This post reviews the Microsoft Ignite 2022 conference and brings the experience of Alon Fliess - Microsoft Regional Manager and Azure MVP. You are welcome to add your comments, post your images from the conference, and brings your insights.
Alon Fliess - Ignite 2022 Experience
It’s back, the excitement of a big in-person event! As a Microsoft Regional Director, I was invited to participate in the Ignite and, on a special single day, RD-Connect, an under-NDA event. I could not say no to the invitation. After three years of online events, I finally had the chance to meet my fellow RDs and Microsoft management members. The RD-Connect event was held in the Microsoft Reactor at the Microsoft Campus in Redmond. We got information about what is coming in the near and far future and provided our insights and feedback. The day was well organized, and the hospitality was excellent. You could feel the excitement of having this event in the Redmond Campus. It was like an RD summit. I am sorry I can’t share the information from this event. But I can say that Microsoft learned a lot from the challenges of the last couple of years and that they always think about how technology can help in the current and future global challenges that the world is facing. An important aspect that I can share is that the product teams and Microsoft management are aware of all the annoying things and problems with the current status of products such as Office, Windows, Azure, and Teams, and they are working hard to solve those issues. The approach is to ship fast, get feedback and fix the problems rather than wait several years and ship late.
Redmond Reactor ☝
The next day, I attended Microsoft Ignite, held at the Seattle Conference Center. When compared to pre-Covid19 conferences, it is similar but slightly different. We, humans, need face-to-face interactions, and until the metaverse is mature, we need to be in the same place. The current solution is to go hybrid; in this Ignite, the hybrid approach can be seen everywhere. Yes, big-room lectures are still streamed to the net, but the interactions are both ways, with open channels for comments and questions. Even the local participants use the online channel to ask questions and participate in the chat. One of the advantages is that if you are late to the lecture, you can use your mobile phone to watch the stream until you enter the room.
The keynotes and core team presentations are more of a truly hybrid event. The stage is in the middle of a vast open area, and people are standing around. Some look at the stage; others look at the large TV screens. Sometimes they can see themselves on the TV when the camera is pointing at the crowd. Some of the action takes place on the stage in real-time, such as the conversation with Scott Guthrie. Others are playing from a recorded video.
On the one hand, I thought I had to fly from Israel to Seattle to experience viewing a recorded video –I wanted a live performance. On the other hand, a pre-recorded session is much more precise, short, and professional. I thought that the combination of the two approaches and the running online comments from the audience made the event a true hybrid.
There are five different colored areas and many smaller locations that you can hop on to listen to an expert about various subjects. Unfortunately, not all of this content is streamed online.
You can meet and chat with other participants in many sitting areas. In addition, there are hands-on experience rooms with Microsoft partners, and there is a show of 10 years for the Microsoft Surface with the Surface engineering team answering questions.
So, should you come to the next Ignite or enjoy the online experience? Being in the venue is a different experience. You get to meet the people and talk with them. You can participate in guided hand-on-labs. You get to see demos and shows, such as the 10-year celebration for the Surface PC line, and you can sit in the breakout sessions. But, of course, you don’t need to come to get the knowledge; you can watch online and read the book-of-news (https://news.microsoft.com/ignite-2022-book-of-news/). But experiencing the event in person is a different story.
@Alon Fliess ,
Microsoft Regional Director and Azure MVP,
Chief Architect of CodeValue and the CTO of Zionet.
Do you want to post your review? You can contact Ronen Ariely (Facebook or linkedin), @Kamlesh Kumar or @CarinaMClaesson.
