Overview: A full-day partner-only preconference workshop for Systems Integrators, VARs/Solution Providers, and ISV/SDC firms focused on helping sales, marketing, and alliance professionals adapt to the “AI first-firm” that Microsoft defined at the Biz Apps Partner Executive Summit in July.
What to Expect: This program is built to deliver insights and practical guidance from Microsoft, third-party marketing and alliance experts, and partners that are successfully transforming into AI first-firm.
Target Attendee: Founders/Owners, Sales, Marketing and Alliance/Partnership directors and managers, and anyone in the Microsoft partner ecosystem trying to adapt to the new AI business solutions reality of being a AI first-firm
Date: Sunday October 19
Location:Gaylord Palms Convention Center, Coastal 9
Timing: 8:20 am-6:15 pm
* Separate registration is required to attend Community Summit.
Sponsor Spotlight
Areas of focus:
- Growth: aligning sales strategy with execution
- Marketing: brand, demand, & product marketing
- Alliances: why & how partnerships/alliances work
What is included with your Precon Attendee Registration:
- Access to all sessions throughout the program
- Luncheon with all speakers & attendees
- Networking reception at the end of the program
Attendee Registration Pricing:
$799
until 10/19/25
$999
for on-site registration
Day 1
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8:20 AM
Welcome and event overview
Discover where your firm stands on the path to becoming a Frontier Firm
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Joseph Corigliano
Executive Director, AI Business Solutions Executive Partner Summit
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8:30 AM
Fireside Chat: Becoming a Frontier Firm in the AI Era
At the Biz Apps Partner Executive Summit in July 2025, Microsoft defined the Frontier Firm as an AI first partner that is leading intelligence to create demand, this session will unpack what that means
Learning Objectives:
- Why partners need to consider themselves customer zero
- How Agent & Copilot Studio expertise shines at the point of the customer
- Executive buying committee expansion and how AI has impacted influence
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John Siefert
CEO, Dynamic Communities & Cloud Wars
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Cecilia Flombaum
Agent Ecosystem Lead Business Application at Microsoft
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8:45 AM
Using AI Regulatory Knowledge as Thought Leadership
Turn regulation into opportunity—see how partners can lead on AI, privacy & security to win trust, stand out, and grow.
Learning Objectives:
- Spot the hottest shifts in AI, privacy & security policy and what they mean for your business today.
- Discover how leading the policy conversation builds trust and sets you apart from competitors.
- Walk away with bold, practical moves to influence, prepare, and grow in a changing tech landscape.
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Marian Breeze
Channel and Alliances at Userlane
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Ben Vollmer
Power Factory Growth and Product Leader at RSM
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9:15 AM
Turning AI Opportunities into Revenue
Equip sellers to turn AI into revenue—build trust, uncover high-value opportunities, and position Copilot as a business driver.
Learning Objectives:
- Assess your team’s readiness to sell AI with a practical framework.
- Uncover hidden AI opportunities and build executive trust.
- Position AI as a business enabler to drive urgency and growth.
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Joe DeHaai
Chief Business Impact Officer at Neural Impact
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10:15 AM
Coffee Break
Sponsored by:
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10:30 AM - 11:15 AM
The Partner Growth Playbook: Fueling Pipeline, Performance & Partner Differentiation
Discover a proven playbook to accelerate pipeline, boost performance, and stand out with scalable offers aligned to Microsoft.
Learning Objectives:
- Fill the funnel faster with Microsoft Campaign-in-a-Box, co-brandable content, and ECIF Workscope funding.
- Build confidence in execution by using tools and insights that make projects more predictable and outcomes easier to communicate.
- Differentiate & scale by packaging services, aligning with Microsoft quality signals, and creating offers that stand out in the market.
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Rachel Profitt
Principal Program Manager, Microsoft
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11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
How to Build an AI-Enabled Sales & Marketing Engine
Learn how to build an AI-enabled sales & marketing engine—aligning tools, content, and campaigns to drive demand and growth.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the core components of an AI-enabled sales & marketing engine.
- See how AI agents and prompts can engage buyers at every stage of the journey.
- Walk away with a simple blueprint to apply AI to your existing demand generation efforts.
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Marie Wiese
Founder & CEO at Marketing Copilot
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12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Winning with ABM: Engaging the Buying Committee and Accelerating Growth with AI
Learning Objectives:
- Understand why every B2B deal is multi-threaded and how ABM addresses it.
