Salesforce AIforce World Tour 2026.

Known as the Agentforce World Tour or the Salesforce World Tour, this free event brings together Salesforce professionals who work on a variety of different Salesforce products including Salesforce Marketing Cloud.

And I think this is the biggest event that email developers and fellow MarTech professionals don’t realize.

The biggest benefit isn’t what you learn, but who you will meet while attending the event.

You could spend months learning a new Salesforce Marketing Cloud technology online, but one conversation with the right person can start you on a new career path or build a news professional connection.

What Is Salesforce AIforce World Tour?

Salesforce AIforce World Tour is a series of free, in-person events where its everything Salesforce related. You will hear a keynote speech about the latest Salesforce innovations, attend expert-led sessions, explore new technologies, and network with others in the Salesforce Marketing Cloud ecosystem.

For professionals working with Salesforce Marketing Cloud Engagement, these events provide an opportunity to understand Marketing Cloud stands in the broader Salesforce ecosystem.

Why More MarTech Email Developers Should Attend

From an purely observational point of view, this event has few email developers or MarTech technical professionals.

As an email developer or MarTech professional, I spend a lot of time concentrating on my technical responsibilities. I focus on building email campaigns, setting up marketing automations, and meeting tight deadlines.

But how often do you or I step outside our immediate professional circles?

By attending events like AIforce World Tour, you and I can develop a broader understanding of technologies, business priorities, and professional roles shaping the MarTech industry.

1. Expand Your Professional Network

One of the main reasons to attend is that AIforce World Tour is the biggest networking event for Salesforce MarTech professionals outside of the Salesforce Connections event..

You’ll have opportunities to connect with Salesforce MarTech professionals including administrators, architects, marketing professionals, and people working across different industries.

You will definitely run into professional facing similar challenges in their Salesforce Marketign Cloud org as you. These conversations allowed me to get a different perspective on how to resolve my issue along with helping another MarTech professional resolve their Marketing Cloud issue.

You also gain a different perspective about how email development fits into the larger larger enterprise technology environment.

My advice is: Don’t be quite the whole event.

Introduce yourself.

Ask questions.

Spark at least one conversation.

You never know which professional relationship might prove valuable in the future.

2. Meet Recruiters and Be Ready to Introduce Yourself

Another great reason to attend is to meet  recruiters and hiring managers.

Recruiters and hiring managers aren’t guaranteed to attend this event. However, I have never been to a World Tour and didn’t bump into one recruiter or hiring manager. You will also run into consulting partners looking for Salesforce Marketing Cloud professionals to add to their consulting ranks.

 My best advice would be to have a 30-second career introduction ready.

No rehearsed sales pitch!

Simply be able to explain who you are, what you do, and what kind of professional opportunity interests you.

If you’re actively searching for work, be ready to explain the types of Salesforce Marketing Cloud positions you’re considering.

If you’re currently employed and not looking; focus on professional networking and learning instead. Get the recruiters or hiring managers information because you never know when you will need to reach out to them.

The important thing is to be prepared when someone asks about your background.

3. Discover Technologies Outside Your Everyday Work

If you work primarily in Salesforce Marketing Cloud Engagement, it’s so easy to focus on Marketing Cloud tools that are part of your daily job.

AIforce World Tour provides an opportunity to see other areas of the Salesforce ecosystem.

You will encounter discussions about Agentforce, Data360, Tableau, Slack, and other enterprise business processes.

Understanding these technologies can help you recognize how marketing automation fits into broader organizational strategies.

No need to become an expert in everything.

Staying informed about developments outside your immediate specialty will make you a more well-rounded MarTech professional.

Technical skills help you perform your current role. Industry awareness helps you prepare for what is coming next.

4. Visit Trailhead and Look for Free Gifts

You will be able to do a special Trailhead at the AIForce World Tour.

Every World Tour has a section where you can do a specific Trailhead that gives you a prize. For spending 20 to 30 minutes, you get Salesforce swag.

