Thrive 2024: New technologies and trends at Slovenia's leading IT conference

Anticipation and kick-off

Sigi and I had been looking forward to the Thrive IT Conference in Slovenia all year. This conference is known for its relaxed atmosphere and open exchange between participants, speakers, MVPs, Microsoft employees and organizers.

Focus on Microsoft 365 and Copilot

Thrive focuses on Microsoft 365, this year especially on Microsoft Copilot. Branka was able to get Scott Schnoll from Microsoft to join in, who gave deep insights into Copilot and best practices in the use of AI.

First day

Opening keynote and panel discussion

After the opening keynote there was a panel discussion on Copilot. Participants were Scott Schnoll, Siegfried Jagott, Tony Pohl, Martina Grom, Laurie Pottmeier and Christina Wheeler. An interesting finding: Copilot could replace the classic Google search, as long as you verify the answers and pay attention to source references.

from left: Toni Pohl, Christina Wheeler, Siegfried Jagott, Scott Schnoll, Laurie Pottmeier, Martina Grom

Technical sessions and practical applications

After the coffee break, technical sessions followed. Ahmad Najjar spoke about "Running Secure Power Automate Flows", a particularly interesting session for non-developers. Afterwards, Scott Schnoll presented “How Copilot for Microsoft 365 Works”, followed by Sigis session “How I use AI to ease my life as IT Pro”. Both sessions offered valuable insights and practical tips on using AI and Copilot.

Exchange and IAM Insights

After another coffee break, Scott Schnoll shared information about the next Exchange Server and migration paths in his session “Microsoft Exchange Tips & Tricks”. The day concluded with Spencer Harbar’s session “A to Z of Classic Synchronization with Microsoft Identity Manager”, an in-depth, technical presentation on Identity & Access Management.

Second day

AI security and practical tips

The second day began with breakfast and the session “AI is Hacking You – How Cybercriminals Leverage Artificial Intelligence” by Michael Noel. Afterwards, Louis Mastelnick spoke in “Sh!t we got compromised” about monitoring and remediation with Microsoft 365 Defender. Both sessions offered exciting insights into modern security practices.

Copilot and Viva Insights

After a short break, Scott Schnoll presented valuable administrator tips in “Copilot for Microsoft 365 – Admin Experiences”. After that, I attended Katja Jokisalo’s session “Best Practices for Implementing Viva-Powered Company App”, which offered a lot of inspiration for our own intranet.

Conclusion and networking

The event concluded with Sigis session “The latest and greatest on Exchange”, which included a lively discussion with Scott Schnoll. Thrive once again offered a wealth of expert knowledge and networking opportunities. A big thank you to Branka Slinkar and her team for an impressive event.