Wreck It Before You Ship It

Users are incredibly creative when it comes to breaking apps. So we are going to take a leaf out of the book of one of the most underappreciated characters in his world, Wreck-It Ralph. After all, if Ralph didn’t break things, there wouldn’t be much of a game. and without proper QA, there won’t be much of an app either.

Together we’ll channel our 'inner Ralph' and learn how to put our apps through their paces before they reach the real final boss - the customers! Because, users will stress-test anything you give them in ways we couldn’t possibly imagine.

Join this fun and slightly chaotic tour through testing in the Power Platform. We’ll explore the realms of functional, integration, regression, and non-functional testing, and how these approaches help keep your apps stable from launch through ongoing development.

Along the way we’ll revisit a few testing horror stories (yes, including test scripts in Excel 😱), discuss how to advocate for better testing during sprint planning, and highlight some platform “power-ups” that help analyse solutions, trace issues, and simulate user interactions.

Packed with practical tips and relatable developer pain, this session will leave you with a new appreciation for breaking things on purpose, because sometimes the best thing you can do for your users is be a little more like Ralph.

🚀 Copilot Cowork in Action: What It Is, How to Get It & What You Can Do With It

A lot of people have heard of Cowork, but there is still a gap between hearing about it and actually knowing how to use it. How do you get access? What does it look like in practice? And what can it realistically help you with day to day?

This session is here to close that gap. Join us for a practical, demo-driven showcase where we walk through Cowork from the ground up. You will see it in action across real scenarios: managing your inbox, staying on top of meetings, collaborating with your team, and getting things done faster inside Microsoft 365. We will not just tell you what is possible, we will show you the reality.

What makes this session a little different is that you will hear from both the Microsoft side and the partner side. That means you get a balanced view: the vision and direction behind Cowork, alongside real-world experience of adopting and using it in practice. Two perspectives, one session.

By the end, you will know exactly how to get access, what to expect when you first open it, and which use cases are worth exploring straight away. We will highlight the features that make the biggest difference in everyday work, demonstrate what those look like live, and give you a clear starting point to take back with you.

This session is for anyone who works in Microsoft 365 regularly, whether you are in IT, a power user, or just someone looking to get more out of the tools you already have. No deep technical background required. If you are curious about Cowork and want to leave with something concrete, this is the session for you.

From Quiet Attendee to Confident Speaker: A Practical Guide for Growing Your Community Voice

Many people sit in conference audiences wondering if they could ever be the one on stage. Unsure where to begin, what they’d talk about, or whether they have anything worth sharing. This adaptable workshop is your starting point.

Delivered by The Mentoring Hub’s New Speaker Academy program leads and shaped by real community experience, it offers a clear, honest path from silent participant to active contributor and, eventually, confident speaker.

Together, we’ll break the journey into simple, achievable steps: gaining confidence as an attendee, helping for the first time, sharing your knowledge, and giving back with intention.

You’ll learn how to craft engaging content, deliver it with authenticity, avoid burnout, ask for help without hesitation, and recognise the value you bring long before you ever step into the spotlight.

Led by experienced community speakers and supported by guest contributors, this workshop blends practical tools with real stories, doubts, and breakthroughs.

You’ll leave with clarity, momentum, and one concrete action you can take immediately, even if you still feel like that quiet person in the second row.

Dropout to Developer

What do snake venoms, dropping out of a PhD, and Microsoft Power Platform have in common? They all shaped my journey from science to tech. After nearly a decade of academic research, I found myself on the brink of earning my doctorate but knew I needed a change. Walking away from my chosen path taught me invaluable lessons about resilience, adaptability, and the power of transferable skills.

In this session, I’ll share my personal story of transforming doubt into opportunity and the tools that made it possible. You’ll learn how to reframe your skills for a new career, build a compelling resume, and optimise your LinkedIn profile. We’ll also explore strategies for navigating the job market, succeeding in interviews, and leveraging Microsoft certifications to stand out. I’ll provide a brief overview of the Microsoft certification roadmap and show how it can support your transition into a new field while boosting your employability.

Whether you're seeking to rebuild your career or acquire new skills in today's tech-driven world, this talk will help you to embrace change, explore opportunities in the technology sector, and chart a path toward a promising professional future.

From Vision to Reality – A Live Launch Moment

Every movement has a moment where vision turns into something tangible.

