is powerful, but getting started doesn't require a moonshot or a massive overhaul. In this session, we'll break Agentforce down into manageable, practical steps that help you move from curiosity to confidence. We'll explore how to identify the right first use cases, prepare your data foundation, align stakeholders, and measure early wins. We'll be grounded in the principles of AgentOps, the emerging operating discipline that brings trust, governance, and accountability to autonomous AI. You don't need a heavy framework to get started, but you do need a few smart guardrails: clear ownership, controlled autonomy, observability, and least-privilege access. You'll learn what to do first, what to avoid, and how to build momentum without overwhelming your teams. Think crawl, walk, run, but with intention and guardrails. You'll leave with a clear starter playbook, a working understanding of AgentOps fundamentals, and the confidence to take your first smart step.
Industry - Education
July 30, 2026 - Industry Day
8:30 AM - 9:15 AM
Krash Room
Scaling Smarter: How Ohio State is Leveraging Blackthorn Data for Evolving Events
This presentation highlights how Ohio State has expanded its use of Blackthorn with an increased reliance on reporting and data insights. It will also examine how the events landscape is evolving and the steps we are taking to adapt—while maintaining strong governance, consistency, and data cleanliness across the platform.
Industry - Financial Services
July 30, 2026 - Industry Day
8:30 AM - 9:15 AM
Louseal Room
Boldly Go Where No [Salesforce] Business Analyst Has Gone Before
A Star Trek-themed look at both the joys and challenges of exercising business analysis in the real world. This is your chance to reframe conversations in a way that will further the business analyst's mission, much like Star Trek does to confront polarizing topics in a way that is more accepted and poignant. Join us as we boldly go!
Industry - Public Sector
July 30, 2026 - Industry Day
8:30 AM - 9:15 AM
Stinger Room
Beyond Explore-Plan-Code: A Story-Driven Agentic Loop for Public-Sector Salesforce Delivery
Anthropic's agentic workflow — explore, plan, implement, commit — is the right loop for a single coding task, but a delivery project is not a single task. Requirements drift, scope creeps, and one ungoverned suggestion can ripple into a production org. This talk shows how a custom prompt suite can expand those four phases into a governed, story-driven SDLC for Salesforce work: exploration becomes structured discovery and drift checks, planning locks acceptance criteria as the sole authoritative spec, and implementation runs through execution, code review, and QA as distinct gates. The loop still iterates fast — it just can no longer wander or expand scope silently.
For public-sector teams, that governance is the point. Agencies operate under audit, change-control, and accountability mandates an unconstrained loop cannot satisfy. A purpose-built prompt suite answers them structurally: deployments and script runs are logged, drift is checked before execution, and every scope change flows through one auditable channel — producing a defensible paper trail government work demands. Attendees leave understanding how a custom agentic workflow lets AI accelerate Salesforce delivery without surrendering the traceability and control public-sector work requires.
Data & AI
July 30, 2026 - Industry Day
9:20 AM - 10:05 AM
Crewcat Room
Beyond APIs: When Salesforce Agents Need to Talk to Other Agents
We've integrated systems using APIs for decades. But agents don't just exchange data- they interpret intent, ask questions, negotiate outcomes.
Watch a live POC where a Salesforce agent collaborates with an external AI agent on complex problems neither could solve alone.
Learn architecture patterns, communication protocols, handling latency and cost, security considerations, and when agent-to-agent beats traditional integration. GitHub repo with working code included.
Industry - Education
July 30, 2026 - Industry Day
9:20 AM - 10:05 AM
Krash Room
5 Ways to Stop Your Salesforce AI from Hallucinating — Before It Breaks Trust
As Einstein, Agentforce, and LLM-powered experiences become embedded across Salesforce, the risk of AI hallucinations is rising.
In this session, we’ll break down the five most common causes of hallucinations in Salesforce environments and how to architect systems that prevent them.
Attendees will walk away with design patterns and real-world architecture examples to build trustworthy Salesforce AI that doesn’t guess.
Industry - Financial Services
July 30, 2026 - Industry Day
9:20 AM - 10:05 AM
Louseal Room
Salesforce - The AI Integrated Development Platform
Does your company view Salesforce as a development platform for new applications? Or is Salesforce just your Sales and CRM solution? Cumberland is building diverse applications on the platform and finding that the platform has everything you need to future proof your applications and reduce your need on legacy core systems that can't keep pace with the rapid change of AI.
Industry - Public Sector
July 30, 2026 - Industry Day
9:20 AM - 10:05 AM
Stinger Room
Fireside Chat: From Spreadsheets to Strategic Growth - How the City of Dublin Reinvented Economic Development with Salesforce
What happens when economic development teams stop managing growth through disconnected spreadsheets and outdated processes? This fireside chat explores how a forward-thinking Midwest city transformed its economic development operations using Salesforce to create a more connected, data-driven approach to business attraction, retention, expansion, and regional collaboration.
You will hear the real story behind modernizing economic development through CRM, automation, analytics, and stakeholder engagement, creating greater visibility into projects, faster decision-making, and stronger collaboration across departments and external partners. The session will also explore how Salesforce is emerging as a powerful platform for modern economic development organizations looking to compete more effectively for jobs, talent, and investment in an increasingly digital and AI-driven economy.
