Announcing the Microsoft 365 Community Conference 2026
Your front row seat to the future of intelligent work The Microsoft 365 Community Conference is back April 21–23, 2026, at Loews Sapphire Falls and Loews Royal Pacific Resort in Orlando, Florida. This year’s theme — a beacon for builders, innovators, and icons of intelligent work — reflects the momentum across Microsoft 365 and Copilot as we enter a new era of AI‑powered productivity. Across three days, attendees will gain access to 200+ sessions, 21 workshops, and 200+ Microsoft experts and engineers, making this one of the largest and most comprehensive Microsoft 365 learning events in the world. Whether you're deploying Copilot, modernizing your intranet, securing your environment, elevating communications, or building next-generation apps and automations, there’s content tailored for every role and organization. Learn From the Product Leaders Expect big announcements, deep dives, and roadmap insights from leaders including Jeff Teper, Vasu Jakkal, Charles Lamanna, Rohan Kumar, and Jaime Teevan along with additional guests. Their keynotes will explore the future of collaboration, AI, security, and the Microsoft 365 platform — and how organizations can turn innovation into impact. Hands-On Experiences Attendees can get up close with the latest product capabilities inside the Innovation Hub — our Microsoft booth experience featuring live demos, Copilot workshops, and a full lineup of Lightning Talks throughout the week. The show floor also hosts community spotlights, podcasts, interviews, and creator activations. We’re also celebrating a major milestone: SharePoint’s 25th anniversary, including a special celebration and premiere moment that brings the community together to honor 25 years of innovation. Community at the Center Onsite programming includes the Women in Tech & Allies Luncheon, MVP meetups, NDA roundtables, community led meet & greets, and one on one opportunities to connect with Microsoft product teams. Plus, don’t miss the attendee party at Universal Islands of Adventure — always a highlight of the conference experience! Deep-Dive Workshops Those looking for hands-on, immersive learning can join pre and post-day workshops on April 19, 20 & 24, covering everything from Copilot rollout to Teams Rooms, SharePoint, Viva, security, governance, development, and more. The workshop program is designed to help organizations accelerate adoption and build real world capability fast. Join Us in Orlando Registration is officially live. Save your seat and be part of the worldwide Microsoft 365 community as we explore what’s new, what’s possible, and what’s next. 👉 Register now: https://aka.ms/M365Con26 💸Customer discount available: $150 off with code SAVE150 📅 April 21–23, 2026 📍 Orlando, FloridaESPC25 – Dublin | Microsoft event guide
ESPC25 | Come curious. Leave inspired. European SharePoint Conference 2025 | Dublin, Ireland | December 1–4, 2025 | SharePointEurope.com. Your guide to ESPC25 Dublin, Ireland, is one of the most dynamic and innovative tech cities in Europe, making it the perfect place for in-person, in-depth learning at the European SharePoint Conference—now simply branded as ESPC25—December 1–4, 2025. As the celebrated Irish writer Edna O’Brien once said, “Hospitality is the cornerstone of the Irish heart.” This spirit of warmth and welcome is sure to be felt throughout your stay in Dublin during ESPC25. You will have the opportunity to learn from experts, network with peers, and discover new technologies that can help you achieve your goals. The event and city have something for everyone: inspiring keynotes, in-depth sessions and workshops, community, art and culture, and many festive moments. Explore powerful new AI capabilities for every role and function: Diving into Microsoft 365, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Power Platform, and more, you’ll discover how Microsoft is transforming the way we work today—and get a firsthand look at the future of work itself. You’ll find content delivered by the world’s best Microsoft 365 and Copilot Studio experts, including many Microsoft leaders and employees from the product teams. In this pre-event guide, we list all the Microsoft-led sessions below so you can prepare for what awaits you alongside community and MVP expert sessions. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to learn, share, and engage: Evening gatherings, the attendee party, and our Innovation Hub with Microsoft product demo stations, a Promptathon, Vibe Coding, a place to network with your peers, a dedicated community space, the Inspire Stage, and 1:1 meeting spaces are all within the Expo Hall alongside all the wonderful event sponsors. The 101 on ESPC25 What: ESPC25 Where: The Convention Centre Dublin, Spencer Dock, North Wall Quay, Dublin 1 D01 T1W6, Ireland When: December 1-4, 2025 (keynotes, sessions, tutorials, workshops, and more) Presenters: 120+ sessions (35+ Microsoft-led), 115+ speakers (MVPs, RDs, Microsoft and community members); check out Microsoft-led keynotes, tutorials, and sessions Cost: From €695 + VAT (one day) to €1645 + VAT (four day) Enjoy an additional €200 discount with our exclusive community discount code: ESPC25COMM Primary social: Join in and follow @ESPC_Community (Twitter) and ESPC (LinkedIn); use hashtag #ESPC25 About ESPC ESPC25 offers you affordable, world-class learning and networking at your fingertips. Join in 120+ sessions covering: Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, AI and agents, SharePoint, Microsoft Viva, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365 adoption, governance, admin, intranets, and more. Over the years, ESPC has visited some of the most incredible cities: from the charming streets of Copenhagen and the historic beauty of Berlin to the vibrant culture of Prague, and the dynamic atmosphere of Amsterdam. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, ESPC kept the excitement alive with engaging online events! The European SharePoint Conference (ESPC), now known simply as ESPC, is one of the largest and most prominent events in Europe dedicated to Microsoft technologies, particularly Microsoft 365 and Azure. It began in 2011 in Berlin, Germany, as a platform for discussing SharePoint and related Microsoft technologies. Over the years, ESPC expanded its scope to include other tools in the Microsoft ecosystem, reflecting the industry's trend toward digital transformation and cloud adoption. ESPC has grown to become the largest independent European event for Microsoft technology users, serving as a crucial knowledge hub and networking space. It continues to play a vital role in educating the tech community on best practices for using SharePoint, Microsoft 365, and Azure to enhance productivity, collaboration, and security in the modern workplace. Review past ESPC events: 2025: Dublin, Ireland 2024: Stockholm, Sweden 2023: Amsterdam, Netherlands 2022: Copenhagen, Denmark 2021: Online (due to COVID-19) 2020: Online (due to COVID-19) 2019: Prague, Czech Republic 2018: Copenhagen, Denmark 2017: Dublin, Ireland 2016: Vienna, Austria 2015: Stockholm, Sweden Review all Microsoft keynotes and sessions below: Start building your schedule today! Microsoft keynotes (All times represented in local Dublin time) Opening keynote: The New Frontier of Work: Copilot, AI, and the Future of Microsoft 365 Jeff Teper, President of Collaborative Apps and Platforms , Microsoft with Miceile Barrett, Zach Rosenfield, Alex Weingard, and Michel Bouman Tuesday, Dec. 2, 9:00–10:00 AM Day one PM keynote: From One to Many: The future of AI is Collaborative Jaime Teevan, Chief Scientist and Technical Fellow, Microsoft Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2:00–3:00 PM Day three keynote: Beyond the Prompt: Building an AI-Resilient Career with Power Skills Heather Cook, Principal Customer Experience PM, Microsoft Karuana Gatimu, Director, Customer Advocacy, Microsoft 365, AI and Agents Thursday, Dec. 4, 9:00–10:00 AM Community keynotes Will AI Become Intelligent? Rafal Lukawiecki, Data Scientist at Tecflix, Ireland Wednesday, Dec. 3, 9:00–10:00 AM Hacker’s Perspective on New Risks: Revising the Cybersecurity Priorities for 2025 Paula Januszkiewicz, Founder and CEO, CQURE Inc. and CQURE Academy Tuesday, Dec. 2, 4:45–5:45 PM Microsoft sessions (All times represented in local Dublin time) Breakout sessions: (60 min, in-person) Latest Innovations in Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat Speaker: Connie Welsh, Bryan Wofford Tuesday, December 2, 2025, 10:15 AM | Session Code T8 What’s new in Copilot Studio Speaker: Antonio Rodriques Tuesday, December 2, 10:15 AM | Session Code T9 SharePoint as the Intelligence Backbone of Copilot Speaker: Zach Rosenfield Tuesday, December 2, 11:45 AM | Session Code T18 IT Excellence in the AI era: Managing Copilot and Agents for Impact and Control Speaker: Ben Summers Tuesday, December 2, 3:15 PM | Session Code T26 AI in Action: Microsoft's Approach to Internal Communications Speakers: Adam Barzel, Anna Pope, Darina Sexton Tuesday, December 2, 3:15 PM | Session Code T27 Woman in Tech & Allies Panel Speaker: Heather Cook, Danielle Moon and Karuana Gatimu Tuesday, December 2, 3:15 PM | Session Code T28 Microsoft Teams: What's New and What's Next Speaker: Alex