Global Azure London 2026
Welcome & Opening
09:30- 10:00 Networking
10:10 – 10:50
Miri Rodriguez - DevOps builds the system. StoryOps builds the adoption.
Session - Code, Cloud, and Culture: From Shipping Azure AI to Getting Humans to Actually Use It
You built it in Azure.
The models are trained.
The APIs are live.
The dashboards are beautiful.
So why isn’t anyone using it?
Because AI doesn’t fail at the moment of deployment.
It fails at the moment of disbelief.
We’re living in a time where technology is accelerating faster than human trust—and that gap is where most AI transformations break.
Drawing on her experience as Microsoft’s Senior Storyteller—where her work influenced $319M in pipeline, drove 35% business growth, and reached over 5 million people—and now as CEO of Empressa AI, Miri Rodriguez reveals what it takes to move humans, not just workloads.
In this session, you’ll learn how to:
Close the gap between AI capability and real-world adoption
Turn Azure-powered solutions into trusted, lived experiences
Combine DevOps with StoryOps to drive the last mile of transformation
Navigate resistance, build trust, and make AI relatable—not intimidating
Lead as a new kind of technical visionary—one who architects both systems and stories
Whether you're building with Azure OpenAI, deploying AI agents, or scaling Copilot across your organization, one truth remains:
If you don’t engineer the story, the system won’t scale.
10:55 – 11:15
Jason Wynn - Microsoft MVP and Solution Architect @ Computacenter
Session - IntelliFrame, Face Recognition & AI Cameras
Hybrid meetings don't work when remote participants feel like second-class citizens. With the latest AI-powered cameras and intelligent framing are finally delivering on the promise of equitable meeting experiences. I will demonstrate how to configure these AI features for an amazing experience for everyone. I'll showcase real-world implementations that have transformed our hybrid meeting culture. This isn't about deploying hardware- it's about designing a meeting experience where technology fades into the background and where end-user collaboration thrives.
11:20 – 11:50
Martyn Coupland - Platform Solution Architect at Kainos
Session - How Large Language Models Actually Work
Large language models have become everyday tools, but few people understand what's happening under the hood. This session explains how LLMs actually work, using plain language and accessible analogies instead of jargon.
We'll explore the core concept that these are sophisticated prediction engines learning patterns from vast amounts of text, and walk through what happens during training, how they process language, and why they behave the way they do. You'll leave understanding both their genuine capabilities and real limitations, with a practical mental model for using and evaluating these systems effectively.
11:55 – 12:15
Marcel Lupo - Microsoft MVP DevOps | Technical Speaker and Mentor | Microsoft Azure Solutions & DevOps Architect
Session - GitHub Copilot CLI: A DevOps Engineer's Practical Guide
From Terminal to AI-Powered Automation: My Deep Dive into GitHub Copilot CLI. As DevOps engineers, we spend countless hours in the terminal writing scripts, debugging pipelines, and managing infrastructure. What if AI could be your pair programmer right there in your command line?
I've just published a comprehensive guide on GitHub Copilot CLI, a game-changer that's transforming how I work with DevOps workflows.
What you'll discover:
✅ Step-by-step installation across Windows, macOS, and Linux
✅ Real-world use cases: IaC development, CI/CD debugging, incident response, and log analysis
✅ Advanced features: custom agents, MCP servers, and context management
✅ Security best practices and permission controls
✅ Practical tips from production experience
My favourite feature? Asking Copilot to "analyse the last failed workflow run and suggest fixes" beats manually trawling through logs any day!
12:00 – 13:00
Lunch
13:05 – 13:35
Hanna Schwab - Team Lead Data & AI at teccle group
Frank Geisler - GDS Business Intelligence GmbH
Session - From Data to Decisions: Building Intelligent Systems
Microsoft Fabric has fundamentally changed how we build modern data platforms and Fabric IQ takes this one step further by adding intelligence directly into the analytics workflow.
We’ll look at how Fabric IQ helps you ask better questions, understand your data faster, and turn insights into action, all inside the Fabric ecosystem. Along the way, we’ll connect the dots between OneLake, Real-Time Intelligence, and Power BI, and show how AI quietly improves the experience without making things more complex.
You’ll walk away with:
- A clear understanding of what Fabric IQ really is (and what it isn’t)
- Practical examples of how AI fits into everyday analytics and real-time use cases
- Ideas for where Fabric IQ can remove friction in your own data platform
- A realistic starting point without a big-bang “AI transformation”
13:40 – 14:05
Shubhangi Goyal - Senior Analyst| Microsoft MVP | Women in Data London Chapter Lead| Public Speaker
Session - Designing Context First AI Systems
This session explores how to design context-first AI architectures where retrieval, memory, metadata, and workflow logic work together to ground LLMs in the right information at the right time. I will break down the building blocks of context engineering, vector search, structured context injection, guardrails, and adaptive memory and discuss how to build systems that reduce hallucinations, improve reasoning, and deliver reliable real-world performance in the business. Attendees will walk away with practical patterns for designing AI applications that adapt with high contextual intelligence.
14:10 – 14:35
Jake Walsh
Solution Architect | Microsoft MVP & HashiCorp Ambassador
Session - Azure Local Overview and Demo
A detailed overview of Azure Local - what is it, how it's used, deployment, and more. Along with a demo of the platform and time to cover off questions. Join this session to see how Azure Local can be used for Edge solutions and AI use cases, all backed by the power of Azure Local and Azure Arc.
14:40– 15:05
Saranya Sriram - Principal Product Lead, Azure Cosmos DB, Microsoft
Session - Building Real-Time Modern AI Enabled Applications with Globally Distributed Azure Cosmos DB
This session will provide a comprehensive overview of Azure Cosmos DB as a database for AI enabled realtime application for the modern world. Azure Cosmos DB is a globally distributed, massively scalable NoSQL database service on the cloud which provides single millisecond latencies at P99. Are you New or already a power user of NoSQL technologies and Azure Cosmos DB - This session will take you from zero to hero. Come join this session to take a look of the latest capabilities, improvements on the service along with end-to-end demo.
15:15 – 15:45
Closing
#AI #Azure #Microsoft #London
📜 Code of Conduct
We are committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for all participants. Please review our Code of Conduct before attending.
📍 How to Get There
📌 Event Location: Microsoft Paddington Office
🚉 Nearest Public Transport: See above
🅿️ Parking Options: See above