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Atlanta Microsoft BI Group Meeting on March 2nd (Your First Steps in Microsoft Fabric Using Just SQL)

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Atlanta BI fans, please join us in person for our next meeting on Monday, March 2nd at 18:30 ET. Shabnam Watson will show you how you can apply your SQL skills in Microsoft Fabric. And your humble correspondent will walk you through some of the latest Power BI and Fabric enhancements. I will sponsor the meeting. For more details and sign up, visit our group page.

Delivery: In-person
Level: Beginner/Intermediate
Food: Pizza and drinks will be provided

Agenda:
18:15-18:30 Registration and networking
18:30-19:00 Organizer and sponsor time (news, Power BI latest, sponsor marketing)
19:00-20:15 Main presentation
20:15-20:30 Q&A

Overview: New to Microsoft Fabric? Don’t worry—you already know more than you think. In this beginner-friendly session, we’ll explore how your existing SQL skills translate directly into Fabric without needing to learn Spark, Python, or unfamiliar engineering tools. You’ll see how SQL can be applied across Fabric items to explore, shape, and analyze data with confidence. If you’re just beginning your Fabric journey, this session offers a simple, approachable path to success using the skills you already have.

Speaker: Shabnam is a business intelligence consultant and owner of ABI Cube, a company that specializes in delivering data solutions using the Microsoft Data Platform. She has over 20 years of experience and is recognized as a Microsoft Data Platform MVP for her technical excellence and community involvement. She is passionate about helping organizations harness the power of data to drive insights and innovation. She has a deep expertise in Microsoft Analysis Services, Power BI, Azure Synapse Analytics, and Microsoft Fabric. She is also a speaker, blogger, and organizer for SQL Saturday Atlanta – BI version, where she shares her knowledge and best practices with the data community.

Sponsor: Prologika (https://prologika.com) helps organizations of all sizes to make sense of data by delivering tailored BI solutions that drive actionable insights and maximize ROI. Your BI project will be your best investment, we guarantee it!

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Atlanta Microsoft BI Group Meeting on February 2nd (Power BI Translytical Taskflows)

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Atlanta BI fans, please join us in person for our next meeting on Monday, February 2nd at 18:30 ET. Sukhwant Kaur (Product Manager at Microsoft) will show you how supercharge your Power BI reports with translytical taskflows. And your humble correspondent will walk you through some of the latest Power BI and Fabric enhancements. CloudStaff.au will sponsor the meeting. For more details and sign up, visit our group page.

Delivery: In-person
Level: Beginner/Intermediate
Food: Pizza and drinks will be provided

Agenda:
18:15-18:30 Registration and networking
18:30-19:00 Organizer and sponsor time (news, Power BI latest, sponsor marketing)
19:00-20:15 Main presentation
20:15-20:30 Q&A

Overview: Join us for an engaging session exploring how to build powerful translytical applications using Power BI, Functions, and SQL Database within Microsoft Fabric. We’ll discuss best practices for integrating analytics and transactional workloads, demonstrate real-world use cases, and provide actionable tips for leveraging Fabric’s unified platform. This talk is ideal for data professionals interested in bridging analytics and operations for enhanced business value.

Speaker: Sukhwant has served as a Product Manager at Microsoft for the past few development cycles. During this time, she’s focused on the entire product management lifecycle, from working with development teams and user experience to collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive customer satisfaction in ensuring our products not only meet but exceed customer expectations.

Sponsor: At CloudStaff.ai we’re making work MORE. HUMAN. We believe in the power of technology to enhance human potential, not replace it. Our innovative AI and automation solutions are designed to make work easier, more efficient, and more meaningful. We help businesses of all sizes streamline their operations, boost productivity, and solve real-world challenges. Our approach combines cutting-edge technology with a deep understanding of human needs, creating solutions that work the way people do! https://cloudstaff.ai

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Atlanta Microsoft BI Group Meeting on January 5th (Visual Calculations in Power BI)

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Atlanta BI fans, please join us in person for our next meeting on Monday, January 5th at 18:30 ET. Dean Jurecic will show you how Power BI visual calculations can simplify the process of writing DAX. And your humble correspondent will walk you through some of the latest Power BI and Fabric enhancements. Key2 Consulting will sponsor the meeting. For more details and sign up, visit our group page.