My suggestion is to check the events you want to attend and then plan you complete the Trailhead to get your AIforce World Tour swag

5. Enjoy the Free Lunch and Stay for Networking

Another benefit of some Salesforce World Tour events is the food and networking experience.

Every World Tour has multiple coffee breaks, a scheduled lunch to cover dietary need, and a networking happy hour with complimentary wine and beer.

Some shorter World Tour Essentials events offer afternoon refreshments instead of a full lunch.

That’s why I recommend not checking out after the final presentation.

The networking happy hour is a great chance to meet other Salesforce and Salesforce Marketing Cloud professionals. It’s a great way to utilize your 30-second career introduction.

How to Make the Most of AIforce World Tour

Before attending, I recommend preparing a simple plan.

1. Register early. Popular sessions and hands-on experiences may have limited capacity so register at https://www.salesforce.com/events/.
2. Download the Salesforce Events app. You can get the iOS or Android version at https://www.salesforce.com/events/mobile-app-download/
3. Review the agenda. Identify discussions relevant to Marketing Cloud, AgentForce, or other sessions you want to attend
4. Attend the keynote. The keynote often lets you know the direction Salesforce is heading in over the next calendar year
5. Prepare your introduction. Be able to explain your professional background in 30 seconds.
6. Meet new people. Start conversations with at least one person
7. Explore Trailhead activities. Ask about learning challenges, promotional giveaways, and participation requirements.
8. Stay for networking. If the event includes a reception, use that time to build professional connections.
9. Follow up afterward. Send a brief message to people you met and continue the conversation.

You don’t have to attend every presentation or understand every technology.

The goal is to leave with new knowledge, a broader perspective, and a few meaningful professional connections.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Salesforce AIforce World Tour free?

Yes. Salesforce advertises free registration for several of its 2026 AIforce World Tour events, including New York, Philadelphia, and Seattle. Review each event page for current admission and registration details.

Is AIforce World Tour the same as Agentforce World Tour?

AIforce World Tour is the newer branding used for certain Salesforce World Tour events in late 2026. Earlier events used the Agentforce World Tour name, and the event series has historically been known as Salesforce World Tour.

Is AIforce World Tour worth attending for email developers?

Yes, especially if you work in Salesforce Marketing Cloud, marketing automation, or enterprise MarTech. The event can provide industry knowledge, broader technology exposure, and opportunities to connect with Salesforce professionals.

Can you meet recruiters at Salesforce World Tour?

You may encounter recruiters, consulting partners, hiring managers, or other professionals with knowledge of the job market. However, recruiter participation is not guaranteed, and World Tour should not be treated as a dedicated job fair.

Does Salesforce World Tour provide free food?

Some events do. The New York event’s published agenda includes lunch and an end-of-day networking reception with free food and drinks. Other locations may offer different refreshments or hospitality arrangements.

Can you get free Salesforce swag at World Tour?

Promotional gifts may be available at some events through Trailhead-related activities, sponsors, or event booths. Giveaway availability and qualification requirements vary. Completing a Trailhead activity does not automatically guarantee a gift.

Do you need Salesforce experience to attend?

No. Salesforce welcomes people who are new to the ecosystem, along with experienced professionals and existing customers. Certain sessions may be more advanced than others.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Overlook Opportunities Outside Your Daily Work

As a MarTech professionals, we are focused on keeping my current technical skills current, but miss an important part of long-term career development that deserves attention.

Building connections, understanding the industry, and becoming part of the broader professional community.

Salesforce AIforce World Tour offers an opportunity to do all three.

Whether you’re an experienced Salesforce Marketing Cloud Engagement specialist, an email developer, or someone exploring marketing automation, attending this event in you area could introduce you to people and ideas you wouldn’t otherwise encounter.

This event is free, so its worth the effort to attend.

My advice?

Show up. Introduce yourself. Learn something new. Build your network.

Sometimes the biggest career opportunities begin with a simple conversation.

The post The Biggest MarTech Career Opportunity You’re Missing: Salesforce AIforce World Tour appeared first on IvanHurt.dev.