Weingart Wednesday, December 3, 10:15 AM | Session Code W8 MCP (Model Context Protocol) in action in Microsoft 365 Copilot Speaker: Paolo Pialorsi Wednesday, December 3, 10:15 AM | Session Code W9 Microsoft Teams as Your AI-Driven Work Hub Speaker: Kartik Datwani Wednesday, December 3, 10:15 AM | Session Code W18 Building Intelligent Content Apps for the Copilot Era Speakers: Steve Pucelik, Shreyas Saravanan Wednesday, December 3, 2:00 PM | Session Code W27 OneDrive Updates: Smarter Storage, Seamless Sharing Speakers: Miceile Barrett, Lincoln DeMaris, and Jason Moore Wednesday, December 3, 2:00 PM | Session Code W28 AI Intranet: Creating and Managing High Quality Content on the Intranet of Tomorrow Speaker: Katelyn Helms Wednesday, December 3, 2:00 PM | Session Code W30 AI-Enhanced Planning: Innovations in Planner & Project Manager Agents Speaker: Howard Crow Wednesday, December 3, 3:15 PM | Session Code W38 AI Risk Management: From Oversharing to Strategic Oversight Speakers: Gabriel Tiberiu Damaschin, Nishan DeSilva Wednesday, December 3, 4:45 PM | Session Code W45 Streamlining Core Operations with AI Automation Speaker: Antonio Rodriques Wednesday, December 3, 4:45 PM | Session Code W44 Understanding Copilot Extensibility: a practical guide Speakers: Vesa Juvonen and Paolo Pialorsi Thursday, December 4 ,10:15 AM | Session Code TH8 Agents Among Us – Governance for the Agentic Era Speaker: Sesha Mani Thursday, December 4 ,10:15 AM | Session Code TH 9 Creating AI Agents for People and Platforms Speaker: Nandakishor Basavanthappa Thursday, December 4, 11:45 AM | Session Code TH14 Windows AI: Powering Progress Across the Globe Speaker: Vikas Malekar Thursday, December 4 ,11:45 AM | Session Code TH15 Accelerating Copilot Adoption Across Your Organization Speakers: Karuana Gatimu, Bryan Wofford Thursday, December 4, 11:45 AM | Session Code TH16 True Stories of Copilot in Action Speakers: Connie Welsh, Danielle Moon Thursday, December 4, 2:00 PM | Session Code TH 28 Fireside Insights: Driving Value and Business Growth with AI Speaker: TBA Thursday December 4 15:15 | Session Code TH37 Lightning talks (20 minutes, in person) - Innovation Hub Supercharge Your Projects with Microsoft 365 Community Tools Speaker: Vesa Juvonen Tuesday, December 2, 10:15 AM Building Copilot with community-led engagement Speaker: Anna Pope Tuesday, December 2, 10:40 AM Managing your brand for career management Speaker: Karuana Gatimu (MCAG) Tuesday, December 2, 11:45 AM Empowering Community Builders: MGCI & Communitydays.org Speaker: Heather Cook Tuesday, December 2, 12:05 PM Your Day, Your Way: Personalized AI with OneDrive Speaker: Miceile Barrett Tuesday, December 2, 12:30 PM Security First Powering AI Transformation Speaker: Sesha Mani Tuesday, December 2, 4:45 PM Unlocking SharePoint Advanced Management for Copilot Success Speaker: Michael Holste Tuesday, December 2, 5:10 PM Fast-Tracking Value with the Copilot Success Kit & Scenario Library Speaker: Bryan Wofford Wednesday, December 3, 10:15 AM How to find learning Opportunities Everywhere Speaker: Adam Harmetz Wednesday, December 3, 10:40 AM Copilot readiness & resiliency with Microsoft 365 Backup & Archive Speaker: Kaustubh Chaudhary, Michael Holste Wednesday, December 3, 12:05 PM Unlock SharePoint Embedded integration with Power Platform Connectors Speaker: Steve Pucelik Thursday, December 4, 10:15 AM Microsoft Teams: Day-to-Day AI Speaker: Alex Weingart Thursday, December 4, 10:40 AM Driving Business Value with Copilot Analytics and ROI Measurement Speaker: Manas Kumar Biswas Thursday, December 4,11:45 AM Understanding Copilot APIs Speaker: Paolo Pialori Thursday, December 4, 12:05 PM Migration in Motion: Simplify, Secure, and Scale with Microsoft 365 Speaker: Manas Vishal Lodha Thursday, December 4, 12:30 PM Inspire Track (60 minutes, in person) - Inspire Stage Good Thing We Like Our Copilots CANCELLED: How Your Job Will Evolve in 2026 into AGENTBOSS! Speaker: Dona Sarkar Tuesday, December 2, 10:15 AM | Session Code: Inspire 2 How To Thrive in Your Tech Career: Managing Burnout and Boredom Speaker: Adam Harmetz Wednesday, December 3, 11:45 AM | Session Code: Inspire 6 Managing your brand for career management Speaker: Karuana Gatimu Thursday, December 4, 11:45 AM | Session Code: Inspire 10 Cultivating Trust and Leadership Excellence through Mentorship and Leadership Speaker: Heather Cook Thursday, December 4, 2:00 PM | Session Code: Inspire 11 Innovation Hub and Lightning Talk Theater The Microsoft Innovation Hub at ESPC is a vibrant, multi-zone environment crafted to ignite new ideas, showcase cutting-edge prototypes, and shape the future of Microsoft 365 and Microsoft 365 Copilot. Here, creativity and technology intersect, providing a dedicated space for developers, architects, consultants, and strategists to explore the forefront of innovation. The Innovation Hub is designed to foster collaboration, highlight emerging technologies, and collect real-time insights from the wider Microsoft 365 community. You can meet with Microsoft Product Team members and Microsoft MVPs! You’ll find the Microsoft Innovation Hub in the ESPC Expo Tuesday through Thursday. Each day on the Innovation Stage in Zone 1 you will find Lightning Talks for live demonstrations and peer learning in a compact format. And don't miss the SharePoint 25th Birthday Celebration and the Innovation Awards, Tuesday evening at 5:45 PM. Within Zone 2, you will find Future Tech Demos daily during breaks and lunches. The Microsoft team and MVPs will be on hand to walk you through dynamic demos: Agents/Copilot Studio, Developer, Microsoft 365 Copilot and SharePoint and One Drive. Get connected in the Zone 3 Feedback Loop Lounge and leave your thoughts on our survey for a chance to win daily prizes. And finally, meet in the Zone 4 Ideation Lounge each afternoon for guided workshops including a Promptathon and Vibe Coding activities in an environment specifically designed to encourage creativity and collaborative thinking. This event guide will continue to update as we finalize more of our activations. Stay tuned! Shout out to event leads and community members Sarah McNamara, Kevin Monahan, Ella Murphy, Bridgette Robertson, John, and Sarah G, and the #ESPC25 team for putting together ESPC25, corralling all speakers and content, and for supporting and promoting the knowledge and expertise to promote the world-class Microsoft 365 tech community around the world. Cheers, Heather Last, a glimpse of the ESPC event experience:Introducing the Viva Engage Track at the 2026 Microsoft 365 Conference
Internal communications has never been more complex — or more essential. Whether you’re trying to cut through the noise, connect leaders with employees, or bring clarity to AI-driven change, the role of the modern communicator is evolving fast. At this year’s M365 Community Conference, we’re excited to bring you the Viva Engage Track — a focused learning path designed to help communicators, HR leaders, IT partners, and community champions build connected, informed, and high‑performing workplaces. You’ll get access to Microsoft’s own communications experts, Viva Engage product leaders, and practitioners who run global‑scale comms — all ready to share the patterns, storylines, frameworks, and real‑world playbooks that drive impact. You’ll learn how to inform, inspire, and activate employees in ways that actually work at scale. The sessions are stacked with can’t‑miss moments Across three days, this track walks you through the full modern comms lifecycle — strategy, storytelling, measurement, deployment, AI readiness, and community activation. Whether you’re focused on executive comms, knowledge sharing, community management, or engagement strategy, this is built for you. Today’s communicators are expected to: Navigate more channels than ever Reduce noise while increasing clarity Build trust in an era shaped by AI Move leaders closer to employees Create belonging in hybrid, dispersed organizations Support rapid change and transformation Here’s a closer look at what you’ll learn in the Viva Engage & Communications track: Modern Communications & Strategy How Microsoft Manages Global Employee and Executive Communications Learn from John Cirone, Sr. Director of Communications, how Microsoft orchestrates communications for 200,000+ employees, drives leadership connection, and uses Engage, SharePoint, and Copilot to scale impact. Breaking Through in a World of Information Overload and AI Amy Morris, Director of Communications, will help you reimagine channels and delivery across Engage and SharePoint to reach the right people at the right time—without adding noise. Use data, insights, and employee listening to build your comms strategy How do you measure and define success, and leverage signals from employee engagement and listening to drive business transformation and performance? Join Microsoft communications and product leaders for a practical look at how to build an effective listening system with tools including Engage, Insights, Glint and Pulse. Learn how to empower leaders and change agents with a comprehensive, 360-degree view of employee sentiment. And explore how insights can inform strategies and tactics to achieve your business objectives. Events, Communities & Knowledge Sharing Company-Wide