Get ready for ESPC 2024: Key topics and trends to watch 

Heading to ESPC this year? Jasper Oosterveld, Microsoft MVP and Data Security and Microsoft 365 Consultant, breaks down the important topics on the agenda and his top recommended sessions. 

In no time, the global Microsoft 365 community will gather in Stockholm for ESPC24! More than 2000 fellow IT professionals will be gathering to learn best practices from other Microsoft MVPs and industry experts. 

If you’re attending, definitely stop by ShareGate’s AMA on December 4^th at 4 PM to participate in my Ask Me Anything session. I’ll do my best to answer your burning questions about Microsoft 365 governance! 

The countdown is on, but before this educational extravaganza kicks off, let’s explore my recommendations for optimizing your conference experience, with insights into the key topics and Microsoft 365 trends to watch.

What to expect at ESPC24: Sessions, keynotes, and the value 

Honestly, ESPC is one of my favorite events of the year. It’s the perfect mix of learning, networking, and yes, enjoying an awesome party with people from all over the globe. 

With more than 120 sessions, there’s no shortage of chances to get practical information that you can bring back to your organization to improve how you use your Microsoft workplace.  

This year’s ESPC program team, comprised of experts in the Microsoft field, put in a lot of work to curate workshops, keynotes, and sessions with a range of topics that would pique everyone’s interest. 

Jeff Teper’s keynote session is always my absolute highlight. As Microsoft’s President of Collaborative Apps and Platforms (aka the ‘father of SharePoint’), audience members get the inside scoop about the latest features and trends straight from the source.  

I’m confident that his talk this year, “Collaborative Apps in the AI Era,” will be no exception. Expect a collaborative experience, where other Microsoft colleagues will join Jeff to share insights based on their key focus areas. And it’s going to be interactive, too, with plenty of demos that showcase how the latest Microsoft innovations actually impact our workflow. Hands-on learning? That’s my favorite kind of keynote! 

I’m also jazzed for the keynote from Enterprise Security MVP and the Founder and CEO of CQURE Paula Januszkiewicz. It’s titled “A Look into the Future: The Role of AI in Cybersecurity Operations.” When threats are constantly increasing in sophistication and scale, this is valuable for everyone to learn about. 

It’s time to move past the hype into real AI talk 

With 2025 just around the corner, Microsoft’s AI tools are poised to continue massively evolving the work of IT professionals. Copilot, in particular, is really taking off—no more ‘just dipping a toe in the water’ as more organizations dive headfirst into experimenting with pilots and proof of concepts.  

Sure, licensing costs and data security risks can be a headache, but overall, everyone’s eager to jump on the AI train. 

Let’s face it: this technology isn’t going anywhere. If you haven’t already, IT teams should start bracing themselves for the many flavors of AI that will affect them. 

ESPC24 is the perfect place to dive in. I’m curious to learn from my Data Security peers and hear some real-life stories about how organizations are actually using Copilot for Microsoft 365.  

We all know the glossy marketing pitches; it’s time for the real talk and practical tips we can put to work daily. 

For that, these AI-related sessions are a must: 

Building an AI strategy with Microsoft Copilot 

In this practical session, you’ll get in-depth guidance on what to include in your organization’s AI usage and governance strategy. You’ll also discover the different types of Copilot, the scenarios when you’ll want to use each one, and when you might want to consider building your own. 

Time: Tuesday, December 3 from 14:15 – 15:15 pm 

Speaker: Kevin McDonnell from Avanade 

Implementing Generative AI on the UK’s Biggest Infrastructure Project – a ChatGPT and Azure OpenAI Story 

This case study session will explore how the HS2 railway construction project uses generative AI tools to streamline how they use and access their data across diverse platforms and improve their complex processes. 

Time: Wednesday, December 4th from 10:15 – 11:15am  

Speaker: Chris O’Brien, MVP from Advania UK

Security in the Age of AI: Deep Dive 

In this hands-on session, attendees will learn how to use artificial intelligence to secure their Microsoft environment and simplify tasks like incident response, analysis, and exposure management. 

Time: Thursday, December 5 from 14:00 – 15:00 pm  

Speaker: Jussi Roine, MVP from Not Bad Security

Securing your Microsoft 365 environment and my recommended ESPC24 sessions 

With remote and hybrid environments becoming standard, IT teams want to know how to keep their Microsoft ecosystems safe and sound. 

In my daily work, I focus on data security, governance, and adoption. Based on my expertise, I always stand by one recommendation: Microsoft Purview. Especially when so many organizations are increasingly adopting Copilot for Microsoft 365, it offers features for securing your resources. You can: 

• Classify and protect your data with Purview Information Protection.  

• Monitor how your team uses sensitive information in Copilot prompts with Purview Communication Compliance  

• Assess how well your organization follows relevant data protection rules with Purview Compliance Manager.  

• Conduct a Data Risk Check to get insights into your Microsoft 365 environment and locate sensitive content with Microsoft Purview Content Explorer and Content Search.  

It’s also good practice to follow the best-practice Zero Trust principles of ‘least privileged access’ and ‘never trust; always verify.’ And no, this doesn’t mean giving your colleagues the side-eye—it’s about treating every user, device, and network like a potential risk until they’ve been properly verified — because it’s better to be safe than sorry.  

And by setting role-based permissions across all Microsoft products so people only access what they need, you keep things secure and reduce the risk of any unwanted surprises from bad actors. 

