Monday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM · Room 345-346

Power BI Bootcamp for SharePoint Professionals

NOTE: YOU WILL NEED A COMPUTER WITH THE LATEST VERSION OF POWER BI DESKTOP INSTALLED PRIOR TO WORKSHOP TIME. THIS IS A HANDS ON BOOTCAMP.

Need to create stunning dashboards from your SharePoint data?

Yes, you do!

In this bootcamp, we’ll show you: • How should I approach my BI need? • What things should be considered when creating dashboards? • What are the best practices? • How much is this going to cost me to license? • What security aspects should concern me?

Who should take this course: If your company uses Office 365 or SharePoint 2013/2016 and you are a: • Manager • Business Analyst • Power User • SharePoint Administrator • Consultant

If you work in these areas, you will see value: • Marketing • Information Technology • Finance • Sales • Social Media

The class assumes no prior knowledge of Power BI and Data Concepts.

What is required for this class: Install Microsoft Power BI Desktop on your laptop We'll provide an Office 365 site for you to use for exercises

In this workshop you will: • Learn how to create Production Dashboards using Power BI, from SharePoint list and document library data • How to use Power BI in a multitude of situations, including ad hoc analysis and the creation of formal dashboard. • Learn the Power BI components: Power BI Desktop, PowerBI.com, Power BI mobile applications and how they can be used with Office 365 and SharePoint • Receive an introduction into the core functions of Power BI; Data extraction, loading and transformation using Power Query Formula Language (“M”) and DAX. • Receive some guidelines on how to extract Project data in fast manner. • Discover some data modeling practices that will ensure you have maximum flexibility in analysis. You'll also learn some visualization best practices to ensure you can tell your digital story effectively • Learn best practices for maintaining content with your organization

This workshop provides an end-to-end view of Power BI for SharePoint reporting, so that you are able to use Power BI immediately for your needs.

Monday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM · Room 435-436

SharePoint: Zero to Hero

If you are new to SharePoint, this is your workshop. We will start at the beginning with, “What is this thing you call SharePoint?” and then go step-by-step to “Now I can build basic business solutions.” Everything we do during this session will be in SharePoint Online, but also works for On-Premises environments. No Code.

Here’s what we will cover:  1.            What is SharePoint 2.            Getting around SharePoint 3.            How to build and use a solution for your business needs 4.            Discover what metadata is and how it can help 5.            How to make sure the right people have the right access to the right things at the right time 6.            Create a one-stop-shop with a custom page

At the end of this workshop, you will have the information needed to create simple solutions using the tools provided by SharePoint without waiting for IT to build it for you. Buckle up. We’ve got a lot to cover.

Tuesday 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM · Room 435-436

RPA Unleashed: Automating Mundane Tasks to Reclaim Your Time

Ready to free up your schedule and focus on what truly matters? Join Daniel Christian, a Microsoft MVP and certified training for RPA Unleashed, where you'll master the art of automating everyday tasks using cutting-edge tools. This workshop explores essential strategies for streamlining workflows, including: • Automating repetitive daily activities to save time and reduce errors. • Seamlessly integrating cloud and desktop tools for unified operations. • Effectively managing authentication credentials for secure automations. • Enhancing logging practices for robust tracking and troubleshooting. • Setting up enterprise-level automations with best-in-class requirements. • Unlocking the full potential of Copilot features for advanced automation. Whether you're just starting out or aiming to scale your efforts to an enterprise level, this workshop equips you with the knowledge and tools to unleash the full potential of RPA in your organization.

Wednesday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 421-422

5 Immediate Things You Can Do To Increase Microsoft 365 and Power Platform User Adoption

Struggling to get users fully engaged with your Microsoft 365 and Power Platform implementations? This session is your solution.

Discover 5 things to immediately boost adoption and usage of your Microsoft 365 and Power Platform environments by up to 3X. Learn from real-world strategies used by leading organizations worldwide to maximize their investment and drive true user engagement. If you want to see tangible results, don’t miss this session.

Wednesday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 435-436

Unlock the value of Copilot Studio Autonomous Features to Simplify Mundane Tasks

In this session, discover how the latest autonomous agents in Copilot Studio are revolutionizing team productivity by leveraging AI generative knowledge to automate and streamline everyday tasks. These powerful tools can significantly reduce manual work, allowing your team to focus on higher-value activities. Learn how to scale your operations with these intelligent features that make routine tasks effortless and efficient. By the end of the session, you'll have actionable insights into how to integrate these autonomous agents into your workflow and unlock unprecedented value for your team.

