Amplify Adoption: Driving Copilot Awareness with Viva Amplify

Launching Microsoft Copilot is more than turning on a license—it’s about winning hearts and minds. In this hands-on, interactive workshop, you’ll use Viva Amplify to plan and deliver a Copilot adoption campaign. Together, we’ll design messages, publish them across Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint, and track their impact with built-in analytics. With Copilot assisting your drafting process, you’ll leave knowing how to create a consistent, multi-channel story that drives excitement and adoption across your organization.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Build a campaign in Viva Amplify specifically focused on Copilot adoption.
- Draft, refine, and personalize communications with Copilot in Amplify.
- Publish consistent messages across Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint from a single draft.
- Analyze campaign results to measure employee engagement and refine messaging.
- Confidently guide adoption campaigns for new Microsoft 365 tools and initiatives.

Don’t let your Copilot launch get lost in the noise—make it impossible to miss. Join this hands-on session and learn how to amplify your message across Microsoft 365, engage your employees, and drive real adoption success!

Enhancing Document Management with Metadata, Columns, and Views

This session is designed to help participants understand and effectively use metadata, columns, and views in Microsoft 365 document libraries and lists. By leveraging these features, users can improve document organization, enhance searchability, and streamline workflows.

Objectives

- Understand Metadata: Learn what metadata is and how it can be used to categorize and organize documents.
- Create and Manage Columns: Discover how to create and manage columns in document libraries and lists to store metadata.
- Utilize Views: Explore how to create and customize views to display documents and list items based on specific criteria.
- Implement Best Practices: Learn best practices for using metadata, columns, and views to enhance document management.

Cut, Polish, and Perfect: Effortless Audio Editing for Your Video Based-Projects

In the world of digital collaboration, high-quality audio is essential for creating engaging content, whether it's for webinars, instructional videos, podcasts, or presentations. TechSmith Audiate offers a groundbreaking solution by transcribing audio into text, making editing as simple as working with a document. This session will introduce collaboration professionals to Audiate’s intuitive features, empowering them to produce polished audio content without the complexities of traditional audio editing software.

Whether you’re working on team presentations, training materials, or cross-functional projects, this session will teach you how to streamline audio production, making it easier to collaborate and share professional-sounding results with your teams.

Building Your AI Adoption Strategy in Microsoft 365

Artificial Intelligence is no longer just a futuristic concept—it’s here, and it’s built into the tools your organization already uses. But deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot is more than a technical rollout; it’s a cultural shift.

In this strategic session, you’ll learn how to lay the groundwork for Copilot adoption using proven change management principles. We’ll guide you through building a tailored rollout plan using Microsoft Planner, tracking engagement and usage with Power BI, and designing a learning journey that meets employees where they are.

You'll discover how to:
- Establish a people-first Copilot strategy that inspires trust and experimentation.
- Mobilize champions and executives to lead by example.
- Build and personalize learning journeys with content that drives real behavior change.
- Track adoption success and adjust based on data-driven insights.

Whether you’re planning your pilot or scaling organization-wide, walk away with a repeatable strategy to support users and spark a culture of continuous innovation.

Turn Up the Volume: How Viva Amplify Elevates Your Communications

Do your internal campaigns fall flat or get lost in the noise? Viva Amplify is here to help you elevate your messaging across Microsoft 365—at scale and with precision. This session will show you how to streamline communication planning, publish content across channels like SharePoint, Teams, Outlook, and Viva Engage, and measure its impact. Whether you're in corporate communications, HR, or change management, you'll leave with practical strategies to engage your audience more effectively using Viva Amplify.

By the end of the session, attendees will be able to:
- Understand the role of Viva Amplify
- Create a communication campaign
- Write, schedule, and publish content
- Target specific audiences
- Measure engagement and effectiveness
- Collaborate with stakeholders

Don’t let your message get lost in the noise. Learn how to deliver targeted, multi-channel campaigns with Viva Amplify—and measure the impact.

Unlock the Potential: Kickstarting Your Journey with Dataverse

Welcome to Microsoft Dataverse—the backbone of the Power Platform and your key to smarter data management! In this session, you’ll learn how to create a structured, connected environment for your organization’s data—no complex coding required. We’ll start with the basics of setting up your Dataverse environment, defining tables and relationships, and importing or exporting data. Then we’ll explore how Copilot in Dataverse can help you build tables faster than ever—just describe what you need, and Copilot will suggest table structures, columns, and relationships for you. Whether you’re a Power Apps creator or a data enthusiast, you’ll leave with the confidence to start designing efficient, AI-assisted data solutions with ease.

