Top 5 Reasons We're Excited for Microsoft Ignite 2024

This year, Microsoft will host its largest annual tech event, Microsoft Ignite, in the windy city—Chicago, November 18-22nd! We love Microsoft Ignite because it's where Microsoft typically unveils big announcements regarding updates to technology and services that keep our industry propelling forward. If there’s one thing that this community ecosystem agrees on, it’s that Microsoft is rapidly innovating and changing, and Microsoft Ignite is an opportunity to help us all keep up and hear the latest and (sometimes not the greatest) updates so we’re on the same page and can pivot where needed.  

For example, it was announced this week through the Partner Channel that there will be upcoming changes to the Enterprise Commerce Strategy, i.e. Enterprise Agreements and associated discounts for some customers. This wasn’t a total surprise as there have been rumors of this for quite some time, as we discussed in our recent webinar on how to manage Microsoft 365 Licenses in a new era of Microsoft changes. However, we expect to hear additional updates and clarity at Microsoft Ignite. We also heard there may be some changes to Entra P1 and P2 license features.

If the innovation and announcements don’t convince you it’s worthwhile, here are our top 5 reasons we’re excited for Microsoft Ignite 2024 in Chicago! 

1. Reconnecting in-person  

Although Microsoft has had some form of ‘Ignite’ since 2015, 2019 was the last time there was a full-blown, in-person conference. After 5 long years, Ignite is BACK closer to its original form. This year’s event also integrates the partner and executive focus from past Microsoft Inspire and Microsoft Envision conferences. The ENow team is excited to meet face to face with the community again!  
 
As a Technology Innovator featured partner, there are many ways to connect with ENow Software. To start, you can visit us at Booth #101 in the Hub (Expo). All our booth guests will have a chance to enter our giveaway to win an Aventon Ebike eGift card! Stop by our booth on Tuesday, Nov 19th for an additional chance to win! Our team is ready to welcome you and help you navigate your future IT goals as they relate to Microsoft 365 and Entra ID App governance; whether that be a quick chat, demo, or meet and greet with our CEO, Jay Gundotra!  As a conference attendee, you can use the Attendee Directory to connect with our team members by searching ‘ENow.’ 

You can access the Attendee Directory by navigating to the Connections menu header and selecting Attendee directory.

You can also visit our Microsoft Ignite Partner page to learn more about our Ignite happenings and access free resources – both for in-person and digital attendees!  

Visit ENow’s Partner page 

2. Opportunities to meet with the best and 
    brightest in tech 

The best moments of Microsoft Ignite also include getting to hear from influential tech speakers from all over the world during the Keynote and sessions. For example, Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella will be part of the Microsoft Ignite keynote session to kickstart the conference on Tuesday morning – you can register as a digital attendee to watch the live stream of this! In addition to speakers, attendees come from various parts of the world and work in all sorts of industries.  

There are over 1000 Speakers participating in the Chicago event! You can check out speaker bios and sessions.  
Quick Tip: Some sessions will not be recorded, so look ahead of time to ensure you’re able to attend the sessions you would like! View the Microsoft Ignite Session Scheduler. 
 
Some conference attendees hold the designation of Microsoft’s Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs), who are technology experts that share their insight and expertise with the tech community and are recognized by Microsoft. If you’re catching our scheduledMaintenance party on Wednesday, take advantage of the opportunity to have a drink or play a round of putt-putt with an MVP and other industry innovators! 

 3. scheduledMaintenance – the hottest party at
     Microsoft Ignite 2024!   

Every Microsoft Ignite conference that ENow Software attends, we host an exclusive event for the tech community, MVPs, and industry experts! The scheduledMaintenance Party was born at the 2014 Lync Conference. As a previous Systems Engineer and Exchange Manager, ENow’s CEO & Technical Founder, Jay Gundotra knows firsthand that working in the IT industry can be a thankless job at times. From this experience, he decided to throw an appreciation party hosted by ENow, where community members can celebrate tech wins (and commiserate losses) with each other and receive some ‘Scheduled Maintenance’ of their own! The party is now in its 10th year, and has been held dozens of times; however, each year is unique and special because of the people who join us!  

