Tag Archives: Summit

MVP Global Summit 2011

One of the benefits of the Microsoft MVP award is being able to attend the annual Global MVP Summit – which happened last week.  This is an event where MVPs from all over the world gather to meet with each other and members of their respective Microsoft Product Teams. Though almost all of the information shared during the MVP Global Summit can’t be shared publicly, I think it’s interesting to know that the event happens and why each of our technical communities benefit from it.

Building relationships and communication channels helps MVPs be better conduits between MS and the community. It helps us to know who we should go to at MS with issues and concerns while also allowing the product teams another avenue to share information that needs to get to the community. Everyone benefits.

Yes, a big part of the event is the socializing – and the SharePoint community is REALLY good at this.  Smile  Though I’m obviously biased, I think the SharePoint community is one of the closest knit groups out there. Ultimately I think the closeness helps information flow more effectively with constructive conversations happening more often. Getting to know each other in person and meet Microsoft folks that we’ve only heard of in passing is extremely valuable.

This also means that in addition to being colleagues, many of us are also friends. Yes, SharePoint topics dominate conversations, but there are also plenty of chats about kids, families, who’s working where, and who shot who in the back during paintball.  Yet another thing that sets the SharePoint community apart from many other communities.  We’re social because, well, that’s our job too.  Smile 

When it comes to SharePoint, there are currently over 250 SharePoint MVPs worldwide, with almost half of them attending this week’s event – the most ever. 

This year – the weather sucked.  I’ve been in Seattle/Redmond a few times now and have been pretty lucky in how nice its been – many times having at least a clear day or two where you can see Mt. Rainier.  This time however its been colder than I’ve ever seen it with rain each day and and even some snow thrown in there for good measure.  Oh well.  At least the paintballs didn’t freeze and hurt even more than usual. 

Toby Richards, General Manager – Community and Online Support at Microsoft also posted about the summit:  Post by Toby Richards