Last week, I had the pleasure of attending my fourth MVP summit. It was an exciting time and despite a nagging head cold, it was a very pleasant week. This year, we were hosted in Bellevue, Washington, which tuned out to be a great place for the summit. Tons of stuff right outside our doors to enjoy and a much more pleasant commute to the Microsoft campus for our deep dive sessions and the like.
And speaking of the campus, what a great place it is since the completion of the newer buildings. Including the new Xbox campus, complete with a soccer field and all new office spaces for the growing Xbox team. I was happy to see that the Xbox team is finally on the proper MS campus and is able to enjoy the benefits.
During the week, we had the privilege of seeing some great stuff, hearing from some great people and hanging out with a great group. From the MVP welcome reception, with our lead Mike Fosmire, to the deep dives and special sessions where we saw Project Natal, Dead Rising 2, Lost Planet 2, Xbox Live enforcement, security, support and behind the scenes at Xbox Live operations center. Veteran and rookie MVPs alike were treated to some really cool and informative sessions.
As the week came to and end, we celebrated at The Garage in Seattle with bowling, billiards, pizza and libations. It was a great time to mingle with all of the product groups and just let loose. And on Friday, the farewell Lunch and sessions provided us with a chance to reflect on the week, reminding us how important we are to the Microsoft family.
I would like to thank all of the people who made this week happen for the Xbox and all of the product group MVPs. Everyone deserves a thank you and even though I know I can’t remember everyone’s name at the moment, you are definitely not forgotten. Eric, Larry, Zilla, Mackenzie & crew, thanks for your hard work this week. We know things have been tough in the recent past but you have rose to the occasion…thank you! And thank you to all of the MVPs for coming out and making the summit a memorable one. You guys rock!
Enjoy the photos from the summit, I think they show the positive spirit and good times we all experienced.
Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.