Event Preview: DynamicsMinds 2023 brings a bit of magic to European conference scene

Organizers of the first-ever DynamicsMinds conference are calling on fellow Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform community members to "sharpen your magic wands, flip through your spell books, sort out your secret recipes," and take part in a new three-day in-person community-led event in Europe.

"During today’s challenging times, our community has already pulled off unexpected things from its magic hats and deserves to be pampered, at least for a bit," according to event organizers. DynamicsMinds will be held from May 22-24 in Portoroz, Slovenia in the convention center of the Grand Hotel Bernardin, overlooking the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea. (MSDW is a media sponsor of the event and participates in the planning committee.)

Microsoft ISV Docentric is the main organizer of DynamicsMinds, with functional consultant Mira Razman playing a leading role in the event planning. She spoke with MSDW about the event and her team's interest in creating a new community-driven conference focused on Microsoft business applications.

MSDW: What was the original idea for the event? Is the current plan similar or different?

Mira Razman: Actually, it is the same. The original idea [stemmed from the fact] that [at our company] we were missing the in-person conferences that [we had had before the COVID-19 pandemic]. So we decided to do something about it. We checked with the members of the community and the response was really good.

The mission was and is to give back to the community because we grow on community knowledge and we know the added value that community brings. We started with the original idea of bringing bleeding-edge knowledge and experience to the community. So that was the main idea. And then we started asking around and it became the community creating the event, which was even better than we were hoping to do.

How many sessions are planned and what will they cover?

We're going to have four technical tracks: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations; Business Central; Customer Engagement; Power Platform. And a fifth community sessions track covering a number of non-technical topics related to career development, partner strategy, and workforce representation. And we're going to have one really playful keynote on Tuesday, May 23.

Can you provide a few details about the location? Why will people want to travel there?

Portoroz is easy to get to as there are five airports nearby in Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia. And Microsoft holds its NT conference at this location so we know the venue works for these types of events. The hotel overlooks the sea and we're going to have an evening party on the beach.

What has the committee contributed to the planning so far? 

We have 15 members on the committee who are working to develop and support the conference program and content and select the sessions and speakers. We're going to publish the sessions soon and we have a call for speakers until the end of February. The committee members also help us get in touch with Microsoft.

What has the feedback been to this event?

The feedback from everyone has been amazing. Our community influencers and MVPs, Microsoft and our other sponsors, as well as many more community enthusiasts and supporters are all onboard with this event. In fact, we've had a lot of support from [Microsoft's] Heather Cook, who leads a team of community program managers.

Why should people attend the event? 

At the event, community members can learn how things work and share their findings with fellow professionals. They'll also get to meet MVPs and influencers in-person and attend sessions held by the experts whose work they've followed for years. Attendees can also share their thoughts and concerns about the current trends regarding both the technology and partnerships with Microsoft as well as get answers to their questions straight from the Microsoft representatives.

The conference will also help community members expand their professional networks, reach new business opportunities, and stay on top of the latest news from the community and Microsoft, including solution and service offerings from Dynamics partners.

And last but not least, attendees will really have fun.

Any other facts, dates, deadlines, etc. that people should know?

The call for speakers is open until February 28. The deadlines for tickets are:

• Jan. 31: super early bird tickets, € 999 + VAT 22%
• Feb. 28: early bird tickets, € 1,099 + VAT 22%
• May 21: regular tickets, € 1,299 + VAT 22%
• May 22-24: onsite tickets, € 1,499 + VAT 22%