Key Takeaways:
- Understand the core concepts and benefits of Microsoft Dataverse
- Learn how to create and manage tables, relationships, and data connections
- See how Copilot accelerates table creation and data modeling
- Gain hands-on insights to start building Dataverse-based solutions confidently

Data doesn’t have to be daunting! Discover how Microsoft Dataverse and Copilot can help you organize and create tables effortlessly—empowering you to build smarter apps and solutions with confidence.

Top 5 Power Automations For Microsoft Forms

Microsoft Forms is a more than just a survey tool or a place to take a poll. Did you know that you can use the information captured in a Form and do awesome things with it? Here are the top 5 uses for partnering Power Automate to take Microsoft Forms to the next level!

In this session you will learn:
- Send an email when there's a new form response
- Send an email to the form responder
- Send an approval request with the form details
- Add form responses to an Excel worksheet

Mastering Meeting Efficiency with Microsoft 365 Copilot

Meetings don’t have to be time drains—especially when Copilot is on your team! In this engaging session, you’ll learn how to use Microsoft 365 Copilot to plan, manage, and follow up on meetings with ease. Discover how intelligent prompts can help you create agendas, summarize discussions, and generate actionable follow-ups in seconds. We’ll explore practical ways to integrate Copilot across Outlook, Teams, and Loop to automate meeting workflows, capture decisions, and keep your team aligned without the endless post-meeting scramble. Say goodbye to missed notes and manual recaps—Copilot’s got you covered!

Key Takeaways:
- Transform meeting management with Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Learn practical tips and best practices for crafting effective prompts
- Automate meeting workflows to save time and enhance collaboration

If you’ve ever wished your meetings could run themselves, this session is your shortcut to making that dream a reality—join us and see how Copilot can turn meeting chaos into meeting clarity!

From Scratch to Spectacular: Starting Out with Power Pages

Get ready to dive into the world of Microsoft Power Pages with this introductory session. Whether you're a novice or just looking to refresh your skills, this session will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to begin creating engaging web pages effortlessly.

We'll start with the basics, guiding you through the user-friendly interface and highlighting key features such as customizable templates, drag-and-drop design, and interactive elements. You'll learn how to design mobile-friendly pages, optimize your content, and integrate other Microsoft tools for a seamless experience.

By the end of this session, you'll have the foundational skills to create professional-looking web pages tailored to your needs. Join us to jumpstart your journey with Microsoft Power Pages and unlock the potential to craft stunning, effective, and dynamic web pages in no time!

Unleash Microsoft Forms with the Magic of Power Automate

Microsoft Forms is more than just a survey tool or a place to take a poll. Did you know that you can use the information captured in a Form and do awesome things with it? In this session, we'll explore the top 5 uses for partnering Power Automate to take Microsoft Forms to the next level!

In this session, you will gain:
- Enhanced understanding on how Microsoft Forms and Power Automate can work together
- Use Templates in Power Automate to extend the capabilities of Microsoft Forms
- Real-World examples and best practices that can be applied to your own workflows

Join Shari and discover how to transform you data collection processes and unleash the potential of Forms with Power Automate!

Microsoft Lists - The Tool You Never Knew You Wished You had!

Join us for an engaging session on using Microsoft Lists and transforming the way you gather, manage, and automate your data-driven work processes. In this session, you'll discover the versatility and power of Microsoft Lists as a go-to tool for tracking everything from tasks to employee onboarding as we explore the following:

- When and why to use Microsoft Lists
- Creating a List from a Template
- Creating a List from existing data
- Using Lists to Gather and Manage Information
- Using Views and Filters to make your data meaningful
- Automate Your Processes using your Lists

By the end of the session, you'll be equipped with the skills to harness the potential of Microsoft Lists for data management and automation. Don't miss this opportunity to elevate your productivity with Lists!

On-Demand Learning: Creating Video Learning in Record Time

In this ever-evolving world of technology and innovation, the struggle to keep skills up to date is a constant struggle. Who has time to sit all day in a classroom? Video-based learning is more in-demand than ever before. In this session I will share with you my tips, tricks and tools for creating high-quality, professional videos in record time!

In this session, you will learn…
- How to prepare for your recording
- Resources to help make your content more engaging
- Applications and platforms that make creating videos a breeze
- Tips and Tricks for editing and publishing your content

Microlearning is the key to providing learning at the center of your work. Who has time to sit in class all day, especially when the learning retains maybe 30-40% of what was shared. By providing Byte-Sized learning opportunities, you are give people knowledge they need when they need it. Who couldn't use more time in their day?

I used to be very intimidated by all the tech and gadgetry around creating videos, but no more! With over five years of authoring, recording and producing video based micro-learning I'm excited to share how you can hit the ground running. I will share with you Real-Time how easy it can be to edit and produce your video learning. Let's DO This!

