Free virtual training framework<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Interested in launching your own peer-led Copilot training sessions? Check out our Copilot Virtual Skilling Event Framework<\/a> and download a free resource kit that will help elevate your training efforts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Within Microsoft Digital, the company\u2019s IT organization, change leaders helped drive our internal Copilot adoption through a three-week program we called Camp Copilot. During the program, we learned some important lessons and assembled resources you can use to run your own virtual skilling events and kickstart your Copilot rollout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen we started out, we didn\u2019t know how people would use Copilot or have a sense of their comfort with the technology. The technology and product were moving very fast, and users needed to learn new concepts like prompting very quickly to keep up.\u201d<\/p>\nTricia Gill, principal content program manager, Data, Platform, and Growth<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n As an entirely new concept in enterprise technology, Microsoft 365 Copilot presented novel challenges for our adoption leaders\u2014especially since we were the first company to deploy it at scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen we started out, we didn\u2019t know how people would use Copilot or have a sense of their comfort with the technology,\u201d says Tricia Gill, principal content program manager on the Content Excellence team in our Data, Platform, and Growth organization. \u201cThe technology and product were moving very fast, and users needed to learn new concepts like prompting very quickly to keep up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our Microsoft Digital Readiness team was tasked with driving greater daily usage for Copilot. Thanks to our Copilot Champs community<\/a>, a group of AI early adopters and super-users who became peer leaders during our deployment, they recognized the value of employee-led training based on community, engagement, and gamification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With that, Camp Copilot was born<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The team structured the event as a three-week online learning path themed after a summer camp. Each week featured a main session, breakout sessions, and a hands-on \u201ccampfire\u201d activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe improvements we saw as a result of Camp Copilot are statistically significant. Not only are attendees using Copilot more, but they\u2019re learning how to use it more creatively, work faster with AI assistance, and create all-new workflows.”<\/p>\nCadie Kneip, readiness business program manager, Microsoft Digital<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n To stick with the camp theme, participants earned merit badges by completing homework activities that helped them practice what they learned during each day\u2019s sessions. Organizers also boosted community-based social engagement by encouraging campers to share their activities on Viva Engage. This extra social element further reinforced learning and helped the experience reach even more people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The results were phenomenal. The organizers anticipated that 500 people would participate in Camp Copilot. Instead, almost 11,000 employees joined in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Campers clearly felt its impact in their day-to-day work as well. On participant surveys, the rate of responses that included \u201cI work faster with Copilot than without it\u201d increased by 23%, and \u201cUsing Copilot improves my workflow\u201d went up by 38%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe improvements we saw as a result of Camp Copilot are statistically significant,\u201d says Cadie Kneip, readiness business program manager for Microsoft Digital and the creative force behind Camp Copilot. \u201cNot only are attendees using Copilot more, but they\u2019re learning how to use it more creatively, work faster with AI assistance, and create all-new workflows.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That impact hasn\u2019t gone unnoticed\u2014even outside Microsoft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After Camp Copilot\u2019s success, we wanted to make sure other organizations could benefit from virtual skilling events. You don\u2019t have to follow our lead and call it Camp Copilot, but the model works regardless of how you brand your event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCustomers have seen our success with Camp Copilot, and they\u2019re constantly inviting me to talk them through how to run their own event,\u201d Kneip says. \u201cThere\u2019s a massive appetite among organizations to replicate this kind of engagement, and we want to provide that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n “All the content on the site is customizable because every organization has its own scenarios and needs when it comes to AI. We want to empower IT practitioners to showcase their unique use cases at the level of specificity that works for their teams.”<\/p>\nAndrea Lum, product marketing manager, Microsoft 365 Copilot<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re currently driving Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption or contemplating ways to get started, we\u2019ve assembled some key resources<\/a> to set you on your path:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “All the content on the site is customizable because every organization has its own scenarios and needs when it comes to AI,\u201d says Andrea Lum, Microsoft 365 Copilot product marketing manager focused on adoption. \u201cWe want to empower IT practitioners to showcase their unique use cases at the level of specificity that works for their teams.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to our skilling framework, you can also find ample instructional content available through our support site<\/a>. As you build out your skilling events, these multimodal resources can help you augment guided sessions with independent learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, Microsoft Copilot Academy in Microsoft Viva Learning (log in required)<\/a> came together as part of our internal skilling initiatives, and we\u2019ve made it available to customers in support of their own adoption initiatives. It\u2019s a helpful addition to more community-based or peer-led learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you plan and implement your own Microsoft 365 Copilot virtual skilling event, be sure to follow these seven tips to create the most engaging, effective, and fun experience for employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Carefully consider the structure of your event, both in terms of individual activities and its overall trajectory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At Microsoft, we structured Camp Copilot to follow an intuitive learning path. It kicked off with an orientation session, then progressed through three themes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n During each week, employees experience three kinds of sessions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you plan your event, consider both broad and more focused sessions. Don\u2019t just rely on instruction. Hands-on participation is key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s also important to celebrate your participants\u2019 success at the end of the event. A closing celebration caps off the learning with a sense of accomplishment and locks in the community aspect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our experience has taught us that people learn better in peer-to-peer sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Copilot Champs Community at Microsoft<\/a> is a team of early adopters and AI enthusiasts we intentionally cultivated to support our adoption efforts. They became an excellent source of promotion for Camp Copilot, and we tapped them to lead sessions as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As early adopters of AI, the Copilot champs were excited to take up the task. Their support boosted its impact through peer-to-peer leadership and reduced the amount of session planning that fell to Camp Copilot\u2019s organizers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you plan your virtual skilling event, look to