Announcing the 2026 Microsoft 365 Community Conference Keynotes
The Microsoft 365 Community Conference returns to Orlando this April, bringing together thousands of builders, innovators, creators, communicators, admins, architects, MVPs, and product makers for three unforgettable days of learning and community. This year’s theme, “A Beacon for Builders, Innovators & Icons of Intelligent Work,” celebrates the people shaping the AI‑powered future — and the keynote lineup reflects exactly that. These leaders will set the tone for our biggest, boldest M365 Community Conference. Below is your first look at the official 2026 keynote order and what to expect from each session. Opening Keynote Jeff Teper — President, Microsoft 365 Collaborative Apps & Platforms Building for the future: Microsoft 365, Agents and AI, what's new and what's next Join Jeff Teper, to discover how AI-powered innovation across Copilot, Teams, and SharePoint is reshaping how people communicate, create, and work together. This session highlights what’s new, what’s fundamentally different, and why thoughtful design continues to matter. See the latest advances in AI and agents, gain insight into where collaboration is headed, and learn why Microsoft is the company to continue to bet on when it comes to building what’s next. Expect: New breakthroughs in collaboration powered by AI and agents Fresh innovations across Teams, Copilot, and SharePoint Practical guidance on how design continues to shape effective teamwork Real world demos that show how AI is transforming communication and content Insight into what is new, what is changing, and what is coming next Business Apps & Agents Keynote Charles Lamanna — President, Business Apps & Agents In this keynote, Charles Lamanna will share how Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, Power Apps, and Agent 365 come together to help makers build powerful agents and help IT teams deploy and govern them at scale. We’ll share how organizations can design, extend, and govern a new model for the intelligent workplace – connecting data, workflows, and systems into intelligent agents that move work forward. Copilot, apps, and agents: the next platform shift for Microsoft 365 Microsoft 365 Copilot has changed how we interact with software. Now AI agents are changing how work gets done – moving from responding to prompts to taking action, across the tools and data your organization already relies on. Expect: A clear explanation of how to leverage and build with Copilot and agents How agents access data, use tools, and complete multi-step work A deeper look at the latest capabilities across Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, and Power Apps End-to-end demos of agents in action Security, Trust & Responsible AI Keynote Vasu Jakkal — Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Security & Rohan Kumar — Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Security, Purview & Trust In our third keynote, Vasu Jakkal and Rohan Kumar join forces to address one of the most urgent topics of the AI era: trust and security at scale. As organizations accelerate into AI‑powered work, safeguarding identities, data, compliance, and governance is mission‑critical. Securing AI: Building Trust in the Era of AI Join Vasu Jakkal and Rohan Kumar as they unveil Microsoft’s vision for securing the new frontier of AI—showing how frontier firms are protecting their data, identities, and models amid rapid AI adoption. This session highlights how Microsoft is embedding security and governance into every layer of our AI platforms and unifying Purview, Defender, Entra, and Security Copilot to defend against threats like prompt injection, model tampering, and shadow AI. You’ll see how built-in protections across Microsoft 365 enable responsible, compliant AI innovation, and gain practical guidance to strengthen your own security posture as AI transforms the way everyone works. Expect: Microsoft's unified approach to secure AI transformation Forward‑looking insights across Security, Purview & Trust Guidance for building safe, responsible AI environments How to protect innovation without slowing momentum Future of Work Fireside Keynote Dr. Jaime Teevan — Chief Scientist & Technical Fellow, Microsoft Dr. Jaime Teevan, one of the foremost thought leaders on AI, productivity, and how work is evolving. In this intimate fireside‑style session, she’ll share research, real‑world insights, and Microsoft’s learnings from being both the maker and the first customer of the AI‑powered workplace. Expect: Insights from decades of workplace research The human side of AI transformation Practical guidance for leaders, creators, and practitioners Why collaboration