Power Conference 2024 – Prague

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On the journey back to my safe comfort zone, I close my eyes and listen to music. Slowly, I begin to process what has happened over the past few days.

I was a guest speaker at the Power Conference in Prague. During a breakout session, I had the opportunity to inspire participants about CRM and Copilot. Of course, with a presentation that met my standards: energetic music at the entrance, an unexpected Top Gun intro video, pixel-perfect slides, and most importantly, a message that truly resonated.

In my suitcase, I had packed a flight suit. I wasn’t sure I’d wear it. Would I dare? Would it be professional enough? What would people think?

During one of the dinners with fellow speakers, I was persuaded by Jeroen (known in the USA as Jay), a keynote speaker from Microsoft. He convinced me of the importance of doing something people don’t expect, even if it’s outside your comfort zone.

The funny thing is, I had only brought one book on this trip. It was about the power of moments, about elevating unforgettable moments by adding something extra that people won’t forget. Looking back, I realized that’s exactly what I did when I heard people talking about it during the conference.

So, there I stood, in my flight suit, in front of a packed room. My heart was racing, my breathing was audible, and the suit was warm. But I got into the flow, my passion for my story took over, and sometimes I had to hold back my enthusiasm so as not to lose the audience.
The rest of the day, I walked around a world where I immediately felt at home. Thanks to the amazing people I met, people from all over the world with incredible stories, interests, and valuable advice.

The past few days, I’ve lived outside my comfort zone. Trying local dishes in authentic Czech restaurants, going out alone with strangers (I might be the worst networker ever 😂), and sharing my story in English far from home.

And as I slowly fly back into my familiar world, I realize that I’ve lived fully according to my Big Five over the past days:

To inspire, To develop myself, To tell a story, To create memories, To live unbound

Thank you 🙏

Copilot Event 2024

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I’ve experienced four editions of Smart Central. The initial excitement and novelty at the Railway Museum. Presenting from the cockpit of a Boeing 747 at Aviodrome. The professionalization and the giant screen when we made the High Tech Campus our permanent location. And the final edition in 2019, when Marc Lammers closed with these inspiring words:
“Winners always have a plan, losers always have an excuse. Winners focus on opportunities, losers on obstacles. Winners innovate and renew, losers wait for things to happen.”

Then came five years of silence. COVID came and went, but Smart Central remained absent… until we accidentally created a fifth edition.

The Copilot event was born as a coffee-machine idea in Oirschot. “It would be great if we could get 50 people together,” I remember saying. It turned out to be a few more on Tuesday, November 19.

Looking for a suitable venue for the Copilot event, I quickly landed on the National Military Museum at the former Soesterberg Air Base— the cradle of Dutch aviation. With my history as a plane spotter and passion for all things aviation, it was the perfect choice.

Charon, Susan, Mignon, and I dove into shaping the program. Sabine took on the role of event manager. Tim was recruited as the day’s host. Our marketing colleagues jumped on board and crafted a fantastic event journey, keeping participants wonderfully informed every step of the way.

The entire presentation revolved around an aviation theme, specifically Top Gun. Naturally, I sought out fitting attire. In a surplus store, I found authentic Royal Netherlands Air Force jackets and a genuine pilot flight suit for myself. We went all out in “setting the scene,” complete with air force callsigns for the speakers.

The goal of the day was to update our customers on Copilot in the broadest sense of the word. What Copilot functionality is standard in CRM, Business Central, and the Power Platform? And what can you do with Copilot in Microsoft 365? While we don’t sell the latter at GAC, it’s included when you purchase the Copilot for Sales license, which is on our price list. We opted for a single plenary program, ensuring Business Central customers could see CRM in action and vice versa (a bit of up-selling, as salespeople like to call it).

Judging by attendee feedback, we can safely say the event was a success. And when even Microsoft asks us to present it there, we can confidently call it a huge success.

Next year, we’re aiming for the sixth edition…

Rob (a.k.a. Maverick)

 

Nordic Summit 2024

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I was part of the Northern Power Platform community and there to assist the speakers and to help out the organization. Great to meet al lot of enthusiastic MVP’s over there!

The Nordic Summit 2024, took place in Oslo, Norway on September 28, 2024, and is one of the largest gatherings in the Nordic region focusing exclusively on Microsoft’s Power Platform and Dynamics 365. The event featured a full day of keynotes, workshops, and breakout sessions designed to enhance knowledge and skills in these technologies. Attendees could choose between six different tracks covering Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, and Dynamics 365 solutions like Sales, Customer Insights, and more.

Speakers included Microsoft MVPs and industry experts, and there were over 40 sessions, offering insights for everyone from citizen developers to seasoned IT professionals. A key highlight of this year’s event was its focus on the integration of AI, particularly with Copilot features, a strong trend in Microsoft’s ecosystem.

The event also includes pre-day workshops led by top experts, providing deeper, hands-on learning opportunities. The Summit was a great opportunity not only to gain technical skills but also to network with like-minded professionals in the Power Platform and Dynamics community.