Events—Scaling Innovation with Engage Learn how organizations run high-impact town halls, all-hands, and campaigns using Events, Q&A, Storyline, and Copilot. Product Group experts Dan Holme and Tricia Lybrook will give you the end-to-end experience for creating events your employees will remember! AI-Powered Collaboration: Unlocking Your Employee Knowledge Base See how Engage, Copilot, and intelligent agents help surface expertise and solve problems faster, while keeping people in the loop. See demos and learn directly from product group leaders Allison Michels and Ramya Rajasekhar about making this reality in your own organizations. Governance, Deployment & AI Transformation From Governance to Growth: A Practical Playbook for Viva Engage Deployment Turn governance, readiness, and compliance into a launchpad for adoption and engagement. Hear directly from the Product Group Leaders, Venkat Ayyadevara and Spencer Perry. Community in the Age of AI - Humans at the center of Copilot Adoption Elevate your communications and campaigns through the power of community and peer-to-peer lead learning. Communicators can lead the AI transformation at your company. Learn how AI-powered agents support community managers, but humans drive rituals, events, and engagement. Hear product experts Allison Michels and Sarah Lundy as they take you behind the scenes and showcase some Microsoft employee favorites, like the Copilot Adoption Community, campaigns, Camp Copilot and more. The Communicator’s Guide to Viva Engage Learn how to maintain relevance and authenticity in the age of AI through personalization, targeting, and sequencing that respects how people work. Learn from Product Group expert Sarah Lundy, drawing on her experience at Microsoft Digital Comms, and Product Manager Najla Dadmand as they show how technology and communications can work together. Spotlight Session: Engage Everywhere - The Viva Engage Roadmap One of the most anticipated sessions of the entire track, Engage Everywhere: Communities, Events & Storylines in Teams (Roadmap), offers a first look at what’s coming next. Hear directly from our Product Leadership Team, Jason Mayans, VP of Product, Steve Nguyen, Customer Experience, and Murali Sitaram, CVP Viva Engage. You’ll explore: The deeper native integration of Viva Engage inside Microsoft Teams -making communities, events, campaigns, and storylines feel seamless across devices and workstyles. AI-enhanced capabilities that connect employees to knowledge, leaders, and each other more intuitively and efficiently. New ways organizations can unify communications and engagement across Teams, Engage, Email, and SharePoint. What’s next for Events, Storyline, and Communities as Microsoft continues to converge engagement experiences in one place. This session is designed to help you visualize the future employee communications and engagement ecosystem—and understand how to build toward it today. Key Takeaways: Whether you’re modernizing communications, rolling out Copilot, building communities, or shaping culture, you’ll walk away with: Practical templates, patterns, and playbooks Insights from Microsoft’s own communications experts Guidance for integrating AI responsibly and effectively Clear steps to elevate engagement across your organization The Viva Engage Track brings together the people driving community and connection every day, inside Microsoft and across customers to explore what’s working, what’s changing, and what’s possible. If you want to build stronger community, elevate employee connection, or shape the future of workplace storytelling, this track belongs on your agenda. Join us!Event Guide - Microsoft at TechCon Chicago 2026
Join us in Chicago for TechCon 365! A premier Microsoft 365 and Power Platform training event featuring expert-led keynotes and sessions across Copilot, AI, Teams, Power Platform, Azure, SharePoint, Purview, and more. Whether you’re new to the platform or a seasoned admin, developer, or power user, you’ll find practical learning tailored to your role and goals. Shoutout to incredible event producers, Sharon Toler and David Wilhelm. Thank you for the partnership, your passion for supporting technical skilling and the community. Microsoft is happy to be a sponsor of this fantastic event. Thank you to the additional sponsors who participate. We’re grateful for everyone in this community who brings their energy and expertise, making this conference a can’t-miss highlight on the tech calendar each year. 101 on TechCon 365 in Chicago What: Microsoft 365 & Power Platform Conference Where: Chicago, IL - McCormick Place South When: June 15 to 19, 2026 Presenters: 130+ sessions, 25 workshops, 2 optional days of workshops to deepen your learning throughout the week. Cost: Register by May 29, 2026, and SAVE $200 of a 5-Day Pass! Price: $850 to $2,995 (there’s something for every budget, check ticket options!) Register today! Registration Savings: Use code MSCMTY to take $200 USD off your registration X & LinkedIn: @TechCon365 | TechCon365 Be Part of What’s Next Get ready for what’s next and learn what you can put into action today. With Microsoft MVPs, MCMs, Microsoft Program Managers, Microsoft Engineers, MCTs, and Microsoft Regional Directors all in one place for the week. Choose from over 150 sessions led by the experts who built the tools and solutions you use every day. TechCon 365 is an event designed to fit your experience level and area of interest. Make It Memorable From inspiring community spaces to special events (yes, including exclusive swag), this is more than a conference, it’s a full experience. Take advantage of Chicago flair and dedicated Community Meetups throughout the week to connect, recharge, and share perspectives with peers who are as passionate as you are. Register today | Note: Use the MSCMTY discount code to save $200 USD off registration. Building Connections Building connections at TechCon 365 Chicago is at the heart of the experience, bringing together a dynamic community of professionals passionate about Microsoft 365 and the future of work. Whether you’re engaging in conversations on the Expo floor or connecting during sessions and meetups, every interaction is an opportunity to learn from peers, exchange ideas, and expand your network. From first-time attendees to seasoned experts, TechCon 365 creates a welcoming environment where meaningful relationships are formed, collaborations take shape, and the community grows stronger together . Key Microsoft Sessions and Activities Keynote: Stepping Up to the Plate: Winning Strategies to Empower Your Team A keynote panel with host Heather Cook and panelists, Bryan Wofford, Charles Lakes II, Liam Cleary, Julie Turner, Shannon Lindsay, Mark Kashman (Wednesday 8:30 AM to 9:40 AM Central Time) In this keynote, you will learn that AI isn’t a solo sport. It’s a team game. It takes communication, trust, shared signals, and a commitment to help the entire lineup succeed. So, whether you’re stepping up to the plate, coaching from the dugout, or helping call the game from the front office, remember: the real power comes when we play as one team. Women in Tech Panel Host: Heather Cook. Panelists: Nisaini Rexach, Carrie White and April Delsing (Wednesday, 1:40 PM CT) All individuals, regardless of gender, are invited to join us to celebrate, talk about our progress, and focus on how we can continue to make the Microsoft ecosystem the best in the world for welcoming, mentoring and supporting women. Additionally, we aim to promote allyship and foster inclusiveness within our industry. Microsoft Led Breakout Sessions (Times are in Central Time (CT)) Building Enterprise AI Agents: From Low‑Code Copilot Studio to GitHub Copilot Integration with Minhaj Sahibzada (Wednesday 11:30 AM to 12:40 PM) Backstage event production with Microsoft 365 Copilot with Heather Cook and Bryan Wofford (Wednesday 11:30 AM to 12:40 PM) Secure and Govern AI and Agents with Microsoft & Agent 365 with Craig Jahnke and Sophie Ke (Wednesday 11:30 AM to 12:40 PM) Driving productivity with Power BI and M365 with Lada Hill and Lauren Faber (Wednesday 1:40 PM to 2:50 PM) Engage Everywhere: Communities, Events, and Storylines in Teams, Powered by AI with Steve Nguyen (Wednesday 1:40pm - 2:50 pm) How to Get What You Want: The Art of Prompt Engineering for Copilot with Michelle Gilbert (Wednesday 1:40pm - 2:50 pm) Avoiding the “Go-Live Hangover”: Battle-Tested Best Practices for Contact Center Implementations with Vinoth Balasubramanian (Wednesday 3:30 PM to 4:40 PM) Setup M365 for Education: Copilot. Teams & More with Max Fritz (Wednesday 3:30 PM to 4:40 PM) Beyond Compliance: How Accessibility Improves Productivity in Microsoft 365 with Max Fritz (Thursday 9:00 AM to 10:10 AM) From Hocus Pocus to Focus: Contextualize Your Power BI Data with Stephanie Bruno and Shannon Lindsay (Thursday 9:00 AM to 10:10 AM) Introduction to Vibing with the M365 Tools Frontier Agents and Power Platform with Ralph Rivas and Craig Jahnke (Thursday 9:00 AM to 10:10 AM) Work Smarter with OneDrive: AI-Enhanced Productivity Across Microsoft 365 with Vishal Lodha (Thursday 9:00 AM to 10:10 AM) The Next Generation of Community Storytelling: Powered by AI with Jonathan Jones (Thursday 9:00 AM to 10:10 AM) AI Ready - An Evolutive Approach with Juan Carlos Chipi (Thursday 10:40 AM to 11:50 PM) Accessibility by Design: Building Inclusive Experiences with Microsoft 365 and Copilot with Darryl Rowe and Laurie Allen (Thursday 10:40 AM to 11:50 PM) Engage, Learn, Lead: Maximizing Impact with the Microsoft Tech Community with Josh Leporati (Thursday 12:50 PM to 2:00 PM) The Rise of AI Agents: Designing the Platforms That Power Enterprise AI with Marco Salas Robles and Kevin Leal (Thursday 12:50 PM to 2:00 PM) Voice Bots That Work: Designing AI Conversations Customers Don’t Hang Up On with Vinoth Balasubramanian (Thursday 2:10 PM to 3:20 PM) From Data Chaos to Copilot Confidence: Building a Secure Foundation with Purview & SAM with Bryan Wofford (Thursday 4:00 PM to 5:10 PM) Extending Copilot with Connectors: Powering Intelligent Agents with Your Data with AJ Goldie (Thursday 4:00 PM to 5:10 PM) Why Power BI Copilot Works (and When It Doesn’t) with Sanjay Raut and Dan English (Thursday 4:00 PM to 5:10 PM) Your Copilot Adoption Playbook: Getting Started with Microsoft Adoption Resources with Gina Hoffman and Bryan Wofford (MCAG) (Friday 9:00 AM to10:10 AM) What’s New in the Microsoft 365 Copilot App: Your AI Command Center for Work with Michael Goad (Friday 9:00 AM to 10:10 AM) AI in SharePoint in Action with Bryan Wofford (Friday 10:20 AM to 11:30 AM) Building Smarter Agents: What’s New in Agent Builder and What’s Coming Next with AJ Goldie (Friday 12:30 PM to 1:40 PM) There are over 100 sessions being given by our wonderful community of consultants, business owners, Microsoft MVPs, user group leaders and MGCI Board Members and Regional Directors. Session days and times are subject to change, please see the TechCon Chicago website for the full agenda. Community Activities TechCon 365 Chicago offers a dynamic lineup of activities designed to bring the community together and create memorable, hands-on experiences. The Expo Hall serves as the central hub of energy, where attendees can explore solutions, connect with partners, and discover the latest innovations across Microsoft 365. Interactive spaces like Ask the Experts provide direct access to Microsoft specialists and MVPs for real-time guidance and insights. Networking lunches create a relaxed setting to build meaningful connections. Together, these experiences make TechCon 365 a vibrant, connection-driven environment from start to finish. Microsoft Community Booth The Microsoft Community Booth at TechCon 365 Chicago is a space to connect directly with Microsoft product teams and Microsoft MVPs. Pick up some laptop stickers and giveaway. Learn about community programs and enter to win daily prizes. You’ll find the Microsoft Community Booth in the TechCon 365 Expo Hall We’ll host a meetup and photo for members and those curious about the Microsoft Global Community Initiative (MGCI) on Wednesday June 17 th during lunch, get a place and look for the signs, will be close to the Microsoft Community Booth. Join us in the Microsoft Community Booth for a Microsoft MVP photo on Wednesday, June 17 at 1:30pm at the end of lunch. A Few Tips for attendees Review the agenda and map out your must-see sessions Visit the Expo Floor to meet Microsoft teams and partners Join meetups for fresh connections Share your learnings and follow up after the event to keep the networking alive Stay hydrated and dress for comfort Follow TechCon 365 on LinkedIn and X, and use #TechCon365 for updates and community stories. Stay connected on Microsoft channels Microsoft Community LinkedIn Page: https://aka.ms/MSCommunityLinkedin Microsoft Tech Community: https://aka.ms/JoinMTC MSFT Adoption Twitter: https://aka.ms/MSFTAdoptionTwitter Microsoft Adoption Hub: https://aka.ms/AdoptionHub Microsoft Community Learning YouTube: https://aka.ms/community/learning One-Stop Shop for Community Events: https://www.communitydays.org Mondays at Microsoft News Show: https://aka.ms/MondaysatMicrosoft Secure Your Spot! Truly, I hope you’ll join us. Register today and use code MSCMTY for $200 USD off. This is your moment to learn, connect, and be inspired. Mark your calendar for June 15 to 19, 2026 and come make Chicago part of your tech story. We can’t wait to see you there! WOOTWOOT! Chicago is a busy city in the Summer, and there is lots going on that week. The Cubbies are at home, there are tons of musicals, and the Obama Library is opening. 2026 June: Calendar of Chicago's Events | EventGuide Visit Chicago Events from Tuesday, June 16th - Wednesday, June 17th | Choose Chicago Cheers, Heather CookEvent Recap - TechCon Seattle 2026
TL;DR TechCon 365, PWRCON and DATACON Seattle 2026 August 24–28. Five days. Three thriving technology communities. One shared destination for learning, innovation, and connection. TechCon 365, PWRCON, and DATACON Seattle 2026 brought together Microsoft 365, Power Platform, and Microsoft Data professionals for an immersive week of expert-led content, hands-on training, and meaningful networking opportunities. Hosted at the Seattle Convention Center, the event featured 255 sessions and workshops, 36 hands-on training experiences, 131 industry experts and community leaders, and two keynote presentations exploring the future of AI, productivity, business applications, and data. Attendees had direct access to Microsoft product specialists, MVPs, and community experts through technical sessions, Ask the Experts panels, community meetups, and inclusive networking experiences designed to help every participant learn, connect, and grow. If the player doesn’t load, open the video in a new window: Open video Introduction TechCon 365, PWRCON and DATACON Seattle brought together technology leaders, IT professionals, developers, architects, and innovators to the Pacific Northwest and beyond for three days of learning, collaboration, and inspiration. Attendees explored the latest advancements in AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, workplace productivity, and emerging technologies through expert-led sessions, hands-on workshops, and engaging keynote presentations. More than just a conference, TechCon Seattle served as a hub for meaningful conversations, new connections, and practical insights that attendees can take back to their organizations. As we look back on this year's event, we're excited to share some of the highlights, key takeaways, and memorable moments that made TechCon Seattle an unforgettable experience. Event facts Where: Seattle Convention Center, Summit Building, 900 Pine Street, Seattle, WA 98101 255 sessions and workshops, including 36 hands-on workshops; 131 speakers; 15 sponsors; 2 keynotes 1,010 registrations; 984 onsite attendees; 67% first-time attendees; 16 countries #techcon365 and #CommunityLuv In a Nutshell Microsoft’s presence was impossible to miss. Sixteen Microsoft-led, 70-minute sessions across two conference days gave attendees direct access to the people shaping the products, while two keynotes set the strategic tone. Microsoft supplied 47 of the event’s 131 speakers, representing 36% of the faculty. Beyond that core lineup, 255 sessions and workshops, including 36 hands-on workshops, let participants build an agenda around technical depth, product direction, live demos, and practical peer insight. Why it mattered TechCon 365, PWRCON, and DATACON Seattle brought together the professionals who drive digital transformation in organizations of every size, including IT administrators, developers, makers, architects, data specialists, business leaders, Microsoft MVPs, and community experts. The event created a unique opportunity for attendees to gain practical skills, explore emerging technologies, connect with peers facing similar challenges, and engage directly with product experts and industry thought leaders. The audience reflected the broad impact of today's technology landscape, with strong participation from large enterprises, government organizations, and a diverse mix of technical and business roles. For many attendees, the event represented their first experience with the TechCon community, creating new opportunities for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and professional growth. By bringing together three complementary technology communities under one roof, the event fostered cross-disciplinary conversations and helped attendees discover new ideas, solutions, and connections they can bring back to their organizations and teams. Key Content & Highlights Microsoft keynotes Building What’s Next for Work with Jason Moore | Wednesday, August 26, 8:30–9:40 AM Jason Moore, Vice President of Product Management for Copilot Studio, opened the conference with a keynote on what becomes possible when Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Cowork, Power Platform, and Copilot Studio are used together at scale. The session connected personal productivity, business-process transformation, agents, live demonstrations, customer stories, and enterprise governance. From Databases to Agents: Building the Data Foundation for the Agentic Enterprise with Shireesh Thota | Thursday, August 27, 8:30–9:40 AM Shireesh Thota, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft, focused the Data keynote on the foundation required for agentic enterprise applications. The session connected operational data, real-time context, memory, analytics, governance, and security across Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, Azure Managed Redis, Horizon DB, Microsoft Fabric and OneLake, and Rayfin. Microsoft-led sessions The event featured 40 70-minute sessions: 15 focused on Microsoft 365, five on Power Platform, and 20 on Data. Of these, 16 were led by Microsoft. Microsoft-led sessions. All sessions from Microsoft and community are here: All Sessions & Workshops - Microsoft 365, DATA & Power Platform Conference Ask the Experts Ask the Experts was scheduled in the Expo Hall on Wednesday, August 26 and Thursday, August 27. The area brought together Microsoft speakers, MVPs, and community leaders for direct, product-specific conversations with attendees. Microsoft Community and networking The Microsoft Community space in the Expo Hall served as the hub for meet-and-greets, community discussions, and calls to action for MGCI. The space brought together Microsoft product experts, MVPs, and community leaders to connect directly with attendees, answer questions, share resources, and discuss the latest innovations across Microsoft 365, Power Platform, Data, and AI. Designed as a welcoming community lounge, the booth offered opportunities for meet-and-greets, expert conversations, and hands-on discussions that helped attendees turn new ideas into practical solutions. 