Event Recap - Microsoft at the Digital Workplace Conference Australia 2026
The Digital Workplace Conference 2026 (DWC AU) proved to be an unforgettable two days at the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins from 28–29 May 2026. Australia's premier in-person event for Microsoft 365 professionals brought together power users, business leaders, IT pros, and adoption and change managers from across the region under this year's theme — One Change. Big Impact. With deep focus on Microsoft 365, AI and Copilot, SharePoint, governance, and real-world adoption, attendees were treated to a packed programme of community-led learning, customer stories, and the kind of practical, take-home guidance that makes DWC such a standout on the Australian tech calendar. DWC in a nutshell 30+ speakers from 5 countries 247+ years of combined digital workplace experience represented on stage 3 parallel tracks across 2 days — Productivity, AI & Copilot, and Customer Journeys Microsoft as a sponsor, with our team on the keynote stage and on the floor Post-event attendee survey across roles, industries, states, and countries captured (full breakdown in the Attendee Insights section below) Give a read to the DW Results recap as well: Digital Workplace Conference Australia: What We Learned About AI, Governance, and Why People Still Matter - DW Results Opening Keynote From AI Hype to Everyday Impact Thursday 28 May, 9:00 AM, Grand Ballroom (90 minutes) Panelists: Heather Cook (Microsoft), Debbie Ireland (DWR), and Brett Gilbertson (ASI Solutions). The opening keynote set the tone for the two days — cutting through AI hype and grounding the conversation in what is actually working inside Australian organisations today. The panel landed honest stories about where Copilot is delivering value, where adoption is getting stuck, and how the right single change — well chosen and well executed — really can have an outsized impact. The energy carried straight into the first round of breakouts and shaped the customer conversations that followed across both days. Breakout Sessions Overview DWC 2026 ran three parallel tracks across two days, anchored on the official conference themes: Productivity Sessions in this track focused on getting more ROI from the Microsoft 365 tools customers already own — practical patterns to work smarter, not harder, and the unlocks people did not know they had. AI and Copilot This was the dominant theme — sessions ran the full lifecycle from governance and security through implementation to adoption, with a strong focus on moving teams from novice to nimble with Copilot prompts, agents, and Copilot Studio. Customer Journeys Real-world case studies from organisations who have shipped — the trials, the tribulations, and the lessons. Customer Journeys remains the track attendees consistently rate as the most valuable. Featured sessions and speakers Build Your Own M365 Copilot Reporting Dashboard — Loryan Strant (Avanade, Microsoft MVP) Adoption & Change Management for AI: The People Side — Troy Waller (ASI Solutions) From SharePoint Foundations to AI Agents: The Blackmores Journey — Sujith Sukumaran and Liza Tinker (Blackmores) Data Security Considerations for M365 Copilot and Agents — Andrew O'Young (Microsoft MVP) Not Just Slop: How AI Agents Run Our Managed Services Helpdesk — Mark Rhodes (Rapid Circle) Novice to Nimble: Mastering Microsoft 365 Copilot Prompts — Kirsty McGrath (OnPoint Solutions) (Microsoft MVP) Side by Side with Copilot Cowork: Reimagining Collaboration with AI — Lisa Crosbie (Akkodis, Microsoft MVP) The Copilot Mirror: Why AI Isn't the Problem, Your Governance is — Alpesh Nakar (EDUC4TE) and James Milne (FrontRow Technologies) Making AI, SharePoint and Intranets work well together — Natalie Ryan (Step Two) Keepin' it real: Lessons from the trenches — Debbie Ireland (DWR) (Microsoft RD) and Shannon Donovan (DWR) Gone but not forgotten: Lifecycle and retention — Jenn Jones (Datacom) Reaching Every Employee: Strategic Decisions Behind High Impact Employee Platforms— Benoit Rabreaud (LumApps ANZ) and Carolyn Coon Unshackled: Forge Your AI Personalised AI-Powered Digital Workplace — Emily Hughes (Circle T) The PowerPoint hacks every M365 user should know — Sharon Connolly (Microsoft MVP) Deliver more, govern better: Practical M365 governance — Peter Varitimidis, Connor Martin (Orchestry), and Louie Newlove (Rapid Circle) From Copilot Pilots to Business Impact: Turning AI Hype into Measurable Workplace Value — Daniel Brown (Archon Gnosis) (Microsoft MVP) You Have No Idea What Copilot Can Do Now — Daniel Anderson (Microsoft MVP) The Future of Intranets: AI Meets SharePoint — Steve Knutson, Stratos Technology Partners (Microsoft RD & MVP) Who Am I Now? Evolving Roles in the Modern Digital Workplace — Megan Strant, Kirsty McGrath, Bec Gallen, Jacob Laurence and Mathew Gilbertson Microsoft on the agenda Beyond the opening keynote, our Microsoft team carried sessions across both days. The Microsoft-led sessions at DWC 2026: From AI Hype to Everyday Impact (Opening Keynote panel) — Heather Cook, with Debbie Ireland (DWR) and Brett Gilbertson (ASI Solutions) — Thursday 28 May, Grand Ballroom Cultivating Trust and Leadership Excellence: Strategies for Respect and Empathy in the Workplace — Heather Cook — Friday 29 May, 9:00 AM, Sydney Room Why do my services keep breaking? — Elaine van Bergen, Principal Site Reliability Engineer, Azure Reliability — Friday 29 May, 9:00 AM, Brisbane Room Agent 365 — the why, what and how? — Jian Sun, Principal Program Manager — Friday 29 May, 12:45 PM, Brisbane Room Microsoft MVPs and Regional Directors Microsoft MVPs and Regional Directors were a huge part of the DWC programme this year — across SharePoint, Microsoft 365 Apps, Business Applications, AI Platform, and Copilot. The MVPs and RD on stage and in the community spaces at DWC 2026: Andrew O'Young Daniel Anderson Daniel Brown Debbie Ireland Kirsty McGrath Lisa Crosbie Liza Tinker Loryan Strant Matthew Gilbertson Brett Gilbertson Megan Strant Sharon Connolly Steve Knutson Their contributions, alongside customers, partner consultants, and DWR community leaders, reinforced exactly what makes DWC valuable — the community in this room shines, and they came ready to share what works and their experiences. Community Highlights DWC has always been a community-first event, and 2026 was no different. A few moments that stood out: The opening keynote panel — a packed Grand Ballroom and a lively Q&A that ran right up to the morning tea bell Thursday Networking Drinks in the Exhibition Area — two hours of unstructured time where the best conversations of the conference happened Customer-led case study sessions that drew standing-room-only crowds Recognition for Debbie Ireland and the DWR team for 35+ events across Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia since 2009 Exhibition Area and the Microsoft booth The Exhibition Area was the centre of gravity for both days — morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, and Thursday's networking drinks all happened in the same space, which meant the Microsoft booth had a steady stream of attendees and a constant flow of conversations across both days. Microsoft on-site: Ana Maria Suarez — Cloud Solution Architect Ashish Trivedi – Sr Program Manager, FastTrack Eddie Chua — Sr Program Manager Elaine van Bergen — Principal Site Reliability Engineer, Azure Reliability Garrett White — Biz Apps STU Heather Cook — Principal PM, M365 Customer Advocacy Group Jian Sun — Principal Program Manager, Microsoft Corporation Paul Mineo – Sr Solution Engineer Conversations at the Microsoft booth ran throughout the two days alongside sponsor and partner check-ins — see the attendee insights and themes sections below for what came out of those conversations. Who Was in the Room — Attendee Insights DWR shared post-event demographics from their attendee survey (approximately 64 responses). The room was a genuine cross-section of the Australian and New Zealand digital workplace community: Geography: Attendees came from across Australian states and territories — Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, and beyond — plus international guests from New Zealand and further afield Roles: Business Analysts, Change Managers, Developers, Information Architects, IT Management, Knowledge Managers, and Site Administrators and Power Users Industries: Banking and Finance, Government, Education, Health, Professional Services, Technology, Energy, NFP, Defence, Manufacturing, Retail, Transport, and more What attendees told us — four themes from DWR's post-event feedback The pace of AI is real — but no one has it fully figured out. People spoke openly about how hard it is to stay on top of how fast things are moving. There was genuine relief in hearing that even experts are working through it in real time. Foundations matter more than ever. One of the strongest signals: AI isn't the starting point. Good data, clear ownership, and solid governance still underpin everything — without that, even the most advanced tools struggle to deliver value. The biggest challenge is helping people change how they work. Even in a conference heavily focused on AI, the strongest recurring message wasn't about tools — it was about people. Supporting teams through change is still the hardest and most important part. Learning happens faster when we do it together. Again and again, attendees called out the value of being in the room — the informal conversations between sessions, shared experiences, and honest exchanges that are impossible to replicate online. Customer Conversations at the Microsoft Booth Customer conversations at the Microsoft booth throughout DWC 2026 were highly productive. These weren't formal meetings — they were the organic, drop-by conversations that happen when you're in the room — and they clustered around adoption, governance, and what's next for AI in the Australian enterprise. Top themes surfaced Microsoft 365 Copilot — adoption, ROI measurement, governance, agent extensibility, and moving teams