Key takeaways include:

• Why this feature is different than cloud flows.
• How to build and enhance an autonomous agent.
• How Generative AI orchestrates the workflow.

Wednesday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 442

I've Got Microsoft Purview!... Now What?

When Microsoft Purview is discussed with organizations, it is usually in the context of Information Protection or Records Management. Sometimes, both are known as being part of Purview. But in reality, Microsoft Purview is so much more than just either of these features. Purview is a suite within the Microsoft 365 platform and provides several services to organizations that understand the power of the toolset.

Join David as he highlights, defines, and describes the many features of Microsoft Purview. You'll come away with a working knowledge of Purview and it's many parts. He'll explain the intended use of each feature and provide you with the knowledge you need to answer the question, now what?

Wednesday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 447-448

Getting Started with M365 Copilot

Dive into the future of productivity with this exciting session on Getting Started with M365 Copilot! This is designed to introduce you to the innovative features of Microsoft 365 Copilot, transforming the way you work and collaborate.

In this session, you'll discover how M365 Copilot can assist you in drafting emails, generating reports, and summarizing documents with ease. Learn how Copilot Chat can enhance your communication by providing real-time assistance, answering queries, and offering intelligent suggestions during your conversations.

During this session, you'll: • Explore the key functionalities of M365 Copilot and Copilot Chat. • See live demonstrations of how these tools can streamline your daily tasks. • Gain insights from experts on maximizing your productivity with these features.

Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to Microsoft 365, this session will equip you with the knowledge and skills to leverage these powerful tools effectively. Don't miss out on the opportunity to revolutionize your workflow and boost your efficiency!

Wednesday 11:40 AM - 12:50 PM · Room 440-441

What are Power BI Metrics?

In this session, you'll learn about Power BI Metrics and how they can be used in your organization to track the metrics that matter to you.

You'll learn about:

1. Scorecards
2. Goals
3. Check-ins
4. Target and Current values

Wednesday 11:40 AM - 12:50 PM · Room 443-444

Upgrade your Company Operating System with Microsoft Viva

A “Company Operating System” (“CoS”) provides a management framework and a leadership culture to optimize information sharing, goal setting, and decision making through the leadership of your organization or division. In this session, we’ll teach you why you need a Company OS, how to “upgrade,” what to expect and how to run one. We’ll also show you how you can use Microsoft Viva to drive more efficient communication and goal setting from weekly status meetings through to annual planning and beyond.

Wednesday 1:30 PM - 1:50 PM · Collab Studio

Save IT resources with email signature & branding automation

How to set up email signatures for an entire company? Sounds like an easy task: just send a signature template to your users and ask them to add it in their Outlook, mobile devices, etc. Done! Well... not really. In reality, you will end up with just a couple of signatures set up correctly and hours spent by your IT Team to fix the remaining ones. The cycle repeats when your company’s signature needs to be updated. With 120k+ customers worldwide (including Facebook, Samsung or UNICEF) and over 16 years on the market, we know that managing email signatures is actually a huge problem for many organizations.

Emails are still #1 communication channel in business: the average person sends 40 emails per day and spends 28% of their working time on emails. So, having a professional, fully branded email signature across all devices and email apps is also a straightforward way to increase brand awareness.

During this session, we will show you how you can easily automate email signatures and branding in a Microsoft 365 organization with CodeTwo, and unlock new marketing opportunities offered by email signatures. Find out how one person can set up signatures for everyone in your organization within just minutes, saving you both time and resources.

We will also cover the following: • Integrating email signatures with Entra ID (Azure AD) • Setting up different signatures for different teams or email recipients, or for internal and external communication • Delegating emails signature management task non-IT teams like Marketing • Automating email marketing campaigns & customer feedback collection • Central management of automatic replies and out-of-office messages, and more.

Wednesday 2:00 PM - 3:10 PM · Room 445-446

Running a High-Performing Service Desk: Structure, Automation and Documentation

A successful service desk depends on the right structure, automation and documentation to ensure efficiency and consistency. This session explores best practices for organizing service desk operations, including queue management, ticket categorization, issue tracking and standardized templates. Attendees will learn how to streamline workflows, reduce inefficiencies and create a scalable support framework that enhances both technician productivity and end-user experience.

