The Best and Worst of Community Summit 2022
The User Group Community Summit 2022 is in the books, and it finally feels like things are getting back to normal as far as trade shows go. The turnout was as expected, lower than pre-pandemic numbers, but much bigger than last year. The estimates are around 4,000 user registrants, with a total number of around 6,000 (including DCI and sponsor/partners) across all user groups, D365UG for BC/NAV, AX/F&O, CE/CRM, GP, and Power Platform.
The Best from Summit 2022:
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The Networking
This is always at the top of the list. Having the opportunity to connect with colleagues, customers, coworkers, partners, and friends in person is invaluable. We learn, engage, and connect with one another in meaningful ways that just doesn’t happen virtually.
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The Sessions
There were so many great sessions that gave subject matter experts the opportunity to share knowledge with the attendees. The session content delivered – kudos to the speakers for being prepared to share.
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Academy Learning
In addition to the great sessions, for an additional fee, Academy classes were back. Summit 22 had eleven Academy courses to choose from.
The Promise
Dynamics Communities (DCI) is planning to launch a new user community site, DynamicsCommunities.com, where all user groups (UG) will have their content, forums, etc.
- One location for all UGs.
- You pick and choose the content/product you want to follow.
- One low price per user: $249 user/yr, with partner pricing based on number of employees. Very affordable.
- Paying those that contribute and lead. This is interesting in that DCI is looking to build a network of “UG Experts” that will curate discussions and share their knowledge with the community year-round – and are willing to pay $2500/mo for their efforts. Can you say side-gig? Of course, they also value the unpaid experts and their contributions, so if you can’t make the commitment for year-round involvement and leadership, you can still contribute as it’s always been done.
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The Recognition
Speaking of contributions, Awards were back and beefier than last year. The participation recognition (Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire) came back this year, which was good to see. All-Stars Awards were also back. And there was a new round of Summit Legends voted into the hall this year. Congratulations to all the award recipients!
The Worst from Summit 2022:
Organization and Communication: The lack of organization showed up throughout the conference. Communications with sponsors was non-existent until we were onsite, communicating room changes before and during the event wasn’t consistent. Over communication is better when running an event like this. There was not enough space at the welcome reception; having Academy classes at the same time as sessions; last minute room changes – there are more examples but suffice it to note that we could have gotten close to a stellar event with better organization.
The Tech: Day one was rough with spotty internet, which was resolved but was not the way to start off the conference. And the app left so much to be desired, to the point that it wasn’t very useful.
Microsoft and GP Partners: Microsoft publicly (in the GP General Session) referred Dynamics GP users interested in moving to Dynamics 365 Business Central or F&O to a handful of partners. A special session with Microsoft and GP partners ensued, and some people lost their cool from what I hear. I think we can all agree that:
- Other partners, ArcherPoint included, can transition clients from GP to BC.
- Microsoft needs to be clear about their plans for the future of the products and do a better job with transition tools and messaging.
Misinformation: While there was some great content, there is some misinformation about moving from GP to BC, which ERPs can do what? And which ERPs can go up market/down market and the industries they serve well? This one is on Microsoft for the most part and isn’t new. We’ve not seen clear distinction in their positioning of the different ERPs from the get-go and it is now causing issues with so many GP customers looking to move to a modern cloud-based option. Find out why we think Business Central is the best fit in our eBook, “Migrating from Microsoft Dynamics GP to Dynamics 365 Business Central.”
The Food: Not that it tasted bad, but continuous coffee breaks, and switching up meal options is best when you’re at an event for that many days. Plus, the first day and last day left those that were there for the duration to fend for themselves for a few meals, making the event a little less cost effective than anticipated.
That’s a Wrap
There was so much happening at Summit this year, and whether you agree or disagree with my top takeaways from the event, the fact is that the community was more than ready to get back together. I think we’re all looking forward to reconnecting next year in Charlotte, NC. I hope to see you there!
Talk to ArcherPoint About Moving from Dynamics GP to Business Central
Contact ArcherPoint about how to transform your business with Microsoft 365 Business Central. We are experts in migrating from older ERP installations, such as Dynamics GP, to Microsoft Dynamics Business Central 365. We have more than 20 years of experience navigating complex ERP requirements, and we can also assist your company with business analysis and functional consulting