Delivery: In-person
Level: Beginner/Intermediate
Food: Pizza and drinks will be provided

Agenda:
18:15-18:30 Registration and networking
18:30-19:00 Organizer and sponsor time (news, Power BI latest, sponsor marketing)
19:00-20:15 Main presentation
20:15-20:30 Q&A

Overview: Do you sometimes get lost in a sea of complicated DAX and wonder if there is an easier way? Is it difficult to drive self-service reporting in your organization because business users aren’t familiar with the nuances of DAX and Semantic Models? Visual Calculations might be able to help!

Introduced in 2024 and currently in preview, this feature is designed to simplify the process of writing DAX and combines the simplicity of calculated columns with the on-demand calculation flexibility of measures. This session is an overview of Visual Calculations and how they can be used to quickly produce results including:
• Background
• Example Use Cases
• Performance
• Considerations and Limitations

Speaker: Dean Jurecic is a business intelligence analyst and consultant specializing in Power BI and Microsoft Fabric with experience across diverse industries, including utilities, retail, government, and education. Dean is a Fabric Community Super User who holds a number of Microsoft certifications and has participated in the “Ask the Experts” program for Power BI at the Microsoft Fabric Community Conference.

Sponsor: Key2 Consulting is a cloud analytics consultancy that helps business leaders maximize their data. We are a Microsoft Gold-Certified Partner and our specialty is the Microsoft cloud analytics stack (Azure, Power BI, SQL Server).

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Atlanta Microsoft BI Group Meeting on December 1st (Migrating Semantic Models to Fabric Direct Lake)

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Atlanta BI fans, please join us in person for our next meeting on Monday, December 1st at 18:30 ET. I’ll show you how to Fabric DirectLake semantic models can help you tackle long refresh cycles and scalability headaches. And your humble correspondent will walk you through some of the latest Power BI and Fabric enhancements. Improving will sponsor the meeting. For more details and sign up, visit our group page.

Delivery: In-person
Level: Intermediate
Food: Pizza and drinks will be provided

Agenda:
18:15-18:30 Registration and networking
18:30-19:00 Organizer and sponsor time (news, Power BI latest, sponsor marketing)
19:00-20:15 Main presentation
20:15-20:30 Q&A

Overview: Are your Power BI semantic models hitting memory limits? Tired of bending backwards to mitigate long refresh cycles and scalability headaches? Join me for a deep dive into Fabric Direct Lake — a game-changing feature that can help enterprise customers eliminate refreshes, lower licensing cost, and work with production-scale data instantly.

You’ll learn:
-Why Direct Lake is a breakthrough for large semantic models
-How to migrate from Import mode with real-world tools and strategies
-Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
-Performance insights and practical tips from actual project

Bonus: See how AI tools like Grok, Copilot or ChatGPT can streamline your migration process!

Whether you’re a BI pro, data engineer, or decision-maker, this session will equip you with the knowledge to scale smarter, design better, and deliver faster.

Speaker: Teo Lachev is a consultant, author, and mentor, with a focus on Microsoft BI. Through his Atlanta-based company Prologika (a Microsoft Gold Partner in Data Analytics and Data Platform) he designs and implements innovative solutions that bring tremendous value to his clients. Teo has authored and co-authored several books, and he has been leading the Atlanta Microsoft Business Intelligence group since he founded it in 2010. Microsoft has recognized Teo’s contributions to the community by awarding him the prestigious Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Data Platform status for 15 years. Microsoft selected Teo as one of only 30 FastTrack Solution Architects for Power BI worldwide.

Sponsor: Prologika (https://prologika.com) helps organizations of all sizes to make sense of data by delivering tailored BI solutions that drive actionable insights and maximize ROI. Your BI project will be your best investment!

Presentation Slides

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Atlanta Microsoft BI Group Meeting on November 3rd (Semantic Link Labs: A Link to the Future)

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Atlanta BI fans, please join us in person for our next meeting on Monday, November 3rd at 18:30 ET. Jason Romans (Microsoft MVP) will show you how to use Semantic Link Labs to troubleshoot unreliable reports and semantic models. And your humble correspondent will walk you through some of the latest Power BI and Fabric enhancements. Improving will sponsor the meeting. For more details and sign up, visit our group page.

