Thrilled to be with you for my first blog post on our Community sites and our channels. I just passed my 90-day mark back at Microsoft full time leading our Power Platform Community Success Team and am excited to be partnering with our internal teams and revving up the engines on our community websites, user groups, events and monthly calls with all of you. Last year I was a community reporter at Ignite and I loved running around the event interviewing amazing colleagues, executives, community members, and fellow MVPs for my ‘Ignite on the fly’ video series.
I am not speaking this year at Ignite but I’m available for one on one meetings and am supporting our Power Platform teams and partnering with our Modern Workplace teams connecting our content into our community websites. I’m excited to see more and more of our better together stories with Microsoft Teams and Power Platform coming together for a ton of sessions and motions this year.
See below for a guide to Power Platform at Ignite and a few of our other teams who have put together guides for their communities as well:
Keith Barnett, Sr. Marketing Communications Manager - Business Applications Group
Miguel Martinez, Sr. Program Manager – Power BI @Ignite
Debraj Ghosh, Sr. Product Marketing Manager – Power Automate @Ignite and Power Virtual Agents @Ignite
Clay Wesener, Principal Group Program Manager - Power Apps @Ignite
Michael Crump, Azure Application Development,- the Developer’s Guide to Ignite (Azure)
More details below on Power Platform presence at the event and please feel free to connect with me out on the Twitterverse @ heddanewman.
See you online at #MSIgnite.
Cheers,
Heddanewman
Join the Low Code Revolution in our Power Platform Communities
If you are not already a member of our Power Platform Communities please join our forums, solution galleries, conversations, community calls and social media channels for our low-code application platform. And on the Microsoft Adoption Virtual Hub join us starting Tuesday September 22 for even more training content curated from a myriad of Microsoft properties in collaboration with our Modern Workplace teams.
Follow and chat with all Power Platform product accounts on Twitter: Microsoft Power Platform, Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft Power Apps, Microsoft Power Automate, Microsoft Virtual Agents.
Here is a handy Power Platform Twitter list with all of our products. And one more for our Power Platform Community Success Team.
Charles Sterling – Power Apps
Jon Levesque – Power Automate and Power Virtual Agents
Sandy Rivas and Kelly Kaye – Power BI
Fawad Khan and Purvin Patel – Dynamics 365
Our Community Success Team is always happy to hear ideas, feedback and ways we can improve how we support you. Please feel free to reach out to us via message on the Power Platform community, Dynamics 365 Community or through our social DMs.
Are you registered for Microsoft Ignite?
We are just a few days away. This year’s all-digital event will bring together a global community of technology professionals to learn where Power Platform is heading, and the tools and resources available to help you solve the toughest challenges facing businesses today.
With Ignite being virtual and free to attend, many of you may be first time attendees – WELCOME to the Ignite experience.
Across three days—September 22-24—our team of experts will share technical and hands-on content across Microsoft Power Platform, as well answer your questions—all streaming live in your time zone, so you won’t miss a thing. To help you navigate the volume and variety of content available, we’ve compiled some essential presentations, sessions, and viewing tips below.
Tune in to the Power Platform key segments
To kick things off, we invite you to join us at the Microsoft Business Applications opening key segments on September 22, where James Phillips, Alysa Taylor, and special guests will announce new features and capabilities, demonstrate capabilities in action, and share real-world stories of innovation enabled by Dynamics 365 and Power Platform.
Click on the linked titles below to learn more and add each event to your session scheduler.
Tuesday, September 22 | 9:30 AM – 9:50 AM Pacific Time
Microsoft Power Platform: Fill the app gap and supercharge organizational agility
At 9:30 AM, Microsoft Business Applications President James Phillips and a team of Power Platform experts, Charles Lamanna, Kim Manis and Julie Strauss will kick off Microsoft Ignite by sharing the latest Power Platform innovations that give you a comprehensive, “no cliffs” platform for modern application development.
Tuesday, September 22 | 10:20 AM – 10:40 AM Pacific Time
Microsoft Dynamics 365: Reimagine how you can meet the needs of tomorrow
With a few minutes between key segments to grab a coffee or snack, Alysa Taylor, Corporate Vice President, Business Applications & Industry, will catch you up on upcoming updates and resources for technical and business professionals to create value faster, break through barriers, and adapt to new opportunities.
