It’s only about half over but already salesforce.com’s annual Dreamforce event provides some great instructive lessons about how to get brand experience right. Here’s an unofficial list of some of the takeaways we’re seeing so far.

1 Tell Stories

Business is theatre and there is no shortage of storytelling going on at Dreamforce. From corporate celebrities like Marissa Mayer and Meg Whitman to performances from the likes of Huey Lewis and the News, every aspect of Dreamforce is about dramatizing the product and the brand in memorable ways. A big platform message like “The Internet of Customers” also sparks the imagination. It all serves to capture attention and move the salesforce.com brand to the center of the industry conversation. A special shout out to quality of the live streaming, broadcast news-style interviews on Dreamforce’s Live channel – great programming including world-class client videos that speak to a variety of industries and business challenges.

2 Engage Partners

It’s hard to miss the seemingly endless number of brands present at Dreamforce. A fan favorite was Tesla’s big moment bringing salesforce.com co-founder Parker Harris out onto the main stage during the keynote. Clearly the focus is on showing the world how top brands are using salesforce.com to advance their sales and marketing efforts. A quick list of partner brands given love from salesforce.com includes DirectTV, Charles Schwab, Google, Wells Fargo, Avaya, Belkin, AT&T, ADP, Activision, BoA, Facebook, Virgin, GE, HP, Cisco and many more.

3 Be a Connector

Beyond serendipitous run-ins (“I just met Bono in the hallway”, as reported by a star struck attendee via Twitter), salesforce.com really thinks through how it enables people to find one another and engage. On top of standard breakouts and sponsor areas there are tools for attendees in person and online to find like-minded people and even to spontaneously collaborate. Dreamforce does a great job connecting people and ideas in meaningful ways.