Microsoft MVP | MCT | Solution Architect | AI-Ready ERP & CRM Copilot & Agentic Business Applications

There are some events that, at first, feel like you are simply going to a conference. The agenda is clear, the sessions are scheduled, and the program is busy. But once the event is over and you look back, you realize that you did not just attend a few sessions. You were actually part of a much broader community, different perspectives, and many small but valuable interactions.

DynamicsMinds 2026 was exactly that kind of experience for me.

It was my first time attending this event, and I had the opportunity both to speak on stage and to spend time with many valuable people from different parts of the Dynamics 365 ecosystem and different countries. I do not want to write this as a classic event summary, because for me, this experience was not only about the sessions I attended or the presentations I delivered.

The preparation process, the stage experience, the speaker event, the intense conference program, the sponsor areas, the evening dinners, and the hallway conversations all came together and created a much more holistic, educational, and enjoyable experience.

Being a Speaker and the Preparation Process

Being selected as a speaker for this event was exciting in itself. I have been working for many years on Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations, ERP projects, software development, architecture, and more recently, artificial intelligence. Sharing my experience in these areas is always enjoyable, but doing this at an international event, in front of people who are deeply involved in the subject, brings a different level of responsibility.

This year, I had two different sessions.

One was about licensing, which I delivered together with André. The other one was on the F&O development and technical side, which I delivered together with Miha.

We did not start completely from scratch. We had presented similar topics in different environments before. But this time, the audience was different. We were presenting to people from different countries, people who experience similar problems in real projects and who know the details of the subject very well. So it was not just about preparing the content; it was also about finding the right balance.

During the preparation process, we had several meetings. We did not only discuss “what is on which slide.” We reviewed which topics should be removed, which areas needed more emphasis, how new developments should be included, and how the flow could become clearer.

The biggest challenge was time. Each session was around 45 minutes, but the topics were broad enough to be discussed for hours. So our main objective was this: not to overwhelm the audience with too much detail, but to make sure they left the room with a clear message.

To be honest, the preparation process was just as educational as being on stage. Because a good presentation is often not only about having good content; knowing what to leave out is just as important as knowing what to explain.

First Day: Speaker Event and First Impressions

I started my journey early on Sunday morning. The event was held in the Portorož region of Slovenia. After flying from Istanbul to Ljubljana, we were welcomed at the airport with a transfer organized by the DynamicsMinds team.

To be honest, this detail mattered to me. At international events, travel, transfers, and getting to the hotel can sometimes be tiring. But here, from the very first moment, it was clear that the organization had made serious preparations to make participants, and especially speakers, feel comfortable.

From Ljubljana Airport to the coastal area where the event was held, we had a journey of about one and a half hours. Along the way, I had the chance to observe Slovenia’s nature. Green areas, quiet roads, small settlements, and then the gradually changing scenery as we got closer to the coast added a different feeling to the event from the very first day.

When you arrive around Portorož and Piran, the atmosphere changes a little. The sea, the coastline, the small-town texture, and the Mediterranean feeling immediately draw you in. Especially the sea and the coast reminded me a lot of our Aegean shores. On one hand, you are in a different country and in a different culture; on the other hand, the feeling of a coastal town, the color of the sea, and the overall atmosphere do not feel unfamiliar at all.

After checking in at the hotel, the speaker event started around three o’clock. From the first day, it was clear that the event was organized at a different level.

Instead of preparing a classic “meet and greet” gathering, the organization team had created a truly experience-focused program. The boat tour along the Slovenian coast was a great opportunity both to get a feeling for the place and to connect naturally with other speakers.

After that, we had a guided city tour in Piran. Piran is truly a unique and very pleasant city with its narrow streets, historical texture, connection with the sea, and small squares. On one hand, you are there for a conference; on the other hand, even in a short time, you can feel the spirit of the region. I think these kinds of details are what make an event unforgettable.

At the end of the day, the program continued with music, food, and conversations, which helped create a more natural connection among the speakers.

For me, this was not just a nice trip. It was a strong start in terms of becoming part of the spirit of the event from the very first day. Even before the conference officially started, the beauty of the region and the warmth of the organization made me feel like I was already part of the community.

Three Days of an Intense Conference Program

After the speaker event, we had a very intense conference program for three days. The program was not focused only on Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations; it included a very wide range of content touching many different products and approaches within Microsoft’s business applications space.

Dynamics 365, Power Platform, Copilot, artificial intelligence, CRM, ERP, development, architecture, project methodology, security, licensing, and many other topics were being discussed at the same time. This diversity made the event very valuable, but as an attendee, it also made your job a little more difficult.

Almost every hour, there were many sessions running in parallel, and you had to choose the one that best matched your interests. There were several times when I found myself between two, or even three, different sessions. I often thought, “Should I go to this one, or should I not miss the other one?” Maybe this was the only difficult part of the event; when there is so much good content, choosing becomes genuinely hard.

My own sessions were on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, among the first sessions of the day. That was also a different experience. When you are going to be on stage early in the morning, you inevitably review the final preparations the night before. The slide flow, timing, where to emphasize which point, transitions… Mentally, you continue presenting even at night.