Video-based learning is more in-demand than ever before. In this session I will share with you my tips, tricks and tools for creating high-quality, professional videos in record time!

You Are a Teams Owner...Now What!

So you’ve been handed the keys to a Microsoft Team—congrats! But now what? Being a Teams Owner isn’t just about having your name at the top of the list—it’s about setting your team up for success, managing permissions wisely, and keeping collaboration smooth (and drama-free). In this fun, practical session, we’ll explore the Owner Dashboard—your control center for everything from member management to channel creation and settings that affect security, notifications, and file access. We’ll also talk best practices for governance, naming conventions, and lifecycle management so your Team doesn’t turn into the Wild West of chat and chaos. You’ll leave confident, empowered, and maybe even a little in love with Teams all over again.

Key Takeaways:
- Understand the responsibilities and permissions of a Teams Owner.
- Learn how to configure settings that balance collaboration and control.
- Explore tools for managing members, channels, and content.
- Discover best practices to keep your Team secure, organized, and productive.

Don’t just manage your Team—master it! Join this session to uncover the hidden settings, smart strategies, and insider tips every Teams Owner needs to keep collaboration smooth and chaos-free.

Cool Features You Never Knew You Had in PowerPoint!

Have you ever had to sit through a boring presentation? We all have! I had brilliant college professors who just made me YAWWWWN. Boring presentations are a recipe for disaster, causing audience disengagement, and possibility even a lack of confidence in the presenter! If you fail to captivate and WOW your audience, even the best concepts can fall short. Did you know there are a lot of great tools and resources built right into PowerPoint that can avoid those disasters?

You will learn:
- Strategies for Organizing Your Content
- Where to Find Resources for Creating Engaging Content
- How to Create Slides that WOW
- How to Standardize Your Layouts
- Become a Better Presenter
- Best Kept Secrets of PowerPoint!

In this session we will show you how to take a bland, boring presentation from Zero to Hero using built in tools that most people don't event know are there! We will explore techniques for making your content more visually engaging with graphics, animations and transitions. Did you know that PowerPoint can even make you a better presenter? Let's play with some of the features and get real-time feedback on our delivery. Finally, it wouldn't be a Shortcut Shari session without some Tips and Tricks you won't want to miss.

Our tried and true presentation application didn’t receive a lot of love for a few versions, but you will be amazed at what’s new and cool in PowerPoint. A little bit of Desktop, a little bit of PowerPoint online and you will be ready to dazzle your audience live… or not… (no spoilers).

Top 7 Tips for Tracking Tasks in Microsoft Planner

Do you have to coordinate tasks with your work team? It can be frustrating and time-consuming to keep everything on track. Did you know that there is a tool in Microsoft 365 that helps you do just that? Let's explore Microsoft Planner and how we can make getting those tasks done more productively. In this session you will learn:
- Customizing Your Planner Board
- Sharing Your Planner
- Using Labels for Organization
And much more!

Top 7 Productivity Killers in Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams can be your best friend…or your worst enemy!
In this session we will show you how to fix the top 7 productivity killers in Microsoft Teams…and help you to be more productive when communicating, collaborating, creating content. In this session you will learn:

How to organize Microsoft Teams to maximize your productivity
Take control of the barrage of notifications
Use Mentions and Tags to draw attention to your content
Tips for more effective meetings
The best kept secret of Teams

Beyond What Goes Where, Let's Talk Documentation Strategy

Your organization has decided they want to eliminate your network drives and move you into the cloud with Microsoft 365. Now what? Do any of these sound familiar?

What do you mean we can't have folders?
I put everything in my OneDrive but I can't find anything!
I need to share my documents with my peers. How do I do that
My co-worker left the company and now we lost their contributions?

In this session, we are going to take the "What Goes Where" discussion and talk about how to create a Document Management strategy and the roles that OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams play in that strategy.

Spoiler Alert! Nothing Actually Lives in Teams! Managing Your Files in Office 365

If you’ve ever wondered where your files really live in Microsoft 365—you’re not alone! In this fun and eye-opening session, we’ll clear up the confusion between OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams once and for all. You’ll learn how each service plays a unique role in collaboration, storage, and sharing, and how to choose the right tool for the right job. We’ll explore practical examples of how files flow through Teams, how permissions work behind the scenes, and how to avoid common pitfalls like lost files and version chaos. Whether you’re new to Microsoft 365 or simply want to clean up your digital workspace, this session will help you confidently manage, find, and share your content like a pro.