I attended several sessions and came away with three main takeaways from the Agentforce World Tour.

Data 360 Was The Hidden Main Theme

On my train ride up to New York, I scanned the Salesforce events app. I did my usual routine of looking for every session related to Marketing Cloud.

I added Marketing Cloud-related sessions to my favorites so I can attend them if I do nothing else.  To be honest, all the Marketing Cloud sessions had Data 360 in the session description and focused on Marketing Cloud Next.

From the Marketing Cloud sessions I attended, Data 360 plays a major role.  From the keynote speech to everywhere I looked at the Agentforce World Tour, Data 360 played a pivotal role in the Salesforce ecosystem.

Agentforce Is All Grown Up

Let me be specific, Agentforce is here to stay.

The one thing that I noticed is that the Agentforce documentation is more mature. 

In 2025, speakers often mentioned that the Agentforce documentation was still changing. This year, that was not the focus. The message felt clearer: Agentforce is ready for prime time.

Agentforce is all grown up and reached a level of maturity in 2026.

Agentic Marketing Is The Future

According to Salesforce, “Agentforce Marketing uses autonomous AI agents to transform traditional channels into two-way conversations, and to be an always-on collaborator behind the scenes¹.”

That message came through clearly across multiple sessions.

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Next, Data 360, and Agentic Marketing appear to be a major part of where the platform is heading.

Final Thoughts

In closing, the Agentforce World Tour NYC 2026 reaffirmed my decision to continue learning Agentforce and Data 360 this year.  Also, if you highly recommend you attend an Agentforce World Tour this year, if not, watch some of the sessions on Salesforce+.

Thanks for listening,
Ivan Hurt
SFMC Professional

¹Source: Salesforce. (n.d.). Agentic Marketing Platform: Next-Gen Marketing Cloud. Salesforce. Retrieved from https://www.salesforce.com/marketing/agentic-marketing/

The post Agentforce World Tour NYC 2026 Recap appeared first on IvanHurt.dev.

However, after I passed the certification, Salesforce doesn’t let the certification go stale. You are required to do maintenance modules to keep your certification active. These modules are designed to help you stay current with important product updates to keep your certification active.

You are given a deadline to complete the maintenance module or lose your certification. After the countless hours I took to pass the exam, I am not going to let my certification lapse.

I wrote this blog post, so you don’t let your certification lapse either.

Here are the steps to maintain your Salesforce Marketing Cloud Email Specialist certification or any other Salesforce certification.

1. Do a web search for Salesforce Certification Maintenance Schedule
2. Verify when the due date for the maintenance module for your certification is due
3. Log in to Trailhead
4. Search Marketing Cloud Email Specialist Certification Maintenance
   • You should see 2 or 3 badges
5. Complete each badge to be on the safe side
6. Review the resources that are with each module
7. You should receive an email stating that your account is still valid

Bonus Points: Read the release notes for the product you work with daily.

So follow this advice and keep your certification active.

Thanks for listening,
Ivan Hurt, Email Developer

The post How To Keep Your SFMC Email Specialist Certification Active? appeared first on IvanHurt.dev.

As an experienced email developer working in Salesforce Marketing Cloud Engagement, I wanted to know how Salesforce’s latest announcements would affect the future of the platform, workflows, and roles in the age of AI.

Theme of Dreamforce 2025

The overall theme of Dreamforce 2025 is the emergence of age Agentic Enterprise – a world where AI agents help human productivity instead of replacing it.

In the news, most companies are using AI to reduce headcount. Salesforce is going on another route: AI agents collaborate with people to make work faster, smarter, and more trustworthy.

For Marketing Cloud professionals, this is the beginning of the age of Agentic Marketing. Salesforce is integrating AI agents in the platform to help marketers and developers create personalized and automate customer journeys with real-time intelligence.

Marketing Cloud already has strong AI features, including Einstein Copy Insights, Einstein Recommends, and Einstein Send Time Optimization.