Delivery: In-person
Level: Intermediate
Food: Pizza and drinks will be provided

Agenda:
18:15-18:30 Registration and networking
18:30-19:00 Organizer and sponsor time (news, Power BI latest, sponsor marketing)
19:00-20:15 Main presentation
20:15-20:30 Q&A

Overview: It’s dangerous to go alone—take Semantic Link Labs!
When users are the first to discover that a Power BI report is broken, the damage is already done. Trust is lost, adoption slows, and credibility suffers. Instead of wandering into these traps unprepared, what if you had the Master Sword in hand—ready to defeat broken models and guard against treacherous usability pitfalls? That’s the power of Semantic Link Labs.

In this session, we’ll set out on a quest through Microsoft Fabric notebooks and pipelines, using Semantic Link Labs as our weapon and shield against unreliable reports. Along the way, we’ll face down the “mini-bosses” of BI development:
• Reports that collapse due to structural changes
• Models that underperform because best practices were skipped
• Usability pitfalls that make reports “technically fine” but functionally broken for end users

You’ll learn how to install and configure Semantic Link Labs, explore its legendary features, and see how it integrates seamlessly into Fabric. We’ll then take it a step further, automating health checks and governance with notebooks and pipelines—turning one-time fixes into repeatable spells.

By the end of this adventure, you’ll uncover your own “Triforce of Best Practices”—a report that tracks the best practices of all semantic models in your environment. You’ll leave equipped with a map, a shield, and the Master Sword itself: the tools you need to keep your BI world in legendary shape, where broken reports are discovered early, performance issues are vanquished, and best practices reign supreme.

Speaker: Jason Romans is a Business Intelligence engineer in Nashville, TN working with the Microsoft Business Intelligence stack. Jason is a Microsoft MVP who started his career as a DBA and over the years moved to working in his passion of Business Intelligence and data modeling. His first computer was a Commodore 64 and he’s been hooked ever since.
Blog: www.thedaxshepherd.com
Sessionize: https://sessionize.com/jason-romans/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-r-sql-jar

Sponsor: Improving is a leading IT professional services firm committed to helping companies achieve lasting success through modern technology. With core expertise in AI, Data, and Applications, we specialize in transforming legacy systems, building cloud-native platforms, and delivering intelligent, future-ready solutions for today’s complex business needs.

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Atlanta Microsoft BI Group Meeting on October 9th (Everything You Want to Know About SQL Databases in Fabric)

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Atlanta BI fans, please join us in person for our next meeting on Thursday, October 9th (note that we are meeting on Thursday for this meeting) at 18:30 ET. Sukhwant (Senior Product Manager, Microsoft) will explain why you should consider Fabric SQL databases. And your humble correspondent will walk you through some of the latest Power BI and Fabric enhancements. For more details and sign up, visit our group page.

Delivery: In-person
Level: Intermediate
Food: Pizza and drinks will be provided

Agenda:
18:15-18:30 Registration and networking
18:30-19:00 Organizer and sponsor time (news, Power BI latest, sponsor marketing)
19:00-20:15 Main presentation
20:15-20:30 Q&A

Overview: Microsoft Fabric is an all-in-one analytics platform, right? Wrong! With the introduction of SQL databases last year, we now have an all-in-one data platform. During this session you will hear directly from the product team about why we added SQL databases to Fabric, who should be using them, how this is different from Azure SQL databases, how to get started through an end-to-end demo, and the integration story with the rest of the platform.

If you’re a DBA that’s been trying to move applications for running SQL or a business user with limited database skills and no DBAs to be found, you’ll want to hear all about this exciting new offering that is simple, automated, and optimized for AI.

Speaker: Sukhwant has served as a Product Manager at Microsoft for the past few development cycles. During this time, she’s focused on the entire product management lifecycle, from working with development teams and user experience to collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive customer satisfaction in ensuring our products not only meet but exceed customer expectations.

Before joining Microsoft, she held various full-time/contracting roles as a technology leader for over two decades in software lifecycle development, system integration and enterprise architecture design. Her expertise extends to Data Strategy, Analytics, and Web Content Management. Throughout her career, she has successfully led numerous projects, both small and large, from inception through to implementation. She is a proponent of the servant-leader philosophy, which aims to continuously improve and empower those she works with.

