We were back with another great evening of learning and networking with the final meet up of the year before a new 2-day event happens in October.
As proud sponsors of this Microsoft Cloud Meetup, Mexa Solutions joined more than 40 attendees, including professionals and end users. We spent the evening networking, chatting with clients and candidates, and listening to some great speakers.
This time, with it being the summer, we were able to enjoy a BBQ on the balcony overlooking the golf course thats at the back of the cricket ground.
We arrived early to help set up the room at the Hilton Hotel, located within the Utilita Bowl cricket ground, ensuring everything was ready before guests arrived.
From around 5pm, attendees began arriving and collecting their name badges before taking the opportunity to network. With the sun still shining, everyone enjoyed a BBQ dinner on the terrace, making the most of the warm evening before heading inside for the first speaker of the night.
Session 1 With Areti Iles
Our first speaker of the evening was Areti, a Microsoft MVP and Head of Professional Services and AI Business Solutions. Her session, “AI Legislation: What You Need to Know,“ explored one of the most relevant topics in today’s technology landscape.
With AI at the forefront of almost every business conversation, the session highlighted why understanding the legal and regulatory landscape is becoming just as important as building Business Applications and Power Platform solutions. While organisations across the globe are rapidly adopting AI, the legislation, standards, and compliance requirements surrounding its use are often less well understood.
During her presentation, Areti covered:
- The current global AI legislation, regulations, and standards, including the EU AI Act, the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, and ISO/IEC standards.
- What these regulations mean for the development and use of Microsoft solutions.
- The Microsoft tools available to help organisations monitor and maintain compliance, including Microsoft Foundry, Microsoft Purview, and Microsoft Defender.
One of the key takeaways from the session was the importance of preparing now. By understanding the emerging legislation and its requirements, organisations can put the right governance, policies, and controls in place within their Microsoft tenant, ensuring they are ready to meet upcoming compliance deadlines rather than reacting to them later.
Session 2 With Nikki Chapple
Next up was the fantastic Niki, another Microsoft MVP and Principal Cloud Architect. Her session, “Preventing Data Leaks to Shadow AI,” built perfectly on the previous talk by shifting the focus from AI legislation to protecting organisational data.
While understanding AI regulations is essential, it’s equally important to understand how your organisation’s data is being used when employees interact with AI tools. Niki highlighted that Shadow AI is already present in many organisations, with users often sharing sensitive information with generative AI tools without IT teams even realising it.
During the session, Niki demonstrated how organisations can discover unapproved AI usage, identify where sensitive data may be at risk, and take practical steps to reduce that risk.
She showcased how Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps and Microsoft Purview provide visibility into Shadow AI, helping organisations identify high-risk data exposure and prevent sensitive information from being shared with both Microsoft 365 Copilot and third-party AI applications.
She also explained how Microsoft Purview, Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, Microsoft Entra, and Microsoft Intune work together as a unified control plane.
By combining these tools with AI governance through Microsoft Edge, organisations can reduce the risk of data leakage without restricting innovation or preventing users from taking advantage of AI.
The session concluded with a practical blueprint for detecting Shadow AI, protecting sensitive information, and confidently governing the use of generative AI across an organisation. It was packed with actionable advice and real-world guidance that attendees could take away and begin implementing straight away.
Our Third Speaker Laura Graham-Brown
Next up was the wonderful Laura, a freelance Power Platform and Microsoft Fabric Trainer and Consultant, as well as a Data Platform MVP. Her session took a more hands-on approach, focusing on how to build a conversational AI agent using Microsoft Fabric.
This presentation was a little different from the others throughout the evening. Rather than relying on a slide deck, Laura delivered a fully interactive demonstration, giving attendees the opportunity to see the process unfold in real time.
Starting with an existing Microsoft Fabric semantic data model, Laura demonstrated how to transform it into a conversational data agent that business users can interact with naturally.
She showed how to ground an agent in organisational data, configure its instructions, provide example prompts to shape its behaviour, and fine-tune its responses so that it delivers meaningful, accurate answers instead of confidently incorrect ones.
The session also explored what it takes to move beyond a proof of concept, highlighting the considerations needed to develop an AI agent into a solution that could become part of a wider agentic architecture. It was an engaging, practical session that gave attendees a real insight into how conversational AI can be built using the Microsoft ecosystem.
Wrapping Up the Evening
With all of our speakers having taken to the stage and everyone well fed after the evening BBQ, it was time to bring another fantastic user group meeting to a close.
Aaron wrapped up the evening with a final thank you to everyone who attended, before drawing the winner of the attendee prize raffle. Congratulations to the lucky winner, who will be heading to Amsterdam for three days at ESPC!
It was another brilliant evening filled with networking, learning, and catching up with both familiar and new faces. A huge thank you goes to Aaron Randell for organising yet another outstanding event, as well as to our speakers and sponsors for making the evening such a success.
Looking Ahead
While this was the final user group meetup of the year, there’s plenty to look forward to!
For the first time, the user group is hosting its very own two-day flagship event on 22nd and 23rd October. The event will feature hands-on workshops on the Thursday, followed by a full day of expert speaker sessions on the Friday.
If you’ve attended the South Coast Summit before, you’ll have an idea of the fantastic community atmosphere to expect. This new event will take place at the group’s home venue, the Hilton at the Utilita Bowl, where all of this year’s user group events have been held.
Tickets are on sale now, so be sure to secure your place before they sell out.
If you’re interested in speaking, know someone who would make a great speaker, or would like to become one of our event sponsors, we’d love to hear from you.
We can’t wait to welcome everyone back in October for what promises to be our biggest and most exciting event yet!
Frequently Asked Questions
Who should attend the South Coast Cloud User Group?
The South Coast Cloud User Group welcomes anyone with an interest in Microsoft cloud technologies, including IT professionals, developers, cloud architects, students, consultants, and business decision-makers. Whether you’re just starting your cloud journey or have years of experience, the sessions are designed to provide valuable insights.
Is the South Coast Cloud User Group free to attend?
Yes. The user group is free to attend, although registration is recommended as spaces can be limited depending on the venue.
What topics are covered at South Coast Cloud User Group events?
Events typically cover a wide range of Microsoft technologies, including Azure, Microsoft 365, Power Platform, AI, security, DevOps, automation, and cloud architecture. Sessions are delivered by experienced speakers from across the Microsoft community.
This blog was written by Hollie Agombar, Senior Digital Marketing Executive at Mexa Solutions