Tuesday, September 22 | 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM Pacific Time
Build Agile Business Processes with Power Apps
And right after, catch up with Charles Lamanna, Corporate Vice President, Power Platform, to hear how to enable greater development speed with Power Apps, an industry leading low-code application development platform.
In addition to the live streams above, each segment will be rebroadcasted throughout the event. The key segments are open to everyone, but we encourage you to register in advance to unlock the full Microsoft Ignite experience—from digital breakout sessions with live Q&As to conversations with Microsoft experts and your global community.
More to explore
Microsoft Ignite 2020 programming will include live segments and Q&A, available across time zones. Check out the dozens of Business Applications-specific sessions hosted by our team of experts:
- Digital Breakouts: informative lectures delivered live with interactive Q&As. Learn how to build agile business process with Microsoft Power Apps, build an organizational data culture with Microsoft Power BI, create an end-to-end customer support experience, and activate digital selling to turn raw data into insights, and more.
- Ask the Expert: featured speakers drill down into a variety of topics with interactive Q&As. Learn how to responsibly scale Power Apps with a Low Code Center of Excellence, build systems of insights for enterprise scale with Power BI and Microsoft Azure, custom fit Microsoft Business Applications for your industry, gain insights into usage and performance of your Power BI reports, and more.
- Pre-recorded sessions: on-demand consumption that gives you a deep dive look at the latest Dynamics 365 solutions, including Customer Voice, Supply Chain Management, Project Operations, Commerce and Connected Store; as well as Power Platform capabilities, such as Microsoft Power Virtual Agents and Microsoft Teams integration, enterprise-grade ETL and data preparation using dataflows, and end-to-end intelligent automation with Power Platform. Explore the full list of pre-recorded sessions.
- Learning Zone: Explore learning modules to sharpen existing skills or add new ones, no matter your experience level. Get started with introductions to Power Platform, Power Apps, and Dynamics 365.
Teams Virtual Photo Booth
Staying true to an all-digital theme, we’re very excited to offer a Teams Virtual Photo Booth where you can share your Teams spirit with a selfie! The photo booth will be available from Friday, September 18 at 8:00am PDT to Thursday, September 24.
Bookmark this photo booth link and get ready to start sharing selfies and what you’re learning at Ignite on your favorite social media platforms. Don’t forget to use the #MicrosoftTeams #MSIgnite #PowerPlatform hashtags so we can see what your Teams @ Ignite 2020 experience looks like.
Digital SWAG
Some digital swag and fun for downloads and sharing.
- Buzzword Bingo: Listen for buzzwords and share your progress on social
- Tech Stretch: A quick visual guide for desk workers who need a break
- Kid's Activity Pack: A printable pack of fun activities full of tech characters. Engaging kids while allowing caretakers to engage with sessions.
- Desktop wallpapers: Show off your desktop with branded wallpapers
- Digital badge: Let everyone know you participated by printing your all access badge
- Social backgrounds (LinkedIn, Twitter): Background images to use on all your social platforms
- Social stickers
- Microsoft Teams backgrounds: Become a presenter in your next meeting with branded backgrounds
Microsoft Ignite On-Demand and Post Event Experience
There’s more to explore after the event is over! Our post-event, on-demand content will give you hours of breakout sessions, learning resources, and key segments to boost your skills and get inspired. You can learn from the experts and engineers behind your favorite tools, download presentations to review at your own pace, ask questions in forums, collaborate with the broader community, and more.
Below is a list of resources where you can learn more and bookmark to reference later:
- Access the Virtual Hub for deep-dive technical training for IT pros, developers, and community champions available on September 22nd and get access to interactive guides, community resources and more.
- Check out the Microsoft Tech Community Video Hub launching on September 22nd to view videos and join conversation.
Be sure to follow Microsoft Ignite on LinkedIn and Twitter to stay up to date and connected with the community and register for Microsoft Ignite today. And use the hashtags #MSIgnite #PowerPlatform on your posts.
The Microsoft Virtual Event Playbook and Community are here!