is essential to unlock the true potential of AI. Community Closer Keynote Karuana Gatimu - Director, Microsoft Customer Advocacy Group & Heather Cook - Principal PM, MIcrosoft Customer Advocacy Group From Momentum to Movement: Where Community Goes Next As the final moments of Microsoft 365 Community Conference come to a close, Heather Cook and Karuana Gatimu invite the community to pause, reflect, and look forward together. This Community Closer keynote connects the breakthroughs, conversations, and shared experiences of the week into a bigger story—one about people, purpose, and progress. Together, they’ll explore how community transforms technology into impact, how advocates and builders shape what’s next across Microsoft 365, and why this moment matters more than ever. More than a recap, this session is a call to action—challenging attendees to take the energy of the conference back to their teams, regions, and communities, and turn inspiration into sustained momentum. You’ll leave not just with ideas, but with clarity, confidence, and a renewed sense of belonging—because community doesn’t end when the conference does. It’s where the real work begins. More Than Keynotes: Why You’ll Want to Be in Orlando The M365 Community Conference brings together: 200+ sessions and breakouts 21 hands‑on workshops 200+ Microsoft engineers and product leaders onsite The Microsoft Innovation Hub Ask the Experts, Meet & Greets, and Community Studio Women in Tech & Allies Luncheon SharePoint’s 25th Anniversary Celebration And an epic attendee party at Universal’s Islands of Adventure Whether you create, deploy, secure, govern, design, or lead with Microsoft 365 — this is your community, and this is your moment. Join Us for the Microsoft 365 Community Conference April 21–23, 2026 Loews Sapphire Falls & Loews Royal Pacific 👉 Register now: https://aka.ms/M365Con26 Use the SAVE150 code for $150USD off current pricing Come be part of the global community building the future of intelligent work.
Has Your Organization Set Up a Viva Engage Community for Microsoft 365 Collaboration?
Hi everyone! As a trainer, I often get great questions during my Microsoft 365 sessions. While I share answers live, only the attendees benefit—leaving many others without that valuable info. I’ve already set up a Microsoft Learning Pathways SharePoint site as a resource, but I’m exploring ways to extend knowledge-sharing beyond the classroom.Has anyone created or participated in a Viva Engage community to share tips, answer questions, and collaborate around daily Microsoft 365 tools? I’d love to hear about your experiences, best practices, or ideas on how to maximize impact and reach across your organizations. Thanks in advance for sharing! Let’s empower everyone to get more from Microsoft 365.😃
Can't add Viva Engage community calendar to Outlook
We would like to experiment with using the SharePoint Online Web part that allows you to display a group calendar on a SharePoint Online page. Our idea is to use a Viva Engage community as a means to create that group calendar so that the features of a community can also be used for this scenario. I assumed that it worked similarly to Microsoft Teams whereas along as the "HiddenFromExchangeClientsEnabled" property is FALSE for the connected group, that either all community admins/members would see the group calendar show up in Outlook automatically OR you could manually add the calendar in your calendar lists in Outlook. Neither seem to be the case. What's interesting about the group that connects to a Viva Engage community is the ""HiddenFromExchangeClientsEnabled" property is FALSE by default. However, the group calendar does not appear in Outlook. As a community admin, I tried to manually add the calendar and I get an error message "Couldn't add [group]. You may not have permissions". Does anyone know why I'm running into that error and/or why the group mailbox is not showing up in Outlook by default since the property states that it is not hidden? Is it not possible to view Viva Engage group calendars in Outlook? Thanks!Elevating Employee Experience with Microsoft Viva Insights
In today’s hybrid and remote work environments, employee experience (EX) is no longer a “nice to have”—it’s a strategic imperative. Microsoft Viva Insights is one of the tools designed to help leaders, managers, and employees themselves understand work patterns, well‐being signals, and productivity, in order to create healthier, more engaged, and higher performing teams. Here’s how Viva Insights can elevate EX, what to watch out for, and how to put it into practice. https://dellenny.com/elevating-employee-experience-with-microsoft-viva-insights/How to Migrate from Facebook Workplace to Microsoft Viva
