Microsoft is bringing its annual Build developer conference back to San Francisco this June, and honestly, it’s a pretty big deal for the tech community here in the Bay. The conference is ditching its usual Seattle home and setting up shop at Fort Mason starting June 2nd, marking a major shift in how Microsoft wants to run one of its biggest events.

Here’s what’s changing: Microsoft is scaling down the conference significantly. Instead of hosting the typical 3,000 to 5,000 attendees, they’re capping registration at just 2,500 developers this year. While that might sound like they’re shrinking the event, it’s actually intentional. Kyle Daigle, GitHub’s chief operating officer (GitHub is owned by Microsoft), explains that the company wants to hit a sweet spot between enormous conferences and tiny, intimate gatherings.

“I think we’re trying to fit in the middle of it where meeting with people that attend is just as much a part of the actual conference content, announcements, and using the tech,” Daigle told The Verge. The smaller crowd at Fort Mason means attendees will actually have time to interact with each other, check out demos, and have real conversations instead of just sitting through endless presentations.

Microsoft is also making Build way more developer-focused. For years, the conference has hosted announcements about Windows and other stuff that doesn’t necessarily relate to developers. That’s changing. The company wants to cut down on the corporate pitch-fest and focus on what developers actually need: practical information about what Microsoft’s building, what developers are creating with it, and how to actually use the tools.

To make this happen, Microsoft is bringing in external speakers alongside its usual lineup. Datasette founder Simon Willison, AI engineer Shawn Wang, and other industry experts will be speaking, creating a more diverse range of voices. On Microsoft’s side, CEO Satya Nadella will be there, along with GitHub SVP Jared Palmer and other company leaders.

“Attendees will be able to have access to what we’re announcing, as a developer in a hall with your laptop out,” Daigle said. “It should feel more of a community-centric developer experience where we’re learning from each other and with each other”.

Now, you might be wondering: is Microsoft ditching Seattle for good? Not necessarily. The company actually moved Build from San Francisco to Seattle back in 2017, so this is kind of a homecoming. Daigle says this is more of an experiment than a permanent decision. “Let’s ship it to San Francisco and see what we learn this year with that audience that can come and join us, and see about the years following,” he explained.

The timing is pretty strategic too, the June dates let Microsoft capture the energy of San Francisco’s AI boom and position itself in the heart of where a lot of tech innovation is happening. If you’re a developer interested in attending, registration opens soon at build.microsoft.com.