- Learn how to engage and influence the full buying committee using ABM.
- See how ABM + AI accelerates growth and aligns you with Microsoft’s GTM model
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Sam Bush
B2B Marketer at Ambush On Air
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1:30 PM
Working with Microsoft to Close Business
Learn how to sell with Microsoft—leverage resources, align with field teams, and close more business together, faster.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand Microsoft’s sales motion and how to align with various account teams.
- Learn practical ways to access Microsoft resources to accelerate deals.
- Discover strategies to strengthen partnerships and close business jointly.
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Eric Fink
Partner Solution Sales, Business Applications, SMB at Microsoft -
Ross Ladwig
Partner Solution Sales, Business Applications, SM at Microsoft -
Steve Cohen
GM - AI Business Solutions, US East SME&C at Microsoft
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2:15 PM
From Copilot to Agents: How to uncover AI & Agentic opportunities with a business. The Future of AI-Powered Business Applications
AI is no longer just an assistant—it’s becoming an active business agent. Join Microsoft and Seer 365 to learn how Dynamics 365 is harnessing AI Copilot and Agentic ERP/CRM capabilities to anticipate needs, orchestrate processes, and optimize decision-making. We will show how to leverage an agent-driven application to drive AI/Agentic opportunities for your business based on your industry, geography, and aligned to key pain points within your key business processes.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn how to uncover AI & Agentic Opportunities within your customers.
- Learn how to leverage existing Microsoft AI & Agentic Solutions, Accelerators and Templates.
- Learn how to scale your AI solution delivery capabilities.
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Fabio Araujo
Americas, Enterprise GTM Lead – Business Applications (Connected Services) at Microsoft -
Sam Dharmasiri
CEO at SEER 365 Ltd
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2:30 PM
Coffee Break & Networking
Sponsored by:
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2:45 PM
Why Alliances Matter in the AI Era
Learn why alliances are the growth engine in the AI era—unlock new markets, scale faster, and leverage Microsoft’s GTM model.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the strategic value of alliances in the AI economy.
- Learn how alliances expand reach, credibility, and solutions.
- Explore how alliances align with Microsoft’s ecosystem approach.
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Paul Solski
International Partnering Chair, President, IAMCP Seattle at IAMCP
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Joseph Corigliano
Executive Director, AI Business Solutions Executive Partner Summit
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3:15 PM
Alliance Models that Work: SI + ISV, SI + SI
Explore proven alliance models that accelerate revenue—from SI+ ISV innovation to SI + SI execution partnerships.
Learning Objectives:
- Compare different alliance structures and when to use them.
- See real examples of growth through co-built and co-delivered solutions.
- Learn how to drive trust, joint pipeline, and shared accountability.
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Jeffrey Goldstein
Global Managing Director at Queue Associates
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Sam Zameck
President at MXS Commerce
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Greg Kaupp
Partner, ArcherPoint by Cherry Bekaert
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Geoff Ables
CEO at C5 Insight
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3:45 PM
From First Meeting to Growth: A Framework for P2P Success
Learn how to start, structure, and sustain alliances that create long-term customer impact and measurable growth.
Learning Objectives:
- Discover a repeatable framework for launching P2P partnerships.
- See how to leverage AI to identify which partners best fit your firm’s growth strategy.
- Leave with practical steps to initiate your next alliance
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Adam Kovacs
Partner and Alliance Manager at Hubdrive
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4:15 PM
Insider Look: How an Architect Builds an AI Agent in Copilot Studio
Watch a Microsoft Principal Architect build a functional AI agent live in Copilot Studio. Learn proven, step-by-step best practices.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn how to build a working AI agent in Copilot Studio using topics, modular flows, & overall best practices
- Learn how to scope LLM responses for precise answers using knowledge sources
- Learn what an AI-first firm is, and where your firm stands on that journey
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Dewain Robinson
Principal Copilot Studio Solution Architect at Microsoft
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5:15 PM
Closing Comments & Workshop Action Items
Learning Objectives:
- Top three lessons learned
- Outline your plan
- Win bigger deals, unseat competitors, and lead with AI
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Joseph Corigliano
Executive Director, AI Business Solutions Executive Partner Summit
