I’m heading back to Live! 360 Tech Con at the Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando, November 15-20, 2026. Live! 360 is six co-located conferences running under one roof — Visual Studio Live!, Data Platform Live!, TechMentor, Artificial Intelligence Live!, AI Enterprise Architecture Live!, and Cybersecurity & Ransomware Live! — so one badge gets you into all of them. This year I’m teaching a two-day hands-on Python and AI lab, plus three sessions across Artificial Intelligence Live! and AI Enterprise Architecture Live!.

Event Details

Dates: Sunday, November 15 - Friday, November 20, 2026
Location: Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando, 6300 Hollywood Way, Orlando, FL 32819

My Sessions

Artificial Intelligence Live!

2-Day Hands-On Lab: Elevate Your Career with Python and AI

Day 1: Getting Started with Python (AIHOL01)
Sunday, November 15, 2026 | 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Day 1 is about getting genuinely comfortable in Python. We’ll set up a real development environment in Visual Studio Code, then work through variables, data types, functions, conditionals, loops, data structures, exception handling, and modules. From there we move into the packages you’ll actually reach for — NumPy, Pandas, and Matplotlib — along with automated testing, interactive notebooks, Microsoft Fabric, interop with C#, and building web APIs with Flask and FastAPI.

No prior Python or AI experience is required. Bring a laptop with admin rights, a modern browser, Visual Studio Code, and Git already installed.

Day 2: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence Using Python (AIHOL01)
Monday, November 16, 2026 | 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM

Day 2 puts that Python to work on AI. We’ll cover search algorithms, knowledge representation, reasoning under uncertainty, optimization, machine learning, neural networks, and natural language processing using Scikit-learn and TensorFlow. Then we shift to Azure Machine Learning for training and deployment, and finish with generative AI and large language models using tools like LangChain and the OpenAI platform.

You’ll need Day 1 or solid Python proficiency with a working development environment to get the most out of this day.

From Vibe Coding to Spec-Driven Development with Spec Kit (AIH07)
Thursday, November 19, 2026 | 2:30 PM - 3:45 PM

Vibe coding is fun right up until the agent confidently builds the wrong thing. Spec-Driven Development flips that around: you write a clear specification, and the agent turns it into a plan, tasks, and working code that actually matches what the business asked for. I’ll show you how Spec Kit works, how to write specifications that steer coding agents well, and how this holds up in enterprise contexts with real APIs, workflows, and AI systems.

AI Enterprise Architecture Live!

An Interactive Whiteboard Session — Three Real-World AI Scenarios (EAT02)
Tuesday, November 17, 2026 | 1:30 PM - 2:20 PM

No slides for this one. Rockford Lhotka, Ashley Rivera, and I will work through three real-world AI scenarios live on a whiteboard, in front of you. You’ll hear us argue about security, identity, scaling, resiliency, token management, cost, and governance, and watch how three architects reason through trade-offs when there’s more than one defensible answer.

AI in Enterprise Architectures: Choosing the Right Capability for the Right Job (EAT03)
Tuesday, November 17, 2026 | 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM

Most enterprise AI work isn’t one model call — it’s search, speech, document intelligence, content safety, and model-hosted experiences composed into something maintainable. In this session we’ll look at how Microsoft Foundry and the surrounding services fit into production architectures without piling on complexity, covering document processing pipelines, knowledge retrieval, speech-enabled workflows, and controlled generative AI experiences. We’ll also get concrete about integration patterns, security, compliance, and cost governance.

Keynote

Live! 360 Keynote: Anybody Can Use Agents & AI to Build Anything
Tuesday, November 17, 2026 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Kayla Cinnamon and Jon Galloway from Microsoft open the conference with a look at how AI tools and agents are reshaping development from brainstorming and prototyping through building and debugging — including how organizations are scaling agentic development while keeping quality, governance, and control intact.

Networking and Community Events

Some of the best parts of Live! 360 happen between the sessions. A few worth putting on your calendar:

Live! 360 First Timers Forum: A New Attendees Guide
Monday, November 16, 2026 | 5:45 PM - 6:15 PM — If this is your first Live! 360, start here. Philip Japikse and the event staff walk through how to pick sessions, what to expect, and how to strike up conversations that outlast the week.

Mix and Mingle @ Hard Rock Cafe Universal CityWalk
Monday, November 16, 2026 | 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM — A casual mixer on the upstairs patio at Hard Rock Cafe CityWalk. Light appetizers are on the house, drinks are at the bar.

Live! 360 Welcome Reception
Tuesday, November 17, 2026 | 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM — Drinks, snacks, the exhibit hall, and a good chance to catch speakers between sessions.

Table Topics Lunch
Wednesday, November 18, 2026 | 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM — Tables organized by language, technology, and interest, plus designated speaker tables. Find a table on something you’re wrestling with and talk it through.

Live! 360 Dessert Luau
Wednesday, November 18, 2026 | 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM — Desserts, tropical cocktails, and Polynesian entertainment with dancers, live music, and fire performers. Families are welcome.

Event Highlights

• Six co-located conferences, 200+ sessions, and 30+ deep dives on a single badge — pick the track that fits the problem in front of you.
• Two full days of laptop-open, hands-on Python and AI lab time with step-by-step exercises and one-on-one help.
• Practical takeaways you can use the following Monday: Spec Kit workflows, architecture patterns, and code you wrote yourself in the lab.
• An unscripted whiteboard session where you watch architects actually disagree and work it out.
• Plenty of room to network with developers, IT pros, architects, Microsoft folks, and community leaders.

Register and Connect

• Save $500 on your conference pass with priority code BOYD: Register now
• Full agenda and session details: Live! 360 Tech Con Orlando 2026
• Browse the session list and speakers to plan your week.
• New to Live! 360 or trying to make the most of six co-located conferences? I wrote up how to plan your Live! 360 Orlando 2026 week — passes and pricing deadlines, hotel and travel, the day-by-day agenda, and how to build a schedule worth the trip.
• If you’re going to be there, I’d love to connect. Say hello on X/Twitter, BlueSky, or LinkedIn.