Salesforce is taking another step forward with the Agentforce 360 platform. Agentforce 360 introduces AI agents to help with data segmentation, send-time decisions, and contextual journey triggers. Built on top of Einstein, these agents allow us to send the right message at the right time with greater accuracy.

Data Is Key

Speaking of data, Data Cloud is rebranded as Data 360.  Data 360 unified customer data in real-time that every application, including Marketing Cloud Engagement, can use.

For email developers, this means the traditional model of nightly batch imports is getting a huge glow-up. With Data 360’s connected pipelines, journeys, and automations will eventually trigger directly from live data instead of waiting for a batch sync.

This will require new technical skillsets of understanding data models, integrations, and APIs that move information instantly between Salesforce CRM, Data 360, and Marketing Cloud.

People & Governance

Trust has always been the foundation of Salesforce and Salesforce Marketing Cloud. With AI and AI agents playing a larger role in Salesforce Marketing Cloud, people are still the key.

As Marketing Cloud professionals, we’ll need to keep performing manual QA checks, monitor how AI handles data, and ensure it operates within legal and compliance frameworks like GDPR, CAN-SPAM, and CASL.

AI can help us work faster, but it’s our professional responsibility to keep it accurate, ethical, and permission-based.

New Role of Email Developer

Salesforce Marketing Cloud is ushering in a new age of email developers. No longer will email developers be building email templates and managing the CRM.

Email developers will need to:

• Understand how data flows across the CRM and Data 360
• Design HTML templates ready for AI-driven personalization
• Work confidently with REST and SOAP APIs
• Collaborate with AI-powered tools and agents across the Salesforce ecosystem

The role of email developer isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, only evolving.

My Next 360 Days

After watching Dreamforce 2025, here’s my plan to adapt as an email developer:

• Expanding my knowledge of Data 360 (formerly Data Cloud)
• Learning more about AI agents and Agentforce 360
• Deepen my understanding of Marketing Cloud APIs (REST and SOAP)
• Pursue the Salesforce Marketing Cloud Developer certification

I plan on growing alongside the platform. Dreamforce made it clear that the next evolution of Marketing Cloud iso build on real-time data and AI collaboration.

Recommended Dreamforce 2025 Sessions on Salesforce Plus

I highly recommend that you watch the following sessions:

• Dreamforce Main Keynote 2025
• Marketing Keynote: Marketing That Sparks a Conversation
• Data Cloud Keynote: Activate Trusted Data Everywhere
• Key Data 36O Innovations to Unlock Your Data’s Full Value
• Your Marketing Maturity Model: What AI to Use When
• Unlock the Agentic Enterprise with Agentforce Marketing

Each session highlights how Salesforce is blending data, trust, and AI to empower marketers and developers alike.

Final Thoughts

Dreamforce 2025 was about a mindset shift. AI isn’t going to replace us; it will enhance what we already do well. As an email developer, the challenge is to keep learning and embrace tools so we can focus on strategy and creativity – not just code.

Thanks for listening,
Ivan Hurt, Email Developer

The post Dreamforce 2025 Takeaways for Email Developers: What’s Next for Salesforce Marketing Cloud appeared first on IvanHurt.dev.

The client has recently switched to a new email service provider and domain. The client wanted me to resolve the issue before they started a major email marketing campaign.

I agreed to help the client for a small fee, of course.

I performed the following steps to start troubleshooting the issue:

• Verified the DKIM signature TXT record was set up correctly on the hosting service
• Sent a test email from the ESP to my test Gmail and Outlook accounts
• Verified the DKIM signature is passing in the email header

Interestingly, the DKIM signature for the hosting service passed. However, the DKIM signature for the ESP was missing from the email header. This indicated that the ESP’s DKIM key wasn’t being used for the email signing.

From my experience with this particular ESP, you need to set up a separate DKIM signature TXT record for the ESP, in addition to the one for the hosting service. This allows the ESP’s DKIM signature to sign emails using their specific DKIM key.

Side Note: Please consult with your ESP to see if you need to add an additional TXT record for your ESP DKIM signature and the correct settings.