Key Takeaways: • How to structure a service desk for efficiency, including queues, ticket categories and issue types. • Best practices for IT documentation to improve knowledge sharing and reduce errors. • The role of automation in enhancing ticket routing, escalation and response times. • Strategies for optimizing workflows to boost technician productivity and service consistency. • How to build a scalable, adaptable service desk that meets evolving IT and business needs.

Wednesday 4:00 PM - 5:10 PM · Room 442

Is Your IA Ready for AI?

You're ready for Copilot and the advances AI will bring to your organization but... Is your IA ready for AI?

This session will give you guidance on preparing your Microsoft 365 information architecture for the power of Copilot!

We'll uncover essential strategies and best practices to ensure your tenant is secure, organized, and primed for seamless adoption. Don’t miss this opportunity to avoid common pitfalls like oversharing and AI hallucination.

Key Takeaways: Content Readiness: Strategies to organize and optimize content for Copilot's advanced AI capabilities. Tenant Preparation: Insight into crucial settings and defaults for smooth Copilot deployment. Empowering Teams: Equip your leaders and IT teams with insights for effective Copilot integration.

Wednesday 4:00 PM - 5:10 PM · Room 447-448

Azure-centric, Cyber Resiliency, and Protection for Microsoft 365, Server, and Endpoints

Strengthening your Microsoft 365 cyber-resiliency through reliable data protection is crucial. Learn how to enable zero and low-cost storage for protection, recovery, archiving, compliance, and content search. In this session, we will feature live demonstrations with Azure, including:

• Granular, release independent restores for Microsoft 365 apps and file data surrounding Microsoft 365
• How to use Microsoft OneDrive as an innovative, smart, free and secure storage target
• The options and benefits of public and private cloud storage
• How to enable a full turnkey data protection SaaS solution
• The easy way to search across data within Microsoft 365 for E-discovery and compliance
• Smart, tiered archiving for legacy data within Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and Exchange
• How to meet compliance and data sovereignty requirements

Thursday 9:50 AM - 10:10 AM · Solution Stage

IT Success Story: How a Small IT Team Cut Ticket Resolution Time in Half With Smart Documentation

Discover how Appalachia Technologies, a managed service provider (MSP) with a small but nimble IT team of just five people, transformed their service delivery approach by embracing a documentation-first mindset. By weaving AI-driven IT documentation into their daily operations, they were able to reduce response and resolution times by 50% and reclaimed over 160 hours annually, utilizing an automated password rotation solution.

In this session, we’ll walk through their real-world playbook, from how they structured their documentation to the habits and workflows that helped drive efficiency, consistency and visibility across the team.

Whether you're just getting started with IT documentation or looking to refine your approach, this session will equip you with practical strategies to optimize efficiency and maximize the impact of documentation in your IT operations.

Thursday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 421-422

20 Microsoft 365 Productivity Tips You Need To Know

In this engaging, informative, and rapid-fire session you will learn about 20 different Microsoft 365 productivity tips, with a focus on both personal and team productivity.

This session offers a light-hearted yet impactful exploration of practical tips and strategies to streamline your daily work. Covering many aspects of the Office and Microsoft 365 platform, attendees will walk away with actionable insights that you can immediately apply to boost your productivity.

Expect a fun, interactive experience with audience participation, where you'll walk away with two or three powerful tips that could transform how you work. Whether you’re looking to save time or improve team collaboration, this session will be packed with valuable takeaways.

Thursday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 443-444

Build Intelligent Applications with AI and Power Platform

Effective solutions begin with a deep understanding of the problem and a clear gathering of requirements before development begins. Join Daniel Christian, a Microsoft MVP and certified training and he will walk you through the journey of transforming user needs into intelligent, AI-driven solutions using the Power Platform.

Key takeaways include:

• Plan Designer: Learn to structure your project by mapping out clear steps and visualizing workflows aligned with business objectives.
• Dataverse Tables: Discover how to create a robust, scalable data model that serves as the foundation of your application.
• Canvas Apps: Master the art of building intuitive, user-focused interfaces that blend creativity with functionality.

By the session's end, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge to design and deliver AI-powered solutions that tackle real-world challenges.

