Microsoft Ignite 2016 is over and the 2017 conference is already announced. Time for me to write a short review about my week in Atlanta and why you should attend next years conference.
Microsoft Ignite, a technology conference full of information – and more
As there are no other conferences such as Tech Ed Europe or Exchange Conference anymore and as there is no Ignite conference in Europe your only option to stay current and to get the most recent information is to attend Microsoft’s Ignite conference in the USA. The benefit you get is the possibility to connect with Microsoft’s product groups and lead technologists and to gain information about latest technologies and what’s coming next. A little chat with Patch and Switch on Monday morning, to meet Alex Simons in a hotel lobby while having a beer in the evening or to come across Julia White while walking through Atlanta – these are only a few of the impressive moments you will only get there. And a little selfie is possible, too 😉
I used the most of the five days to connect with technologists and to get answers I was looking for. There was time for Ignite Studio sessions as well as getting hands-on experience on newest technologies. In the Hang Out area, the zone with a 3,500 square feet big video wall, there were eight parallel technology sessions streamed all day long.
So you didn’t have to walk from one building to another just to get to your conference rooms. And although I attended to many sessions there at hangout I walked between 10 and 15 kilometers every day! So Microsoft’s advice in advance (“make sure to wear comfortable shoes”) was absolutely suitable. And as you were not able to watch or attend all sessions you wanted to you can now watch 700+ sessions on demand on https://myignite.microsoft.com/videos.
About the cons
There are no real cons as all of this absolutely was a huge experience. But as I’ve mentioned in one of my previous posts it was very cold inside the conference center. And as breakfast and lunch did not really differ from one day to the next many attendees decided to eat something warm in CNN center’s food court or elsewhere in town. But logistically seen the challenge was met very well. There were no long queues to the buffets and no-one had to stand in line to get coffee, drinks or a meal. Really outstanding was the possibility to grab a lunch box and sit out on the terrace to enjoy sun, live music and to connect with peers.
What about next year?
Against some rumors that there won’t be another Microsoft Ignite conference in 2017, next year’s conference will take place in Orlando/Florida from September, 25-29. You can save your spot today and Pre-register for Microsoft Ignite 2017. Starting early March 2017 you will then be able to complete your full registration. I’m looking forward to next year’s conference and I hope that we will be able to schedule a German IT community meet up onsite in Orlando. Stay tuned for news about this.
Bye for now,
Tom
Azure and beyond 