State of AI - Chicago (free event)
State of Fabric: Chicago - Outcomes for leaders. Patterns for builders. One decisive day.
Eliminate data sprawl and accelerate decision velocity. Join senior leaders and technical teams at Microsoft Chicago for an exclusive, in-person deep dive into Microsoft Fabric. We will cover the executive case for why it matters now, the strategic roadmap to land it in 90 days, and how to scale over 6 to 12 months. This complimentary event features a catered breakfast and lunch.
Click here to register for this event!
State of Fabric In-Person Workshop - Chicago
Join Us In Person for the decisive "State of Fabric" in-person workshop in Chicago on April 14, 2026, hosted by CODE Magazine, tailored for senior leaders and technical teams ready to eliminate data sprawl and accelerate decision velocity. Dive into a packed one-day agenda featuring an executive morning focused on building a clear investment case and prioritized roadmap for Microsoft Fabric. Discover how to land Fabric in 90 days and engage in a lively executive panel discussion. The event rounds out with a practitioner afternoon exploring end-to-end Lakehouse patterns, building agentic AI apps with unified data, and a technical Q&A solution clinic where you can ask anything.
Don't miss this opportunity to turn data complexity into a streamlined, unified data estate. Join us to unlock actionable insights and proven patterns for builders and leaders alike.
Why Attend?
Connect with top experts and explore how to harness Microsoft Fabric for tangible business outcomes. Gain strategic insights and practical tools to set up Direct Lake, OneLake, and Microsoft Purview governance without disrupting your current architecture. Engage with other executives, decision-makers, and developers in sessions tailored to unify your data estate and elevate your business operations.
Why this matters now
- For leadership: A clear investment case with KPIs—where cost and complexity come out, where speed to insight accelerates, and how to strengthen risk and governance.
- For practitioners: Proven patterns to ship quickly—Direct Lake, OneLake, semantic models and Power BI, and Microsoft Purview for governance, security, and lineage.
- Coexistence without disruption: Use Fabric alongside SQL, Databricks, Synapse, and existing warehouses; adopt open formats and reduce copies.
- Strategic planning: A practical framework + next steps that aligns teams, sets workspace standards, and delivers a measurable win.
Format
- Executive morning: Outcomes, KPIs, and a prioritized roadmap.
- Practitioner afternoon: End-to-end Lakehouse patterns with governance, lineage, semantic models, and optional AI use cases.
Refreshments and catered breakfast & lunch included for attendees.
Space Is Limited
This in-person event is not recorded, and attendance is invitation only.
Session Agenda:
| Tuesday, April 28, 2026 | |
| 8:30AM to 9:00AM | Registration |
| 9:00AM to 9:15AM | Welcome and Logistics |
| 9:15AM to 10:00AM | From Data Sprawl to Decision Velocity—The Executive Case for Fabric |
| 10:00AM to 10:15AM | Refreshment Break and Networking |
| 10:15AM to 11:00AM | How to Land Fabric in 90 Days—Architectures, Patterns and Teams |
| 11:00AM to 11:15AM | Refreshment Break and Networking |
| 11:15AM to 12:00PM | Fabric Executive Panel Discussion |
| 12:00PM to 1:00PM | Catered Lunch and Networking |
| 1:00PM to 1:45PM | SQL in Fabric Without Copies—Mirroring and Shortcuts to Unify Your Data Estate |
| 1:45PM to 2:00PM | Refreshment Break and Networking |
| 2:00PM to 2:45PM | Building Agentic AI Apps with Microsoft Fabric: A Unified Data Approach |
| 2:45PM to 3:00PM | Refreshment Break and Networking |
| 3:00PM to 4:15PM | Technical Q&A Panel and Solution Clinic |
| Tuesday, April 28, 2026 |
| Main Stage |
| 8:30AM to 9:00AM Registration |
| 9:00AM to 9:15AM Welcome and Logistics |
| 9:15AM to 10:00AM From Data Sprawl to Decision Velocity—The Executive Case for Fabric |
| 10:00AM to 10:15AM Refreshment Break and Networking |
| 10:15AM to 11:00AM How to Land Fabric in 90 Days—Architectures, Patterns and Teams |
| 11:00AM to 11:15AM Refreshment Break and Networking |
| 11:15AM to 12:00PM Fabric Executive Panel Discussion |
| 12:00PM to 1:00PM Catered Lunch and Networking |
| 1:00PM to 1:45PM SQL in Fabric Without Copies—Mirroring and Shortcuts to Unify Your Data Estate |
| 1:45PM to 2:00PM Refreshment Break and Networking |
| 2:00PM to 2:45PM Building Agentic AI Apps with Microsoft Fabric: A Unified Data Approach |
| 2:45PM to 3:00PM Refreshment Break and Networking |
| 3:00PM to 4:15PM Technical Q&A Panel and Solution Clinic |
Session Detail:
From Data Sprawl to Decision Velocity—The Executive Case for Fabric
In this session we explore how combining data from all your systems in a single place is a game changer. You'll learn how a unified view of all your data, leads to a better, faster, more secure, compliant, AI assisted insights necessary to compete in today's environment, and you'll see how Microsoft Fabric can take you there. This is not a sales pitch. You'll see the limitations, the costs and the tradeoffs as well as the benefits so you can make an informed decision for your company.
How to Land Fabric in 90 Days—Architectures, Patterns and Teams
Join Ginger Grant in this action-packed session to discover how to “land” Microsoft Fabric in just 90 days by aligning business priorities with robust technical architectures. Learn the proven framework for success, from identifying high-impact use cases and establishing governance standards to implementing scalable Medallion architecture with OneLake, Lakehouses, Warehouses, and semantic models. With a focus on execution rather than theory, Ginger will guide you through the essential roadmap, team structures, and governance elements needed for long-term operational excellence. If you're ready to transform analytics into measurable business value, this session is your ultimate guide.
SQL in Fabric Without Copies—Mirroring and Shortcuts to Unify Your Data Estate
Join Ginger Grant for an insightful session on revolutionizing data management with Microsoft Fabric. Discover how to eliminate redundant data copies and unify your analytics environment through innovative architectural patterns like Mirroring, Shortcuts, SQL endpoints, and Lakehouses. Learn how to reduce ETL pipelines, preserve governance, and enhance performance while creating a single logical data estate on OneLake. Gain practical strategies for leveraging near real-time replication and centralized data access without compromising operational systems or security. Perfect for organizations seeking streamlined data processes and improved control, this session offers a blueprint to modernize and optimize your data estate.
State of AI
Venue Information
Microsoft Midwest District - Chicago
200 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601
