EVENT RECAP | European Collaboration and Cloud Summits 2024

[Guest Mark Kashman]

Wiesbaden, Germany added 3,000+ tech enthusiast between May 14-16, 2024 – in attendance at the European Collaboration and Cloud Summits. We, too, were pleased to attend – to participate and gain so much input from everyone. It was a packed week filled with insights, feedback, and fun. Below is a recap of various aspects of the event - across keynotes, general sessions, breakout sessions, and the multifaceted Expo Hall.

 

 

 

Beyond reading below, review tons of great pics the ECS event team took and posted; we sprinkled our own throughout this article.

 

ECS24 in a nutshell:

 

 

 

• 3,000+ attendees
  
• 212 speakers overall – 121 MVPs, 11 RDs, 42 from Microsoft
  
• 241 sessions | 12 tutorials (workshops)
  
• 70 sponsors | One giant Expo Hall
  

 

 

 

Keynotes & general sessions

 

The event kicked off with a combined general keynote, “Thriving in the age of Copilots” with host, Laurie Pottmeyer, and panelists: Dan Holme, Vesa Juvonen, Dona Sarkar, and Jason Himmelstein. We all got a peek into their younger years (actual photos of themselves from ~ age 10) and how they’ve grown up with tech in their lives. Each then led an open discussion on their aeras of expertise in the context of this era of AI and copilots.

 

 

 

Across the main two days of the event, we delivered four broader, general sessions: 1) “Modern work in the era of AI” with host: Mark Kashman and panelists: Cathy Dew, Liz Sundet, and Fabian Williams, 2) "Adopt, build, and automate AI-powered solution development" with host: Heather Cook and panelists: Claire Edgson, Laura Graham-Brown, Albert-Jan Schot, Martina Grom, and Kevin McDonnell, 3) "AI landscape" with Carlotta Castelluccio, and "This is why we can't have the nice things" with Dona Sarkar. Each general session built off the general keynote, provided more depth across various areas of Microsoft 365, Power Platform, and Azure.

 

 

 

Collage: Several images from the general keynote and general sessions delivered at the European Collaboration and Cloud Summits in Wiesbaden, Germany | May 14-16, 2024.

 

Bonus: The ECS team recorded the general keynote live – now on-demand on their YouTube channel, “European Collaboration and Cloud Summit 2024 Opening - Live Stream” (video below jumps to the start of the session):

 

 

 

 

 

 

Breakout sessions

 

Breakouts are where learning breaks out. We know it’s crucial to ensure your organization is technically ready for the full potential of Copilot for Microsoft 365. Across the 241 sessions, attendees were presented with technical readiness and the latest guidance. All presenter experts shared best practices on how to leverage AI and to maximize the benefits of Copilot within your organization – along with a ton of core learning across all the major Microsoft apps and services.

 

 

 

When discovering opportunities across Azure, Copilot, and OpenAI, professionals, entrepreneurs, and businesses were invited to up their knowledge and establish meaningful connections. Attendees experienced interactive demos, enlightening discussions, and deep dives into Microsoft's strategic direction with advances in cloud. The goal was to discover both 'how-to' and increase awareness of the 'what-if' – focusing on the impact of cloud adoption and gravitating towards Responsible AI.

 

 

 

Collage: Several images taken throughout the week in Wiesbaden, Germany – from several of the breakout sessions and some of the activity in the Expo Hall.

 

All 212 amazing speakers and event organizers on stage for one, big “end of show” group photo.

 

Expo Hall + Cloud AI Statup Stage + tutorials

 

The *Expo Hall* was hopping with demos, discussions, interviews, podcasts, lightning talks, foosball, cotton candy, SWAG, prizes, and community. There was a busy Cloud AI Startup Stage, a Business Stage, and shorter talks delivered in front of a shiny airstream trailer.

 

 

 

Collage: Several images from the Expo Hall – showcasing the Business Stage, the Cloud AI Startup Stage, and the shorter talks delivered in front of the full-size Airstream trailer (quite the backdrop).

 

Cloud AI Startup Stage

 

This was a highly informative and engaging event focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its potential for startups. The Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub Program is a platform to provide startups with the resources, tools, and support they need to succeed.

 

 

 

This portion of the event offered value to budding entrepreneurs and established startups looking to scale. For example, on day 2, we focused on accelerating innovation with Microsoft Founders Hub and Azure AI. Startups could kickstart their journey with up to $150k of Azure credits and gain access to 30+ tools and services, benefiting from additional credits and offerings as they evolve. It’s a great way for Startups to navigate technical and business challenges with the help of free, one on one sessions.

 

 

 

Collage: Several images from the various talks and activities of presenters and attendees at the Cloud AI Startup Stage.

 

A bird's eye view of the main Expo Hall during the European Collaboration and Cloud Summits in Wiesbaden, Germany | May 14-16, 2024.

 

Women in Tech & Allies Panel – in front of the Airstream trailer on the show floor moderator Heather Cook and panelists, Jonah Andersson, Carlotta Castelluccio, Antje Lamartine, Sandy Ussia and Gabrielle Williams held an engaging discussion on the current opportunities and challenges presented by the era of AI. The panel took many questions from the standing-room-only crowd.

 

 

 

The “Women in Tech & Allies” panel – in front of the Airstream trailer within the Expo Hall.

 

The tutorial (workshop) day went full steam — aka, depth training on Copilot, Viva/SharePoint-powered intranets, Power BI, Microsoft 365 extensibility & admin workshops, ++. This day saw 700 attendees across 12 tutorials.

 

 

 

Collage: Several images throughout the day of tutorials – covering topics like getting ready for Copilot, the SharePoint-powered intranet, Power BI, and Microsoft 365 extensibility.

 

In the end...

 

Vielen Dank für eine wunderbare EU Collab Summit and Cloud Summit, the best community in tech Wiesbaden, Deutschland zum Leben erweckt. Bringing home many memories, feedback, and insights into what comes next — and how we do it together.

 

 

 

We are grateful for this year's active and engaging #CollabSummit & #CloudSummit — so much goodness, caring, learning, and having fun! Great questions, stories, and a deeper understanding of your concerns. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

 

 

 

Brett Lonsdale (left) and Adis Jugo (right) – two of the key organizers of the event – announce ECS 2025 | May 26-28 in Düsseldorf, Germany.

 

We look forward to seeing in Düsseldorf – May 26-28, 2025 – combining Collaboration Summit (@CollabSummit), Cloud Summit (@EUCloudSummit), and the new BizApps Summit (@BizAppsSummit) into one giant Summit. A trifecta of community and discovery awesomeness!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers, Mark “On the Rhine River” Kashman

 

 

 

BONUS collage | Some of the Mark perspective pics when I leveraged the selfie and landscape capabilities of my smart phone.

 

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