Welcome to Microsoft Power Virtual Agents Community

Are you attending the Microsoft Power Platform Conference 2023 in Las Vegas? If so, we invite you to join us for the MPPC's Got Power Talent Show!      Our talent show is more than a show—it's a grand celebration of connection, inspiration, and shared journeys. Through stories, skills, and collective experiences, we come together to uplift, inspire, and revel in the magic of our community's diverse talents. This year, our talent event promises to be an unforgettable experience, echoing louder and brighter than anything you've seen before.    We're casting a wider net with three captivating categories:  Demo Technical Solutions: Show us your Power Platform innovations, be it apps, flows, chatbots, websites or dashboards... Storytelling: Share tales of your journey with Power Platform. Hidden Talents: Unveil your creative side—be it dancing, singing, rapping, poetry, or comedy. Let your talent shine!    Got That Special Spark? A Story That Demands to Be Heard? Your moment is now!  Sign up to Showcase Your Brilliance: https://aka.ms/MPPCGotPowerSignUp  Deadline for submissions: Thursday, Sept 28th    How It Works:  Submit this form to sign up: https://aka.ms/MPPCGotPowerSignUp  We'll contact you if you're selected. Get ready to be onstage!  The Spotlight is Yours: Each participant has 3-5 minutes to shine, with insightful commentary from our panel of judges. We’re not just giving you a stage; we’re handing you the platform to make your mark.     Be the Story We Tell: Your talents and narratives will not just entertain but inspire, serving as the bedrock for our community’s future stories and successes.    Celebration, Surprises, and Connections: As the curtain falls, the excitement continues! Await surprise awards and seize the chance to mingle with industry experts, Microsoft Power Platform leaders, and community luminaries. It's not just a show; it's an opportunity to forge connections and celebrate shared successes.    Event Details:  Date and Time: Wed Oct 4th, 6:30-9:00PM   Location: MPPC23 at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV, USA  

As the sun sets on the #SummerofSolutions Challenge, it's time to reflect and celebrate! The journey we embarked upon together was not just about providing answers – it was about fostering a sense of community, encouraging collaboration, and unlocking the true potential of the Power Platform tools.   From the initial announcement to the final week's push, the Summer of Solutions Challenge has been a whirlwind of engagement and growth. It was a call to action for every member of our Power Platform community, urging them to contribute their expertise, engage in discussions, and elevate collective knowledge across the community as part of the low-code revolution.   Reflecting on the Impact As the challenge ends, it's essential to reflect on the impact it’s had across our Power Platform communities: Community Resilience: The challenge demonstrated the resilience of our community. Despite geographical distances and diverse backgrounds, we came together to contribute, learn, and collaborate. This resilience is the cornerstone of our collective strength.Diverse Expertise: The solutions shared during the challenge underscore the incredible expertise within our community. From intricate technical insights to creative problem-solving, our members showcased their diverse skill sets, enhancing our community's depth.Shared Learning: Solutions spurred shared learning. They provided opportunities for members to grasp new concepts, expand their horizons, and uncover the Power Platform tools' untapped potential. This learning ripple effect will continue to shape our growth. Empowerment: Solutions empowered community members. They validated their knowledge, boosted their confidence, and highlighted their contributions. Each solution shared was a step towards personal and communal empowerment. We are proud and thankful as we conclude the Summer of Solutions Challenge. The challenge showed the potential of teamwork, the benefit of knowledge-sharing, and the resilience of our Power Platform community. The solutions offered by each member are more than just answers; they are the expression of our shared commitment to innovation, growth, and progress!       Drum roll, Please... And now, without further ado, it's time to announce the winners who have risen above the rest in the Summer of Solutions Challenge!   These are the top community users and Super Users who have not only earned recognition but have become beacons of inspiration for us all.   Power Apps Community:  Community User Winner: @SpongYe Super User Winner: Pending Acceptance Power Automate Community:  Community User Winner: @trice602 Super User Winner: @Expiscornovus  Power Virtual Agents Community: Community User Winner: Pending AcceptanceSuper User: Pending Acceptance Power Pages Community: Community User Winner: @OOlashyn Super User Winner: @ChristianAbata   We are also pleased to announced two additional tickets that we are awarding to the Overall Top Solution providers in the following communities:    Power Apps: @LaurensM   Power Automate: @ManishSolanki    Thank you for making this challenge a resounding success. Your participation has reaffirmed the strength of our community and the boundless potential that lies within each of us. Let's keep the spirit of collaboration alive as we continue on this incredible journey in Power Platform together.Winners, we will see you in Vegas! Every other amazing solutions superstar, we will see you in the Community!Congratulations, everyone!

    Ayonija Shatakshi, a seasoned senior consultant at Improving, Ohio, is a passionate advocate for M365, SharePoint, Power Platform, and Azure, recognizing how they synergize to deliver top-notch solutions. Recently, we asked Ayonija to share her journey as a user group leader, shedding light on her motivations and the benefits she's reaped from her community involvement.      Ayonija embarked on her role as a user group leader in December 2022, driven by a desire to explore how the community leveraged various Power Platform components. When she couldn't find a suitable local group, she decided to create one herself!    Speaking about the impact of the community on her professional and personal growth, Ayonija says, "It's fascinating to witness how everyone navigates the world of Power Platform, dealing with license constraints and keeping up with new features. There's so much to learn from their experiences.        Her favorite aspect of being a user group leader is the opportunity to network and engage in face-to-face discussions with fellow enthusiasts, fostering deeper connections within the community. Offering advice to budding user group leaders, Ayonija emphasized the importance of communication and consistency, two pillars that sustain any successful community initiative.      When asked why she encourages others to become user group leaders, Ayonija said, "Being part of a user group is one of the best ways to connect with experienced professionals in the same field and glean knowledge from them. If there isn't a local group, consider starting one; you'll soon find like-minded individuals."      Her highlight from the past year as a user group leader was witnessing consistent growth within the group, a testament to the thriving community she has nurtured. Advocating for user group participation, Ayonija stated, "It's the fastest route to learning from the community, gaining insights, and staying updated on industry trends."   Check out her group: Cleveland Power Platform User Group

