It’s a busy, exciting time in IT, and we’re asking our speakers to present new and exciting sessions. While we’ve always had, and continue to maintain a strong Microsoft focus, we recognize that business data centers are increasingly embracing a range of vendors and technologies, so you’re welcome to present on anything relevant to the current IT landscape.

The TechMentor agenda for August 2020 will consist of primarily 75-minute breakout sessions, a select set of post-conference workshops, and instructor-led, pre-conference hands-on labs.

If you are submitting an 8-hour Hands-On Lab or 75-minute session that could be hands-on, please clearly indicate this (“HOL”) in your proposal. Be prepared to provide a PDF lab guide for students to use in class as part of your session materials.

As always, TechMentor provides the real-world, independent alternative to the big first-part conferences. Our goal is to give attendees what they need today while preparing them for tomorrow. We have a goal at Techmentor to provide “Zero marketing-speak” and a strong emphasis on doing more with the technology they already own. We always want to focus on the future but still need to realize that most attendees will still be running on older platforms trying to get upgraded or migrated.

With that in mind, we’re asking you to propose topics in the following general tracks with sample session topics:

Client and Endpoint Management

Although apps are moving to the cloud and web more and more, attendees still have to support, upgrade, migrate, and troubleshoot all of those client computers to use the apps. Windows client is evolving faster than ever, even if Microsoft says Windows 10 is the last Windows ever. Windows 7 is EOL in January 2020, so it’s now out of date, but many still need to keep supporting it, and there are ways to have support – like Windows Virtual Desktop. We are looking for session submissions on the following topics:

• Windows 10
• Servicing and patching
• Microsoft 365
• MEM aka SCCM
• InTune / MDM

 PowerShell and DevOps

TechMentor brings the PowerShell, the automation, and the DSC. It’s all part of the new DevOps approach. Sessions in this track will teach attendees the tools and tech they need to make it happen inside their organization. PowerShell topics can now be cross-platform as well, so Mac/Linux stuff is of interest to us as well.

• PowerShell
• PowerShell Core / Cross Platform
• DSC
• JIT
• JEA

 Classic Infrastructure

TechMentor’s Infrastructure track will cover the services that make the server, client, application, and services work together in an IT environment. We are looking for submissions on topics such as Server 2016/2019 network services, Certificate Services, network troubleshooting, and Group Policy.

• Group Policy
• Windows Server 2019
• Windows Admin Center
• Storage Services
• Migration and Upgrading to Server 2019
• File 
• Print
• Active Directory
• DNS/DHCP
• Migrating IIS on-prem workloads to the Cloud
• Networking in Server 2019

Soft Skills for ITPros

Being a successful IT Pro requires more than just technology skills. These sessions will help attendees boost their career with a selection of sessions on the lighter side of technology. This track teaches attendees how to be successful in their career and how to communicate their knowledge to others.

• Presentation skills
• How to sell an idea to your boss
• Documenting

Security

Explore how attackers try to defeat your best security measures. Learn how to think like a hacker and prevent the black hats from getting anywhere near your electronic assets. TechMentor will assemble some of the best in the industry to guide attendees on Securing Windows clients, servers, and assets in the cloud. We are looking for essential sessions on information in forensics, Blocking Malware, and monitoring. In 2018, there were more than 1 million new malware samples found per day – Security has to evolve and so do you!

• Hacking techniques
• Security Baselines
• Proactive security
• BitLocker
• Whitelisting
• 2nd generation anti-malware
• Defender Advanced Threat Protection for Office 365
• Defender Advanced Threat Protection for Windows 10
• Defender Advanced Threat Protection for Servers
• Azure Security Center

 Azure (Public/Hybrid)

At TechMentor, we leave the marketing presentations at home. Replacing them are real-world discussions on “the cloud” as you’re using it: Hybrid, connected, private, and absolutely real. From onsite Azure Stack to everything in the Cloud is what we want to cover!

• Azure IaaS
• Azure Stack
• Azure DevOps
• Azure Zero to Hero
• Introduction to Azure Concepts
• Azure Labs
• Azure Backup
• Azure Site Recovery
• Azure Networking
• Azure Scripting and Automation

 Office 365 for the IT Pro

Almost every person in IT needs to manage and support Office 365. Exchange servers are moving to the cloud faster than anything else. Admins may no longer have physical servers to administer, but the job hasn’t gone anywhere! At TechMentor we want to provide attendees with the up to date and real-life skills needed to manage all aspects of Office 365 from the administrator’s perspective.

• Migrating to Office 365
• Managing Office 365
• Troubleshooting Office 365
• Optimizing Office 365
• Teams
• Exchange Online
• SharePoint Online
• Backup and Recovery for Office 365
• Reporting for Office 365
• Office 365 Zero to Hero

Our audience consists of IT Professionals with years of experience, as well as a smaller number of developer IT pros, so we tend to focus on technically deep sessions. Feature overviews and the like will be given lower priority during session selection. 

We look forward to hearing from you!

Dave Kawula and Sami Laiho, TechMentor Conference Co-Chairs

Speakers chosen to present at TechMentor Microsoft HQ 2020 will receive a stipend for each session they present. TechMentor Conferences will also cover hotel accommodations (room and tax only) for a pre-determined number of nights at the host hotel as outlined in the speaker agreement. Speakers are responsible for their own travel costs and incidentals.