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Microsoft Build 2025 is finally happening next week. Have you had a chance to check out the session catalog yet?
In this blog post, we’ll showcase various sessions recommended by Microsoft MVPs and share why they think these sessions are must-attends. Whether you’re heading to Seattle or joining online, be sure to review these MVP-recommended sessions to catch up on the latest insights and trends.
Please note: These recommendations are based on publicly available session information and may not perfectly align with the actual session content.
Diana Torres Viasus, Cloud and Datacenter Management MVP, United States
STUDIO11 2025 Imagine Cup World Championship
[Interview] Monday, May 19 | 8:47 AM – 9:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time
“The grand final is a must-attend for me since I have been involved in the student community since long time ago, and have had different hats from being a participant, to mentor and in the last years having the privilege of being one of the judges for some of the rounds during the cup. So, I am very excited about it, and needless to say, do not miss Keynote! We are eager to hear about the biggest announcements this year from all the Executive Leadership at Microsoft.”
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BRK155 Azure AI Foundry: The Agent Factory
[In Seattle + Online] Monday, May 19 | 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“In this agentic era, I am excited to learn more about how we can design and customize intelligent agents using all the capabilities offered by Azure AI Foundry and the newest announcements.”
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COMM441 Table Talks: Code with Cost in Mind applying Dev-Centric FinOps
[In Seattle Only] Tuesday, May 20 | 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“It is an opportunity to connect with Microsoft Experts and learn more about the best practices of using the FinOps framework and align with a better strategy and approach to not only reduce costs in the cloud but also deploy in a smarter way more workloads.”
What is Azure AI Foundry? – Azure AI Foundry | Microsoft Learn
FinOps Solutions – Cloud Cost Optimization l Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure – Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn
Looking forward to a Microsoft Build recap with the #VirtualDevShow Community (https://www.meetup.com/virtualdevshow/) for all the Spanish speaking audiences!
Erik Moreau, Windows and Devices MVP, Belgium
BRK155 Azure AI Foundry: The Agent Factory
[In Seattle + Online] Monday, May 19 | 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“The Agent Factory is a fascinating topic. Agents are becoming essential in understanding everything about AI. Whenever Scott Hanselman presents, it’s always an incredible experience—definitely one not to miss!”
Create and publish agents with Microsoft Copilot Studio – Training | Microsoft Learn
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BRK140 What’s new in Copilot Studio
[In Seattle + Online] Monday, May 19 | 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“I highly recommend signing up for the “What’s new in Copilot Studio” session! This session is an excellent opportunity to explore the latest AI innovations. You’ll learn how Copilot Studio’s tools can transform your work, boost efficiency, and enhance user experiences. It’s perfect for anyone looking to stay ahead in the world of agents and make a real impact in their field. Don’t miss out!”
Create agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio – Training | Microsoft Learn
Extend Microsoft 365 Copilot in Copilot Studio – Training | Microsoft Learn
Prashant G Bhoyar, AI Platform, Business Applications MVP, United States
BRK155 Azure AI Foundry: The Agent Factory
[In Seattle + Online] Monday, May 19 | 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“This is the year of AI Agents and AI agents are moving from theory to practical infrastructure, and this session will frame the architectural and protocol-level groundwork driving that shift. It will provide a deep dive into foundational technologies like Model Context Protocols (MCP) and Agent-to-Agent (A2A) communication—protocols that are rapidly becoming critical for scalable, interoperable agent systems. If you’re building or integrating with agentic workflows, this session will give you the shared context and technical vocabulary needed to navigate the rest of the conference.”
What is Azure AI Foundry? – Azure AI Foundry | Microsoft Learn
What is Azure AI Agent Service? – Azure AI services | Microsoft Learn
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BRK149 Azure AI Agent Service: Transforming workflows with Azure AI Foundry
[In Seattle + Online] Monday, May 19 | 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“AI agents are becoming first-class components in modern application architectures, and this session explores recent innovations in the Azure AI Agent Service. You’ll get a hands-on look at how the platform supports agent orchestration, tool use, and context management at scale. The session will also cover practical patterns for integrating AI agents into business processes—ideal for developers building custom workflows or automations on top of Azure’s AI stack.”
