Event Preview: Days of Knowledge comes to North America

Microsoft Business Applications partners rely on an educated and trained staff that can offer clients up-to-date business and technical expertise. But the realities of a schedule filled with client engagements mean that consultants and developers often struggle to stay current on Microsoft’s ongoing release waves for Dynamics 365 and Power Platform and other channel developments.

A new event, Days of Knowledge Americas 2024, taking place September 12 to 14 in Atlanta, aims to give North America-based Dynamics 365 Business Central professionals a new way to train, learn, and stay current on a range of topics. With a day of workshops followed by two days of event sessions, Days of Knowledge Americas will offer attendees a chance to focus on skills development without typical client and operational demands of their jobs.

“Days of Knowledge focuses on Business Central in conjunction with the Power Platform and, this year, includes sessions on Copilot for developers and consultants,” said Torben Kragelund, CEO and co-founder of Directions for Partners, the event’s organizer. “It is primarily an educational event, featuring advanced sessions at levels 300-400 and inspirational sessions designed to encourage attendees to explore new topics such as Copilot.”

The schedule starts on Thursday September 12 with workshops, followed by the full event on Friday and Saturday to minimize the impact on billable hours, Kragelund noted. “This arrangement allows employers to contribute one day and employees to contribute one day, balancing the investment of time between both parties,” he said.

The pre-conference training sessions on September 12 are an extra purchase and are led by veteran trainers and MVPs. Examples include: 

• “Service Management Training, Soup to Souffle,” led by Steven Chinsky, Kim Dallefeld, and Robb Delprado;
• “Your Passport to MB-820: Tips and tricks for the certification” by Roberto Corella;
• Training on telemetry & performance by Waldo;
• Or, for your new hires there’s the session “Business Central Development Training for Beginners” by Krzysztof Bialowas. 

Days of Knowledge began six years ago when a group of Business Central partners in Denmark made a plan to deal with their long-running training challenges, Kragelund told MSDW. They brought their consulting teams together in a conference space for a combined training event that focused on consulting skills and emerging topics of the time like cloud technology and new development tools.

The team at Directions for Partners, the event and community-building organization behind the Directions EMEA and Directions ASIA conferences, also organizes the Days of Knowledge event series. This is their first effort in North America, and they are planning the September event with the acknowledgement and support of the separate Directions North America event organizing committee, Kragelund explained.

Recognizing this distinct need, the Directions North America committee has acknowledged the value of such an event for North American partners.

The European partners have successfully implemented this concept, and the Directions NA committee is lending its support to raise awareness and facilitate the event. This collaboration ensures that North American developers and consultants receive the necessary updates and training to stay current and effective in their roles.

Some partners opt to send a few select individuals to Days of Knowledge, while others send their entire team and use the event as a team-building opportunity, said Kragelund. The event aims to meet the needs of different types of partner team roles. For example: 

• Developers and consultants can learn about changes in the technology landscape that they may not have yet focused on with clients in areas like DevOps, automated testing, copilot development, portals, or advanced warehouse configuration (all topics that will have sessions at the event). 
• For teams with a commitment to employee growth, Days of Knowledge can contribute to professional growth and learning, helping keep employees engaged and committed.

“Education is key to motivation and innovation,” Kragelund said. “By participating in Days of Knowledge Americas, you are not just training your team; you are preparing them to deliver the best solutions to your clients. You’re investing in your team's future by sending them to Atlanta!”