On the first day, I was able to focus more on other sessions. In between, I also did small rehearsals for my own sessions. Most of the sessions I attended were really well prepared.

To be honest, using a handheld microphone is not something we use very often. We are usually more used to lapel microphones or fixed microphones. When presenting with a handheld microphone, you need to manage the slide flow, keep your movement on stage natural, and also maintain the right microphone distance at the same time. This requires a separate level of attention.

No matter how good the content is, delivery quality is just as critical as the content itself. Making sure your voice reaches the room properly, maintaining the right pace, handling technical equipment, your presence on stage, and the connection you build with the audience all directly affect the impact of the presentation.

I made a note of this for myself. In my future sessions, I will pay more attention to microphone usage and to making sure I also connect with the people sitting at the back of the room. Because stage experience is not only about preparing slides and speaking; it is about delivering the content to everyone in the room with the same level of impact.

Keynote and the Overall Energy of the Event

This year’s theme was Star Trek, and the keynote was really well designed around this theme. But what I liked most was that it did not remain just a visual theme. The Star Trek concept was integrated very naturally into the keynote and into the overall atmosphere of the event.

In particular, I found the communication between Data and the Captain very successful as a way of creating an interface similar to the relationship we are building with artificial intelligence today. On one side, there was a structure where people talk to AI, receive information from it, and use it in decision-making processes; on the other side, there was a message very close to where enterprise software and business applications are today.

The visits to different planets, the performances by the dance and show team during these transitions, and the keynote speeches progressing in line with this concept took the event far beyond a classic conference opening.

What I found valuable here was that the entertainment and the content were not disconnected from each other. The theme was not used merely to decorate the stage; instead, a meaningful connection was built between artificial intelligence, enterprise software, business processes, and the transformation waiting for us in the future.

That is why the keynote was both enjoyable and educational for me, and also very pleasant to watch. You are not only receiving information; you also feel that you are becoming part of the spirit of the event. Details like this significantly increase how memorable a conference becomes.

Social Areas, Sponsors, and Hallway Conversations

The conference was not limited to sessions. Evening events, dinners, concerts, and sponsor areas were just as lively as the sessions themselves.

The activity in the sponsor areas was especially noticeable. The companies were not just opening booths; they were genuinely trying to communicate with people and explain their products and approaches. This created many opportunities to meet people, exchange ideas, and build connections.

This side of the event was also very valuable for me. Because at these kinds of events, learning does not only happen on stage. Sometimes a short conversation after a session, a quick discussion in the sponsor area, or a topic that comes up during dinner can be just as educational as the official program.

Being Part of a Global Ecosystem

Being in the same environment with professionals from different countries gives you a serious perspective. We all work with the same product family, talk about similar technologies, and use similar concepts. But customer expectations, project approaches, consulting culture, and priorities can vary from country to country.

Seeing these differences was very valuable for me.

Sometimes you realize that some of the problems we experience in our own country are actually global. And sometimes you realize that an approach we are very used to can be handled very differently in another country. This kind of comparison also helps broaden your own perspective.

What I Took Away

This event reminded me of a few important things.

Being active in the ecosystem really matters. When we focus only on our own projects, our own customers, and our own daily workload, we can sometimes miss the bigger picture. Events like this take you out of that daily rush and help you see more clearly where the ecosystem is heading.

Sharing helps you grow. When you prepare to explain a topic on stage, you actually reorganize what you already know. You see more clearly why you do certain things, which approaches truly create value, and which topics need to be discussed more.

Community relationships are also very valuable in the long term. Meeting people face to face whom you previously knew only online, spending time together, and having conversations around the same table are some of the best parts of this work.

Conclusion

DynamicsMinds 2026 was a truly valuable experience for me, both professionally and personally.

Being on stage as a speaker, delivering two different sessions, creating content together with valuable and highly professional people in the ecosystem such as André and Miha, meeting people from different countries, and being part of such a strong community made this an unforgettable experience for me.

In addition to that, I especially want to say that there was a great amount of effort behind this event. From the very first day, it was clear how carefully the preparations, the flow, and the details had been thought through. The organization made for the comfort of the speakers was visible in many areas, from transfers to the speaker event, and from meals to evening activities.

The food and beverage arrangements, music, entertainment, social events, content planning, the event app, the gifts, and the small details… The fact that all of these were so well thought through turned DynamicsMinds 2026 from just a technical conference into a truly enjoyable experience.

I would like to congratulate the DynamicsMinds team once again for this success. Preparing such an event, bringing together speakers and participants from different countries, and doing all of this in a warm and sincere community atmosphere is really not an easy job.

But perhaps the most important thing was this: the Dynamics 365 ecosystem is not only about products, modules, licenses, or technical topics. The real value comes from the experiences, sharing, and willingness to learn from each other of the people who make these products meaningful in real life.

DynamicsMinds 2026 reminded me of this once again.

That is why this event is no longer just a conference I follow; it is a community I truly want to be part of.

To be honest, I am already looking forward to next year’s DynamicsMinds event. After such a carefully prepared and strong experience this year, I am also curious to see what they will do differently next time.

See you at the next event.