What is Azure AI Agent Service? – Azure AI services | Microsoft Learn
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BRK147 Exploring the Agent landscape
[In Seattle + Online] Monday, May 19 | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“With AI agents moving into production environments, building them securely and at enterprise scale is no longer optional. This session will walk through the current landscape of frameworks and tooling for developing robust, enterprise-grade agents. Expect a practical look at security models, orchestration patterns, and integration points that matter when deploying agents in real-world systems.”
What is Azure AI Agent Service? – Azure AI services | Microsoft Learn
Create and publish agents with Microsoft Copilot Studio – Training | Microsoft Learn
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BRK176 Architecting your multi agent solutions with Copilot Studio and M365 Agents SDK
[In Seattle + Online] Tuesday, May 20 | 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“As AI agents evolve from single-task assistants to collaborative, autonomous systems, this session will explore the latest capabilities in Copilot Studio and recent advancements in autonomous agent frameworks. You’ll learn how to architect multi-agent solutions, coordinate agent interactions, and extend copilots with domain-specific logic—laying the groundwork for building scalable, task-driven agent ecosystems.”
What is Azure AI Agent Service? – Azure AI services | Microsoft Learn
Overview – Microsoft Copilot Studio | Microsoft Learn
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BRK144 Transform your agentic apps with voice in Foundry
[In Seattle + Online] Wednesday, May 21 | 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“Voice is becoming a key modality for agent interaction, and this session will introduce new APIs and capabilities for building voice-enabled AI agents. You’ll get a technical walkthrough of how to design responsive, conversational experiences—covering topics like low-latency streaming, intent handling, and real-time agent orchestration. Ideal for developers exploring the next generation of natural user interfaces.”
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning | Meetup
Yoshitaka Seo, AI Platform MVP, Japan
BRK155 Azure AI Foundry: The Agent Factory
[In Seattle + Online] Monday, May 19 | 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“This session focuses on learning Azure AI Foundry specifically for agent development. It covers the entire development process—from selecting a language model to design, implementation, and agent management. Since it also delves into the latest MCP and A2A technologies, it’s expected to be a highly engaging and timely session.”
This is a learning path for studying AI agent development. The content can be used for both preparation before sessions and review after sessions, covering the fundamentals and workflow of agent development.
Develop AI Agents on Azure – Training | Microsoft Learn
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BRK154 Developer essentials for agents and apps in Azure AI Foundry
[In Seattle + Online] Tuesday, May 20 | 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“This session introduces key points for developing agents by combining tools and services, with Azure AI Foundry at the center. Rather than focusing on how to use agents, the session aims to help you understand how to build them, offering insights into the latest trends in AI development.”
The content provides a step-by-step guide to learning the wide range of features offered by Azure AI Foundry. Although it’s a longer session, it includes both explanations and hands-on exercises to help you gain a solid understanding of Azure AI Foundry.
Develop generative AI apps in Azure AI Foundry AI-3016 – Training | Microsoft Learn
Veronika Kolesnikova, AI Platform MVP, United States
BRK155 Azure AI Foundry: The Agent Factory
[In Seattle + Online] Monday, May 19 | 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“Yina and Scott are the people who can talk about complicated stuff in simple terms, so everyone can gain very useful knowledge and not be overwhelmed. Agents are the big thing right now and they’re here to stay, so this session will be helpful for understanding all the parts an agent can have, agent orchestration and monitoring.”
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LAB324-R1 Interacting with Multimodal Models and Agents in Azure AI Foundry
[In Seattle Only] Wednesday, May 21 | 2:45 PM – 4:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“The first option of this lab is completely full, so it’s great that they added this additional opportunity. Multimodal is everywhere these days, so the developers and everyone interested in AI need to understand it better and know how to use the AI Foundry portal to interact with those models.”
(Virtual) Microsoft Build Conference Recap!, Thu, May 29, 2025, 6:00 PM | Meetup
Atomu Hidaka, Internet of Things MVP, Japan
BRK155 Azure AI Foundry: The Agent Factory
[In Seattle + Online] Monday, May 19 | 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“As the title suggests, this session is the flagship session on Azure AI. In particular, Azure AI Foundry is gaining attention as a platform expected to support “Agent2Agent (A2A),” a protocol developed by Google and supported by over 50 companies, which enables seamless interaction between AI agents. Microsoft announced its support for A2A on May 7. Moving forward, not only companies that have already adopted AI agents, but also a wide range of users and AI developers are expected to leverage Azure AI Foundry and Copilot Studio to easily build and integrate versatile AI agents.”