from "I tried it once" to embedded daily use Copilot Studio and Agents — where to start, who should build, how to govern citizen-built agents, and how to keep them healthy in production SharePoint as the knowledge platform — search accuracy, information architecture, archive and retention, and getting the foundations right so Copilot actually returns useful answers Data security and Purview for AI — label rollout, sensitivity handling, and what "governance done right" looks like before scaling Copilot organisation-wide Adoption and change management — the people side keeps being named as the gap that determines whether AI investment pays off Intranet modernisation and employee experience — practical stories from customers building production-grade intranets quickly, with AI features layered on top Australian customers consistently asked for sharper guidance on moving Copilot beyond basic tasks toward creative, workflow-specific use cases — and reinforced that internal champions, structured adoption stages, and embedded security and compliance are critical to success. Public sector and federal government attendees raised human-centred digital practice and Australian-specific compliance considerations as recurring themes. Thank You A huge thank you to every attendee, speaker, sponsor, and volunteer who helped bring DWC 2026 to life. Your passion, curiosity, and commitment made this year's event genuinely exceptional. DW Results and Debbie Ireland Special thanks to event founder and producer Debbie Ireland and the entire team at Digital Workplace Results. DWR has delivered 35+ events across Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia since 2009 — and the welcoming home you create for this industry each year is a big part of why Microsoft is proud to sponsor and show up the way we do. Microsoft MVPs, customers, and community speakers Thank you to the MVPs, Regional Director, customers, partners, and community speakers who carried the bulk of this year's programme. The full DWC 2026 speaker roster: Alpesh Nakar, Andrew O'Young, Andrew Pope, Annabel Hay, Benoit Rabreaud, Brett Gilbertson, Cairo Walker, Carolyn Coon, Connor Martin, Daniel Anderson, Daniel Brown, David Mitchell, Debbie Ireland, Elaine van Bergen, Emily Hughes, James Milne, Jan Krist, Jemma Hirst, Jenn Jones, Kirsty McGrath, Jian Sun, Lisa Crosbie, Liza Tinker, Loryan Strant, Louie Newlove, Mark Rhodes, Mathew Gilbertson, Megan Strant, Mel Finnigan, Mia Tait, Natalie Ryan, Peter Varitimidis, Shannon Donovan, Sharon Connolly, Shelley Van Hoos, Steve Knutson, Sujith Sukumaran, Sutter Schumacher, and Troy Waller. The community in this region keeps showing up with sharp, practical content — thank you for the time, the prep, and the generosity of sharing what you've learned. Sponsors Microsoft is proud to be part of the DWC 2026 sponsor community. Thank you to: Platinum: ASI Solutions Gold: Rapid Circle, Orchestry, Ideagen Silver: Athentra, LumApps, EDUC4TE, Audio Visual Distributors / Barco ClickShare, Microsoft, Datacom, Circle T, DW Results Bronze: Step Two, Technomancy Whether it was your first DWC or you've been with us since the early years, your presence helped create an inspiring and unforgettable experience. What's Next? The journey continues. Watch the dwcau.com.au and DWR channels for the 2027 dates and venue announcement — and in the meantime, keep the momentum going on the customer follow-ups and adoption commitments that came out of this week's conversations. Until then, let's keep the energy alive. Continue exploring, innovating, and collaborating with this community. The Australian M365 ecosystem is one of the strongest and most generous in the world, and DWC 2026 was a reminder of exactly why. #DWCAU | One Change. Big ImpactEvent Guide - Digital Workplace Conference 2026 - Melbourne, Australia
Join us in Melbourne for the Digital Workplace Conference 2026 — Australia's premier in-person event for Microsoft 365 professionals, business leaders, power users, and technical roles. Across two packed days at the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, you'll connect with industry leaders, customers, and peers shaping the future of digital work, with deep dives into Microsoft 365, AI, Copilot, SharePoint, governance, and real-world adoption. Huge shoutout to event founder and producer Debbie Irelandand the team at Digital Workplace Results (DWR). DWR has delivered 35+ events across Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia since 2009 — thank you for the partnership, your passion for community, and the welcoming home you create for this industry every year. Microsoft is proud to sponsor this event and join the incredible community of sponsors supporting it. We're grateful for everyone in this community who brings their energy and expertise to make DWC a must-attend highlight on the Australian tech calendar. DWC 2026 at a glance What Digital Workplace Conference 2026 — Australia's premier Microsoft 365 conference Where Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, Melbourne, Australia