7th March 2007

Microsoft MVP Summit just days away…

Well, I hadn’t planned to blog about this really…as it is my actual day job…but, I have to admit, I’m pretty excited about this.  On March 12th, I get to play host for what I suspect is one of the biggest community parties on the planet! 

Some short background.  In my day job, I’m responsible for the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award program.  The award began in the early 90s to recognize and thank the outstanding online community contributors on CompuServe.  Over the years, it expanded to include both online and offline community contributors to both Microsoft hosted and independent, 3rd party communities focused on Microsoft technologies.  Today, there are just over 3500 MVPs worldwide spanning nearly every Microsoft technology and in nearly 100 countries.  As an example, you can meet some of these experts on the Windows Vista Community page.  You can also search for MVPs here

It’s important to note that MVPs are NOT Microsoft employees.  In fact, I think they would loudly agree with me that they don’t do what they do in communities to help Microsoft, but to help other users.  As independent and highly active community experts on Microsoft technologies they provide amazing insights to Microsoft and more importantly, to millions of users through technical communities around the world.  I’m often asked how “I” can become an MVP and I think what’s important to say to this is that it really isn’t something to be manufactured.  MVPs don’t really try to be MVPs…it’s just who they are - they love to help people with technology.  The least Microsoft can do is reach out, acknowledge, and “Thank” them.  That is the job of my team at Microsoft. 

Now, back to the summit.  Approximately every 12-18 months, Microsoft invites the MVPs to Redmond for the annual MVP summit.  This year, just shy of 1900 MVPs will be joining us, making this by far the largest MVP Summit ever.  Now, I have to admit, I am excited to have Bill Gates keynote and kick things off for us on the 13th, but the real action is the rest of the week where Microsoft product teams will host 533 sessions designed to not only connect the MVPs with one another (a true highlight of the summit), but also with their peers in the product teams.  It’s an amazing site.  With MVPs registered to attend from 88 countries, this will also be the most globally diverse summit in our history. 

So, count on me taking some photos and getting them linked here via flickr.  And if your lucky, no one will catch any video of my annual required turn at karaoke.

Don’t forget to Digg it…

[digg=http://digg.com/software/MVPs_coming_to_Microsoft_for_Global_Summit]

Sean

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There are currently 21 responses to “Microsoft MVP Summit just days away…”

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  1. 1 On March 7th, 2007, Jim Kenzig said:

    I am super excited to be coming and even more excited about seeing Bill Gates than you I bet. ; ) It has been a dream of mine to just meet him and get a pic with him. My reason? I look a lot like him and working in IT every where I go I am told that I look like him. I just want a picture standing next to him to pull out show people..no see THAT’s Bill Gates. LOL
    Hope to run into you there and get a picture of that Karaoke dig.
    Jim Kenzig
    MVP Terminal Services.

  2. 2 On March 7th, 2007, Sean ODriscoll said:

    It’s funny you say that, I think it was two years ago we had an MVP / Billg look alike. During the opening reception, I played a joke where I brought him up front - there was a moment where a lot of pictures were taken before people realized it wasn’t really Bill. I’ll have to see who the best look alike is next week.

    See you soon!
    sean

  3. 3 On March 7th, 2007, Laurent Duveau said:

    D-4 !!!

    http://gallery.live.com/liveItemDetail.aspx?li=7440a78c-b3dc-4b2b-b4ee-7787142c678e&l=1

    Cheers.

  4. 4 On March 7th, 2007, Sean ODriscoll said:

    I LOVE IT!!! I have it:) Can I get another one that counts me down until the summit ends on Thursday:) I’ll be able to relax just a little that day!!

    sean

  5. 5 On March 8th, 2007, Osman Shener said:

    Hi Sean , this is the answer of mine when somebody asks me “How can I become an MVP?”.

