Microsoft Build, the company's annual developer conference, is set to be a more intimate and developer-centric event this year.
The tech giant is relocating its flagship developer conference from Seattle to San Francisco, marking a return to the Bay Area. Build 2024 will take place at Fort Mason, a historic former US Army post, moving away from Seattle's urban center. This strategic shift aims to leverage San Francisco's vibrant AI ecosystem and foster a more personalized conference experience.
Commenting on the change, Kyle Daigle, Chief Operating Officer at GitHub, shared his perspective with The Verge: “There are great conferences that are enormous, and part of it is just the sprawl and scale of it, and there are great conferences that are tiny that are really a personalized experience.” He elaborated on Microsoft's vision, stating, “I think we’re trying to fit in the middle of it where meeting with people that attend is just as much a part of the actual conference content, announcements, and using the tech.”
This year, Microsoft plans to host approximately 2,500 developers, a notable reduction from the previous attendance figures of 3,000 to 5,000. The event is scheduled for June 2nd to June 3rd, a slight departure from its traditional May slot. Daigle emphasized the benefit of this smaller scale, noting, “I think this venue really forces folks like us to consider the attendees and focus really on those developers coming to the event.” He added, “They’ll be able to go see a keynote, walk into a hall and touch the demo experience, and have way more interaction with each other.”
The relocation to San Francisco is indicative of “bigger shifts” aimed at refining Build's identity as a predominantly developer-focused conference. Historically, Build has sometimes featured a broader array of announcements, including Windows-centric news not exclusively tailored for developers. Daigle clarified the renewed focus: “We just need to show you what we’ve been doing, what you’ve been building on top of it, and how you can use it,” rather than, “Not pitch you on both our vision and a third-party person’s vision over and over.”
In a move to enrich the content, Microsoft is expanding its roster of external speakers, with many participating in dedicated sessions. Notable industry figures confirmed to speak include Datasette founder Simon Willison, Thiink’s Priyanka Sharma, and AI engineer Shawn Wang. Microsoft's leadership will also be present, with CEO Satya Nadella, GitHub SVP Jared Palmer, and Scott Hanselman, VP of Developer Communities, among the internal speakers.
Daigle painted a picture of the envisioned attendee experience: “[Attendees] will be able to have access to what we’re announcing, as a developer in a hall with your laptop out.” He hopes the event will cultivate “more of a community-centric developer experience where we’re learning from each other and with each other.”
While Build is shifting from Seattle, this does not preclude a future return to Microsoft's home city, especially given that the conference previously moved from San Francisco to Seattle in 2017. Daigle also refuted claims that the relocation stemmed from negative attendee experiences in downtown Seattle. He framed the move as an experimental approach, stating, “Build has been in many different locations over the years, but it clearly has an identity with the Seattle area, but like with everything in software, it’s a little bit of ship to learn.” He concluded, “Let’s ship it to San Francisco and see what we learn this year with that audience that can come and join us, and see about the years following.”
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