I am so excited to share with you some of the things to do and not to do while at Microsoft Ignite.
Whether it is your first time to attend such a big conference or you have been before, it makes a lot of difference. Some of these tips will be useful to you.
Microsoft Ignite is about connecting and sharing knowledge, whether you are in one of those deep-dive sessions or even connecting with other peers in the Expo showcase and connecting with partners.
Name Badge, Swag Pick-up, and Luggage Check – You can check-in from November 3rd to pick up your name badge, your all-access pass and your Microsoft Ignite swag gear.
Plan the Sessions That You Want to Attend – You cannot get to all the sessions, do not try, you will get burnout. There are a couple of options here, you can either use the MyIgnite App or the MyIgnite website to explore sessions and create your schedule. The Orange County Convention Center is a very big conference hall, by choosing two back to back sessions you will have to ensure you have to walk around quickly. One important thing to remember is that all these sessions are recorded, and you can watch them later at home. What you cannot have when you are back, is the actual conference experience, and the chance to connect and meet new people.
Schedule Builder – personalized planning
Schedule Builder is your personal, customized calendar for Microsoft Ignite. It’s the place to plan out what you intend to go to and see how things fit together.
Note that adding something to your Schedule Builder doesn’t guarantee you a spot in that session – all sessions are first-come, first-served.
Do Not Miss the Keynote – Ever since Satya Nadella took over as CEO, its cloud-first approach at Microsoft has made Azure the leading Cloud provider in the market. So, his keynote is something you do not want to miss. The keynote hall gets filled quickly! Make sure you get to the conference on time to hear what Microsoft’s visionary leader has to say.
The Hub – Take time to hang out and enjoy all that Microsoft Ignite has to offer. Dive deep into the full breadth of Microsoft products in the Microsoft Showcase, meet Microsoft partners and see how they are working with Microsoft to innovate, complete hands-on learning, interact with the community and more.
Hangout – There is an excellent place to watch sessions, it’s called hangouts, if you couldn’t make it to a session, you’re tired or information overload, check out the “Hangout”, a giant room full of comfortable places to relax or get some work done. There you have giant TV screens that are live streaming every session. Grab some wireless headphones and watch the sessions.
Networking – Microsoft Ignite is not just a pure technical conference or you shouldn’t treat it like that, either. This conference is a great time to network with people working on various technologies and who will have a lot in common with you.
Visit the Microsoft Showcase and Exhibitors – On the Expo floor, stop by the Microsoft Showcase stalls where you can meet representatives from your favorite Microsoft product team. Moreover, there are hundreds of other exhibitors displaying their products and services. Serverless360 is one of the exhibitors here. We will update our booth number and other exciting swags in the coming months.
You will walk a lot during the conference. The convention center is huge, and you will have to walk a lot between sessions and at the expo showcase. So, drink adequate water and wear comfortable clothes and shoes to make your life easier 😊.
Hope anyone attending Microsoft Ignite for the first time will find this useful!