Sponsor: At CloudStaff.ai, we’re making work MORE. HUMAN. We believe in the power of technology to enhance human potential, not replace it. Our innovative AI and automation solutions are designed to make work easier, more efficient, and more meaningful. We help businesses of all sizes streamline their operations, boost productivity, and solve real-world challenges. Our approach combines cutting-edge technology with a deep understanding of human needs, creating solutions that work the way people do! https://cloudstaff.ai

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Atlanta Microsoft BI Group Meeting on September 8th (End-to-End Azure DevOps for Data Engineering in Microsoft Fabric)

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Atlanta BI fans, please join us in person for our next meeting on Monday, September 8th at 18:30 ET. Jeff Levy (Data Architect @ Protiviti) will show us how to implement Azure DevOps for data engineering projects in Microsoft Fabric. And your humble correspondent will walk you through some of the latest Power BI and Fabric enhancements. For more details and sign up, visit our group page.

Delivery: In-person
Level: Intermediate
Food: Pizza and drinks will be provided

Agenda:
18:15-18:30 Registration and networking
18:30-19:00 Organizer and sponsor time (news, Power BI latest, sponsor marketing)
19:00-20:15 Main presentation
20:15-20:30 Q&A

Overview: This session explores how to implement Azure DevOps for data engineering projects in Microsoft Fabric. You’ll learn the following:

  • Version Control Lakehouse assets (Pipelines / Notebooks / SQL Objects)
  • Manage environments with reusable YAML templates
  • Apply CI/CD Practices via the DevOps Build and Release Pipelines

The session is ideal for data engineers and DevOps practitioners aiming to bring agility, consistency, and governance to Fabric-based solutions.

Speaker: With over 12 years of expertise in designing, implementing, and optimizing data warehouse solutions, Jeff Levy (Data Architect @ Protiviti) is a seasoned Data Warehouse Architect specializing in SQL Server and Azure ecosystems. He has a proven track record of transforming complex data requirements into scalable, high-performance architectures that empower data-driven decision-making. These solutions have leveraged the full capabilities of Azure technologies, such as Azure Synapse Analytics, Databricks, and Microsoft Fabric. With a deep understanding of SQL, data modeling, and ETL processes, he has delivered many scalable and economic solutions to fit client needs. Jeff has worked across many verticals including Healthcare, Telecom and Retail / Consumer Product Goods (CPG)

Sponsor: Protiviti

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Atlanta Microsoft BI Group Meeting on August 4th (Power BI Built-in Gems: Time-Saving Features You Should Be Using)

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Atlanta BI fans, please join us in person for our next meeting on Monday, August 4th at 18:30 ET, which marks the 15th anniversary of the Atlanta Microsoft BI Group! Lakshmi Ponnurasan (a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and a Certified Power BI specialist) will show us how to apply Power BI time-saving built-in features to create stunning and impactful reports in less time. And your humble correspondent will walk you through some of the latest Power BI and Fabric enhancements. For more details and sign up, visit our group page.

Delivery: In-person
Level: Intermediate
Food: Pizza and drinks will be provided

Agenda:
18:15-18:30 Registration and networking
18:30-19:00 Organizer and sponsor time (news, Power BI latest, sponsor marketing)
19:00-20:15 Main presentation
20:15-20:30 Q&A

Overview: Power BI is like a treasure chest packed with powerful built-in features- except these gems are often hidden in plain sight, waiting to be discovered. These time-saving built-in features can help you create stunning, impactful reports in less time. In this session, you’ll witness these hacks in action, and by the end, you’ll have at least one new hack up your sleeve to impress your colleagues.

Who Should Attend? This session is perfect for anyone who knows the basics of Power BI or wants to discover its full potential. Just bring in your curiosity and a desire to learn! Session Takeaways:
1. Discover built-in Power BI hacks that you might have missed.
2. Watch real-time demonstrations of how these features can save you time.
3. Learn how to use these features to enhance your reports and increase your overall efficiency.

Walk Away With:
Exercise files, so you can go home, flex those new skills, and start wowing everyone with your Power BI skills!

