Eric D. Boyd named Visual Studio Live conference co-chair

Visual Studio Live! has named Microsoft AI & Azure MVP Eric D. Boyd as conference co-chair, starting with the 2027 event series in Las Vegas. The move puts a longtime speaker and developer-community leader in a role shaping technical content, speaker lineups and hands-on training as VSLive! expands its focus on AI, cloud and modern software development.

Why it matters: - Eric D. Boyd will help shape one of the longest-running training conference series for Microsoft developers as AI, cloud and agentic development reshape what attendees want to learn. - Boyd’s role is tied to the 2027 VSLive! lineup, which starts in Las Vegas and sets the tone for the rest of the year’s events. - The appointment connects a veteran speaker and Microsoft developer-community figure with the conference’s technical direction.

What happened: - Visual Studio Live! named Eric D. Boyd Conference Co-Chair. - Boyd is founder and CEO of responsiveX, a Microsoft Foundry and Azure MVP, and a Microsoft Regional Director. - The role began with VSLive! Las Vegas 2027, scheduled for March 22–26 at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino. - Boyd has also started working with VSLive! leadership on 2027 agendas, topic selection and speaker lineups.

The details: - VSLive! said Boyd will help guide technical content, identify emerging topics and shape speaker lineups across the event series. - Boyd has been a longtime VSLive! speaker and active member of the Microsoft developer community. - Boyd has built applications on Microsoft Azure since 2008. - Boyd is co-author of Step-by-Step Azure SQL Database from Microsoft Press. - Boyd began his technology career three decades ago at a web development startup. - Boyd has worked as a developer, consultant, technology executive and business owner. - Brent Sutton, Vice President, Live! 360 Events, 1105 Media, said Boyd brings technical expertise, industry connections and a commitment to developer education. - VSLive! said Boyd’s involvement will help the conference evolve its training as developers navigate rapid advancements in AI, cloud and modern software development practices. - Boyd said developers are being asked to adopt AI, agents and new cloud patterns faster than ever, and VSLive! should focus on practical, hands-on sessions from people building the tools. - Boyd’s goal is for attendees to go home with skills they can apply immediately.

Between the lines: - The co-chair role signals that VSLive! wants deeper input from a practitioner with current credibility in AI and Azure. - The conference is positioning itself around applied learning rather than broad trend-spotting, which fits demand from developers looking for usable guidance. - Boyd’s background in both software delivery and consulting gives VSLive! a leader who can balance technical depth with real-world implementation concerns.

What's next: - Boyd will help steer the 2027 VSLive! schedule as the series moves from Las Vegas to Austin, Redmond and Orlando. - The next 2027 stops are VSLive! Austin, May 2–6; VSLive! & AILive! @ Microsoft HQ in Redmond, Wash., Aug. 2–6; and VSLive! Orlando as part of Live! 360, Nov. 14–19. - Boyd will lead a full-day pre-conference hands-on lab in Las Vegas on Monday, March 22: “Agentic SDLC: Building an AI Software Factory with GitHub Copilot, Claude, and Codex.” - Registration for VSLive! Las Vegas 2027 is open at vslive.com. - Boyd is also a featured speaker at Live! 360 Tech Con 2026, Nov. 15–20, 2026, at the Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando, where VSLive! is one of six co-located conferences.

The bottom line: - VSLive! is putting a well-known Microsoft developer educator in a leadership role to sharpen its 2027 conference content around the practical realities of AI, cloud and modern software development.