    “MVPs don’t really try to be MVPs…it’s just who they are - they love to help people with technology.”
    :) C U in Summit
    Osman Shener - Windows Networking MVP

  6. 6 On March 8th, 2007, Uschi Eilers said:

    Hi Sean,
    it’s the final countdown and I’m very nervous. Tomorrow morning I’ll start to see you all in Seattle ;-)) It’s a long journey from a little Town in Germany called Bad Zwischenahn over Hambourg and Copenhagen to Seattle, where I’ll arrive at Saturday afternoon.

    Thank you for your great work, you’ve done in the past and you’ll do in future to let us have this great adventure ;-))

    I’ll blog too about the summit for the German people an I think, there are a lot of things, I’ll have to talk about.

    See you in Seattle
    Uschi

  7. 7 On March 8th, 2007, Ute Simon said:

    Sean, looking forward to meeting you in Seattle!

    Uschi, I think we are on the same flight, meet you in Copenhagen!

    Osman, your comment reminds me of the “Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe”. Learning how to fly is described there as “throw yourself at the ground and miss” ;-)
    Ute (PowerPoint MVP)

  8. 8 On March 8th, 2007, Sean said:

    Yeah!!! Me too. It should be a blast…glad to know that Germany is “in the house!!”

    sean

  9. 9 On March 9th, 2007, Glyn Simpson said:

    Talking of ‘in the house’, what time is the BBQ at yours? :-)

  10. 10 On March 9th, 2007, Sean said:

    LOL! I wish I could cook for so many!! I could use the distraction. I’ll need to BBQ after summit just to soothe myself.

    sean

  11. 11 On March 10th, 2007, "Happy Birthday" Community Group Therapy… « Community Group Therapy said:

    […] MVP Summit Days away […]

  12. 12 On March 10th, 2007, Mukund Mohan said:

    Where’s the BBQ? How come I did not get the invitation on the Wallop? :(

  13. 13 On March 10th, 2007, Sean ODriscoll said:

    LOL…your Wallop is on its way!!

    BBQ for 20…yes…for 2000 - NO WAY!! My wife would kill me!!

    sean

  14. 14 On March 10th, 2007, The Wow : MVP Global Summit 2007 - This Week said:

    […] for a few months (I’m a Windows Live MVP). I’ll be joining folks like the guys from LiveSide and 1900 other MVP’s in Seattle and in […]

  15. 15 On March 11th, 2007, Tony Ramos said:

    Thanks for the numbers, Sean. Blogged today at http://tonyramos.com/Presentations%20Weblog.htm
    Hope to meet you over the next few days — Tony

  16. 16 On March 11th, 2007, Sean ODriscoll said:

    Sudden Yoda moment for me… I thought: “yes, see you I will. hmmm. Jedi.” Read this with appropriate Yoda voice over.

    sean

  17. 17 On March 19th, 2007, said:

    OK so I didn’t get a picture with Bill but I did get one on the stage before Bill got there as well as one with you, Sean. Here are the front row shots….

    Jim Kenzig
    MVP Terminal Services

  18. 18 On April 7th, 2007, Laurent Duveau said:

    Did you see this one (sea of red) ?
    http://weblogs.asp.net/lduveau/archive/2007/04/05/mvp-summit-sea-of-red.aspx

  19. 19 On April 12th, 2007, Video from the Past...."I Feel Great!!" « Community Group Therapy said:

    […] - ok, you be the judge of that - video remake of a Nutrigrain Web commercial that we used at the Annual MVP Summit.  I recently came back across the old video and thought it was time it saw the public.  […]

  20. 20 On April 12th, 2007, Video from the Past...."I Feel Great!!" « Community Group Therapy said:

    […] - ok, you be the judge of that - video remake of a Nutrigrain Web commercial that we used at the Annual MVP Summit.  I recently came back across the old video and thought it was time it saw the public.  See the […]

  21. 21 On November 16th, 2007, Video from the Past…."I Feel Great!!" : Community Group Therapy said:

    […] - ok, you be the judge of that - video remake of a Nutrigrain Web commercial that we used at the Annual MVP Summit.  I recently came back across the old video and thought it was time it saw the public.  […]

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