85 individual attendees were scanned in and attended the community space. Community programming also included a Women in Tech & Allies lunch meet up session on Wednesday and a full panel "Women in Tech: Lifting as we Climb" with Rie Merritt, Karen Lopez, Mehrsa Golestaneh and Heather Cook, an MGCI meetup during lunch on Thursday led by Heather Cook & Bryan Hart, a speaker reception on Tuesday, an Expo reception, and an attendee “Luau” reception at the Hyatt Regency Seattle. Thank you to all who provided their expertise while staffing this year’s community space. What the program achieved TechCon 365, PWRCON and DATACON Seattle 2026 brought three technical audiences together around a 255-session-and-workshop program. Microsoft anchored that experience with two executive keynotes, 16 Microsoft-led sessions, Ask the Experts, community programming, and sustained Expo Hall engagement. The event combined scale and specialization: 984 attendees, 255 sessions and workshops, and 36 hands-on workshops across three co-located communities. Microsoft’s footprint was broad and visible, with 47 speakers, both keynotes, 40 company-led sessions, direct expert access, and 183 registrations attributed to Microsoft channels. Thank you to the Microsoft production team - Microsoft Exec Producer Heather Cook, Content Lead Bryan Wofford and our partners Stephanie Lawson, Rie Merritt, and to TechCon producers Sharon Toler, David Wilhelm, Ashley Wilhelm, Liz Sundet and team for their terrific supporting the Seattle event, and to the 47 Microsoft speakers and 50 Microsoft MVPs who helped and always shape the program. Till next year - One City, One TechCon - one event all together in TechCon in Atlanta, September 13-17, 2027Share Your Community Story via Video
We are creating some new fun videos to be shared on our Microsoft Community Learning YouTube channel and during some MGCI Community Produced and Community Led Events. Microsoft 50th Anniversary is all year long and the big 25 is coming for SharePoint next year! If you would like to participate all you need to do is answer the following questions regarding being a part of the Best Community in Tech. Can you introduce yourself and tell us how you got involved in the MICROSOFT 365 community? What motivated you to join this community, and what keeps you engaged? How did joining the MICROSOFT 365 community help you achieve your personal or professional goals? How has the community helped you in your personal or professional development? Have you been to many MICROSOFT 365 events? Can you share a memorable experience? Why do you think MICROSOFT 365 is called the “best community in tech”? How do feel about SharePoint celebrating 24 years and Microsoft celebrating 50 years? What has the MICROSOFT 365 community meant to you? Feel free to record in English or your native language if other than English as we are a global community. Other tips: 1) Please answer in complete sentences, i.e. “MICROSOFT 365 helped me become a…” or “this community has really helped me to find…”, etc. 2) Pause between each answer, look at the camera, smile before you start each answer. Keep looking into the camera at the end of each answer. Once completed, please upload your videos here: MICROSOFT 365_videos - we are accepting videos until Friday April 11th. Excited to have you all participate!! Questions, let me know. Getting ready to be on-camera! A few things to keep in mind when filming with a smartphone: It needs to be shot with the phone horizontal, not vertical. Confirm your setting is to 1080p at 30fps. Frame the shot nicely and make sure the lighting is bright (and that you are not backlit or in a shadow). Use a microphone if possible! We also recommend using a tripod or a smartphone stand. Prop the phone up so the shot is stationary and steady. Consider your environment and location. Be in a quiet area and with little clutter behind you. If possible, please record the content twice and send us two videos so we have 2 takes to choose from. Recording with an iPhone Use Camera to record videos on your iPhone Choose Video mode. Tap the Record button or press either volume button to start recording. While recording, you can do the following: Pinch the screen to zoom in and out. For a more precise zoom on models with Dual and Triple camera systems, touch and hold 1x, then drag the slider to the left. Tap the Record button or press either volume button to stop recording. Anything captured automatically saves to your device’s Photo Library. By default, video records at 30 frames per second (fps). Depending on your model, you can choose other frame rates and video resolution settings in Settings > Camera > Record Video. Faster frame rates and higher resolutions result in larger video files. Confirm your setting is to 1080p at 30fps. To display quick toggles on iPhone X and earlier, go to Settings > Camera > Record Video, then turn on Video Format Control. Adjust Auto FPS settings: On iPhone XS, iPhone XR, and later, iPhone can improve the video quality in low-light situations by automatically reducing the frame rate to 24 fps. Go to Settings > Camera > Record Video, then do one of the following: On iPhone 12 models, tap Auto FPS, then apply Auto FPS to only 30-fps video or to both 30- and 60-fps video. On iPhone XS, iPhone XR, iPhone SE (2nd generation), and iPhone 11 models, turn on Auto Low Light FPS. Record a video on your Android phone You can record real time videos on your phone. You can also record time-lapse videos that speed up when you play them. Important: Some of these steps work only on Android 10 and up. Learn how to check your Android version. Record a video Important: When you take a video, your phone silences notification sounds to avoid an interruption. To quickly record a video, open your Google Camera app, then touch and hold Capture . Open your Camera App . Learn how. To switch to video mode, tap Video. To start recording, tap Record. To put a cut in your video, tap Pause . To start recording again, tap Record. To take a high-resolution photo while recording a video, tap Capture. To stop recording, tap Stop. Tip: You can change your camera settings to use features like gridlines or a flash. Learn how to adjust how your camera records. Wardrobe Guidelines Avoid wearing solid white, black, or red shirts Pastel and jewel colors work well, as do blues and earth tones. Avoid small prints, stripes, plaid or intricate patterns (e.g. Herringbone, tweed, etc.) - these can vibrate on camera. Or wear shirts with logos showcasing MICROSOFT 365 or other product or tech fun. Cheers and thank you for submitting your community story!Women’s History Millennia in Action: Community, Courage, and Collective Power 💜✨