Data & AI
July 30, 2026 - Industry Day
10:10 AM - 10:55 AM
Crewcat Room
Closing the C-Suite Gap for Agentforce Delivery
Successful Agentforce delivery starts at the top. Learn critical skills for aligning C-suite leaders with delivery teams on Agentforce strategy, data governance, and implementation outcomes. Most executives approving Agentforce investments struggle to articulate what governance it requires. Attendees will gain a playbook for translating technical delivery into executive decisions, aligning security concerns with Agentforce governance, and creating shared language between delivery teams and leadership.
Industry - Education
July 30, 2026 - Industry Day
10:10 AM - 10:55 AM
Krash Room
Org Chaos to Clarity: Governance Strategies for Multi-Org Admins in Higher-Ed
Managing multiple complex Salesforce Orgs presents unique governance, maintenance, and data challenges. Join us as we share the real-world architecture, tools, and processes implemented to successfully merge complex customizations, harmonize disparate business unit needs, and transition their team from reactive maintenance to strategic platform management.
Industry - Financial Services
July 30, 2026 - Industry Day
10:10 AM - 10:55 AM
Louseal Room
AI Strategic Trends and Operational Insights: How Technology Is Reshaping Financial Services and Insurance
For decades, financial services and insurance have pointed to regulation and legacy technology as barriers to transformation. While those challenges remain, a new set of pressures, such as economic uncertainty, demographic shifts like the Peak 65 retirement wave, and declining trust in institutions, are accelerating demand for faster, simpler, and more transparent experiences.
Artificial intelligence is beginning to deliver on long-standing ambitions. From streamlining underwriting and incorporating electronic health records to enabling faster, more informed decisions, AI is reshaping both how organizations operate and what customers and advisors expect.
In this session, Nationwide leaders responsible for AI execution and enterprise transformation will share a grounded view of the trends shaping financial services and insurance, along with practical lessons from modernization efforts already underway. They will discuss where AI is delivering real operational impact, how organizations are approaching investment in emerging technologies, and what this means for product design, distribution, and the overall customer experience.
The session will also take on a core challenge facing the industry: how to use AI to increase speed and efficiency without eroding trust, particularly as interactions become more digital and data-driven.
Industry - Public Sector
July 30, 2026 - Industry Day
10:10 AM - 10:55 AM
Stinger Room
Inside the CIO’s Office: A Fireside Chat with Ohio’s Public Sector Tech Leaders
What does it really take to lead technology transformation at the state level?
Join us for an engaging fireside chat with three CIOs from State of Ohio agencies as they share candid insights from the front lines of public sector innovation. This conversation goes beyond the buzzwords to explore how state leaders are balancing modernization, security, citizen experience, and the rapid rise of AI—while navigating budgets, legacy systems, and policy constraints.
Expect a dynamic and unscripted discussion covering:
- How Ohio agencies are modernizing platforms and delivering digital-first services
- The realities of implementing AI, data, and automation in government
- Lessons learned from large-scale transformations (what worked—and what didn’t)
- Strategies for building high-performing teams and partnering effectively with vendors
- What’s next for public sector technology in Ohio and beyond
Whether you’re a Salesforce professional, public sector leader, or technologist looking to understand how decisions are made at the highest levels—this is your chance to hear directly from the people shaping the future of government.
General
July 30, 2026 - Industry Day
10:55 AM - 11:15 AM
Exhibit Hall
Morning Networking Break
☕ Morning Break Time! 🚀 Take a breather, grab some coffee, and recharge before the next round of awesome sessions at Buckeye Dreamin’ 2026! This is the perfect time to connect with fellow attendees, visit our sponsors, and swap insights with your fellow Salesforce pros. Enjoy the break—more learning, networking, and innovation coming up! 🔥💡
General
July 30, 2026 - Industry Day
11:15 AM - 11:20 AM
Brutus Hall
Closing Keynote Introduction
As Buckeye Dreamin’ 2026 comes to a close, join us for the final session that will leave you motivated and inspired. We’ll reflect on the key themes, insights, and connections made throughout the conference before introducing our closing keynote speaker. Get ready for a powerful and thought-provoking message to help you take your Salesforce knowledge, strategies, and community engagement to the next level. Let’s end Buckeye Dreamin’ 2026 on a high note!
Keynote
July 30, 2026 - Industry Day
11:20 AM - 12:10 PM
Brutus Hall
Closing Keynote: You Already Know How to Do This
Every session thus far has given you something to learn. This one is different.
Change has always been the one constant in the Salesforce ecosystem. You've navigated platform shifts, org transformations, and the relentless pace of innovation. Not because you had all the answers, but because you had something more valuable: the drive to figure it out.
This talk isn't about technology. It's about you.
Before this session is over, you will see yourself and the skills you've quietly built over your career in a completely different light. The capabilities that got you to this room are not just still relevant. They are becoming the most valuable skills in the world. And the proof is already sitting in this room.
You'll leave with a fresh perspective on the value you already bring, a practical framework for turning your existing strengths into tomorrow's superpowers, and one small but meaningful step you can take before the week is out.
Save your energy for this one.
General
July 30, 2026 - Industry Day
12:10 PM - 1:30 PM
Brutus Hall
Awards Lunch and Closing
🏆 Buckeye Dreamin’ 2026 Awards Lunch! 🎉 It’s time to celebrate the best of the best in our incredible Salesforce community! Join us at the Awards Lunch as we recognize outstanding contributions, innovative solutions, and the amazing Trailblazers who make this ecosystem thrive. Enjoy great company, delicious food, and a few surprises as we celebrate excellence and achievement! Don't miss this chance to cheer on your peers and celebrate another unforgettable Buckeye Dreamin’! 🚀🔥