Wednesday 21st February 2024, 09:00 – 19:30 CET (Central European Time) (UTC+1) , it’s time for Teams Nation, one of the biggest highlights of the year for us Microsoft Teams fans.

Teams Nation is a 100% free, 100% community driven online conference dedicated to Microsoft Teams, it’s underlying technologies and it’s extensibility options. It aims to bring together exceptional technical talent and thought leaders to democratize Teams knowledge, encourage participation in the Teams community and give those who are struggling financially an opportunity to attend a first class Teams conference.

A toast to the organizers of Teams Nation

When I, in 2019, had the opportunity to participate in the first edition of Teams Nation (at that time it was called Oktoberfest/#TeamsFest), it was my first major appearance where I would give a technical presentation in front of a larger audience. When the organizers published their “Call for Speakers”, I submitted my contribution. Apart from being very active in contributing problem solving and answering technical questions in the Microsoft Teams Tech Community Forum, I didn’t have a long track record or experience in public speaking so I didn’t have much faith that I would be accepted for such a big event. Imagine my surprise when I received the news that I had been accepted. This is one of the things that I think is so great about Teams Nation. With their basic philosophy with a genuine inclusive attitude and warmth they offer an opportunity for the “not yet known” people to try their wings. If it hadn’t been for Teams Nation, I don’t think I would have continued with my Community activities to the extent I do now and i probably wouldn’t have become a Microsoft MVP in 2020 either. Therefore, a tribute, a big and warm thank you to the “Microsoft Teams Tech Community Superheroes” Chris Hoard, Vesa Nopanen, Adam Deltinger, Chris Webb, Matti Paukkonen and Paul Dredge. Without your passion, your active non-profit work and great contributions to the Community, I would not have had the same “technical development” and become the person I am today.

The 2024 edition of Teams Nation brings you

• Seven tracks dedicated to every aspect of Microsoft Teams including Mesh and Copilot.
• Over 60 sessions from Microsoft, Microsoft MVP’s, Regional Directors and Microsoft Certified Trainers
• Opportunities to ask questions and interact with your Teams Community heroes!

My (our) contribution to this year’s edition of Teams Nation

Not entirely unexpectedly, my (or rather our) presentation this year will be related to Copilot for Microsoft 365. I have the pleasure of presenting this session together with my talented colleague Daniel Sønstevold. Our session is “Copilot Ready – One small step for the IT Administrator or one giant leap for the Organization?” starts at 12 o’clock and we go on for approx. 40 minutes. In short, it is about that there are many of us who, for various reasons, do not yet have implemented Copilot for Microsoft 365, but who sit and drum our fingers and impatiently wait to do so. What will it take for it to become a reality for your organization? Licenses? Security? Training? What else? Many IT-companies and Advisors have developed their own definitions, advice and frameworks of what it takes to become Copilot Ready/Optimized. Daniel and I believe that it is not about making a giant leap, but instead about taking a number of smaller and larger steps. (Actually, this is about actions that should have been taken long before we heard about Copilot and AI). In this session we will, in a simple and easy-to-understand way, take you through the basic steps you need to take to get started.

If you have not yet registered for Teams Nation, you should do so here.

We look forward to meeting all of you participants and the rest of the speakers there! ❤️