Our recent MGCI General Session was one of those moments that reminds you exactly why community matters. What began as a panel quickly became something bigger - a shared experience filled with stories, hard‑earned wisdom, laughter, and the kind of encouragement that stays with you. The energy was high, the chat was buzzing, and the sense of connection was unmistakable. This wasn’t just a conversation about women in tech. It was about visibility, access, allyship, and building something better - together. ❤️Stories That Connected (and Advice That Truly Landed) Throughout the session, our panelists spoke candidly about their journeys - the wins, the doubts, the pivots, and the moments that shaped them. A consistent theme emerged: growth doesn’t come from waiting until you feel ready. Sravani Seethi captured this perfectly when she reminded the community that confidence isn’t something you magically wake up with one day. It’s built through action. Confidence, she shared, comes after you take the leap, after you say yes to the opportunity that stretches you. That message resonated deeply, especially with early‑career technologists and new speakers listening in. Christine Bongard built on that idea by encouraging attendees to be visible and intentional about their goals. Rather than waiting to be discovered, she emphasized the importance of advocating for yourself; making your work known and clearly communicating where you want to go. It was a powerful reminder that self‑advocacy isn’t about ego; it’s about clarity. One of the most grounding moments came from Olajumoke Toriola, who spoke directly to the experience many women have had of walking into rooms where they feel outnumbered or unsure. Being a woman, she reminded us, is simply a definition of gender. It does not define strength, capability, or impact. You are at the table because you belong there. Community Energy You Could Feel 💬💥 If the panel was the heartbeat of the session, the chat was the pulse. Community members joined from around the world, sharing encouragement, LinkedIn profiles, mentorship opportunities, calls for speakers, and thoughtful reflections. The conversation unfolded in real time, reinforcing what the panelists were saying and adding even more perspective. Attendees reminded one another that you don’t need to have all the answers to add value, that imposter syndrome often means you care deeply about your work, and that sometimes the most impactful thing you can do is simply show up. That spirit of intentional community building was echoed by Sharon Weaver, who captured the purpose behind moments like this, “Our community isn’t here just for women, it’s here to elevate women. To give them opportunities to speak, present, connect, and be visible.” Then came a moment that seemed to stop everyone in their tracks: “My daughter is listening along.” That single comment captured the heart of the entire session. This work matters, not just for today’s careers, but for the next generation watching, learning, and imagining what’s possible. 🤝Allyship, Practiced Not Preached Another strong thread throughout the discussion was allyship - what it looks like beyond buzzwords. Chaitra Vedullapalli spoke about shifting the focus from chasing opportunities to building systems and value so strong that opportunities naturally follow. Allyship, in this context, is about creating infrastructure, access, and pathways, not just offering encouragement. That idea showed up again and again in the chat, where attendees talked about amplifying voices, recommending people for opportunities when they aren’t in the room, and building communities that collaborate instead of compete. Melissa Ballesteros reinforced that collective success matters more than individual wins. Rather than navigating growth alone, she encouraged people to look outward and intentionally build community around shared goals,“If you’re not finding what you’re looking for, look outside. Find your tribe. Real success only happens when you bring your community with you.” As one attendee summed it up simply: everyone needs an ally. The Advice We’re Still Carrying With Us ✨ As the session unfolded, certain ideas stayed with people long after the call ended. Sharon Smith shared how a single conversation or connection can completely change someone’s trajectory, a reminder of the quiet but powerful impact mentorship can have. Rachel Sullivan brought the conversation back to growth and resilience, reminding everyone that mistakes aren’t something to fear. They’re how we learn. If you never take the action, she noted, you never get the chance to grow. And throughout it all, Femke Cornelissen reinforced something the community clearly values: you don’t have to do this alone. Growth happens faster and more meaningfully when we ask for help, learn from each other, and lift others as we move forward. For Nihinlola Adeyemi of TechStylers, it’s a belief that guides both her leadership and her work, “Being a woman is just a definition of gender. It doesn’t define your ability to make impact. You’re at the table because you belong there.” This moment resonated deeply, especially for those early in their careers or stepping into new spaces and a reminder that confidence and impact aren’t granted, they’re built. 🌱 More Than a Month - A Movement We said it together, and it’s worth repeating: This isn’t just Women’s History Month. It’s Women’s History Millennia. The work shared in this session: mentorship programs, speaker pipelines, learning communities, and economic access initiatives doesn’t fit neatly into a single month. It’s ongoing, evolving, and powered by people who care deeply about making tech more inclusive, more human, and more connected. Until Next Time 💜 To our panelists: thank you for your honesty, generosity, and leadership. To our community: thank you for showing up, engaging, and lifting one another up. To the next generation listening in: we see you and we’re building this future with you in mind. We can’t wait to do this again. Because community like this deserves to keep growing. 🚀✨ 🎥Watch the conversation here: https://aka.ms/MGCI-WomenInTechandAlliesRecording Connect with these wonderful organizations Women in Cloud Women in M365 Women in Power Rockstar Women in AI and Security TechStylers The Mentoring Hub The WIT NetworkCelebrating Three Years of CommunityDays.org
Happy Anniversary Communitydays.org CommunityDays.org—A Brief History In Autumn 2021, the tech community faced a moment of uncertainty. The beloved SPSEvents.org, a community run non-profit and a cornerstone for SharePoint Saturdays and Microsoft community events, announced its closure. For many, this felt like the end of an era. But for Thomas Daly, a longtime Microsoft MVP and community organizer, it was a call to action. Recognizing the void left behind, the SharePoint Community began talking - event organizers trading ideas in virtual spaces about how to reconnect with audiences. Many were struggling to reach people, setting up their own websites and relying almost entirely on word of mouth to spread the word about events. Those conversations weren’t just reflections—they became a spark for something new. At the time all in-person events and user groups had gone virtual or were on hiatus as the Covid-19 Pandemic had forced everyone to embrace digital events for the unforeseeable future. Here is a throwback to the SPSEvents.org site that many remember and love. Recognizing the vital role that community-driven events played in technical learning and networking, Thomas Daly talked with Jason Rivera and Manpreet Singh other Microsoft MVPs & leaders in the Tri-State Microsoft community - came together and stepped up to create a new home for these gatherings. Their vision was clear: empower organizers and attendees worldwide to connect, learn, and grow through free, inclusive technical events. Tom shared his idea with me and Karuana Gatimu: to have the site led and administered by the community. We jumped at the chance to collaborate with the team and support his effort. We proposed that Microsoft contribute by providing the site’s infrastructure and launching a new initiative: the Microsoft Global Community Initiative, to support local, volunteer event producers. The Launch of CommunityDays.org By October 13, 2022, CommunityDays.org was officially launched by Tom Daly, sponsored by SoHo Dragon and Microsoft. The launch was announced by Jeff Teper at Microsoft Ignite and accompanied by a blog post from Karuana Gatimu. The first events followed swiftly, setting the tone for a platform that would champion inclusivity, accessibility, and community-driven events in the Microsoft ecosystem. Collab Days Belgium (October 15, 2022) M365 Friday Cincinnati (October 21, 2022) CollabDays New England (October 22, 2022) AMS Kuala Lumpur, (October 28, 2022) AMS Sao Paolo (October 28-29, 2022) AMS Singapore (October 29, 2022) Global AI Developer Community Days, Mumbai, India (October 29, 2022) Global AI Developers Days – Tri-State (October 29, 2022) Community Days Mexico City (November 3, 2022) Rooted in the groundbreaking spirit of SharePoint Saturday Events, Community Days expanded beyond SharePoint to embrace the full Microsoft ecosystem—Microsoft 365, Power Platform, Azure, and more. From small workshops to global conferences, the platform has become a trusted hub for discovering and hosting events that democratize access to technical education. Over the past three years there have 394 events listed on communitydays.org and the momentum grows weekly for organizers listing events on the site. The Role of MGCI (Microsoft Global Community Initiative) CommunityDays.org is community led through the work of Tom and a small team who manages the site and via the support of the board and regional leaders of the Microsoft Global Community Initiative (MGCI). MGCI provides resources like event amplification, production training, networking opportunities, and best practices—ensuring community leaders have what they need to succeed. Importantly, MGCI is community-led, with Microsoft offering tools and guidance while the strategy remains in the hands of passionate volunteers. https://aka.ms/MGCI Partnerships & Connections CommunityDays.org partners with Sessionize and Run.events, leveraging their APIs to automatically pull event information directly into the platform. This seamless integration ensures that event listings are always up to date and makes it easier for organizers to manage their events efficiently. Additionally, SoHo Dragon has been a valued sponsor since the inception of CommunityDays.org, providing crucial support that has helped the platform grow and thrive alongside the Microsoft community. Event organizers can list their events for free, use the call for sponsorship area to manage dealing with sponsors, there are listings of monthly and weekly technical learning community calls, and there is a Speakerboard that shares speaker stats from free community events. Tom leads the administration of the site and shares updates on new features and functionality of the site on the monthly MCGI General Session Meetings. A big thank you to all who have helped with testing and Q&A. Apologies if we missed you, shout out and we’ll add you in. 