Thursday 1:20 PM - 1:40 PM · Collab Studio

Securing Microsoft 365 Data: Effective Strategies to Reduce Risk

Microsoft 365 contains intellectual property critical to business function and innovation. This data is at risk for loss and corruption due to many factors, including accidental deletion and malicious actors. To effectively mitigate risk to this data, you need a layered approach with both native and integrated tools that also meet business objectives. This session will explore the different tools and help answer the most frequently asked questions.

Thursday 4:00 PM - 5:10 PM · Room 432

Deploying M365 to Solve Business Problems

Microsoft 365, including Copilot, Teams, SharePoint, Exchange, and more, offers a full suite of tools to solve business problems. But how do we know we're addressing the right problems? "Ship it and forget it" is no longer viable (if it ever was). We must define successful deployment, ensure solutions truly address business needs, and build trust with stakeholders.

This session will explore:

• Addressing Shadow IT consequences
• IT as a service framework
• Business engagement
• Holistic requirements gathering
• Defining success
• Embracing continuous improvement

Join Joy to learn how a Human First approach can maximize your tech skills and ensure effective M365 deployment.

Thursday 4:00 PM - 5:10 PM · Room 437-439

Get Real Time User Behavior Analytics of Your Microsoft 365 Users

Curious about what's really going on with your Microsoft 365 users? Skip the unreliable surveys and dive into real-time behavioral analytics with the free Microsoft Clarity.

This session will reveal how to harness the power of Clarity's free tools to boost digital adoption. You'll learn to identify popular pages, dead clicks, rage clicks, and more, transforming these insights into actionable improvements for user training and support. By the end, you'll be equipped to use heat maps, session recordings, and dashboard insights to pinpoint where users struggle, ensuring your governance and compliance measures are both effective and user-friendly.

Don’t miss this opportunity to revolutionize your user support strategy.

Friday 9:00 AM - 10:10 AM · Room 431

Bringing Intelligence to SharePoint with Custom Agents

In this session, Daniel Christian, a Microsoft MVP and certified trainer will explore how intelligent agents can supercharge your SharePoint experience. You will learn how to build a SharePoint Agent that can enhance productivity, and provide tailored user support. Then decide when a customized agent is the right choice to meet unique business needs and how to weigh the benefits and limitations of out-of-the-box solutions versus custom-built agents. Gain practical insights and best practices to make informed decisions that drive value for your organization. Whether you're new to intelligent agents or looking to elevate your SharePoint capabilities, this session has something for everyone!

Friday 9:00 AM - 10:10 AM · Room 435-436

Crafting Commands: Prompt Engineering Essentials for Copilot Success

Let's dive into the world of prompt engineering for Microsoft Copilot!

Search vs. AI: Understand how Copilot differs from traditional search. Prompt Crafting: Learn essential techniques for effective prompts. Hands-on Tips: Get practical advice for guiding Copilot's responses. Whether you're new to AI or looking to refine your skills, this session will equip you with the tools to harness Copilot's capabilities efficiently.

We'll explore why simply searching is no longer enough and how Copilot can provide more intelligent, context-aware responses.

Friday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 432

Teams First Information Architecture and Governance

When planning out or updating a Microsoft 365 implementation, SharePoint is still important, but it really needs to start with Teams, and then the underlying SharePoint structure for a big part flows out of that. It's not just answering planning questions, but also ensuring that everyone understands that Teams is much more than a meeting and chat platform.

Topics we'll cover in this session include:

Introducing a maturity model on how organizations leverage Teams, SharePoint, Email, and OneDrive Level setting on how they work together Understanding the differences between Standard, Private, and Shared Channels, and the underlying SharePoint site collections Where do standalone Communication and Team Sites fit into the Teams and SharePoint structure Guests versus B2B Direct Connect in Teams, and external sharing in SharePoint Open source scripts and Power BI dashboards to inventory and analyze your file shares, SharePoint on-premises, and SharePoint Online Answering the question - what does a Team and a Channel represent in my organization MindJet as a tool for planning your IA Commercial and open-source solutions for implementing your IA Real-world scenarios and case studies

Friday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 435-436

Reduce Dynamics 365 CRM and Model-Driven Power Apps Support Costs With Built-In Contextual Help

Tired of constant support requests from your Dynamics 365 CRM or Mode-Driven Power Apps users? Imagine giving them instant, in-app answers without disrupting their workflow. In this session, we’ll reveal how to harness Microsoft’s native context-sensitive help features to revolutionize user support.