Several sessions at ESPC24 will dive deep into Purview and other security-related Microsoft tools, giving you the skills to create your own Zero Trust environment: 

Manage your Data Security Risks with Microsoft Purview Information Protection 

This session offers you a practical overview of Microsoft Purview Information Protection, with live demos of how you can use the tool to manage risks, meet your regulatory requirements, and secure your data with built-in features for data classification, dark data insights, and data loss prevention. 

Time: Tuesday, December 3rd from 15:30 – 16:30 pm 

Speaker: Bram de Jager, MVP and MCM from Advice Matters 

Build your Security Data Lake with Microsoft Sentinel & Data Explorer; a Match Made in Azure!  

In this session, you’ll learn about the importance of efficient storage for your security logs, and the benefits of Azure Data Explorer for affordable, scalable storage that still enables Kusto Query Language (KQL) for data exploration. I’m especially excited for Koos to demonstrate his open-source tool (Spl1tR) to help with table-level on-the-fly filtering and parsing native Azure platform logs. 

Time: Tuesday, December 3rd from 17:00 – 18:00 pm 

Speaker:  Koos Goossens, MVP from Wortell 

Managing Insider Risk with Adaptive Protection Strategies inside Microsoft 365 

Attend this session to get a thorough explanation of how Microsoft Purview’s adaptive protection features can help you align your data protection with your organization’s actual needs to massively reduce your likelihood of encountering a data breach. 

Time: Thursday, December 5 from 11:45 am – 12:45 pm 

Speaker: Joanne Klein, MVP from NexNovus Consulting 

Future-proof for what’s ahead

Looking back on 2024, IT teams definitely had their hands full with the whirlwind of changes—Generative AI, constant updates to Microsoft 365, and the ever-growing need for data security. And honestly, I don’t see these trends hitting the brakes anytime soon. It’s high time for IT departments to build a solid foundation or level up the one they have, so they can stay ahead of the curve, tackle challenges quickly, and seamlessly integrate whatever new twists come their way. 

At ESPC24, there will be many practical sessions designed to equip IT teams with the ability to create that resilient base for underpinning their team’s work. I recommend checking out: 

Beyond the Buzz: A Real-World Copilot Journey 

Get ready for an insightful case study session. Karoliina will walk you through OP Financial Group’s Copilot journey and give you many actionable strategies for successfully adopting artificial intelligence in your workplace. 

Time: Tuesday, December 3 from 12:00 – 13:00 pm 

Speaker: Karoliina Kettukari, MVP from OP Financial Group 

Getting Your Organization Ready for Microsoft 365 Copilot 

To make the most of Copilot, you need well-structured data! In this session, you’ll learn how to organize your SharePoint libraries to set your organization up for AI-powered success. 

Time: Tuesday, December 3 from 15:30 – 16:30 pm 

Speaker: Luise Freese, MVP 

Empowering Organizations: Governance, Digital Safety, and AI-Driven Employee Engagement with Viva Engage 

Join this session on Microsoft Viva Engage, the company’s employee communication solution, where you’ll get information straight from Microsoft on the best practices and practical tips for managing, moderating, and running a multi-tenant environment like a pro. 

Time: Thursday, December 5 from 10:15 – 11:15 am 

Speaker:  Mike McLean from Microsoft 

Boost your Microsoft 365 adoption  

Having spent a lot of time in the industry, I’ve seen a huge shift in how IT teams view the value of a solid Microsoft 365 adoption strategy. Now, they see how important it is for their organizations to use their workplace tools effectively. So instead of getting bogged down with support tickets, IT teams are focusing more on delivering real value and driving innovation with Microsoft 365’s services.  

IT managers should give their teams the resources they need to help them achieve that goal. Ultimately, this will make it easier for staff across all departments to improve their workflow and help bring those exciting goals you’re all working towards to life! 

Luckily, there are adoption resources to help organizations get started like Microsoft’s Microsoft 365 adoption tools and ShareGate’s end-user training for M365. And to deepen your knowledge, add these sessions to your conference itinerary: 

Knowledge Management within Microsoft 365 without Viva Topics

With Viva Topics retiring in 2025, this one-stop-shop session will show you how to build a new roadmap for knowledge management. It will cover everything you need to know about migrating data, setting up SharePoint and Microsoft Viva Engage, training your team, and establishing solid governance around content creation, moderation, and quality control. 

Time: Tuesday, December 3 from 10:30 – 11:30 am 

Speaker:  Daniel Glenn, MVP from CollabFront 

Unlocking Potential: An Introduction to the Maturity Model for Microsoft 365 

If you want to develop a tailored plan for your Microsoft 365 environment that drives more meaningful results, this session is for you! These two Microsoft 365 consultants will teach you about the Maturity Model for Microsoft 365 and how the framework can influence your platform use for greater efficiency and productivity. 

Time: Tuesday, December 3 from 10:30 – 11:30 am 

Speakers: Mats Warnolf and Pia Langenkrans 

User Research Methods to Inform an Incredible Employee Experience 

Want to empower your employees to meet your business goals? Involve them in the design of the tools they use! In this session, you’ll dive into how to create and implement a user-centered research plan that leads to more useful workplace tools. 

Time: Thursday, December 5 from 14:00 – 15:00 pm 

Speakers: Emily Mancini, MVP from Left Uncharted

Get the most out of Microsoft 365 at the conference and beyond 

With so many topics on the agenda, ESPC24 will be an action-packed week full of valuable insight about helping your end users make the most of the latest Microsoft updates and features. And hey, if you want to keep the Microsoft 365 governance conversation going, swing by ShareGate’s AMA on December 4th at 4 PM for my AMA session. See you there!