Speaker: Meet Santhanalakshmi- a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and a Certified Power BI specialist and one of the four finalists of the 2025 Microsoft Power BI DataViz World Championships! Known for turning raw data into eye-catching, actionable insights, she blends creativity with deep technical know-how to build reports that truly stand out. By day, she’s a dynamic Product Lead juggling market research, testing, team collaboration, marketing, and content creation. By passion, she’s a speaker, blogger, and mentor- always eager to share tips, best practices, and encouragement with the data community, especially uplifting women in tech. Outside the data world, she’s a proud Corgi mom, outdoor enthusiast, and foodie on a mission to try it all!.

Sponsor: Teo Lachev (Prologika)

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Atlanta Microsoft BI Group Meeting on July 7nd (Getting Started with Copilot in Microsoft Fabric)

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Atlanta BI fans, please join us in person for our next meeting on Monday, July 7nd at 18:30 ET. Shabnam Watson (BI consultant and Microsoft MVP) will introduce you to Microsoft Fabric copilots. And your humble correspondent will walk you through some of the latest Power BI and Fabric enhancements. For more details and sign up, visit our group page.

Delivery: In-person
Level: Intermediate
Food: Pizza and drinks will be provided

Agenda:
18:15-18:30 Registration and networking
18:30-19:00 Organizer and sponsor time (news, Power BI latest, sponsor marketing)
19:00-20:15 Main presentation
20:15-20:30 Q&A

Overview: Microsoft Fabric is revolutionizing data analytics, and Copilot is here to make it even smarter! Now available across all Fabric capacities, Copilot is more accessible than ever, allowing users at all levels to take advantage of AI-driven efficiencies. This session is a beginner-friendly introduction to Copilot within Microsoft Fabric, showcasing how AI can streamline data workflows, enhance insights, and boost productivity.

We’ll dive into what Copilot in Fabric is and how it fits into different data workflows, helping with things like data engineering, analytics, and reporting. You’ll see real-world examples of how Copilot makes tasks—like writing SQL queries, creating Power BI visuals, and summarizing data—way easier.

By the end of this session, attendees will have a solid foundation in Copilot’s capabilities within Fabric and feel ready to incorporate AI-driven efficiencies into their data workflows.

Speaker: Shabnam is a business intelligence consultant and owner of ABI Cube, a company that specializes in delivering data solutions using the Microsoft Data Platform. She has over 20 years of experience and is recognized as a Microsoft Data Platform MVP for her technical excellence and community involvement.

She is passionate about helping organizations harness the power of data to drive insights and innovation. She has a deep expertise in Microsoft Analysis Services, Power BI, Azure Synapse Analytics, and Microsoft Fabric. She is also a speaker, blogger, and organizer for SQL Saturday Atlanta – BI version, where she shares her knowledge and best practices with the data community.

Sponsor: Shabnam Watson (Abicube)

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Atlanta Microsoft BI Group Meeting on June 2nd (Power BI monitoring with Log Analytics Workspace)

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Atlanta BI fans, please join us in person for our next meeting on Monday, June 2nd at 18:30 ET. Akshata Revankar (Senior Data & Applied Scientist with Microsoft) will show us how to streamline and optimize your Power BI environment using Azure Data Explorer (ADX) and Kusto Query Language (KQL). And your humble correspondent will walk you through some of the latest Power BI and Fabric enhancements. For more details and sign up, visit our group page.

Delivery: In-person

Level: Intermediate

Food: Pizza and drinks will be provided

 

Agenda:

18:15-18:30 Registration and networking

18:30-19:00 Organizer and sponsor time (news, Power BI latest, sponsor marketing)

19:00-20:15 Main presentation

20:15-20:30 Q&A

Overview: Are you an admin overseeing multiple Power BI workspaces and dealing with the challenge of monitoring activities and performance across all of them in a unified view? This session is designed precisely for you. Join us as we delve into a comprehensive guide on how to streamline and optimize your Power BI environment using Azure Data Explorer (ADX) and Kusto Query Language (KQL).

Speaker: Akshata Revankar (Senior Data & Applied Scientist with Microsoft) has 20+ Years of experience in the data engineering and data reporting space. She has worked with Oracle database, SQL Server, SSIS, Informatica Power Center, Hadoop systems, Qlik and Power BI. Akshata enjoys being in the data space and learning new things.

Sponsor: At CloudStaff, we believe technology should make work easier, not more complicated. We help big companies use AI and automation to solve real problems and make employees’ lives better (CloudStaff.ai).

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