We’ve just returned from SQLBits 2025 (June 18–21 at ExCeL London), and wow – our brains are buzzing.

As data consultants, we're always on the hunt for fresh ideas to power our low-code, AI-driven data solutions. SQLBits delivered in a big way. From Microsoft’s new tech stack to future-focused AI sessions, here’s a breakdown of why we went, what we learned, and why it matters to anyone working with data today.

Why We Attended SQLBits

1. Stay Ahead in Low-Code + AI

Microsoft dropped serious updates around Microsoft Fabric and SQL Server 2025—tools that perfectly align with our work helping businesses streamline data solutions using Azure, Power Platform, and AI. We wanted to see how these tools can help us move faster and smarter.

2. Learn From the Best (And the Rest)

SQLBits is Europe’s biggest data platform event, with over 2,000+ data pros in the room. That’s a lot of wisdom to soak up. Whether it was chatting with Microsoft product teams or other consultants, it was a goldmine of ideas.

3. Get Hands-On With AI + Azure

We were especially keen to learn more about retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and integrating generative AI into real-world enterprise environments. Sessions covered exactly that—plus some curveballs we didn’t expect (like AI agents and multimodal chatbots).

Top Highlights from SQLBits 2025

Microsoft Fabric: “The Data Platform for Your AI”

Kasper de Jonge (Principal PM, Microsoft Fabric) led standout sessions explaining how Fabric connects your entire data ecosystem under one roof—data engineering, warehousing, Power BI, governance, and Copilot AI.

Why it matters:

OneLake as a central storage layer
Built-in security & governance (Purview, MIP labels, DLP)
AI tools that feel familiar (ChatGPT, Python)
Makes data accessible across teams—without losing control

For us, Fabric isn’t just a new tool—it’s the foundation for AI-ready enterprise data.

Azure OpenAI in the Wild

Seeing Azure OpenAI Service used live in sessions like Mihail Mateev’s GPT-4 + Vision demo or Simon Whiteley’s talk on AI-assisted data engineering was inspiring. These weren’t fluffy ideas—they were real projects using GPT-4 for predictions, schema automation, and more.

We also loved the creativity in AI agent sessions:

Talk to your database via chatbot? ✔️
AI bridging PDFs and SQL Server? ✔️
Multimodal assistants that understand images and text? ✔️

This wasn’t theoretical. It was a sneak peek into how AI will become your next team member.

Power BI + Low-Code is Leveling Up

Sessions like Erin Stellato’s walkthrough of SQL tools + Copilots showed how even traditional tools like Power BI and Azure Data Studio are being supercharged with AI.

We saw:

Copilots helping write DAX and SQL
Low-code dashboards built in record time
Fun community events like the Power BI Quiz Extravaganza

As a company that builds a lot of client dashboards in Power BI, this was a great reminder: low-code analytics is here to stay—and it's getting smarter every day.

Key Takeaways

1. AI Is Now Everywhere

From vector search in SQL Server 2025 to auto-suggest in VS Code, Microsoft is baking AI into every part of the stack. If you’re not yet thinking about how AI can help at each stage of your data workflow, it’s time to start.

2. Fabric Is Microsoft’s Big Bet

We came away seeing Microsoft Fabric as more than just a new tool—it’s a strategic platform. It reduces complexity, builds in governance, and makes AI integration smoother. We’ll be recommending it to clients ready to modernize without piecing together 10 different services.

3. Governance Still Matters

Amid all the AI hype, security and governance were major themes. Fabric's compliance tools, SQL 2025’s managed identities, and responsible AI discussions reminded us that trust and transparency are critical in enterprise AI.

4. Low-Code + AI = Power to the People

More and more tools now allow non-developers to build, query, and visualize data with ease. Add AI, and suddenly even more doors open. This aligns 100% with our mission at Continuum: making data more accessible, scalable, and impactful.

5. The Community Is Our Superpower

The Saturday free community day? Electric. The energy, shared war stories, aha moments, and generous knowledge-sharing made us realize again: you learn fastest when you learn together.

Final Thoughts

SQLBits 2025 gave us:

A vision of Microsoft’s AI-powered data future
Practical tips for real-world low-code AI solutions
New ways to help our clients succeed with Fabric, Azure, and Power BI

As always, we’re taking these insights back to our clients and internal projects—from testing Copilot in SSMS to building AI-powered internal data assistants.

And yes, we’re already counting down to SQLBits 2026.

Want help cleaning up your data and workfkows - get in touch.

SQLBits 2025 Recap: What We Learned About Azure, AI, and Microsoft Fabric