Although October seems a long way out, the 2018 Dynamic Communities Summit will be here before you know it! In fact, early bird pricing ended June 30th. If you have attended a Summit in the past you know about all the wonderful reasons why you should attend this event. However, for first time attendees here are a few reasons you should consider going.
Education
If you have been using a Microsoft Dynamics system, like GP, NAV, CRM or Power BI, you may think you know all there is to know about the product. I’m here to tell you there is no way that is true. There are literally hundreds of educational sessions at Summit and every single person who attends learns something they didn’t know. Recently, I have been hearing from some Dynamics users that “GP doesn’t do that” or “CRM can’t meet my needs.” All of the issues brought up have been solved using out of the box functionality in the system or a third party tool that hooks in to the system. If you have been struggling to accomplish things within your system odds are it’s a lack of training on your end, not a failure of the system.
Empower yourself and make your life easier by getting some much-needed training!
Networking
The Microsoft Dynamics community is so different than any other business system community. This is because of their wonderful and active user groups. The Summit brings together users from all industries, backgrounds, countries, and skill levels to network and learn from each other. Learning what other users are doing to streamline and automate their business processes is well worth the cost of the conference. You will be able to bring back real stories and experiences and make valuable connections.
The Expo Hall
The Expo Hall at Summit is more than just a room filled with free pens, stress balls, and an open bar– although who doesn’t love that? If you have any kind of manual process within your Dynamics system you will find a way to automate it here. There are hundreds of third party companies (also referred to as ISVs) that have dedicated themselves to producing solutions for the Microsoft Dynamics stack. These solutions range from integration tools, document management, warehouse automation, HR solutions, and the list goes on and on. Besides that, the expo hall is vast and varied so plan out your attack before going in.
Here’s how:
- Make a list of any pain point you have in your system and check out the vendor listing beforehand to see who you need to speak to to vet solutions.
- Consult with your Dynamics partner about any ISVs they think you should be looking in to.
- Take it aisle by aisle and spend your spare time here so you don’t miss anything!
The Parties!
If you remember the old Microsoft Convergence days, you know that the Microsoft Community loves a good party! There is something for everyone at Summit. In addition to the two networking receptions in expo hall (complete with cocktails and food galore) there are tons of parties through out the week hosted by different Partners and ISVs. On Wednesday, October 17th KTL Solutions will be hosting a happy hour with our friends at FASCOR and StockIQ at Lucky Strike of Phoenix. We are inviting all the manufacturing and distribution attendees of Summit to come out, bowl a few frames, network, and win some prizes. Not in the manufacturing/distribution industry? Don’t worry! There is a party out there for you. Look out for updates closer to the conference and you will never have a boring night in Phoenix.
If you’re thinking of coming out to the Summit, register now to come check us out in booth #1048.