What is Azure AI Foundry? – Azure AI Foundry | Microsoft Learn
What is Azure AI Agent Service? – Azure AI services | Microsoft Learn
Patrick McGown, M365 MVP, United States
BRK128 Build agent-first solutions with Power Platform and Copilot Studio
[In Seattle + Online] Monday, May 19 | 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“In the Era of AI, the ability to build agent-first solutions is becoming a key differentiator for organizations striving to become frontier firms. This session offers a practical, hands-on guide to transforming manual processes into intelligent, human-supervised workflows using Copilot Studio and Power Apps. By integrating no-code, low-code, and pro-code approaches, it empowers builders of all skill levels to create impactful, AI-powered solutions that drive efficiency and innovation. As Microsoft’s recent Work Trend Index points out, 2025 is the year the frontier firm is born—this session helps lay that foundation.”
Get started with Microsoft Copilot Studio – Training | Microsoft Learn
M365 User Group of DC | Meetup
Kazushi Kamegawa, Developer Technologies MVP, Japan
BRK107 Develop, Build and Deploy LLM Apps using GitHub Models and Azure AI Foundry
[In Seattle + Online] Monday, May 19 | 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“Using the GitHub Model, which integrates LLMs with GitHub, has been incredibly convenient for development. New models are added to GitHub Model shortly after their release, which has been extremely helpful. However, we’ve often faced the challenge of new models being released while we’re still in the middle of testing existing ones. That’s why I’m really looking forward to session BRK107, which will introduce features that enable quick comparisons and evaluations of different LLMs.”
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BRK146 Bring AI Foundry to Local: Building cutting-edge on-device AI experiences
[In Seattle + Online] Monday, May 19 | 6:45 PM – 7:45 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“Until now, AI development has generally involved either using third-party open-source tools for local development or working entirely online. However, when planning to eventually deploy with AI Foundry, the lack of API compatibility with these third-party tools made them difficult to use. Since session RK146 is said to cover AI Foundry development on local devices, I have high hopes for it.”
It’s helpful to have a basic understanding of GitHub Models beforehand.
Mezba Uddin, M365, Cloud and Datacenter Management MVP, United Kingdom
BRK165 Building agents for Microsoft 365 CopilotBuilding agents for Microsoft 365 Copilot
[In Seattle + Online] Monday, May 19 | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“This session offers a hands-on exploration of how to build custom agents for Microsoft 365 Copilot using both no-code tools like Copilot Studio and pro-code approaches via Visual Studio and Azure AI. It’s an ideal session for anyone looking to extend Copilot’s value by integrating enterprise data and workflows into intelligent agents. As a Microsoft MVP working on enterprise automation and workplace transformation, I found the session especially valuable—it shows how to drive real productivity gains while keeping AI implementations secure, scalable, and governed. Highly relevant for regulated industries and public sector teams.”
Extend Microsoft 365 Copilot in Copilot Studio – Training | Microsoft Learn
Tomoharu Misawa, M365 MVP, Japan
BRK176 Architecting your multi agent solutions with Copilot Studio and M365 Agents SDK
[In Seattle + Online] Tuesday, May 20 | 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“You will learn how to design multi-agent systems using the Microsoft 365 Agents SDK and Copilot Studio. The session will be led from the perspective of a product manager at Copilot Studio, who is responsible for driving orchestration and multi-agent capabilities, offering valuable insights into effective design approaches.
As Copilot Studio is expected to become the primary platform for leveraging generative AI within Microsoft going forward, understanding its design philosophy will be key to building better and more efficient solutions.”
It explains how to use the Microsoft 365 Agents SDK.
Microsoft 365 Agents SDK JavaScript reference | Microsoft Learn
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OD816 Copilot Retrieval API & how to build Custom Engine Agents with RAG
[Online Only / Pre-recorded]
“It seems that the Copilot Retrieval API is going into public preview soon, and it’s likely designed for semantic search. Currently, performing semantic search on data from Microsoft 365 services like SharePoint requires setting up Azure AI Search and migrating the data, which makes it less accessible. With the Copilot Retrieval API, however, it might become much easier to perform semantic search without all that setup.”