Key Takeaways:
- Understand how OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams work together behind the scenes
- Learn best practices for storing, sharing, and securing your files
- Identify which tool is best for personal work vs. team collaboration
- Avoid common mistakes that cause confusion or data loss

Stop guessing where your files belong and start collaborating with confidence—join this session and finally get the answer to the age-old question: “Where should I put this file?”

Automate Your Processes with Custom SharePoint Lists and Power Apps

Ever wish you could gather and manage information for your SharePoint Lists...from anywhere? When you connect SharePoint Lists with PowerApps, YOU CAN!

Take Sharepoint beyond the document dump and start maximizing the potential of a SharePoint as a platform on which to build your business processes, with ZERO code. SharePoint lists can be the foundation on which your store and process your data and start automating your processes. But you have to gather the data first.

In this session we will create a custom SharePoint list and build a PowerApp that can be used to collect the data from anywhere, even mobile devices! Let's show you how it's done...

Create a SharePoint list to fit your business need
Discover the types of data that can be collected
Quickly build a PowerApp to gather information, even from the field

Creating the Buzz: Increasing Adoption through a Champions Program

Do you know "that guy"...or "that girl" in your workgroup? You know the one...that person that everyone goes to when they are confused about technology. Maybe it's YOU! These are going to be your greatest allies in your organization when rolling out a new technology!

In this session we will cover:
- Why Champions are Important
- Who would be the best Champions
- What are the Expectations of the Champions
- Where to find your Champions
- When to engage your Champions
- How to get started building the Champions program

Let's build a Champions Program that helps you overcome our biggest foe in technology...User Adoption.

Tuning in (and Tuning Out) on What Matters in Microsoft Teams!

Do you feel overwhelmed by the overload of information coming in through the channels Microsoft Teams? In terms of communication, we've gone from the rabbit ears on the TV single channel of email to the deluxe cable package with hundreds of channels in Teams bringing all the news and a lot of NOISE! Let's take some time on getting focused on what matters to YOU in Microsoft Teams.

The 3 C's of Microsoft Teams

Did your company get thrown into the deep end in the last few years and Microsoft Teams got tossed in your lap? Well, you aren’t the only ones. In the flurry of just trying to keep moving Teams was the obvious solution but do you really know everything that it can do for you?
Most people see Teams as the tool they use to Communicate using Chat or Calls, but Communication is only ONE of the 3 C's of Microsoft Teams! In this session we will explore what we call the 3 C's of Teams: Communication, Collaboration, Content Sharing. Confused by when you need a Team? Not sure why you should use a channel? Let's talk best practices for building and creating a useful and intuitive collaboration space in Microsoft Teams.
By the end of our session you will have learned:
• When to Create a Team
• What Are Channels?
• Collaborating in Teams
• Collaborating in Chat
• Communicating in Teams
• Managing Files in Teams
• Managing Meetings
Join Shari Oswald for one of her favorite sessions to help you increase your productivity. You will walk away with a completely different view of the capabilities at your fingertips that are available for you in Microsoft Teams!

Empower Your Data: Choosing the Right Tool, SharePoint, Dataverse for Teams or Dataverse?

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, choosing the right tool for data management and collaboration can be overwhelming. This full-day workshop will provide you with a comprehensive guide to understanding when and why to use SharePoint Lists, Dataverse for Teams, and Dataverse. We’ll dive into real-world use cases, exploring the strengths, limitations, and optimal scenarios for each platform. Whether you’re managing simple data lists, building low-code apps, or handling complex business processes, this hands-on workshop will empower you to make informed decisions on which solution best suits your organization’s needs.

Key Takeaways:

- Gain a clear understanding of the differences and key features of SharePoint Lists, Dataverse for Teams, and Dataverse.
- Explore practical use cases and best practices for each platform.
- Learn how to leverage each tool to streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and improve data management.
- Discover strategies for integrating these tools into your Microsoft 365 environment for maximum impact.

Through real-world examples and expert insights, you'll gain the skills to choose the ideal tool for your data management, collaboration, and application development needs. Whether you're a seasoned IT professional or just starting your journey, this session will empower you to make informed data decisions and drive success in your projects. Join us to become a data tool expert and take control of your data strategy!

This workshop is ideal for IT professionals, business analysts, and anyone looking to optimize data-driven decision-making in their organization.

From To-Do to Done: Unlock the Power of the New Microsoft Planner

Ready to plan like a pro? Say goodbye to scattered tasks and juggling between apps! The new Microsoft Planner is your all-in-one mission control center for getting things done—from quick personal to-dos to complex team projects.
In this high-energy session, we’ll explore the exciting evolution of Microsoft Planner as it unifies To Do, Planner, and Project for the web into one seamless experience. You’ll learn how this reimagined tool helps individuals stay focused and teams stay aligned, all while integrating beautifully across Microsoft 365 (hello, Copilot support!)