😊 Augustine Correa Bryan Hart Carl Karawani Daniel Glenn David Leveille David Patrick Emily Mancini Haniel Croitoru Jamel Abed Jamie Willis-Rose Jason Rivera Jonathan Weaver Manpreet Singh Mark Rahn Martin Rövekamp Michal Ziemba Mike Maadarani Oluwaseyi Oluwawumiju Pat McGown Rachel Irabor Rob Windsor Russ Onizuka Ryan Schouten Samir Makwana Shari Oswald Sharon Weaver Thomas Daly Wes Preston With Gratitude This success story belongs to you—the organizers, speakers, volunteers, and attendees who make these events possible. Your dedication to sharing knowledge and fostering connections has created a global network of learning and collaboration. Special thanks to: Founders and early champions: Thomas Daly, Jason Rivera, and Manpreet Singh, Community organizers worldwide who give countless hours to host free-to-attend events. MGCI Advisory Board - (Board Members and Regional Leaders) for operational support, and volunteering time for quality testing and amplification of the events. Thank you to Shortcut Shari (Shari Oswald) who create the 3 rd Anniversary sticker It was super fun to celebrate this milestone during the Experts Live US event in New York City with all the attendees and organizer and Community.days.org founder Tom Daly. (photo of Experts Lives speakers, volunteers, and sponsors) Looking Ahead As we celebrate three years, we look forward to continuing this journey together—expanding opportunities, embracing new technologies, and strengthening the bonds that make our community extraordinary. Here’s to many more years of learning, sharing, and growing—together! Visit CommunityDays.org and Microsoft Global Community Initiative to get involved.Event 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 #MelbourneIgnite Connections: Unleashing Community & Networking at Microsoft Ignite 2025
Microsoft Ignite is almost here, and we’re bringing the energy, innovation, and connections you’ve been waiting for! If you’re passionate about innovative and groundbreaking technology, this year’s lineup is packed with insights and inspiration you won’t want to miss. It is always fun for all of us who work on community teams at Microsoft to come together cross-division to collaborate on Community at Microsoft Ignite together. We have Microsoft 365, Power Platform, Azure, Microsoft Fabric, Copilot Studio, GitHub, Security, Windows, Surface, Microsoft MVP team, Microsoft Partner team and Cloud +AI all represented. All sessions are in person and will not be recorded so plan accordingly and be sure to stop by for stickers and the fun interactive areas for when you need a break and place to land during the show. Spotlight Sessions You Can’t Miss We’re excited to showcase the community sessions from all three of our key solution areas: AI Business Solutions, Cloud & AI Platforms, and Security. Each area features sessions designed to help you leverage Copilot, intelligent agents, and cutting-edge technologies to transform your business. Explore the full lineup below and discover every session available to maximize your Ignite experience! Community Theaters: The Agent Readiness Framework AI Business Solutions Tuesday, November 18, 11:30am - 12pm Jack Rowbotham Building Digital Trust: Aligning Microsoft Technologies with Global AI and Regulatory Frameworks Security Tuesday, November 18, 1pm – 1:30pm Sourabh Pandey Human-AI collaboration: Advancing the future of software engineering GitHub Tuesday, November 18, 1:30pm – 2pm Andrew Goodman, Kevin Rhatigan Learn Infrastructure-as-Code through Minecraft Cloud & AI Platforms Tuesday, November 18, 2pm – 2:30pm Mark Tinderholt 10 Partner Center Hacks Every Microsoft Partner Should Know Partner-led organization Tuesday, November 18, 2:30pm – 3pm Michelle Elston Women in Tech & Allies: Turning Allyship into Action AI Business Solutions Tuesday, November 18, 3pm – 3:30pm Heather Cook, Karuana Gatimu, Danielle Moon AI MVP Panel – Unblocking Customer Innovation Cloud & AI Platforms Tuesday, November 18, 3:30pm – 4pm Prashant G Bhoyar, Marco Casalaina, Martina Grom, Dux Raymond Sy Path to MVP: Windows & Devices and Intune—Tips from the Team Surface & W+D Tuesday, November 18, 4pm – 4:30pm Lior Bela, Chauncey Larsen, Donna Ryan Close More Deals with Copilot: Speed, Depth, and Customer Impact Partner-led organization Tuesday, November 18, 4:30pm – 5pm Jennifer Brown Shaping the Future of Azure AI Foundry Cloud & AI Platforms Tuesday, November 18, 5pm – 5:30pm Roelant Dieben, Shawn Henry, Steve Sweetman, Quirine van Walt Meijer Ask Me Anything with Scott Hanselman Cloud & AI Platforms Wednesday, November 19, 9:15am – 9:45am Henk Boelman, Scott Hanselman So you want to become and MVP (Option 1) MVP program Wednesday, November 19, 9:45am – 10:15am Justin Garrett Get Started with Copilot Adoption – Tools, Resources and Best Practices from the Microsoft Adoption Hub AI Business Solutions Wednesday, November 19, 10:45am – 11:15am Karuana Gatimu Security Copilot Security Wednesday, November 19, 11:15am – 11:45am Saurabh Jain Getting Started with Agents for Customer Zero Partner-led organization Wednesday, November 19, 1:15pm – 1:45pm Eddie Bader, Juhi Saha Cloud Perspectives: Lessons Learned and Experiences from Azure MVPs Cloud & AI Platforms Wednesday, November 19, 1:45pm – 2:15pm Nelly Delgado, Taiji Hagino, Ben Reader, Jared Rhodes Copilot Studio Community AI Business Solutions Wednesday, November 19, 2:15pm – 2:45pm David Abu, Wim Coorevits Microsoft Entra for Agents: Ask Microsoft Anything Security Wednesday, November 19, 2:45pm – 3:15pm Leandro Iwase, Ngozi Nwoko, Sharon Sandhu, Nick Wryter Cloud Perspectives: A Q&A with Azure Data Leadership Cloud & AI Platforms Wednesday, November 19, 3:30pm – 4pm Arun Ulag Navigating the Tectonic Shifts Partner-led organization Wednesday, November 19, 4pm – 4:30pm Vincent Menzione Building Modern Businesses Through AI and Partnerships Partner-led organization Thursday, November 20, 9am – 9:30am Asher Mathew Career Chat: Advancing from Product Manager to Product Leader in Tech AI Business Solutions Thursday, November 20, 9:30am – 10am Adam Harmetz So you want to become an MVP (Option 2) MVP program Thursday, November 20, 10am – 10:30am Justin Garrett Cloud Perspectives: Azure Migration Community Insights Cloud & AI Platforms Thursday, November 20, 10:30am – 11am Vikram Bansal Unlock Copilot Success with Power CAT programs AI Business Solutions Thursday, November 20, 11:15am – 11:45am Chitra J, Luis Camino Operationalizing Continuous Threat Exposure Management using Microsoft Security Exposure Management Security Thursday, November 20, 1:15pm – 1:45pm Alex Steele Learn About Licensing Discounts, Azure Credits and MAICPP Support Partner-led organization Thursday, November 20, 1:45pm – 2:15pm Tafara Pulse, Omar Khalid Cloud Perspectives: Cloud Management & Ops Platform Team Insights Cloud & AI Platforms Thursday, November 20, 2:15pm – 2:45pm Ruhiyyih Mahalati, Farzana Rahman Adopting GitHub Enterprise: Unlocking Developer Productivity Today and Tomorrow GitHub Thursday, November 20, 2:45pm – 3:15pm Parker Johnston Behind the Scenes: The Making of the Session Recap Agent Cloud & AI Platforms Thursday, November 20, 4pm – 4:30pm Henk Boelman How the Data Community Can Advanced Your Data & AI Career Cloud & AI Platforms Thursday, November 20, 5pm – 5:30pm Rie Merritt Mentorship Matters: Building Meaningful Connections for Growth AI Business Solutions Thursday, November 20, 5pm – 5:30pm Heather Cook, Karuana Gatimua Connection Pods Becoming an MVP in Biz Apps or Copilot Studio AI Business Solutions Tuesday, November 18, 1pm – 1:45pm Heidi Jordan, Ahmed Salih Build your schedule with help from a Microsoft MVP MVP program Tuesday, November 18, 1pm – 1:45pm Kimberly Sanchez SQL Server Management Studio: Help Drive What’s Next Cloud & AI Platforms Tuesday, November 18, 3pm – 3:45pm Makena Watanabe Barickman Unified SecOps in Action: Practical Incident Response & Threat Hunting with Sentinel, Defender XDR & Copilot Security Tuesday, November 18, 1pm – 1:45pm Uros Babic Challenges in Migrating Data to the Cloud for AI and Analytics Cloud & AI Platforms Tuesday, November 18, 2pm – 2:45pm Imani Hall, Vybava Ramadoss Identity Strategy Approaches Security Tuesday, November 18, 2pm – 2:45pm David Nudelman Microsoft Global Community Initiative: Connecting People, Powering Impact AI Business Solutions Tuesday, November 18, 2pm – 2:45pm Heather Cook, Isidora Katanic The Revenue Multiplier: Marketplace + Campaigns That Grow Profit Partner-led organization Tuesday, November 18, 2pm – 2:45pm Karen Fassio Building Agents with Copilot Studio Lite vs Full AI Business Solutions