Welcome to the Columbus Global Azure conference! The only free, in-person, Azure-focused conference is in Columbus!
Every year, the azure community puts together free or low cost conferences, globally, on the same weekend and this is ours!
https://globalazure.net/
12 - 1: check-in and socialize
1 - 2: TBD by Mark Tinderholt
2 - 3: Bringing order from Chaos with the Azure Cloud Adoption Framework by Andrew May
Learn how a click-ops Azure environment with poor security was rebuilt to follow best practices with the help of the Cloud Adoption Framework, and some of the lessons learned on the way.
3 - 4: Improve your AI prompting with Dr. Keith Newton
AI is only as good as the prompts you give it—so how do you get the most out of it? Join us for a hands-on workshop with Dr. Keith, where you'll learn how to craft effective AI prompts and fine-tune your interactions to get better, more accurate results. This interactive session will guide you through the art of communicating with AI, helping you refine your approach for coding, content creation, research, and more. 💻 Bring your laptop or device—this workshop is all about experimenting, testing, and improving your AI prompts in real time! What to expect: Hands-On Practice: Work through exercises to refine your prompt-writing skills and see immediate results. Real-World Applications: Explore AI use cases in development, writing, problem-solving, and productivity. Live Feedback & Collaboration: Share your results, discuss strategies, and improve your AI interactions with guidance from Dr. Keith. Whether you're new to AI or already experimenting with it, this workshop will help you level up your skills in a fun and interactive setting.
4 - 5: How Free is Free? Building no or low cost apps in Azure by Drake Lundstrom
Do you want to get started in Azure, or create some fun projects, but not set fire to your wallet? I am currently running a production application for an international organization in Azure for $0.30 a month. There are a ton of amazing low or no cost options that Azure provides, and in this talk, you will learn how to take advantage of them.
Speaker Bios:
Mark Tinderholt (aka the Azure Terraformer) is an experienced technologist whose journey began in application development, spanning web and client-server applications to sophisticated distributed systems and microservices. Along this path, he developed deep expertise in automation and DevOps, leading diverse project teams and guiding cloud practice organizations through strategic, operational, and pre-sales leadership roles. Currently, Mark holds a hands-on engineering position at Microsoft, contributing directly to the Microsoft Azure platform.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marktinderholt/
Dr. Keith Newton is a renowned technology expert focused on advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Accessibility. He collaborates with companies to ensure their digital content—whether web applications, multimedia, or documents—is accessible to users with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments.
https://linkesdin.com/in/dr-keith-newton
Andrew May is a Senior Solution Architect and Cloud/DevOps specialist for Leading EDJE. Originally from the UK, my accent has settled somewhere in the mid-Atlantic.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewdmay
Drake Lundstrom is a senior full stack developer and lifelong learner. He fell in love with programming because there is always more to learn. He has worked on a variety of clouds and tech stacks, with a bias towards Microsoft, and dealt with application development, infrastrucuture, design and essentially every part of a devops team.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drake-lundstrom/