As businesses evolve, the need for a more integrated, secure, and Ahttps://dellenny.com/how-to-migrate-from-facebook-workplace-to-microsoft-viva/I-powered digital workplace grows. Many organizations that initially adopted Facebook Workplace are now considering Microsoft Viva, a modern employee experience platform designed to work seamlessly within Microsoft 365. If you’re planning to migrate from Facebook Workplace to Microsoft Viva, this guide will help you navigate the process smoothly.Unlocking Employee Potential A Complete Guide to Microsoft Viva Suite
In today’s digital-first workplace, employee engagement, well-being, and continuous learning are just as important as productivity. Microsoft Viva, an integrated employee experience platform within Microsoft 365, empowers organizations to connect, engage, and grow their teams seamlessly. Whether you’re a business leader, HR professional, or IT manager, the Viva suite offers tools to transform how your workforce collaborates and thrives. Let’s dive into its features, benefits, and how you can start using it effectively. https://dellenny.com/unlocking-employee-potential-a-complete-guide-to-microsoft-viva-suite/Unlocking Employee Engagement with Microsoft Viva Glint
In today’s fast-paced work environment, organizations must continuously gauge and improve employee engagement to retain top talent and drive productivity. Microsoft Viva Glint, a recent addition to the Microsoft Viva suite, provides organizations with real-time employee feedback, enabling data-driven decisions that enhance workplace culture and performance. In this blog, we’ll explore how Viva Glint works, its key benefits, and why it’s a game-changer for businesses. https://dellenny.com/unlocking-employee-engagement-with-microsoft-viva-glint/Driving adoption and measuring impact with the Microsoft 365 Copilot Dashboard
Since 2023, nearly 70% of Fortune 500 companies have integrated Microsoft 365 Copilot’s advanced AI into their daily workflows, unlocking new efficiencies and streamlining collaboration—and they’re seeing measurable business impact. For example, Vodafone discovered employees who use Copilot save an average of 3 hours per week, reclaiming 10% of their workweek. Lumen Technologies estimates that using Copilot will help their sales teams save $50 million per year. These are game-changing outcomes. But how do these companies know their numbers are accurate? And how did they achieve them? The key to maximizing the value of AI-driven productivity tools is more than simply licensing your end users and waiting for them to make the most of it. In fact, the key lies in measuring its impact. To drive meaningful adoption and maximize ROI with Microsoft 365 Copilot, organizational leaders need clear visibility into how their workforces are using it. This means understanding: Who’s adopting AI with Copilot. How effectively is Copilot supporting workflows. What measurable productivity gains are users achieving. In this article, business leaders and IT can learn more about the Microsoft 365 Copilot dashboard, including its key features and core metrics. We'll also go over IT's tasks for configuring the dashboard and granting access to business leaders so they can analyze Copilot usage patterns themselves, refine their Copilot engagement strategies, and help drive productivity gains in their teams and throughout the organization. What is the Copilot Dashboard? The Microsoft Copilot Dashboard is a tool in Viva Insights that helps IT, business leaders, change managers, and other non-technical stakeholders track usage of Microsoft 365 Copilot with practical insights they can use to: Prepare users to work effectively with AI Drive Copilot adoption across teams Measure impact on workplace behavior Key features and core metrics of the Copilot Dashboard With a Viva Insights license, your unlock advanced dashboard features, including: Comprehensive Metrics A 28-day aggregated view of Copilot usage, adoption, readiness, and impact, to help you understand engagement and Copilot business value. Readiness tracking Based on Microsoft 365 app usage patterns, these metrics can help you identify which teams are ready to adopt AI into their daily workflows and which may need additional support, training or upskilling. Adoption insights With adoption insights, dashboard users can track active Copilot usage patterns within each Microsoft 365 app to measure how effectively teams are integrating Copilot into workflows. They can also pinpoint areas where Copilot users may need training or support to maximize productivity. By default, the dashboard’s Adoption trendline shows the prior six-month trend for