Tuesday, November 18, 3pm – 3:45pm David Abu, Mariana Prudencio Engaging with the Data Community: from User Groups to Reddit and Everywhere in Between Cloud & Ai Platforms Tuesday, November 18, 3pm – 3:45pm Rie Merritt Maximizing Partner Profitability with Microsoft Commerce Incentives Partner-led organization Tuesday, November 18, 3pm – 3:45pm Brittner Saultman Microsoft Sentinel Data Ingestion: Challenges, Solutions and Best Practices Security Tuesday, November 18, 3pm – 3:45pm Sasha Kranjac Identity & Network Access Management for AI Agents Security Tuesday, November 18, 4pm – 4:45pm Nichole Peterson Mentorship That Matters AI Business Solutions Tuesday, November 18, 4pm – 4:45pm Karuana Gatimu, Jonathan Jones Navigating Partner Center: Setting Your Partnership Up for Success Partner-led organization Tuesday, November 18, 4pm – 4:45pm Shawna Hronek Welcome to the new Azure Solutions & Ecosystem – Azure MVP Technology Area Cloud & AI Platforms Tuesday, November 18, 4pm – 4:45pm Gauri Gorhe, Joe Sarabia Activating the Copilot Community on Agents AI Business Solutions Tuesday, November 18, 5pm – 5:45pm Ahmed Salih AI MVP Community – Meet the Experts & Join the Journey Cloud & AI Platforms Tuesday, November 18, 5pm – 5:45pm Esra Bakkalbasioglu, Promise Uche Nwachukwu B2B Revenue Optimization: Using AI for a More Human Sales Process Partner-led organization Tuesday, November 18, 5pm – 5:45pm Jennifer Brown Unification of Identity & Network Access/Microsoft Entra Suite Security Tuesday, November 18, 5pm – 5:45pm Laura Viarengo Architecting for Identity Resilience: Proactive Strategies with Microsoft Entra Security Wednesday, November 19, 9am – 9:45am Charlie Gough Get Certified: how to prepare for a Microsoft certification exam Cloud & AI Platforms Wednesday, November 19, 9am – 9:45am Marisa Mathews Grow Together: P2P + AI Partner-led organization Wednesday, November 19, 9am – 9:45am Danny Brown, Nyasha Tunduwani Supercharge Copilot with SharePoint Embedded: Build, Manage, and Innovate AI Business Solutions Wednesday, November 19, 9am – 9:45am Reid Carlberg, Cindy Lay Efficient Log Handling with Microsoft Sentinel and Data Lake Architecture Security Wednesday, November 19, 10am – 10:45am Thomas Kurth Hybrid AI with Surface, Copilot + PCs & Windows AI Foundry Surface & W+D Wednesday, November 19, 10am – 10:45am Frank Buchholz, Chauncey Larsen Meet your Cloud Management & Operations Platform Team Cloud & AI Platforms Wednesday, November 19, 10am – 10:45am Rahul Bagaria Power Platform Community AI Business Solutions Wednesday, November 19, 10am – 10:45am Stephanie Cronin, Heidi Jordan, Ahmed Salih Custom & On-Prem Data Ingestion into Microsoft Sentinel: Challenges and Best Practices Security Wednesday, November 19, 11am – 11:45am Den Mutlu Maximizing your Microsoft Partnership, Profitably and Effectively Partner-led organization Wednesday, November 19, 11am – 11:45am Eddie Bader, Juhi Saha Empowering Knowledge Discovery with SharePoint Knowledge Agent AI Business Solutions Wednesday, November 19, 11am – 11:45am Adam Harmetz, John Mighell Building Community-Led Events with Agents AI Business Solutions Wednesday, November 19, 1pm – 1:45pm David Abu, Tiffay Songvilay Insights from Microsoft MVPs on how to ramp up as an AI expert MVP program Wednesday, November 19, 1pm – 1:45pm Kimberly Sanchez New agentic capabilities in Copilot in Azure Cloud & AI Platforms Wednesday, November 19, 1pm – 1:45pm Dean Kroker Threat-Informed Data Protection: Aligning Controls to the MITRE ATT&CK Data Lifecycle Security Wednesday, November 19, 1pm – 1:45pm Victor JR Wingsing Becoming an MVP in Azure or the Data Platform Cloud & AI Platforms Wednesday, November 19, 2pm – 2:45pm Rie Merritt, Gerald Tiu Reimagining data protection with the new Microsoft Purview Data Security Posture Management Security Wednesday, November 19, 2pm – 2:45pm Nathalia Borges Women in Tech & Allies: From Awareness to Action AI Business Solutions Wednesday, November 19, 2pm – 2:45pm Heather Cook, Femke Cornelissen – de Bruin, Danielle Moon Maximizing your Microsoft Partnership, Profitably and Effectively Partner-led organization Wednesday, November 19, 2pm – 2:45pm Juhi Saha Don’t Start from Scratch – Microsoft Community for the Win AI Business Solutions Wednesday, November 19, 3pm – 3:45pm David Abu, Karuana Gatimu Managing Change Through Uncertainty Partner-led organization Wednesday, November 19, 3pm – 3:45pm Christine Bongard Securing the defaults: Building and maintaining your security baseline Security Wednesday, November 19, 3pm – 3:45pm Chris Goosen Troubleshooting AKS networking with Agentic AI Cloud & AI Platforms Wednesday, November 19, 3pm – 3:45pm Sandhya Castelino, Alex Mang Building a Strong Foundation in Microsoft Partner Center Partner-led organization Wednesday, November 19, 4pm – 4:45pm Erin Figer Conditional Access: Practical Insights and Innovations Security Wednesday, November 19, 4pm – 4:45pm Christian DerDecker Engage, Connect, Grow: Your Path in the Microsoft Community AI Business Solutions Wednesday, November 19, 4pm – 4:45pm Heather Cook, Jonathan Jones, Shari L. Oswald, Eric Overfield Global AI Community – Connect, Learn & Share Worldwide Cloud & AI Platforms Wednesday, November 19, 4pm – 4:45pm Henk Boelman, Roelant Dieben, Kasam Shaikh, Alexander Wachtel Copilot & SSMS: Feedback Forum Cloud & AI Platforms Thursday, November 20, 9:15am – 10am Makena Watanabe Barickman Mastering Windows Autopatch as a Modern MSP Security Thursday, November 20, 9:15am – 10am Jeroen Burgerhout Windows Cloud Experiences: Unplugged Surface & W+D Thursday, November 20, 9:15am – 10am Jason Parker, Swarnim Srivastava, Sneha Sultania Build Your Network, Claim Your Voice: Women in IT at Ignite Surface & W+D Thursday, November 20, 10:15am – 11am Priyanka Balaji, Cassidy Fein, Valerie Goulds, Elaine You Building best practice ERP agents AI Business Solutions Thursday, November 20, 10:15am – 11am Anne Krupke, Ahmed Salih Enhancing your AI workload resiliency with the Azure Networking stack Cloud & AI Platforms Thursday, November 20, 10:15am – 11am Sergio Figueiredo, Mario Lopez From Hype to Hardening: Designing a Zero-Trust Framework for Copilot Security Thursday, November 20, 10:15am – 11am Victor JR Wingsing From Zero to AI on K8s: Lessons, Patterns, and Pitfalls Cloud & AI Platforms Thursday, November 20, 11:15am – 12pm Eric Cheng, Saurabh Sensharma Learn About Licensing Discounts, Azure Credits and MAICPP Support Partner-led organization Thursday, November 20, 11:15am – 12pm Brooke Daniel, Tafara Pulse Operationalizing Responsible AI Security in the Enterprise Security Thursday, November 20, 11:15am – 12pm Victor Jr Wingsing Becoming an MVP in M365 AI Business Solutions Thursday, November 20, 1pm – 1:45pm Galen Keene, Tiffay Songvilay, Bryan Wofford Preventing Mistakes and Misuse: The Power of MAA in Intune Security Thursday, November 20, 1pm – 1:45pm Thomas Marcussen Best practices and blockers with moving apps to Intune Security Thursday, November 20, 2pm – 2:45pm Dean Ellerby Building Resilient Enterprises: What Customers Expect from Azure Cloud & AI Platforms Thursday, November 20, 2pm – 2:45pm Gargi Banerjee, Surya Sripathi Raju The ROI of Microsoft Ignite: Strategies to share & scale what you learn MVP program Thursday, November 20, 2pm – 2:45pm Kimberly Sanchez Meet your Azure Engineering Team – Azure Migrate Product Group Cloud & AI Platforms Thursday, November 20, 3pm – 3:45pm Ashish Babbar, Raunak Pandya Context is everything: Enriching identity signals for AI-powered soc defense Security Thursday, November 20, 3pm – 3:45pm Daniel Lynch, Anna Qi The Importance of Networking to Scale your Career Partner-led organization Thursday, November 20, 3pm – 3:45pm Christine Bongard Azure AI Insiders – Your Early Access Pass to AI Cloud & AI Platforms Thursday, November 20, 6pm – 6:45pm Esra Bakkalbasioglu, Quirine van Walt Meijer AI Foundry Chats – Talk AI with the Azure Engineers Cloud & AI Platforms Thursday, November 20, 5pm – 5:45pm Quirine van Walt Meijer, Trish Winter-Hunt Be sure to visit the session catalog on the event website to add these sessions to your schedule and plan your experience. Experience Community at Microsoft Ignite Our Community & Networking space within The Hub is where it all happens! Join us here for Community Theater sessions and Connection Pods, where you’ll dive into roundtable discussions with experts and peers. You can also explore interactive activations designed to spark curiosity—discover new communities, take on exciting challenges, experience cutting-edge tech, and win prizes along the way! Visit the Community page on the event website to learn more about these experiences at Microsoft Ignite. Don’t Just Attend, Ignite Your Experience Microsoft Ignite is where ideas ignite and connections thrive. Register now, share this with your network, and start planning your attendee experience today. The sooner you build your schedule, the more you’ll maximize every moment. Special shout-out to Almina Khorakiwala, Cassandra Steiber, and Peter Harrington for leading the charge and bringing community feedback into this year’s Community Hub planning. Way to go, team! Join us and be part of the conversations shaping the future—because you don’t want to hear about it later, you want to experience it first.