We have partnered with the Microsoft Teams Customer Advocacy Group and are excited to share this Community Virtual Events Playbook With the shift to virtual/digital/online events, we are excited to announce a new Virtual Event Playbook: https://aka.ms/VirtualEventPlaybook, if you are a community member looking to produce a virtual event using #MicrosoftTeams give this a look and download and read more about it on the Microsoft Tech Community blog by Karuana Gatimu.
Helpful resources
Welcome to our November Newsletter, where we highlight the latest news, product releases, upcoming events, and the amazing work of our outstanding Community members. If you're new to the Community, please make sure to follow the latest News & Announcements and check out the Community on LinkedIn as well! It's the best way to stay up-to-date with all the news from across the Power Platform and beyond. This month's highlights:- - Our most active community members- Microsoft Power Up Program- Microsoft Community Days website - The latest blogs and more COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS Check out the most active community members of the last month. These hardworking members are posting regularly, answering questions, kudos, and providing top solutions in their communities. We are so thankful for each of you--keep up the great work! If you hope to see your name here next month, just get active! FLMikePstork1Nived_NambiarWarrenBelzSprongYeManishSolankiLaurensMwskinnermlcAgniusExpiscornovuscreativeopinion KatieAUinzil2kHaressh2728hafizsultan242douicmccaughanwoLucas001domliu Power Up Program Click the image below to discover more about the amazing Microsoft Power Up Program, as Reem Omar, Abbas Godhrawala, Chahine Atallah, Ruby Ruiz Brown, Juan Francisco Sánchez Enciso, Joscelyne Andrade Arévalo, Eric G. and Paulina Pałczyńska share how non-tech professionals can successfully advance into a new career path using Microsoft #PowerPlatform. To find out more about this amazing initiative, click here to apply for the program and reboot your journey into low-code app development today! Community Days - Event Website Have you checked out the Community Days website yet? Dedicated to the volunteer community organizers around the world, Community Days is the perfect place to find an event near you or add an event for wider exposure. Many thanks to Thomas Daly, Sharon Weaver, Sedat Tum, Jonathan Weaver, Manpreet Singh, David Leveille, Jason Rivera, Mike Maadarani, Rob Windsor and the team for all their hard work. Anyone can host a Community Day on any topic relevant to our industry, just click the image below to find out more. EVENT NEWS Power Platform French Summit - Paris/Virtual - 6-7th Dec It's not long now until the Power Platform French Summit, which takes place both virtually and in-person at the Microsoft France conference center in Paris on 6-7th December 2023. If you can't make it in-person, all sessions will also be broadcast on virtual networks for better distribution and accessibility. There's a fantastic array of speakers, including Jérémy LAPLAINE, Amira Beldjilali, Rémi Chambard, Erika Beaumier, Makenson Frena, Assia Boutera, Elliott Pierret, Clothilde Facon, Gilles Pommier, Marie Aubert, Antoine Herbosa, Chloé Moreau, Raphaël Senis, Rym Ben Hamida, Loïc Cimon, Joséphine Salafia, David Zoonekyndt, Aïcha Charpentier, Henry Jammes, Milene Rochard, Mehdi EL YASSIR, and many more. Click the image below for more information. LATEST COMMUNITY BLOG ARTICLES Power Apps Community Blog Power Automate Community Blog Copilot Community Blog Power Pages Community Blog
This is the TENTH post in our ongoing series dedicated to helping the amazing members of our community--both new members and seasoned veterans--learn and grow in how to best engage in the community! Each Tuesday, we feature new content that will help you best understand the community--from ranking and badges to profile avatars, from Super Users to blogging in the community. Our hope is that this information will help each of our community members grow in their experience with Power Platform, with the community, and with each other! This Week: All About Community Support Whether you're a seasoned community veteran or just getting started, you may need a bit of help from time to time! If you need to share feedback with the Community Engagement team about the community or are looking for ways we can assist you with user groups, events, or