When we’re picking our party venue, we have a strict criterion: Epic venue. Delicious Drinks. Good vibes.  
In the past we’ve hosted the party at rooftop bars like Terrace 59 in Austin, Texas, and night clubs like The Ling Ling Lounge at MGM in Las Vegas.   
 
This year in Chicago we are headed to Puttery Chicago on Wednesday, November 20th at 9 pm. Puttery is an upscale and immersive mini golf meets cocktail bar in the trendy Fulton Market District/ ‘West Loop’! Don’t worry, we already checked, you can keep sipping your drinks throughout the course 😉

ENow is joined this year, by two amazing sponsors! 

• Platinum Sponsor – PowerSyncPro is 'a powerful, efficient directory sync tool and workstation migration agent between ADs and tenants.'
• Gold Sponsor – ZIRO is 'the only IT company that makes unified communications simple and easy.' 

Interested in joining us for a night of free drinks, fun, and friendly competition with the Microsoft community? You can fill out the form here to request a ticket: https://www.schedulemymaintenance.com/.

This is a ticketed event - passes are limited and not guaranteed. However... For extra consideration, tag us on X @SchdMaintenance using #schdMaintenance #MSIgnite and let us know why you need scheduled maintenance of your own and stop by ENow Booth #101 on Tuesday and Wednesday!  

4. Eating our way Across Chicago

According to Travel and Leisure (and plenty of others), Chicago is one of the best U.S cities to visit if you are a foodie. That is why it is one of the reasons why we are excited   for Ignite—the location! We cannot wait to eat some of the classics like deep dish pizza from Lou Malnati’s, Chicago-style hot dogs at Portillo’s, Italian beef, and Garrett’s Popcorn. Some of our favorite Chicago restaurants include:  

• Maple and Ash (Steakhouse) 
• Gene and Georgetti’s (Italian)  
• Girl and the Goat (New American)  
• Green Street Smoked Meats (BBQ)  
• Pat’s Pizza (Tavern style)  
• Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba (Spanish)  
• Frontera Grill by Ricky Bayless (Mexican)  
• Aba (Mediterranean, tapas)  

5. Attendee Celebration at Navy Pier 

We’re not shocked that Microsoft chose to host the attendee celebration at Navy Pier. Navy Pier is not only an iconic attraction in Chicago, but also in the Midwest. Activities include shopping, rides, restaurants, a fitness trail, and so much more. One of the most famous attractions at Navy Pier is called Centennial Wheel, which is a Ferris wheel that takes you about 200 feet into the air, capturing 360-degree views of Lake Michigan and Chicago. Throughout the year, Navy Pier is a gathering place for locals and tourists. While we’re not exactly sure what Microsoft has planned for the attendee celebration, they’re always memorable and a wonderful opportunity to put a nice bow on a long week! 

 More Microsoft Ignite Tips:  

• The Ignite Logistics team has said that they’ve made improvements to the Hotel Shuttles to and from McCormick Place West. Let us hope they’re better than in 2015, but if not Uber and Lyft are easy to get, and the ‘L’ Stop nearby (Cermak-McCormick Place Green Line Station) isn’t too far of a walk to McCormick Place West.  
• Wear comfortable shoes for the conference and night events! Chicago can be an amazing city to explore on foot so bring good walking shoes to take advantage!  
• Wear layers/bring hats/gloves – Chicago weather in November is iffy. The forecast shows potential rain and temperatures in the 40-60s F (6-16 C). 
• Coat check but no bag drop at McCormick Place West – keep those large bags/suitcases at your hotel bellhop, as organizers have shared, they won’t be accepted at the coat check.  

As you can tell, we are counting down the days until we land in Chicago for Microsoft Ignite 2024!  

We look forward to a week of learning, community, and fun. Do not forget to stop by Booth #101 and request a ticket to our scheduledMaintenance Party - we hope to see you there!