Top 5 Power BI Sessions to attend at Microsoft Business Applications Summit 2019
Introduction
Microsoft Business Applications Summit 2019 is right around the corner and I’m excited to attend with the rest of Softcrylic’s Data Visualization team! The session catalog has been released, and there are 79 Power BI sessions as of this writing. These sessions all look fantastic and cover everything from data prep to dashboard design to AI to platform administration. My goals for Summit this year are to learn about Microsoft’s vision for the Power Platform, pick up as many DAX pointers as possible, and get more engaged in the Power BI community. With those goals in mind I reviewed the catalog and bookmarked my most anticipated sessions. Check out my list of Top 5 Power BI Sessions below!
Session 1: Microsoft Power BI: BI Power Hour
Presenters:
I missed out on the BI Power Hour at last year’s Summit, but I won’t be making the same mistake again! The BI Power Hour is packed with joke-filled demos from Power BI masters that showcase the full power and versatility of Power BI. This session is all about having fun while learning tips & tricks about Power BI from some of the best in the business. Be sure to check this one out!
Session 2: Microsoft Power BI: Using the Power platform to radically change your business
Presenters:
Adam Saxton and Patrick LeBlanc, the presenters for this session, run the Guy In A Cube YouTube channel where they post weekly videos with tips, tricks, and best practices for the Power platform. Their videos have been an invaluable resource for me as I’ve started learning Power BI and I’m excited to see them live! I’m also excited to learn about how to leverage Flow and Power Apps along with Power BI to make best use of the Power platform to solve different business problems.
Session 3: Microsoft Power BI: Deep dive into DAX evaluation context
Presenter:
Marco Russo (SQLBI)
As a Tableau power user, the aspect of Power BI that has tripped me up the most is DAX because of DAX’s very particular evaluation contexts. Luckily, Marco Russo has shared his excellent DAX blog posts and videos on SQLBI.com, and they are some of the best DAX resources available. In this session, Russo will be demonstrating how to best leverage these evaluation contexts to solve for virtually any DAX calculation issue. If you are looking for DAX guidance from a Power BI Jedi, be sure to attend this session.
Session 4: Microsoft Power BI: My Power BI report is slow. What should I do?
Presenters:
Marco Russo (SQLBI), Bhavik Merchant
Optimizing report performance is arguably the most important part of any data visualization project because render times define so much of the user experience. A report can contain accurate results and meet all requested design specifications, but if it runs so slowly that it becomes difficult to use, then it is not an effective tool. This session covers how to identify and resolve performance issues in Power BI reports whether they are due to issues with data models, DAX formulas, or report layouts. If you want to ensure that your users are having the best possible experiences with your Power BI reports, then this session is for you.
Session 5: Microsoft Power BI: The future of modern BI – roadmap and vision
Presenters:
One of the coolest things you can do at corporate conferences is find out what the host company has planned for the future of your favorite products. In this session, you’ll learn what’s coming next for Power BI, get (tentative) release dates for new features, and hear what Microsoft’s vision for the Power platform is from the people leading the charge. I always find these kinds of sessions inspiring because you get to see how much companies like Microsoft take the feedback they get from their customers about how to improve their products and use it to develop features that can vastly improve users’ day-to-day lives. New Power platform features are sure to be announced in this session, so be sure to get a seat!
Conclusion
And those are my most anticipated sessions for this year’s Microsoft Business Applications Summit! Connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter (@kleslie11e) and let me know if you’re coming to Summit. Hope to see you in Atlanta!