When Thursday 28 and Friday 29 May 2026 Theme One Change. Big Impact Format In-person, 2-day conference with 3 parallel tracks and an exhibition area Speakers 30+ speakers from 5 countries — Microsoft, MVPs, customers, and partners Audience M365 power users, business leaders, IT pros, adoption and change managers Theme: One Change. Big Impact — the idea that the right single change, well chosen and well executed, can transform how an organisation works. Register: https://www.dwcau.com.au/ Follow along: #DWCAU | Digital Workplace Conference Be part of what's next Get ready for what's next and learn what you can put into action today. With Microsoft program managers, Microsoft MVPs, customers, and partners all in one place for two days, you'll choose from sessions and case studies led by the experts who build and implement these tools every day. DWC is sized so that you can actually meet the speakers, ask hard questions, and leave with practical answers. By the numbers: 30+ speakers 247+ combined years of digital workplace experience 5 countries represented • 3 parallel tracks • 2 days • 1 community Three themes shaping the agenda Productivity Using the tools you already have to deliver more ROI. Discover what you didn't know was possible, and learn to work smarter, not harder. AI and Copilot Everything from governance to implementation to adoption. Move from novice to expert and understand the tools, the agents, and the reasons why. Customer Journeys We learn best by hearing how others did it — the trials, the tribulations, and the lessons you can take back to your own projects. Keynote: From AI Hype to Everyday Impact Conference Opening and Welcome: Debbie Ireland reveals how AI is quietly reshaping our behaviour, our workplaces, and even our children. From rising dependency to hidden cognitive shifts, this talk challenges audiences to rethink what it means to stay human in an AI‑saturated world. Heather Cook shares a Humans‑First approach to adopting and using AI, building habits that drive confidence, productivity, and meaningful impact at work. Learn how individuals and teams can turn Microsoft 365 Copilot into a practical, trusted part of their daily workflow. Brett Gilbertson presents a critical look at how AI is reshaping education—and where it falls short. This is a call to prioritize digital skills training focused on human relationships and future needs. For a list of all sessions and the agenda: Agenda Building connections Building connections at DWC is the heart of the experience. Whether you're swapping notes in the Exhibition Area, comparing prompt strategies between sessions, or sharing a drink at the Thursday networking event, every interaction is a chance to learn from peers, exchange ideas, and expand your network. From first-time attendees to seasoned MVPs, DWC is a welcoming environment where meaningful relationships and lasting collaborations begin. #CommunityEvents #CommunityLuv #DWCAU #MelbourneEvent Recap - Midwestern Community Events and AI Tour Chicago
This September, I had the opportunity to connect with three incredible Microsoft communities across the Midwest. From leadership development in Minnesota to AI-powered innovation in Chicago, each stop offered a unique perspective on how our customers and community leaders are embracing Microsoft 365, Power Platform, and Copilot. Here's a recap of the journey: Stop 1: M365 Twin Cities – Brooklyn Park, MN (Sept 19) The trip began at M365 Twin Cities, a free, community-led event hosted at Hennepin Technical College. This event continues a legacy that began with SharePoint Saturday Twin Cities, running twice a year for over a decade. It’s one of the longest-running Microsoft community events in the U.S., thanks to the dedication of organizers like Wes Preston, Sarah Haase, and Tamara Bredemus, along with a strong network of Microsoft MVPs and volunteers. Highlights: ~400 attendees from across the region, over 700 registered 29 sessions across 8 tracks, led by 32 speakers Strong community energy, with support from 7 sponsors and giveaways (including LEGO sets!) The welcoming speaker dinner—featuring a standout Midwest walleye dish—was a highlight, setting the tone for a day full of energy, learning, and community building A warm, welcoming atmosphere fueled by donuts, pizza, and shared purpose I presented a session titled “Cultivating Trust and Leadership Excellence: Strategies for Respect and Empathy in the Workplace.” The session sparked meaningful conversations about emotional intelligence as a leadership cornerstone. We explored how respect, empathy, and kindness help build trust within teams, and I shared practical strategies for: Deepening domain knowledge Empowering autonomy Encouraging authentic communication Modeling compassionate leadership Gold Standard for Community Engagement by Donald Donais It was fantastic to connect with Donald Donais, Director - Cloud Solution Architect in Minneapolis, who has been a true champion of the Twin Cities tech community