Hear from Corporate Vice President for Microsoft Business Applications & Platform, Charles Lamanna, as he looks ahead to the second annual Microsoft Power Platform Conference from October 3rd-5th 2023 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.Have you got your tickets yet? Register today at www.powerplatformconf.com  

Hack Together: The Power Platform AI Global Hack Are you ready to unleash your creativity and build amazing solutions with Microsoft Power Platform and AI? If so, join us for Hack Together: Power Platform AI Global Hack, a virtual event where you can learn, experiment, and hack together with the new Copilot and AI features in the Power Platform.   Check out the new forum today in Power Apps: Hack Together: Power Platform AI Global Hack   What is Hack Together? Hack Together is a global online hackathon running September 14th to 28th, 2023. It’s open to anyone who wants to explore the possibilities of using AI in the Power Platform. Whether you are a beginner, advanced maker, admin, or a professional developer – all are welcome! You can join solo or hack together as a team of up to 3 people. The goal of Hack Together is to build solutions in Power Platform that leverage 1 or more Copilot and AI features. You can use any of the AI features available in Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Virtual Agents, Power Pages and AI Builder, such as: Power Apps Copilot: Create apps faster and easier by generating app components based on natural language inputs.Power Automate Copilot: Create flows faster and easier by generating flow steps based on natural language inputs.Power Virtual Agents Copilot: Create bot topics with natural language and connect your bot to your websites to pull answers with GPT.Power Pages Copilot: Leverage AI to create business grade websites and write content for your websites with GPT.AI Builder Create Text with GPT model: Generate text content based on natural language inputs, powered by Azure OpenAI Service.AI Builder Form Processing: Extract data from forms and documents with AI.   How to participate To participate in Hack Together, you need to register for the event at https://aka.ms/hacktogether/powerplatform-ai/register.You will also need to have access to a Microsoft 365 account with a Power Platform license. If you don’t have one, you can see how to get one here.Once you have registered and have access to the Power Platform, you can start building your solution! We’ve created a Learn Collection to help you get started: https://aka.ms/hacktogether/powerplatform-ai/learnYou can also join the Hack Together community here to ask questions, share ideas, and get feedback from Microsoft experts and other participants. Drop a comment in the forum and introduce yourself so you can get to know your fellow hackers!You can submit your solution any time before September 28th, 2023 at 11:59 PM PST. You'll need to provide a short video demo of your solution, a brief description of the problem statement, the solution overview, and the AI features used. You can submit your solution here. Looking for more info about the event? Check out our site for all the details: https://aka.ms/hacktogether/powerplatform-ai   What are the prizes? The best solutions will be selected by a panel of judges based on the following criteria: Innovation: How original and creative is the solution?Impact: How well does the solution address a real-world problem or opportunity?Usability: How easy and intuitive is the solution to use?Technical Quality: How well does the solution leverage the AI features in the Power Platform? Prizes will be awarded by the Power Platform Advocacy team.   Join the fun! Are you ready to hack? You will learn new skills, meet new people, and have fun along the way. We’ll have livestreams every week for you to learn more about the Power Platform and all the Copilot and AI features. We have a great lineup of Microsoft executives like Ryan Cunningham, VP of Power Apps and Stephen Siciliano, VP of Power Automate as well as our Power Platform Advocacy team and MVP’s that are ready to help you get up to speed so you can start hacking!     So, what are you waiting for? Register now and start hacking! We can’t wait to see what you create!

We wanted to take the time to celebrate and welcome the new user groups that have joined our community. Along with that take a look at the event that might be happening near you or virtually.   Please welcome:  Biz Apps Community User Group - Power Platform Community (microsoft.com) This user group is dedicated for all community members of all skill levels to learn how to get the most out of their community experience. East Michigan Power Platform User Group - Power Platform Community (microsoft.com) This is hopefully the beginning of a community, covering eastern Michigan, built around the Power Platform.  Biz Apps Community User Group This user group is dedicated for all community members of all skill levels to learn how to get the most out of their community experience.     Events to checkout:   In-Person: September 2023 Hybrid Philadelphia Dynamics 365 & Power Platform User Group MeetDynamics 365 and Power Platform Physical Meetup Hyderabad Power Platform User Group Meetup - Sept 2023 (In-Person)Manchester September 2023 In Person Meeting Virtual: Everything Dataverse, Do you know that Dataverse is more than just a Database!POWER PLATFORM MONTHLY DIGEST- SEPTEMBERBaltic Summit 2023PL-900 Power Platform Fundamentals TrainingHR and L&D transformation through Power PlatformDynamics 365 Marketing Experience User Groups - Use Cases and NetworkingPower Platform and Dual Write from Dynamics 365 F&O PerspectiveANZ D365 FinOps Team September 2023 meetup