5 Reasons to Attend Higher Ed Summit 2020

By Justin Bryant February 12, 2020

Buckle up! We’re in the fast lane on our way to Indianapolis for the 2020 Higher Ed Summit, co-hosted by Indiana University. This year’s event – held in the home city of the Indy 500 – promises to be nothing short of a milk-soaked celebration of innovation! If race cars and the need for speed aren’t your thing, take a look at 5 other reasons you can’t miss the higher ed event of the year.

People with race car outfits walking along a float with a giant cow, promoting milk drinking, at the Indy 500 Parade.

Did you know that Indy 500 winners drink milk after emerging victorious from the race?

1. Learning Doesn’t Get Old

We have the best community of customers and partners in the world. And Higher Ed Summit is one of the few times a year they’re all gathered in one place, talking about the ways they stay ahead of the curve and thrive in an evolving industry. This is your chance to learn from some of the best! Attend 150+ breakout sessions, theater sessions, and workshops for all roles and experience levels. Some highlights, depending on your Salesforce experience, are:

Conference sessions for Salesforce beginners:

See live demos of Education Cloud and how it can be used to revolutionize recruiting, student success, advancement, marketing automation, analytics, building apps, and more.
Learn how to build a foundation for success with interactive workshops on topics like change management, data governance, and adoption.

Conference sessions for Intermediate/Advanced Salesforce admins:

Dive into the platform with hands-on workshops designed to help you reimagine every step of the student journey.
Get your burning questions answered from Salesforce gurus.
Connect with dozens of Salesforce.org partners to learn more about implementation services and add-on apps.

Photo from the Higher Ed Summit Awards

2. The Higher Ed Summit Awards

What started as a simple way to recognize some of the incredibly innovative work within the higher ed community has now turned into a full-blown, Oscar-style award ceremony. The Summit Awards offer an awesome opportunity to hear about the ways universities are using Salesforce and cheer on peers as they walk across the big stage. We’re excited to recognize trailblazers in five different categories this year, including a brand new category for K-12:

Excellence in Student Success
Excellence in Institutional Efficiency
Excellence in Innovation
Community Champion Award
NEW this year: College and Career Prep Award

One of the greatest things about the Summit Awards is that almost all of them are voted on by the community. Voting for finalists in each category will begin mid-February on the Power of Us Hub. So stay tuned!

Higher Ed Summit is always a good time.

3. Meet the Community

You can almost think of Higher Ed Summit as a family reunion of sorts for our education trailblazers. It’s a time filled with excitement, laughter, ‘aha’ moments, and most importantly, fun! Meet peer institutions you’ve been wanting to talk to, network with industry experts, and catch up with people you haven’t seen since last year’s Summit. With over 3,000 people in attendance, I can promise you this: you won’t leave without making at least one new friend! So take advantage of things like solution-themed lunches throughout the two and a half days.

Photo of last year’s Higher Ed Summit reception on an aircraft carrier in San Diego

Our always-fun cocktail reception is another great chance to meet more of the community, let loose, and dance a little (or a lot). The bar was set high last year with our reception held at sunset on an aircraft carrier in San Diego, but the party just gets better and better every year. By the end of the week, you may be tired – but you will walk away inspired by the community and the time you were able to spend with them.

4. There’s Something for Everyone at this Education Conference

All roles and functions: If you’re an IT Admin or Developer looking to discuss the finer points of data architectures, we’ve got you covered. For managers and directors in Recruiting and Admissions, Student Success, Advancement, and other areas, there are amazing opportunities to learn and share best practices. For presidents, provosts, CIOs, deans, and other university leaders, Higher Ed Summit offers executive strategy and thought leadership sessions.

All types of institutions: Two-year and four-year, public and private, U.S. and international, small colleges and large universities, and K-12 schools and districts — institutions of all shapes and sizes attend Higher Ed Summit and offer unique insights into how they’re making change with Salesforce within the education industry.

All experience levels: If you’re just getting started with Education Cloud, no other event will give you a better opportunity to get acquainted with our technology. And if you’re a Salesforce veteran, the Summit is the perfect place to hone your skills and stay on top of the latest innovations.

5. Get Certified as a Salesforce Administrator

For the second year in a row, Salesforce Administrator Certification Training will be offered the day before the Summit kicks off. If you’re ready to take the next step in your career by becoming a Salesforce Certified Administrator, this is your chance! By covering the details around the exam objectives, this course helps hone your problem-solving skills and reinforces your knowledge of key topics. Instructors present different administration and configuration scenarios tied to the exam objectives. Questions related to these scenarios also help prepare you for your exam. The class concludes with an exam at the end of the day.

Register to get Salesforce Certified at Higher Ed Summit 2020
Tuesday, April 28 – 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Cost: $700
Note: This registration fee is separate from the main conference registration fee. You can register for the training when you register for the conference.