by Zoe Fisher 
Trailblazer Community Groups give you the opportunity to meet your peers. Organised by Salesforce customers, they are held on a regular basis (although the frequency is different for different groups) in locations all over the World. This blog will break down what they are, how you can join, and the benefits of doing so.
What are they?
Trailblazer Community Groups are open, free to join clubs, run by people who are invested in the same Salesforce roles and products. The different types of community groups are:
• B2B Marketer
• B2C Marketer
• Developer
• Admin
• Women in Tech
• Student
• Higher Education
• Not Profit
Who can join?
Anyone! You can sign up to Trailblazer Community Groups using email, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. You DO NOT need to have a Salesforce licence or an email address associated with a Salesforce product to sign up. This is great because it means that Groups are open to anyone and everyone. Whether you are a student, unemployed, on maternity/paternity leave, between jobs or employed you are able to join in.
Why should I join?
If you use Salesforce, Account Engagement or Marketing Cloud every day, then attending a Group event can really help give you the most out of the platform. Meeting and hearing from experienced, inspirational professionals is a great way to learn best practices, gain new ideas and also learn new ways of doing things. Sometimes, there is a live demo on how to quickly solve a common problem. It’s also a really nice and relaxed way of meeting people. Make new friends and build your connections – you never know, you could land yourself a dream job by meeting the right people! Not to mention there are free drinks and food, plus the chance to visit different offices!
Where do I find a Group?
You can explore Trailblazer Community Groups here and find your nearest group by region – there are a lot!
Next, select which group best aligns with your interest. You can then read about the group, see any upcoming meetings that you can attend, and have a nosey at the sponsors and Group Leaders. Join the group to receive email notifications when new meetings become available so you can RSVP. Don’t be afraid to join more than one group!
Going to my first event – any tips?
Of course, going to networking events can be really intimidating, but Trailblazer Community Group meetings are actually a perfect place to start. Here are a few tips for attending your first one:
• RSVP – it’s important that you have RSVP’d to confirm your place as some buildings require an attendee list before the event. Also, check if you need to bring your ID for security.
• Bring a friend or colleague – give yourself that bit of comfort by attending with someone you already know. Sometimes it’s easier to network with someone by your side! It’s also a good chance to catch up with someone whilst learning something new.
• Dive in – a great place to start when you walk into a room full of people you don’t know is the food/ bar, it’s easy to strike up a conversation with someone over pizza.
• Get involved – something I love about the events I go to is the competitions and quizzes that our Group Leaders do, it’s a nice ice breaker and you get the chance to win some free swag!
• Connect – one way of getting to know people is by asking for their LinkedIn/ Twitter while you’re speaking to them. Plus I’ve found that everyone who attends is super friendly on social media.
We regularly attend the London Community Groups so come and say hi when you see us there!
*This post has been updated in 2023 to reflect Pardot’s name change to Account Engagement