something else, Community Support is the place to start. Community Support is part of every one of our communities, accessible to all our community members. Power Apps: https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Community-Support/ct-p/pa_community_support Power Automate: https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Community-Support/ct-p/mpa_community_support Power Pages: https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Community-Support/ct-p/mpp_community_support Copilot Studio: https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Community-Support/ct-p/pva_community-support Within each community's Community Support page, you'll find three distinct areas, each with a different focus to help you when you need support from us most. Community Accounts & Registration is the go-to source for any and all information related to your account here in the community. It's full of great knowledge base articles that will help you manage your community account and know what steps to take if you wish to close your account. ● Power Apps ● Power Automate ● Power Pages, ● Copilot Studio Using the Community is your source for assistance with everything from Community User Groups to FAQ's and more. If you want to know what kudos are, how badges work, how to level up your User Group or something else, you will probably find the answers here. ● Power Apps ● Power Automate ● Power Pages ● Copilot Studio Community Feedback is where you can share opportunities, concerns, or get information from the Community Engagement team. It's your best place to post a question about an issue you're having in the community, a general question you need answered. Whatever it is, visit Community Feedback to get the answers you need right away. Our team is honored to partner with you and can't wait to help you! ● Power Apps ● Power Automate ● Power Pages ● Copilot Studio
What an amazing event we had this year, as Microsoft showcased the latest advancements in how AI has the potential to reshape how customers, partners and developers strategize the future of work. Check out below some of our handpicked videos and Ignite announcements to see how Microsoft is driving real change for users and businesses across the globe. Video Highlights Click the image below to check out a selection of Ignite 2023 videos, including the "Microsoft Cloud in the era of AI" keynote from Scott Guthrie, Charles Lamanna, Arun Ulag, Sarah Bird, Rani Borkar, Eric Boyd, Erin Chapple, Ali Ghodsi, and Seth Juarez. There's also a great breakdown of the amazing Microsoft Copilot Studio with Omar Aftab, Gary Pretty, and Kendra Springer, plus exciting sessions from Rajesh Jha, Jared Spataro, Ryan Jones, Zohar Raz, and many more. Blog Announcements Microsoft Copilot presents an opportunity to reimagine the way we work—turning natural language into the most powerful productivity tool on the planet. With AI, organizations can unearth value in data across productivity tools like business applications and Microsoft 365. Click the link below to find out more. Check out the latest features in Microsoft Power Apps that will help developers create AI-infused apps faster, give administrators more control over managing thousands of Microsoft Power Platform makers at scale, and deliver better experiences to users around the world. Click the image below to find out more. Click below to discover new ways to orchestrate business processes across your organization with Copilot in Power Automate. With its user-friendly interface that offers hundreds of prebuilt drag-and-drop actions, more customers have been able to benefit from the power of automation. Discover how Microsoft Power Platform and Microsoft Dataverse are activating the strength of your enterprise data using AI, the announcement of “plugins for Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365”, plus two new Power Apps creator experiences using Excel and natural language. Click below to find out more about the general availability of Microsoft Fabric and the public preview of Copilot in Microsoft Fabric. With the launch of these next-generation analytics tools, you can empower your data teams to easily scale the demand on your growing business. And for the rest of all the good stuff, click the link below to visit the Microsoft Ignite 2023 "Book of News", with over ONE HUNDRED announcements across infrastructure, data, security, new tools, AI, and everything else in-between!