I consulted with the ESP for the correct DNS setting for the ESP DKIM signature. After ensuring the proper settings were set up, I waited 24 hours for the DNS settings to propagate. However, the time-to-live (TTL) setting varies.

After propagation was complete, I sent another email through the ESP to verify that both DKIM signatures were present in the email header. Both DKIM signatures passed, and the client’s sender authentication check passed.

In conclusion, if you are using an ESP, please verify whether an additional TXT record is required in the ESP DKIM signature, ensure all DNS settings are correct, and allow sufficient time for the DNS to propagate fully.

Thanks for listening,
Ivan Hurt, Email Developer

The post How To Quickly Fix DKIM Signature Issues If You Are Using An ESP? appeared first on IvanHurt.dev.

Moving Away From Webassessor

One of the main changes is that your certifications are moving away from Webassessor to Trailhead Academy. Anyone currently holding the Salesforce Marketing Cloud certification must move from Webassessor to Trailhead Academy.

Salesforce will email you to walk you through transferring your profile to Trailhead. The process is easy and takes less than 5 minutes.

New Testing Experience

In July, Salesforce Marketing Cloud exams will move from Webassessor to Pearson VUE. The change starts on July 21, 2025. The last day you must register for an exam on Webassessor is June 30, 2025.

SFMC Certification Title Changes

Salesforce Marketing Cloud is aligning its certifications with the new product names. Marketing Cloud is now called Marketing Cloud Engagement, and Pardot is now called Marketing Cloud Account Engagement.

The titles might sound confusing, but just remember that Pardot has “Account” in the title. That’s how I remember the difference between the two.

Here’s a list of all the Salesforce Marketing Cloud certification title changes you must know.

• Salesforce Certified Marketing Associate is now the Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Engagement Foundations certification (MC)
• Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Specialist is now the Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Foundations certification (Pardot)
• Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Email Specialist has no name change (MC)
• Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Administrator is now the Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Engagement Administrator certification (MC)
• Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Consultant is now the Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Engagement Consultant certification (MC)
• Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Consultant has no change (Pardot)
• Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Developer is now the Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Engagement Developer certification (MC)

Important Dates

• June 30, 2025: Last day to register for SFMC exam with Webassessor
• July 13, 2025: Last day to take exam on Webassessor (Use any vouchers by this date)
• July 21, 2025: Take exams using Pearson VUE

Conclusion

These are the upcoming changes affecting newbies and experienced email developers in the Salesforce Marketing Cloud ecosystem.

The post SFMC Certification Changes Every Email Developer Needs To Know In 2025 appeared first on IvanHurt.dev.

Tell me more about your background?

Tell me something I don’t already know from your resume?

During an interview as an email developer with no experience, those were among the most terrifying questions I had to answer. I rambled off some random facts from my tech resume during my first few interviews.

Bad idea!

Use an elevator pitch instead.

What is an elevator pitch?

The elevator pitch combines your career summary with a recent challenge or problem you solved about email development or as an email developer. For example, how did you figure out why email templates weren’t working or why you were volunteering at a non-profit?

How do you create an elevator pitch?

First, you write to write a career summary. 

Second, think about a recent challenge you solved as an email developer.

Here is a sample elevator pitch:

Interviewer: Tell me about yourself?

You: I’m an email developer with knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. In the past few weeks, I’ve been freelancing at Joe’s Coffee Café to help his business automate his email newsletter. The owner, Joe, told me a few days ago that the newsletter template I created for him boosted sales by 7%. I applied for this position because I believe my skills were a good fit for the job requirements.

Interviewer: Let me tell you more about the position.

Conclusion

Take a few minutes to write an elevator pitch for your upcoming interview. The elevator pitch will showcase your skills and boost your chances of landing your next email developer role.

The post Email Developer Interview Advice I Wish I Knew Years Ago appeared first on IvanHurt.dev.

