The Microsoft 365 Community Conference 2026 is the kind of event that can fill every hour on your calendar. From April 21–23 in Orlando, attendees will have access to 200+ sessions, workshops, and AMAs, as well as opportunities to hear directly from Microsoft engineers, executives, and product leaders. This year’s event is centered on AI, Copilot, collaboration, security, governance, and where Microsoft 365 is headed next.
For IT leaders, this is more than a standard industry conference. It’s a chance to hear where Microsoft 365 is headed, pressure-test ideas with peers, and get more practical about adoption, governance, and risk. Some of the most fulfilling conference trips are about more than what happens on stage. They are also shaped by the conversations that happen around the agenda.
Here are five sessions worth attending while at this year’s conference:
- Tuesday’s opening keynote from Jeff Teper, President, Microsoft Collaborative Apps and Platforms, “Building for the future: Microsoft 365, Agents and AI, what’s new and what’s next,” will focus on AI-powered innovation across Copilot, Teams, and SharePoint, including what’s new, what’s changing, and where collaboration is headed next. This is the session to attend if you want a high-level view of the platform’s direction before diving into more tactical breakout sessions. Time: 08:30 – 09:30; Location: Grand Caribbean 6
- Migrate to Consolidate: Lessons from 100,000+ Microsoft IT Pros: Join Richard Harbridge, Microsoft MVP, Technology & Ecosystem Strategist, ShareGate, for Wednesday’s 45-minute session where he draws on the work of 100,000+ Microsoft IT professionals to break down a practical consolidation approach: tenant consolidation, workspace cleanup, legacy modernization, and application overlap. Designed for IT leaders, architects, and platform owners responsible for M365 strategy, migrations, M&A integration, and AI enablement, you’ll discover a practical framework for tenant, workspace, and app consolidation that actually ships; useful planning guides and checklists for Microsoft 365 consolidation and governance; when to consolidate vs. integrate: decision criteria, trade-offs, and success metrics; and the governance habits that make consolidation stick so you’re not back here in two years. Hartbridge will discuss one coordinated motion that simplifies your environment and sets you up for whatever comes next, including AI and Copilot. You’ll also hear the part most consolidation talks skip: what happens after. Time: 10:15 – 11:00; Location: Timor Sea
- Deep dive into agent insights and content governance across SharePoint and Microsoft 365: This Tuesday afternoon 20-minute Lightning Talk given by Nikita Bandyopadhyay, Principal Product Manager – AI + Content Governance, Microsoft, will help you to identify and govern agents interacting with content in SharePoint and OneDrive. You’ll learn how to manage and govern these in your tenant. Time: 13:40 – 14:00; Location: Expo Hall – Microsoft Lightning Talk Theater.
- From Admin to Architect: Taking Control with SharePoint Advanced Management: Protiviti’s Microsoft MVP, MS Solutions Architect Drew Madelung, will share how to maximize your SharePoint capabilities with SharePoint Advanced Management. You’ll gain insights into advanced features and tools that enhance security, manage content lifecycles, and ensure compliance within your digital workspace. This session will cover advanced access policies for secure collaboration, data access governance reports for identifying overshared or sensitive content, site lifecycle management for inactive sites, and conditional access policies for stringent security measures. Tuesday’s 45-minute session is ideal for SharePoint administrators and IT professionals. Time:16:15 – 17:00; Location: Grand Caribbean 11
- Azure-based Archiving Solves Microsoft 365 Storage Growth Challenges: Join CrashPlan’s Randy De Meno, VP Microsoft Practice, Lora Fox, Associate VP Enterprise Systems, Indiana University, and Microsoft’s Karl Rautenstrauch, Principal Partner Engagement Manager, Azure Storage for Wednesday’s 45-minute technical session discussing how archiving can eliminate Microsoft 365 storage overage costs while preserving complete backup and recovery. As Microsoft 365 data growth accelerates, organizations are seeking ways to control escalating storage costs while maintaining security, meeting data retention requirements, and ensuring full data recoverability. You’ll learn how CrashPlan’s Azure-based backup and archiving help organizations like Indiana University tackle this problem with CrashPlan. This session will also delve into the architectural approach to Azure-based archiving, key scale, security, and retention considerations, and how to leverage AI to gain new insights from your backup data. Time: 11:15 – 12:00; Location: Timor Sea 1
With hundreds of sessions, immersive workshops, and world-class keynotes, the Microsoft Community Conference offers an opportunity to learn about the latest advancements in AI-driven tools and build skills you can use immediately. From connecting with Microsoft product makers and executives to deep-diving into major innovations, you’ll go home with strategic advice, actionable takeaways, and meaningful insights.
Check out our recommendations for things to do in Orlando when you are not in sessions!
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