Question 1

Who should attend the Internal Communications Strategies with M365 Virtual Conference?

Accepted Answer

Internal communicators and business users of Microsoft 365, including directors, managers and specialists in employee, intranet, digital, strategic and corporate communications, employee engagement, HR, and training and development, along with anyone leading SharePoint or Microsoft Teams projects. It is especially useful for communicators who want to get more from the Microsoft tools their organization already has.

Question 2

What will I learn?

Accepted Answer

You'll learn how to get more from SharePoint, Teams, Viva and Copilot: use M365 tools together to boost engagement, design a SharePoint intranet that organizes content, make Teams a central hub for communication, use Viva to support engagement and wellbeing, and combine the tools to build community.

Question 3

Will the conference cover Copilot and AI?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Copilot and AI are woven through the program, including what Microsoft's AI tools mean for communicators and how teams are using them to produce content faster without losing their voice.

Question 4

Do I need a technical background to attend?

Accepted Answer

No. The program is designed for communicators and business users of Microsoft 365, not IT specialists. Whether your organization is new to M365 or already runs its intranet and channels there, you'll leave with practical ideas you can apply.

Question 5

How can I get approval to attend?

Accepted Answer

Download the justification letter template on this page. It is a ready-to-edit letter you can personalize and send to your manager to make the case for attending.

Question 6

What does each conference day look like?

Accepted Answer

Each day runs live from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM ET. Days open with a welcome from the conference chair, followed by a mix of workshops, case studies and panel discussions, and close with Q&A and key takeaways.

Question 7

What themes run through the agenda?

Accepted Answer

Copilot and AI, SharePoint news and notifications, reaching frontline and deskless employees, keeping M365 channels organized, and measuring internal communications impact.

Question 8

Will I hear real world examples?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Case studies and panels feature internal communicators from industries including retail, entertainment, manufacturing and research sharing how they use Microsoft 365 every day.

Question 9

What if I can't attend every session live?

Accepted Answer

Every session is recorded. All registrants receive the recording, copies of the presentations and the event materials a couple of days after the event, so you can catch up at your convenience.

Question 10

Is the agenda final?

Accepted Answer

The agenda is updated as sessions and speakers are confirmed, so check back for the latest version. ALI Conferences reserves the right to change speakers and agenda.

Question 11

Who speaks at the Internal Communications Strategies with M365 Virtual Conference?

Accepted Answer

Speakers include internal communications managers, digital employee communications leaders and engagement leads from industries including retail, entertainment, manufacturing and research, along with Microsoft 365 and digital workplace consultants.

Question 12

Will speakers share practical examples from their own work?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Speakers share real experiences from their own organizations, including the approaches they used and the lessons they learned, so you leave with ideas you can adapt to your own work.

Question 13

Can I ask speakers questions?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Groups are kept small so sessions stay interactive, and questions and conversation with speakers are encouraged throughout the conference.

Question 14

Will I receive the speakers' presentations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Copies of the presentations are shared with all registrants a couple of days after the event, along with the recording and event materials.

Question 15

Where does the conference take place?

Accepted Answer

The Internal Communications Strategies with M365 Virtual Conference is a live virtual event hosted on Zoom, so you can join from your desk. You'll receive your personalized meeting link immediately upon registering, along with a confirmation email from ALI.

Question 16

What time are the sessions?

Accepted Answer

Sessions run live from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM ET on both days, Wednesday, November 4 and Thursday, November 5, 2026.

Question 17

What if I can't attend live?

Accepted Answer

You'll still get the full program. All registrants receive the event recording, copies of the presentations and all event materials a couple of days after the event.

Question 18

Is the virtual conference interactive?

Accepted Answer

Yes. ALI virtual conferences are built for participation, with real-time discussion, breakout conversations and Q&A with speakers. Groups are kept small, typically 30 to 50 attendees, speakers and sponsors, so there is room to ask questions and share ideas.

Question 19

What's included with my conference registration?

Accepted Answer

Your 2-Day Virtual Pass includes live access to every session on both days, the on-demand event recording, copies of the speaker presentations and event materials after the event, and a certificate of attendance for CEUs.

Question 20

Is there more than one pass option?

Accepted Answer

No. One 2-Day Virtual Pass covers both days of sessions on November 4 and 5. If you can't attend a session live, you'll receive the on-demand recording to watch at your convenience.

Question 21

Are discounts available?

Accepted Answer

Yes. ALI offers savings for teams registering together, for government and nonprofit employees, and for past ALI attendees, and these can be combined with early bird pricing. See the ways to save on this tab for current offers, and contact us at 773-695-9400 or connect@aliconferences.com to receive your code. Only one code may be used per registration, and it must be applied when you first register.

Question 22

How can I pay?

Accepted Answer

You can pay by credit card when you register, or choose to pay by invoice and then pay by purchase order, check, electronic funds transfer or credit card. Payment is due two weeks before the event, and a W-9 is available on request from connect@aliconferences.com.