Parcel Unpacked 2025 is the place for email developers to network with other email developers or stay ahead of the curve. This two virtual conference is the essential for hands-on experience with the most innovative email development frameworks, discover best practices in email marketing, and unlock new ways to optimize your workflows for better results.

What to Expect at Parcel Unpacked 2025:

• Cutting-edge Email Development Tools: Learn about the latest frameworks, libraries, and automation techniques that will enhance your email development process.
• Industry Insights: Gain valuable knowledge from top-tier email developers and industry experts who will share trends and tips for success in 2025.
• Networking Opportunities: Meet fellow email developers, marketing professionals, and potential collaborators.
• Exclusive Workshops & Demos: Get hands-on with the tools and strategies that are shaping the future of email marketing.

Don’t miss the chance to network and advance your email developer skills at Parcel Unpacked 2025—register today to secure your spot!

You can register at https://www.crowdcast.io/c/unpacked2025.

The post Parcel Unpacked Is Back in 2025 appeared first on IvanHurt.dev.

Google/Yahoo Email Changes Were A Good Thing

81% of people don’t answer a phone call from an unknown number (Pew Research)

Day one of Email Camp 2024 focused on email deliverability and the Google/Yahoo 2024 email changes. The Google and Yahoo email changes were intended to make email more secure and improve deliverability.

If Google and Yahoo didn’t change this to improve email deliverability, email would become the next telephone industry.

Email would have the same statistics as the above quote.

With no one opening emails, email marketing would lose a lot of its financial luster.

Email marketing has an overall ROI of 4,200% (Luisa Zhou)

No one would open emails from anyone unless you knew them personally.

When I started managing the nonprofits’ email marketing programs, I implemented the SPF, DKIM, and DMARC policies because I knew deliverability was important.

Email Camp only reinforced that the Google/Yahoo update was significant for emails overall.

Refresh Your Email Designs

I will be the first to admit that I hated it when we would have to implement a new email design.

However, after attending Email Camp 2024, I have a new respect for refreshing your email template designs.

By bringing various parties together, including non-marketing folks, the email design process can significantly improve with new ideas and voices.

With a templating system, new email designs can be quickly implemented, reducing the time needed to update the email template design.

In closing, Email Camp 2024 was a blast and well worth attending.

SMS Is The Future

When I started working as an email developer, SMS marketing began taking shape.  Now, SMS marketing is coming into its own.

On day three, several presentations showcased the powerful marketing tool SMS. SMS is a technology that email developers should look into further.

SMS is a secure, reliable marketing channel governed by government regulations.

This makes SMS a technology that I’ll be looking further into over the next few months.

Thanks for listening,
Ivan Hurt, Email Developer

The post 3 Things I Learned From Email Camp 2024 appeared first on IvanHurt.dev.

In May 2024, Google launched its Gemini update that summarizes the email contents for a single email or across an email thread.

In June 2024, Apple followed suit during their Apple World Developer Conference (WWDC). With the release of iOS 18, Apple allows AI to summarize an email.

Ivan, what happens to the preview text that email developers have been using sense forever?

In all honesty, I am not 100% sure how this will affect the preview text. For the time being, I will continue to use preview text for any emails that I create.

However, AI has forced me to learn more about email marketing. I am solid on creating emails, making emails work across multiple devices and clients, and email development in general.

With AI enhancing emails, I’m glad I doubled down six months ago on learning email marketing.

The Google and Apple updates will not change email development in my opinion. Instead of relying on the preview text, good email marketers will continue to do what they’ve done for years: send quality content with a strong call to action (CTA).

The Google and the Apple updates do raise several questions for the future:

• How accurate will the AI email summaries bear the AI email summaries?
• Will user’s opt-in or opt-out of these and future AI features?
• What other updates Google and Apple had planning in the future>

In all honesty, I’m embracing AI, email marketing, and email development. I can wait to see how this affects emails of the future as I embrace AI.

Thanks for listening,
Ivan Hurt 
Email Developer specializing in Salesforce Marketing Cloud

The post AI, Google, Apple, and Preview Text appeared first on IvanHurt.dev.