In the bustling world of technology, two dynamic leaders, Geetha Sivasailam and Ben McMann, have been at the forefront, steering the ship of the Dallas Fort Worth Power Platform User Group since its inception in February 2019. As Practice Lead (Power Platform | Fusion Dev) at Lantern, Geetha brings a wealth of consulting experience, while Ben, a key member of the Studio Leadership team at Lantern, specializes in crafting strategies that leverage Microsoft digital technologies to transform business models. Empowering Through Community Leadership Geetha and Ben's journey as user group leaders began with a simple yet powerful goal: to create a space where individuals across the DFW area could connect, grow their skills, and add value to their businesses through the Power Platform. The platform, known for its versatility, allows users to achieve more with less code and foster creativity. The Power of Community Impact Reflecting on their experiences, Geetha and Ben emphasize the profound impact that community engagement has had on both their professional and personal lives. The Power Platform community, they note, is a wellspring of resources and opportunities, fostering continuous learning, skill enhancement, and networking with industry experts and peers. Favorite Moments and Words of Wisdom The duo's favorite aspect of leading the user group lies in witnessing the transformative projects and innovations community members create with the Power Platform. Their advice to aspiring user group leaders? "Encourage diverse perspectives, maintain an open space for idea-sharing, stay curious, and, most importantly, have fun building a vibrant community." Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers Geetha and Ben encourage others to step into the realm of user group leadership, citing the rewarding experience of creating and nurturing a community of like-minded individuals. They highlight the chance to influence, impact, and positively guide others, fostering connections that extend beyond mere technology discussions. Joining a User Group: A Gateway to Growth The leaders stress the importance of joining a user group, emphasizing exposure to diverse perspectives, solutions, and career growth opportunities within the Power Platform community. "Being part of such a group provides a supportive environment for seeking advice, sharing experiences, and navigating challenges." A Year of Milestones Looking back at the past year, Geetha and Ben express pride in the group's growth and global participation. They recount the enriching experience of meeting members in person at the Microsoft Power Platform conference, showcasing the diverse range of perspectives and guest speakers that enriched the community's overall experience. Continuous Learning on the Leadership Journey As user group leaders, Geetha and Ben recognize the continuous learning curve, blending interpersonal skills, adaptability, and dedication to foster a vibrant community. They highlight the importance of patience, persistence, and flexibility in achieving group goals, noting the significance of listening to the needs and suggestions of group members.They invite all tech enthusiasts to join the Dallas Fort Worth Power Platform User Group, a thriving hub where the power of community propels individuals to new heights in the dynamic realm of technology.
This is the ninth post in our series dedicated to helping the amazing members of our community--both new members and seasoned veterans--learn and grow in how to best engage in the community! Each Tuesday, we feature new content that will help you best understand the community--from ranking and badges to profile avatars, from Super Users to blogging in the community. Our hope is that this information will help each of our community members grow in their experience with Power Platform, with the community, and with each other! Today's Tip: All About the Galleries Have you checked out the library of content in our galleries? Whether you're looking for the latest info on an upcoming event, a helpful webinar, or tips and tricks from some of our most experienced community members, our galleries are full of the latest and greatest video content for the Power Platform communities. There are several different galleries in each community, but we recommend checking these out first: Community Connections & How-To Videos Hosted by members of the Power Platform Community Engagement Team and featuring community members from around the world, these helpful videos are a great way to "kick the tires" of Power Platform and find out more about your fellow community members! Check them out in Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Pages, and Copilot Studio! Webinars & Video Gallery Each community has its own unique webinars and videos highlighting some of the great work being done across the Power Platform. Watch tutorials and demos by Microsoft staff, partners, and community gurus! Check them out: Power Apps Webinars & Video Gallery Power Automate Webinars & Video Gallery Power Pages Webinars & Video Gallery Copilot Studio Webinars & Video Gallery Events Whether it's the excitement of the Microsoft Power Platform Conference, a local event near you, or one of the many other in-person and virtual connection opportunities around the world, this is the place to find out more about all the Power Platform-centered events. Power Apps Events Power Automate Events Power Pages Events Copilot Studio Events Unique Galleries to Each Community Because each area of Power Platform has its own unique features and benefits, there are areas of the galleries dedicated specifically to videos about that product. Whether it's Power Apps samples from the community or the Power Automate Cookbook highlighting unique flows, the Bot Sharing Gallery in Copilot Studio or Front-End Code Samples in Power Pages, there's a gallery for you! Check out each community's gallery today! Power Apps Gallery Power Automate Gallery Power Pages Gallery Copilot Studio Gallery
Are you attending Microsoft Ignite in Seattle this week? If so, we'd love to see you at the Community Lounge! Hosted by members of our Community team, it's a great place to connect, meet some Microsoft executives, and get a sticker or two. And if you're an MVP there are some special opportunities to meet up! The Community Lounge is more than just a space—it's a hub of activity, collaboration, and camaraderie. So, dive in, explore, and make the most of your Microsoft Ignite experience by immersing yourself in the vibrant and dynamic community that awaits you.Find out the schedule and all the details here: Community Lounge at Ignite! See you at #MSIgnite!
