Microsoft’s annual Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) took place in downtown Toronto last week. The week-long conference started Sunday night and spanned Toronto’s Air Canada Centre (pictured) and the nearby Metro Convention Centre.
The Day 1 Keynote was kicked off by Toronto’s own mayor John Tory, who welcomed more than 16,000 attendees from 144 countries.
Microsoft was not stingy when it came to performers. Attendees were treated to performances by Gwen Stefani (pictured, centre), Swedish electropop duo Icona Pop, and K’naan.
The week was preceded by the Impact Awards, where Microsoft’s partners of the year were recognized. At the conference show floor, partners had a chance to take photos in front of a mural of the Toronto skyline.
Attendees had the opportunity to participate in regional sessions throughout the week, and could also access spaces dedicated to their geography, including Canada, the U.S., UK, Greater China just to name a few.
They were also treated to more lighthearted activities including live caricatures on the Microsoft Surface, and T-shirt printing.
While partner opportunities for virtual and augmented reality remain limited, devices like the HoloLens and other headsets still made an appearance at WPC.
Microsoft partner BitTitan had one of the most memorable booths complete with The Wiz, the company’s superhero mascot.
Meanwhile, distributor Arrow had a sports car outfitted with IT equipment in its trunk to show off possibilities in IoT.