Question 23

What if I can no longer attend?

Accepted Answer

Substitutions are always welcome; email connect@aliconferences.com with both names. Virtual registrations are non-refundable, but you will still receive the event recording, copies of the presentations and all event materials a couple of days after the event.

Day 1 - 11/04/2026
11:00 am - 11:10 am	Chairperson's Welcome Ben Skelton, Vice President \| Habanero Consulting, Inc. Welcome to Day 1 of our Internal Communications Strategies with M365 virtual conference!
11:10 am - 11:55 am	Workshop: AI Tokenomics: What Microsoft's New Copilot Platforms Actually Cost You Stephen Rose, Chief Technology Officer \| Envision Technology Advisors Enthusiasm for AI has outrun the invoices — 49% of organizations have scaled back or paused AI deployments once costs outran value, and only 7% hit their ROI target. This session breaks down the consumption model behind five Microsoft platforms — Security Copilot, Copilot Studio agents, Work IQ, Copilot Cowork, and Microsoft Scout — and the one meter that matters for each You'll leave knowing where each platform bills you (Security Copilot charges for provisioned capacity, not users — whether anyone prompts or not), how per-API-call pricing works in Work IQ, why an always-on "Autopilot" like Scout can quietly burn credits in the background, and the cost commands and admin-center controls to cap spend before it happens. Live demos included.
11:55 am - 12:40 pm	Workshop: Notifications That Reach the Frontline: Making M365 News Impossible to Miss Chris Radcliffe, Digital Workplace Advisor \| Habanero Consulting, Inc. Publishing intranet news is the easy part. Getting it seen is the hard part, when a single post has to compete with Teams chats, email, Viva Engage and a frontline workforce that may never open the intranet at all. You'll learn how to: Use the six notification mechanisms in SharePoint, plus two newer features, to widen the reach of one news post Combine notifications, multiple channels and content worth reading, without adding to the noise Measure whether your news actually reached the people it was written for
12:40 pm - 1:25 pm	Panel: Cutting Through the Noise — Reaching Frontline and Deskless Employees with M365 Karen Manardo, Internal Communications Manager \| PennEngineering Megan Horst-Hatch, Internal Communications and Employee Engagement Lead \| ECHO Incorporated Moderator: Ben Skelton, Vice President \| Habanero Consulting, Inc. Karlynn Holbrook, Senior Manager, Digital Employee Communications \| Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Your best-designed intranet page means nothing to an employee on a plant floor, in a delivery van, or on a hospital ward who has ninety seconds and a shared device. This panel brings together communicators who have solved — or are still wrestling with — the frontline reach problem inside the Microsoft ecosystem: Teams mobile, Viva Connections on the phone, shared and kiosk device strategies, digital signage pulling from SharePoint, and the low-tech workarounds that still earn their place. Panelists will share what moved their reach numbers, what quietly failed, and how they made the business case for licensing and devices. Key takeaways: Real-world approaches to reaching employees without desks, corporate email, or reliable connectivity How panelists measured frontline reach and used that data to justify investment Where M365 tools fall short for frontline audiences — and what to pair them with
1:25 pm - 1:30 pm	Parting Thoughts and Q&A!

Day 1

Day 1

A Must Attend Event for Communicators Using Microsoft 365 Tools!

Featured Speakers

Alex Snyder

Sr. Analyst, OCM Technology Communications

Foot Locker

Kam Hodge

Internal Communications Manager

NORC at the University of Chicago

Megan Horst-Hatch

Internal Communications and Employee Engagement Lead

ECHO Incorporated

Karlynn Holbrook

Senior Manager, Digital Employee Communications

Disney Parks, Experiences and Products

Karen Manardo

Internal Communications Manager

PennEngineering

About This Internal Communications with M365 Virtual Event

Participants will acquire invaluable insights and expertise through immersive sessions and demonstrations to proficiently leverage M365 tools like SharePoint, Teams, Viva, and Copilot.

You will learn how to:

Hear what past attendees had to say:

Who Should Attend

This event is designed and researched for directors, managers, vice presidents, specialists, officers, project leaders, and consultants involved in:

Past Speaker Organizations Include:

Benefits Of Attending This ALI Virtual Event

Frequently Asked Questions About Internal Communications with M365

Need Leadership Approval?

Interested in Participating?

What People are Saying

Learn more about ALI Conferences

Agenda

Day 1 - 11/04/2026

Chairperson's Welcome

Workshop: AI Tokenomics: What Microsoft's New Copilot Platforms Actually Cost You

Workshop: Notifications That Reach the Frontline: Making M365 News Impossible to Miss

Panel: Cutting Through the Noise — Reaching Frontline and Deskless Employees with M365

Parting Thoughts and Q&A!

Speakers

What People are Saying

Interested in Speaking?

Sponsors

Interested in becoming a Sponsor?

Contact Us

Contact Us

Useful Links