your early adopters and super-users. Plenty of them will jump at the opportunity for growth, leadership, and career-building. Don\u2019t focus exclusively on experts, either. Instead, be willing to empower people with a natural interest and cultivate their talent through train-the-trainer sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your virtual skilling event won\u2019t achieve its full impact if your audience doesn\u2019t engage, regardless of whether they show up live or learn on their own time. Promotion is key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s best to take a multi-pronged approach. UseMicrosoft Viva Amplify to craft and send promotional communications across multiple channels while gathering audience insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Microsoft Viva Engage is helpful in two ways. First, it provides an avenue to identify or establish a community populated by your target audience. It also unlocks the power of peer engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tapping your champions to promote the event as a whole and their individual sessions is a great way to capitalize on their influence. When communications come from someone employees know, trust, and relate to, they\u2019re more likely to attend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s also helpful to ensure your event has a strong internal brand identity. We chose a camp theme, but yours could be anything from pirate ships to rocket ships. Just make it fun, flashy, and something that resonates with your employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s just something about rewards that gets people excited about learning. Our experience demonstrates that fun and gamification boost engagement by 24% and productivity by 50%. They also reduce the time it takes to form habits by 40%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To go along with our theme, we centered Camp Copilot\u2019s gamification around badges created using Credly. To earn these badges, campers completed asynchronous homework activities that helped them practice what they learned each day. Activities included challenges, quizzes, and social forums to encourage active participation and learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gamification also provides an extra social aspect. Participants shared their achievements on Viva Engage and LinkedIn to reinforce learning. In turn, that brought more participants into the experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Invest in a complement of digital badges, certificates, and other symbolic graphics for when participants complete tasks and achieve milestones. These will spur friendly competition and encourage employees to take pride in their accomplishments. Be sure to align your rewards with your event\u2019s branding as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The more relevant your content, the better it will resonate with your employees and the more they\u2019ll retain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As much as possible, tailor your content to your audience. This may not be possible for more centralized main sessions, but breakout sessions can be as diverse as your participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Early in our journey, we identified hesitation and fear toward adopting AI as major blockers. We addressed those concerns by surfacing simple ideas for using Copilot that would save people time, pushing back on the idea of big, scary robots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we didn\u2019t see as much uptake from developers and engineers, we created mini-sessions about tools outside of Microsoft 365, including GitHub and Azure DevOps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Attaining relevance will require some upfront work to understand your teams, their processes, and their challenges, but the outcomes are worth it. Fortunately, champions, peer leaders, and managers can help you identify crucial scenarios and use cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Different people learn in different ways, so it\u2019s important to facilitate learning at any pace, in any style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a variety of ways you can accomplish this. During your digital event itself, asynchronous homework activities reinforce what employees have learned during sessions. These are also opportunities to earn those all-important rewards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Camp Copilot, we also established a comprehensive Microsoft SharePoint site associated with the event. This site outlined the program, laid out the activities, and served as a repository of sessions and content after the event was over. As a result, people who couldn\u2019t attend Camp Copilot still benefited from the event asynchronously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, our Camp Copilot Viva Engage community remains a vibrant hub for discussions, a repository for questions and answers, and a source for peer-to-peer expertise. Far from becoming a digital wasteland, this lively community has garnered thousands of views long after the event itself ended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you\u2019re pulling your resources and sessions together, consider extending the impact of your event by offering its content through SharePoint while maintaining a community of practice based on shared experience in Viva Engage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How do you know if your virtual skilling event was helpful for your attendees? Just ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once our employees completed Camp Copilot, we provided a Microsoft Viva Pulse survey. This helped us make our events even better by gathering feedback on what was most or least helpful. It also helped us track our event\u2019s impact on our employees and the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Create a feedback mechanism for your event, then use what you learn to tailor further adoption efforts and plan your next skilling engagement.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n By following these seven tips, you have the opportunity to create a well-attended, informative, and engaging event. Plan carefully, activate your community, and focus on fun, and you\u2019ll see the value of Copilot come to life at your organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try it out<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Get started with Microsoft 365 Copilot today.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Related links<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"Gill](\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Tricia-Gill.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n
Camp Copilot: Infusing adoption with fun<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Kneip](\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Cadie-Kniep.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n
Create your own Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption event<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Andrea-Lum.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n
\n
Seven tips for virtual skilling events<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/One-icon.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nPlan for success<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Two-icon.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nCapitalize on your champions<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Three-icon.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nGet the word out<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Four-icon.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nGamification gets results<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Five-icon.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nRelevance is everything<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Six-icon.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nDon\u2019t stop the learning when the session ends<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Seven-icon.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nLearn from your employees\u2019 experience<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Try-it-out-badge.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Related-links-badge.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Wed-like-to-hear-from-you-badge.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n