You can understand how semantic search works. I believe the Copilot Retrieval API is an implementation of this functionality via an API.
Semantic ranking – Azure AI Search | Microsoft Learn
Return a semantic answer – Azure AI Search | Microsoft Learn
Shrushti Shah, Business Applications, M365 MVP, India
BRK176 Architecting your multi agent solutions with Copilot Studio and M365 Agents SDK
[In Seattle + Online] Tuesday, May 20 | 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM Pacific Daylight Time
BRK162 Copilot Studio Agents & Azure AI Foundry: better together
[In Seattle + Online] Tuesday, May 20 | 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time
BRK158 Building agents in Copilot Studio using Model Context Protocol, open standards and more
[In Seattle + Online] Thursday, May 22 | 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time
“My top three sessions from Build 2025 reflect my strong interest in Copilot Studio advancements, particularly in areas like the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and the evolving architecture of Copilot-based solutions. With a growing number of customers gravitating toward low-code/no-code tools like Copilot Studio, it’s essential to stay ahead of how these can be extended and integrated with pro-code environments. These sessions offer deep insights into building and architecting multi-agent systems using Copilot Studio and the M365 Agents SDK, aligning perfectly with the customer demand for scalable, extensible, and intelligent solutions that bridge both business-user-friendly interfaces and developer-grade capabilities.”
Overview – Microsoft Copilot Studio | Microsoft Learn
Extend your agent with Model Context Protocol (preview) – Microsoft Copilot Studio | Microsoft Learn
What is the Microsoft 365 Agents SDK (preview) | Microsoft Learn
Actions architecture – Microsoft Copilot Studio | Microsoft Learn
Sergio Govoni, Data Platform MVP, Italy
BRK207 SQL Server 2025: The Database Developer Reimagined
[In Seattle + Online] Tuesday, May 20 | 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“This is the session that data professionals can’t afford to miss. In today’s modern application landscape, scalability, high availability, and concurrency are essential but not always easy to achieve. SQL Server 2025 introduces powerful new features designed to help database applications stay competitive in the Enterprise space. In this session, which promises to be packed with real-world demos, Bob Ward and Muazma Zahid will walk us through what’s new in SQL Server 2025—from T-SQL enhancements to engine improvements, from on-premises to cloud, with built-in AI integration and Copilot-powered tools. A new era for SQL developers is taking shape, don’t miss it!”
The year ahead for SQL Server: Ground to cloud to fabric – Microsoft SQL Server Blog
SQL Server 2025: an enterprise AI-ready database platform
Come see the future of SQL and AI by Bob Word
SQL Start! 2025 sta arrivando | SQL Start! 2025
Maison da Silva, Windows and Devices MVP, Brazil
COMM460 Table Talks: Managing Windows
[In Seattle Only] Tuesday, May 20 | 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“As a Windows & Devices MVP, I believe this session is a must-attend for anyone involved in managing Windows environments. It’s a rare opportunity to engage directly with Microsoft leaders — Amanda Langowski, Maximilian Stein, and Aria Hanson — and share real-world experiences and improvement ideas that could influence the future of the platform. This open and collaborative format makes it especially valuable.”
Configure Windows client | Microsoft Learn
Update Windows client – Training | Microsoft Learn
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BRK226 Boost your development productivity with Windows latest tools and tips
[In Seattle + Online] Wednesday, May 21 | 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“If you’re developing on Windows, this session is essential! Featuring Kayla Cinnamon, Craig Loewen, and Larry Osterman, we’ll explore powerful tools like PowerToys, Windows Terminal, WSL, and WinGet — with live demos and practical tips to optimize your setup. It’s a great chance to learn directly from the engineers behind the tools we use every day.”
An overview on Windows Terminal | Microsoft Learn
Use WinGet to install and manage applications | Microsoft Learn
Kazuki Takai, Cloud and Datacenter Management, Microsoft Azure MVP, Japan
BRK195 Inside Azure innovations with Mark Russinovich
[In Seattle + Online] Tuesday, May 20 | 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“This is a now-regular session by Mark Russinovich on Azure architecture. It offers a comprehensive look at the latest innovations in Azure, covering everything from the infrastructure layer to the application layer.”