all users in the organization. You can adjust filters at the top of the page for specific groups. Impact analysis This insight allows you to analyze how often employees in your organization use Copilot during a specified time period. Leaders can also measure productivity gains through metrics like meeting efficiency, email usage, and document collaboration. Advanced tools, such as before-and-after behavioral data and employee surveys, can reveal early and even deeper insights into Copilot’s organizational impact. Learning opportunities Use qualitative feedback data from Copilot impact pulse surveys to identify Copilot satisfaction levels, challenges, and areas for improvement. For example, you can compare high-adoption teams with low-adoption ones to uncover training or awareness gaps. Managing the Copilot Dashboard: Key admin responsibilities Global admins play a critical role in configuring and managing the Copilot Dashboard. Their roles include: Setting up and configuring the Copilot Dashboard. Granting access and supporting business stakeholders. Integrating data. 1. Setting up and configuring the Microsoft 365 Copilot Dashboard Global IT admins are responsible for setting up and configuring the Copilot Dashboard to align with organizational goals and requirements. This includes managing settings and turning features on and off as needed. 2. Granting access and supporting business stakeholders Admins, you'll also need to assign permissions to specific leaders, stakeholders, or groups through the Microsoft 365 admin center or PowerShell. Make sure stakeholders in different roles have the correct permissions. You'll also play a critical role in supporting and troubleshooting issues that users might encounter, such as technical problems and related assistance. Who should have access to the Copilot Dashboard? Business leaders You can view engagement and adoption metrics directly and make informed decisions about how best to guide users on adopting Copilot. Department heads You'll want to monitor how your teams are using Copilot and identify areas for improvement. IT managers You'll need to oversee the technical aspects of Copilot deployment and ensure smooth operations. HR Managers Track employee sentiment and impact metrics for workforce planning and development. How do admins grant access to the Copilot Dashboard? You can delegate and manage access for individuals or groups to the dashboard in two different ways: 1. The Microsoft 365 admin center Access the Copilot Dashboard here or Sign in to Microsoft 365 admin center Navigate to the Settings tab Select Setup Go to the Copilot Dashboard to Manage access settings. From there you can search for and select users to grant or revoke access. Manage access for groups by selecting the Groups option, searching for Entra ID groups, and adding or removing users as needed. 2. PowerShell Viva Insights admins can delegate access to organizational insights and the Copilot Dashboard using PowerShell. Set policies to enable or disable access to the dashboard at the tenant level using PowerShell cmdlets. This method gives you more granular control. Use it to manage access for larger groups or the entire organization. Note: You can only delegate access to users with a Viva Insights license. Viva Insights is available as part of the Microsoft Viva Suite or as a standalone add-on to Microsoft 365 enterprise plans. How do business stakeholders access the Copilot Dashboard? Business stakeholders, you can access the Microsoft 365 Copilot Dashboard through your Teams Viva Insights app. 3. Integrating organizational data into the dashboard Admins will upload organizational data directly through the admin center and configure it for analysis. If both the Viva Insights admin and the Global admin upload data, the dashboard will merge these uploads and display insights based on the most recent data. Empowering business stakeholders with insights they can act on Microsoft 365 Copilot is transforming productivity, and metrics powered by Viva Insights are proving its impact to the world. Access the Copilot Dashboard today for yourself and unlock Copilot’s full potential for driving organizational success. Learn more For more information on connecting to the Copilot Dashboard for Microsoft 365 customers, watch our recent video, AI Transformation: Maximize the value of Copilot with Copilot Dashboard and check out our article: Connect to the Microsoft Copilot Dashboard for Microsoft 365 customers | Microsoft Learn. Need more assistance? FastTrack is here to help! FastTrack is available to support customers with eligible licenses. Request assistance from FastTrack today or contact your assigned FastTrack Architect (FTA).