for well over a decade. As an FTE sponsor and advocate, Don has consistently given his time, energy, and expertise to support local user groups and community events—something every region wishes they had from the Microsoft Field. His dedication has helped make the Twin Cities a vibrant hub for learning and collaboration. Huge thanks to Don for setting the gold standard for community engagement! Check out this video on what it means to be a community supporter working in the Microsoft field. https://aka.ms/CommunityDaysTwinCitiesDonaldDonais AND - I couldn’t be more impressed and proud of Harsha Sridharan and Yi Liu for their outstanding session at Community Days M365 Twin Cities! Their talk, “Engineering People Skills: Building for Humans in the Flow of Work,” was a terrific blend of technical depth with human-centered design. They shared how Microsoft 365 is evolving to help individuals and teams surface, manage, and grow their skills—right where work happens. From showcasing how skills appear across tools like Outlook, People Companion, Viva, and Copilot, to explaining how AI can infer and highlight strengths without extra effort, they gave us a behind-the-scenes look at building People Skills in M365. Harsha and Yi didn’t just deliver a session—they sparked confidence and curiosity about the future of skills in the flow of work. Brava! 👏 Stop 2: Chicago Power Platform User Group – Sept 24 (Microsoft Chicago, Aon Center) At the CMPPUG meetup, I delivered “The Next Phase: Research, Creation & Smarter Decisions in the Age of Copilot.” Demonstrated how I used Microsoft Copilot, Researcher, and Create to build the very presentation I was delivering. Introduced three AI-centric leadership frameworks: 10% Rule for continuous improvement 10× Thinking for breakthrough innovation 10-10-10 Rule for responsible decision-making Engaged in a lively Q&A moderated by Craig Jahnke, lead for the Chicago Innovation Hub, and Microsoft MVP Ralph Rivas. and a thank you to Bryan Wofford who went to McCormick to do our tech check for our AI Tour while I was at AON Center. Highlights: 69 attendees in a hybrid format Strong interest in Copilot, AI strategy, and responsible adoption A huge thank you to Craig and Ralph for their leadership and continued commitment to growing the Microsoft 365 and Power Platform community in Chicago Met with David Horstein, the new Director, of the Chicago Innovation Hub in the Aon Center Microsoft Office to talk about Community Days events, user groups and promoting more stories via our MCAG Community News Desk. Stop 3: Microsoft AI Tour – Chicago (Sept 25) At Microsoft AI Tour Chicago, Bryan Wofford and I delivered our workshop twice at McCormick Place, both focused on empowering organizations and community leaders to embrace Microsoft AI. Copilot Ready: Strategy, Data, and Security - Session Code: WRK523-US Co-delivered with Bryan Wofford, who created the deck and demo and the lab. This hands-on workshop focused on preparing organizations for Copilot deployment. We had close to 200 people total for the sessions. We covered: Data readiness and tenant hygiene Agent security and governance Scaling with built-in Microsoft tools Participants brought their own laptops and actively engaged in real-time exercises to assess and improve their Copilot readiness. I also shared a lightning talk - Empowering Community Builders: Join MGCI & CommunityDays Session Code: LTG171-US This lightning talk introduced the Microsoft Global Community Initiative (MGCI) and CommunityDays.org, showcasing how these platforms are transforming grassroots tech engagement. We explored: How to list and find events Opportunities for new and experienced speakers Free training and regional leadership connections Highlights: Strong interest and engagement in both sessions Keynotes from Judson Althoff, Karen del Vescovo, Bryan Goode, and Jenny Lay-Flurrie A packed day of learning, strategy, and connection with customers, partners, and Microsoft engineers Was thrilled to see colleague, Anne Krupke, Sr. Product Marketing Manager was on stage to demo with Judson Althoff. Friday afternoon I went to TedxChicago themed “The Future is Human” to see Nisaini Rexach, Lead, Community Engagement @ Microsoft | Copilot Champ give an amazing session on community building along with 8 other wonderful local speakers. Thank you Craig Jahnke for the intro! Final Reflections This trip was a powerful reminder of the strength and momentum within our Microsoft community. From grassroots leadership development in Minnesota to AI transformation in Chicago, I saw firsthand how our tools—and our people—are helping organizations lead with empathy, innovate with confidence, and build for the future. Our CommunityDays events are always looking for speakers and they are a great way to hone your speaking skills, get feedback directly from customers, partners and our Microsoft MVPs. And connect into The Best Community in Tech. Find events to submit for calls for content and speakers at: Community Days | Homepage #CommunityLuv
