My journey began in Dublin, where I packed my bags with excitement and a touch of nervous energy. Joining the Liquidware team at Ignite was an exhilarating opportunity, and the prospect of participating in one of the tech world’s most significant events filled me with excitement and anticipation.
On the flight to Chicago, I had time to reflect on the importance of this event. I noticed several other attendees on the plane, highlighting the global scale of Ignite. The passenger beside me was a Dutch guy, and we discussed EUC and AI for most of the flight.

Landing in Chicago, I was welcomed by the city’s vibrant energy and the crisp November air. The excitement in the streets suggested the magnitude of what would take place at Ignite. Walking through Chicago’s iconic skyline to McCormick Place, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe. As a first-time attendee, I entered a world I had only experienced through online clips and social media buzz in previous years.

Once I arrived at the hotel and refreshed myself, I met up with our CEO, David, and we headed to the United Center for the launch of  Workplace Ninjas US  by Jon Towles. Jon hired a suite for the Chicago Bulls vs. Houston  Rockets game, and the game was a great spectacle despite the Bulls losing. Also, it was great to hang out with the EUC community, including Christiaan Brinkhoff, Simon Binder, and Jeff Ulatoski.

The next day, David and I took an architectural boat tour of Chicago. The guide explained the Chicago skyline, including buildings used in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Dark Knight series. Despite the weather, no visit to Chicago would be complete without a visit to The Bean. Afterwards, we headed to the McCormack Center to register and get our first glimpse at the Expo Hall and our booth.

At the booth, we met up with the rest of the Liquidware team: Kristen McGargill, Pierce Kalteux, Ray Swanson, and Jason E Smith. It was fantastic to see the booth in person and admire the work of our team. Following this, we headed to a Chicago institution Pizano’s Pizza and Pasta, where I first tasted Chicago Deep Pie Pizza. Scott Bennett and Jack Smith joined us at the restaurant. It was great to spend time in a relaxing atmosphere before the start of what was going to be a hectic week.

Day 1

I had breakfast with David the following day before heading over at 7.20 for the Ignite keynote. Unfortunately, 40 minutes beforehand was not early enough, so David and I watched the keynote at one of the viewing areas in the Expo Hall. As expected, Copilot was very much the focus of the keynote, with Satya Nadella announcing several new copilots and also introducing Copilot agents. 2025 will be the year of AI agents. You can read all of the announcements here.

The most significant announcement for EUC was the Windows365 Link, a thin client designed exclusively for Windows365. It was a topic of conversation throughout the day, including when Scott Manchester dropped by the booth. We got to see the device; it is more significant than I expected and quite heavy, but this is due to the large heat sink because there are no internal fans. You can read more here; it launches in April 2025, so seeing demand against existing thin clients will be interesting. The traffic at the booth was brisk all day and we had lots of interesting discussions around our solutions our recent announcement of the integration with AVD App attach was peaking people’s interest more details can be found here, one thing was clear the messaging on the booth was effective in bringing people to us. The buzz and energy were tangible throughout the day. We finished a very long day with one of our customers at a local steak restaurant.

Day 2 and 3

Over the next two days, I was fully immersed in Ignite’s core: the Expo Hall. Our Liquidware booth became a magnet for visitors eager to learn how our solutions can address their Windows workspace challenges. From IT administrators struggling with application compatibility to consultants interested in optimizing their VDI environments, the booth buzzed with conversations and curiosity.

What stood out most was the sheer variety of use cases and backgrounds. I spoke with people who managed traditional desktops, those in hybrid deployments, and others on the cusp of migrating entire workforces to Windows 11. Each conversation reinforced a common theme: the need for a comprehensive solution that simplifies management, delivers consistent user experiences, and integrates seamlessly with the evolving EUC landscape.

In particular, our recent integration with AVD app attach sparked a lot of excitement. Attendees were intrigued by how this feature helps streamline application delivery, reducing complexity for IT teams while enhancing the end-user experience. It felt great to articulate how Liquidware’s ProfileUnity and FlexApp work hand-in-hand with AVD App attach, showing them a path to agility and improved workflow. The result? Attendees left with a clearer understanding of how we are future-proofing their environments and making their transitions smoother.

Stratusphere UX also proved to be a star of our booth discussions. For those planning migrations—whether moving from older OS versions or embracing cloud workspaces—Stratusphere UX presented itself as the perfect compass. I explained how it provides visibility into user experience metrics before, during, and after migrations. This insight helps IT pros identify bottlenecks, ensure application compatibility, and confidently validate that the move improves end-user satisfaction. It’s one thing to talk about transformations in theory and another to offer a solution to measure success at each step.

While I appreciated the high-level keynote insights and the exciting new announcements on day one, the real magic happened when I engaged in detailed conversations with people on the show floor. There is something deeply satisfying about transforming someone’s curiosity into a moment of genuine understanding. Each person I spoke with left knowing that Liquidware isn’t just another name in the ecosystem—we’re a dedicated partner ready to help them navigate whatever comes next.

As the Expo floor quieted down at day three’s end, I felt energized and grateful. I was energized because the conversations validated our solutions and sparked new ideas. I was grateful because I’d had the chance to connect personally with people, hearing their challenges firsthand and offering insights that make a real difference. It was the perfect way to end three incredible days at Ignite that showcased not just technology’s potential but also the human connections that power these innovations forward.

The next day was time for the long flight home but after having such a great experience I am already looking forward to MS Ignite 2025 in San Francisco.

If my Ignite adventure got you thinking about your own Windows challenges, let’s keep that momentum going. Reach out to us and discover how we can help streamline migrations, optimize AVD app delivery, and enhance every user’s experience. Visit Liquidware.com today—your EUC transformation starts now.