Learn how to activate and customize built-in help panes, enabling users to find answers within 2 clicks and 10 seconds—the perfect recipe for boosting user adoption and stickiness.

Join us to explore the future of in-app support: faster, smarter, and more efficient. Say goodbye to support tickets and hello to a self-sufficient user base.

Friday 10:20 AM - 11:30 AM · Room 437-439

Navigating Communication Channels in Microsoft 365 for Meaningful Engagement

Microsoft 365 offers a suite of powerful tools to support communication including Viva Engage, Microsoft Teams, Viva Amplify, Viva Connections, and SharePoint Online which can transform how organizations communicate and collaborate. Navigating these channels to ensure the right message reaches the right audience at the right time requires strategic planning. Join this session to delve deep into the better practices for leveraging Microsoft 365 communication tools.

Backed by comprehensive user research, this session will provide actionable strategies for determining what-to-use-when, ensuring your messages are delivered through the most appropriate channels for your outcome objectives. We will explore the nuances of each tool, from the community-building strengths of Viva Engage to the collaborative power of Microsoft Teams, the broad reach of Viva Amplify, the seamless integration of Viva Connections, and more structured information management in SharePoint Online. We will address the critical aspect of managing responses and fostering ongoing engagement. Learn how to cultivate meaningful interactions and maintain productive communication flows within your organization.

Friday 12:30 PM - 1:40 PM · Room 445-446

How to Avoid AI Disasters: Copilot, Data Security, and Unintended Consequences

Say your company rushes in the coming months to implement a Copilot over their Intranet. An employee asks the Copilot, "How much does my co-worker make?" How will it answer?

This scenario becomes plausible as Copilot is connected to data sources for Q&A activities. If the data related to pay, layoffs, and other sensitive topics is accessible by the AI, it's possible that an employee could get an answer to their question. You should take great care before connecting it to your own internal data.

Unfortunately hearing GPT, AI and Machine Learning terms thrown about like doubloons at a Mardi Gras parade in the news is giving many organizations FOMO. We'll discuss what you should know before you jump in.

In this session, we'll address:

• What are these technologies and how they will impact you
• How can these technologies be used in your organization
• Data and security considerations
• Preparing for unintended consequences

Join us to learn about this brave new world and how you could apply it in your own work.

Friday 1:50 PM - 3:00 PM · Room 442

The Art of AI-Assisted Writing: Blending Technology with Human Creativity

In an era where artificial intelligence tools like Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, and the Project Sophia research tool (in preview) are redefining content creation, the challenge for information workers and communication professionals lies not in generating content, but in ensuring it remains compelling, accurate, and authentic.

This session targets managers, executives, and content creators, aiming to bridge the gap between AI capabilities and the nuanced touch of human interaction. We will delve into best practices for authoring outstanding content that leverages AI tools without losing the personal touch that connects with audiences. Attendees will learn how to use these AI technologies to produce strong, SEO-optimized (when needed) content while also exploring the unique strengths of Copilot in utilizing M365 content, with a special focus on integrating OneNote as a dynamic data source. Through practical advice and strategic insights, this session promises to equip professionals with the skills to navigate the AI content landscape effectively, blending technology with human creativity to craft messages that resonate deeply with their intended audiences.

Benefits of Attending This Session: • Strategic AI Utilization: Understand how to strategically leverage AI tools like Microsoft Copilot, Project Sophia, and ChatGPT in your content creation process, maximizing efficiency without compromising quality. • Enhanced Content Quality: Learn best practices for creating compelling, accurate, and engaging content that stands out, even in an AI-assisted world. • SEO Optimization Techniques: Acquire techniques for ensuring your content is not only reader-friendly but also optimized for search engines, increasing visibility and reach for external publications. • Leveraging M365 for Content Creation: Discover the advantages of using Microsoft 365 tools, particularly Copilot's integration with OneNote, to enrich your content with relevant, data-driven insights. • Human-AI Collaboration: Explore how to maintain the essential human touch in content authored with AI assistance, ensuring that your communications retain authenticity and emotional connection.

This session is designed for those looking to navigate the evolving landscape of AI-assisted content creation, offering insights into making the most of these powerful tools while keeping the content genuine and impactful. Whether you're drafting internal communications or creating content for the wider world, this talk will provide valuable strategies for elevating your writing in the AI-centric future.