Dashboard in a Day: Turn Your Data into Decisions

In today’s data-driven world, your organization’s success depends on how quickly and clearly you can turn numbers into insights. Power BI makes that possible—without needing to be a data scientist! In this fast-paced, hands-on session, we’ll explore how to connect to your data, clean it up, and visualize it beautifully with Power BI dashboards and reports. Learn how to create interactive dashboards that tell the story behind your data, monitor KPIs in real time, and share insights securely with your team. Whether you’re brand new to Power BI or ready to level up your reporting skills, this session will show you just how powerful—and approachable—data analytics can be.

Key Takeaways:
- Learn how to connect, import, and transform data from multiple sources.
- Discover how to define business rules and KPIs for real-world impact.
- Build engaging, interactive dashboards and reports in Power BI.
- Understand how to share and publish dashboards across your organization.

Ready to stop staring at spreadsheets and start seeing insights? Join us to learn how Power BI can turn your data into beautiful, interactive dashboards that drive smarter business decisions—all in one session!

Full-Day Hands-On Workshop. Requires attendee BYOD.

Empower Your Workforce: Turning Copilot Adoption into Everyday Innovation

Artificial Intelligence is no longer just a futuristic concept—it’s here, and it’s built into the tools your organization already uses. But deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot is more than a technical rollout; it’s a cultural shift.

In this strategic session, you’ll learn how to lay the groundwork for Copilot adoption using proven change management principles. We’ll guide you through building a tailored rollout plan using Microsoft Planner, tracking engagement and usage with Power BI, and designing a learning journey that meets employees where they are.

You'll discover how to:
- Establish a people-first Copilot strategy that inspires trust and experimentation.
- Mobilize champions and executives to lead by example.
- Build and personalize learning journeys with content that drives real behavior change.
- Track adoption success and adjust based on data-driven insights.

Whether you’re planning your pilot or scaling organization-wide, walk away with a repeatable strategy to support users and spark a culture of continuous innovation.

App-solutely Brilliant: Turn Ideas into Apps with Power Platform

If you’ve ever said, “There should be an app for that,” this workshop is for you! Spend the day learning, building, and launching your own solutions—and leave empowered to solve real business challenges with Microsoft Power Apps.

We’ll start by walking through the fundamentals of Power Apps, exploring both canvas and model-driven apps, and showing you how to digitize manual, paper-based processes. You’ll then dive into Microsoft Dataverse, learning how to securely store and manage data that drives your apps. Finally, we’ll connect everything with Power Automate, creating workflows that streamline routine tasks and boost productivity.

By the end of the day, you’ll not only understand how these tools fit together—you’ll have a working app you can take back to your organization and build upon immediately. Whether you’re a business user, functional lead, or IT professional, this workshop will help you unlock your potential as a citizen developer and transform the way you work.

Key Takeaways:
- Create custom business applications without writing code
- Digitize and automate everyday business processes
- Connect and manage data with Microsoft Dataverse
- Build apps using both canvas and model-driven experiences
- Share and secure apps across your organization with confidence

Ready to take control of your business processes and build apps that make work simpler, faster, and smarter—all without writing code? In this full-day, hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to harness the power of Microsoft Power Apps to turn ideas into real, functional business applications.

Full-Day Hands-On Workshop. Requires attendee BYOD.

From Blah to Ta-Da! Designing SharePoint Pages That Pop

Your intranet is your organization’s front door—does it wow your users when they walk in? In this hands-on, interactive workshop, you’ll learn how to design engaging, modern SharePoint pages using the latest features: flexible headers and footers, dynamic Hero layouts, the new Flexible web part, and Copilot-powered content creation. Together, we’ll build pages that are not only beautiful, but also purposeful—making information easier to find, messages clearer to read, and content faster to publish. You’ll leave with practical design skills, a ready-to-use page, and the confidence to make your intranet shine.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Apply modern headers and footers to brand and structure SharePoint sites.
- Create engaging landing pages using the Hero web part’s new layouts and navigation.
- Leverage the Flexible web part to combine text, media, and layouts without coding.
- Use Copilot in SharePoint to draft, refine, and summarize page content.
- Apply design best practices for clarity, consistency, and user engagement.

You’ll leave with practical design skills, a ready-to-use page, and the confidence to make your intranet shine. Don’t just build pages—create experiences. Join this session and transform the way your organization connects and communicates!

Full-Day Hands-On Workshop. Requires attendee BYOD.