In this keynote, we’ll briefly share how it all began the idea, the conversations, and the purpose behind it before bringing that story to life in real time.

This session marks the official launch of our new website, unveiled live during the keynote. More than just a platform, it represents the next chapter of our mission as we expand beyond our origins and embrace a truly global community.

Join us as we move from idea to impact together.

D365PPUG Wrap Up

Spark joy in Microsoft 365: Marie Kondo your data

Join us for an engaging, life-changing, and sometimes “on no do I need to delete things” session where we apply the principles of Marie Kondo's KonMari Method™ to declutter and organize your Microsoft 365. In this session we will guide you through a step-by-step process to tidy up your digital workspace, ensuring that every email, document, folder, site, and Team sparks joy and serves a clear purpose.

Objectives:
• Understand the core principles of the KonMari Method™ and how they can be applied to digital spaces.
• Learn practical techniques for assessing and organizing your content.
• Develop a personalized plan to maintain a tidy and efficient place to store your and your team's data.

By the end of this session, you'll have a clear and actionable plan to transform your workplace into a well-organized, efficient, and joyful digital workspace. Say goodbye to clutter and hello to productivity!

How 2 Mad Scientists Career Switched To Change The UK AI Scene

How a Chemist and Biologist career switched to tech and started multi-cloud AI communities for thousands...let us share our stories. AI is all about experimentation and rapid learning...last year the CTT keynote inspired us to launch UK wide and now our inclusive AI communities help us learn faster with friends.

Get Noticed, Get Hired! Navigating Tech Careers with a Recruiter and a Career Switcher.

Whether you're a career switcher or thinking about your next move, this session will give you a real life account of a scientists journey into Power Platform as a career switcher, and a specialist recruiter's top tips for taking the plunge.

We'll discuss what it takes to switch, what to consider and what support is available.

You might already be in the Power Platform world and unsure what direction to go in...We'll also talk about what career options are available to you, architecture, leadership, freelance and how you can get the skills needed to get there!

You'll come away with market insights and actionable advice on making your next move, creating your personal brand and increasing visibility to get noticed by hiring managers.

Nuke it from Orbit! Power Platform Testing Tips & Tricks

In space, no one can hear your app crash… but on Earth, your users definitely can.

Join Mel and Keith as they gear up and take you on a high-octane, intergalactic mission to obliterate bugs, squash rogue flows, and track down those sneaky canvas app glitches hiding in the shadows of your environment. With a heavy dose of Aliens nostalgia, we’ll explore battle-tested strategies, tools, and tips for testing across the Power Platform — without triggering a full-blown incident on LV-426.

Expect laughs, explosions (theoretical ones), and the kind of practical guidance that makes you want to say, “Game over, bugs!” Whether you’re a hardened Colonial Power Apps Marine or a wide-eyed Power Automate rookie, you’ll leave ready to test with extreme prejudice.

In this action-packed session, we’ll show you:

- How QA saves your reputation (and sanity)
- Built in Power Platform tools to hunt bugs before they burst out
- Demos of testing like a pro with tools like Test Studio and Selenium

Remember: when in doubt… nuke the bugs from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.

Power Platform for Good!

What: This talk gives the attendees insights into how someone like me, with a scientific non-technical background ended up as a developer for a consulting company and a volunteer for a charity – “Collaboration for Kids”. Expect to learn how I used Power Platform to transform this charity’s digital space in a meaningful way, and how you can collaborate with your local charities of NGOs with something you already know! I will show you how I created a useful intranet and some process automations, with a strong focus on promoting healthier choices for children and adults. All powered by Microsoft Technology – Business Applications and Modern Workplace.

Why: Non-profit organisations are facing increasing pressure to optimise their operations and invest most of their time in supporting the cause. By leveraging technology, this goal can be more easily achieved, addressing challenges in communication, manual workloads, and other areas. If you want to learn how to go above and beyond with your local charity by using Power Platform, this is the talk for you!

How: Expect engaging storytelling, live demos, practical cases of Power Automate and SharePoint working together, tips on how to work with diverse Stakeholders and much more!

Takeaways:
• Concrete - and cool - examples of applying Power Platform for non-profit organisations.
• Strategies for effective collaboration and user adoption.
• Inspiration to go back home, bring your tech skills to the table, and help your local charity.