Microsoft Ignite 2024 – The Story

In my previous post, I covered Microsoft Ignite highlights. What about the story behind? What brought me to Ignite in-person? How was it? This is my Ignite story and it’s all about Ignite beyond the technical parts. This story combines shared passion for technology, an inspiring dedication level and excitement for attending in-person. Add to that sightseeing and a bit of adventure.

Apparently I had a lot to say, so this became a series of posts. Perhaps it’s a story mostly for me to remember a great week in the past as memories fade. Perhaps it inspires someone to be as speaker, lab proctor or attendee in the future. To seize an opportunity as it appears. This first part focuses on different type of sessions.

Full series
Microsoft Ignite 2024 – The Story
Microsoft Ignite 2024 – The Lab Experience
Microsoft Ignite 2024 – Beyond the Highlights
Microsoft Ignite 2024 – The Chicago Adventure

Also see the Microsoft Ignite 2024 – Highlights post, Power Platform and related.

Introducing event tips

Before we get to the story, I want to start with general event tips. For future me attending Microsoft Ignite, or future anyone attending an event of this scale. You’ll see more tips throughout this series. More general than just about events:

• Stay curious (or miss learning possibilities)
• Seize opportunities (or gone forever)

To get the most out of the Microsoft Ignite experience—plan ahead!

• Get your badge early (or lines are long)
• Get backpack first (or they’re gone, refilled later hopefully)
• Take notes and/or photos (or forget)
• Bring your own snacks/fruit/bars (or get grumpy)
• Stay at or close to a Microsoft featured hotel (or miss bus shuttles)

Background

Microsoft Ignite is one of the yearly Microsoft events I always have on my radar. It’s interesting to see how new features are presented and to hear about future roadmaps. I’ve never experienced Ignite in-person before, but when an opportunity appeared, I didn’t hesitate to seize it. That’s how I found myself in Chicago as a lab proctor.

To give you a bit of perspective – I’ve watched Ignite virtually from home in the past. Gaining an understanding of the directions we are moving towards. Summarizing highlights, even told other people’s stories from attending in-person.

Being excited at home waiting for the keynote to start is one thing. Being in Chicago, knowing you could be in the keynote room when the shows start – an adventure on its own!

Microsoft Ignite Keynote

It’s something special with the excitement before it all begins. All fun ahead of us! How to best prepare for keynote:

• Check event website for keynote viewing options (or miss your preferred way)
• Get to keynote early (or miss the live experience)
• Don’t get to keynote too early (or be tired)
• Eat breakfast before arriving if not included (or be grumpy)
• Read the Ignite e-mails (or miss possible prio lines)

On the event website one could read about three in-person keynote experiences. Let me put it like this – I did NOT want to miss keynote live. How nice as it sounded with a dedicated room for pre-keynote chat and snacks, I had NOT traveled all the way to Chicago to watch it virtually!

I admit, I was there a bit too early. I did not even have patience to wait for the official shuttle busses to start driving. The snacks/fruit table had not even opened when I arrived at McCormick Place. Hello, anyone here yet?

On the positive side, I had fun watching the event personnel preparing for welcoming 14 000 people (according to the Microsoft Ignite Book of News) to keynote. MVPs had a (limited) priority line. After I had observed the preparations for some time, fellow MVPs started to arrive and we finally got a good spot for attending keynote!

Diversity in sessions

There were many different sessions to choose from and one thing I really liked was the variation in type of sessions. From the almighty keynote, to live streamed and recorded breakout sessions to the smaller theater sessions (in-Chicago only) and even to lab sessions (in-Chicago only), in which you could get hands-on with the latest and the greatest. Prepare for attending sessions like a pro:

• Study the session catalog (or miss goodies)
• Search speaker directory for well known names (or miss out)
• Continuously learn well known names (or be in speaker directory)
• Use filter & search to find sessions (or scroll among hundreds)
• Search on specific product areas (or miss out)
• Prioritize in-person sessions (or gone forever)
• Utilize the session planner (or be about what’s next)
• Study venue map if available (or get lost)
• Locate next session room early (or run)
• Get over your inner “time optimist” (or be late)

After attending a session, remember to:

• Give session feedback (or no improvements)

Breakout sessions

The larger format session, giving keynote feelings, but more deep-dive into what’s new. Knowing I could watch most of the breakout sessions later, I prioritized the in-Chicago only, theater sessions, when suitable. To breakout or not to breakout – that’s the question.

• Be on time for your favorites (or might be full)
• Check beforehand if available on-demand (or miss out)
• Consider prioritizing networking (or miss connections)
• Don’t attend ALL within same technical area (or get same info)
• Attend some within same technical area (or miss info from different angles)

Below is a mix of sessions highlighting Power Apps – Start with a Plan, new OOB agents in model-driven apps, agent from app, the new PPAC & concepts Managed Operations and Managed Security and Autonomous Agents.

Theater sessions

Some fellow MVPs held theater sessions and representatives from the product groups did too. Even though a shorter session type, many were packed with great info. Be there and be supportive!

• Know the speakers? Be there (it’s extra fun!)
• Don’t know the speakers? Be supportive (or don’t assume it back)
• Stay and talk to the speakers (or miss connections)
• Don’t think short sessions equals no learning (or miss out)

April Dunnam gave an intro to Power Apps test tools. From building sand castles to robust buildings she showed the importance of proper tests and tooling as your solutions grow. Great intro! Don’t miss her a YouTube channel.

Carl Cookson taught us about CoE Starter Kit, Power Platform CLI and the new PPAC.

Emma Cooper and Jessica Lo started with a plan, which we will too in the future.

Dileep Singh went through securing Power Pages Portals.

Zohar Raz showed us glimpses and favorite features in the new PPAC.

Jocelyn Panchal and Scott Magee enlightened us about what can go wrong if you don’t utilize the platform built-in safeguards, showcased Purview Dataverse, the Security Hub and more.

A bit sad I missed fellow MVP EY’s session.

What to do differently next time?

Note to myself on a general level for future events, what I should think of.

• Prepare more questions for the product groups (or miss the opportunity)
• Prepare more feedback for the product groups (or don’t complain)
• Attend more labs (or miss learning possibilities)
• Stay up a little longer (or miss out)
• Sleep longer on keynote day (or get tired)

About the post-Ignite Blues

One month has passed and a part of me still goes back to visit Chicago. The post-Ignite blues. Part of you sad the fun came to an end, part of you grateful for new insights and people you met along the way.

This was my first Microsoft Ignite in-person experience and hopefully not the last. The best parts? The people and networking possibilities. Also to be there as part of a lab group added extra value to the whole experience. Now time to look forward to MVP Summit 2025! See you in Seattle in March?!

Blinking Expert sign oh, and we got to keep it and bring it home

This was the first post in a series of posts about my Ignite experience. Next up is the about the third type of sessions – lab sessions! You’ll find it here! Thanks for reading!

Original Post https://carinaclaesson.com/2024/12/16/microsoft-ignite-2024-the-story/