Just bring yourself!!
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BRK226 Boost your development productivity with Windows latest tools and tips
[In Seattle + Online] Wednesday, May 21 | 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“You can stay up to date with the latest information on various Windows tools such as PowerToys, Windows Terminal, Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), and WinGet. These tools are recommended not only for developers but also for IT professionals and power users.”
If you’d like to familiarize yourself with these tools in advance, you can visit the individual tool pages from the links below. Having a basic understanding of any unfamiliar tools beforehand will help you better grasp the latest updates.
Setup a development environment on Windows | Microsoft Learn
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BRK228 Simplify dev setup with WinGet & Microsoft Desired State Configuration
[In Seattle + Online] Thursday, May 22 | 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time
“You can learn how to automatically configure machines using WinGet Configuration. It’s recommended not only for developers who want to quickly set up their development machines, but also for IT professionals looking to manage and automate Windows Server configurations.”
The content provides an overview of WinGet Configuration, so it’s a great starting point for anyone who wants to understand the basics in advance.
WinGet Configuration | Microsoft Learn
If you’re interested in trying it out, you can learn how to write YAML files in the documentation below.
How to author a WinGet Configuration file | Microsoft Learn
Hiroshi Yoshioka, Developer Technologies MVP, Japan
BRK101 The Future of .NET App Modernization Streamlined with AI
[In Seattle + Online] Tuesday, May 20 | 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“If you’re interested in learning how to modernize .NET applications using GitHub Copilot, this session is highly recommended.”
Develop .NET apps with AI features – .NET | Microsoft Learn
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BRK122 The future of web development with ASP.NET Core & Blazor
[In Seattle + Online] Wednesday, May 21 | 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“If you want to learn about the future of ASP.NET Core and Blazor, this session is highly recommended.”
ASP.NET Core Blazor tutorials | Microsoft Learn
Muhammad Shahzad Shafique, Business Applications, Pakistan
BRK167 Add more knowledge to Microsoft 365 Copilot with Copilot connectors and actions
[In Seattle + Online] Wednesday, May 21 | 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“I have been extensively working on building custom Copilots using Microsoft Copilot Studio and have a strong interest in expanding their capabilities. This session aligns perfectly with my focus, as it explores how Copilot connectors and actions can enrich the Microsoft 365 Copilot experience. It offers great insights into integrating data and actions from various sources, enabling organizations to build more powerful and context-aware Copilots that drive productivity and intelligent automation.”
Yun Zhu, Business Applications MVP, Japan
BRK167 Add more knowledge to Microsoft 365 Copilot with Copilot connectors and actions
[In Seattle + Online] Wednesday, May 21 | 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time
“I have been extensively working on building custom Copilots using Microsoft Copilot Studio and have a strong interest in expanding their capabilities. This session aligns perfectly with my focus, as it explores how Copilot connectors and actions can enrich the Microsoft 365 Copilot experience. It offers great insights into integrating data and actions from various sources, enabling organizations to build more powerful and context-aware Copilots that drive productivity and intelligent automation.”
Keita Sudo, Developer Technologies MVP, Japan
BRK227 Crafting great Windows native app experiences
[In Seattle + Online] Thursday, May 22 | 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time
“Instead of just saying “You can use it if you build a new app with WinUI,” the phrase “WPF, WinUI and the flexibility of the Windows App SDK” along with “Whether you’re modernizing an existing app or starting fresh” suggests that various options are available depending on your current situation. It seems likely that we can gain useful information about the different choices available, and possibly even how to combine them. In any case, there’s a good chance this will provide practical insights.”
Windows App SDK deployment overview – Windows apps | Microsoft Learn
Peter Smulovics, Developer Technologies MVP, United States
BRK227 Crafting great Windows native app experiences
[In Seattle + Online] Thursday, May 22 | 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time
“The only session about native desktop development – originally all PDCs was only about ATL and MFC and WinForms and WPF, these are the OGs before Azure, AI and Copilot took over”
Ralph Rivas, Business Applications MVP, United States
“Anything with governance for the win😜”