My First MVP Summit with the Microsoft TechNet Wiki Ninjas

This year (2016) I received my first Microsoft MVP Award and attend my first MVP summit at Redmond, Seattle from Nov 6^th to Nov 10^th. From the first day till my last day I meet many new friends and learn lot of new things from Summit. I was really glad and happy to meet Technet Wiki Ninja Richard Mueller, Pedro, Ken, Ryen Tang,Santhosh,Chendrayan and Chervine for the first time. Believe me all of them are such a simple and friendly person’s and we had such a great time with lots of fun and discussion.

Do you know Pedro gave Ninja Stickers to all of the TechNet Wiki Ninja team members who were at the MVP Summit? We are all happy and proud to stick that on our name tag.

Here (in the next photo) we can see mine and Ken’s name tag with the Wiki Ninja Sticker. Many friends asked me what this sticker is and what this sticker means. It was a great opportunity to tell them about TechNet Wiki! Thank you, Pedro, for arranging this Ninja Sticker!

The MVP Global Summit is a multi-day event that is hosted in Bellevue and at the Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington. With a large catalog of technical sessions (offered only in English) and a variety of networking opportunities, the MVP Global Summit enables MVPs to connect with other MVPs, to build relationships with Microsoft program managers (building the products), and to provide feedback on Microsoft products and technologies. Every year Microsoft will arrange the MVP summit during the end of October or in November. (https://mvp.microsoft.com/en-US/Summit)

If you receive your first-time MVP award during 2017, don’t forget to attend the MVP Summit!

 

By attending the MVP Summit, MVPs can learn about new technologies from experts like Scott Hanselman, Miguel de Icaza, etc. (the experts for your technology area). You will get more ideas for upcoming years. You can meet all the technology leaders and experts in one place. You can meet many new and old friends globally in one place. You can give your feedback or ideas directly to Microsoft .Net teams (or whatever technology your expertise is in). You can meet many community friends and extend your knowledge globally.

 

This is a simple tip, and I hope this blog will be useful for future first-time Microsoft MVP’s who are planning to visit the MVP Summit for the first time. A few of my friends told me that they are not attending the MVP Summit this time, as they don’t have the budget for travelling and other expenses. Here are few tips for all first-time visiting friends. The MVP Summit is very important. If you are a MVP and can join us at the MVP Summit, you can meet friends and experts globally in various technologies in one place. You can gain more new ideas, which will lead you to the next level in your projects and careers!

Once you got your MVP award for first time, don’t hurry up in applying for the US Visa. Wait until you get the official mail from Microsoft for the MVP Summit registration. If you are going to the MVP Summit or not, firstly register for the MVP Summit, once you get the official mail from Microsoft for the MVP Summit registration.

Once you register you will get the Visa Document from the Microsoft team. Prepare all the ther necessary documents and apply for the US Visa with the Visa letter you got from Microsoft. Answer positively to the Visa officer and give him confidence that you will come back after the MVP Summit from US to India (or whatever country). Hopefully, within a week, you will get the US Visa. For a few friends, it took more than 2 weeks. So always be confident and wait for your US Visa. In my case, I got it within 2 days.

As I told you in point 1, after you’ve received your MVP award, wait for the official mail for the MVP Summit registration. Hopefully you will get the registration mail from Microsoft in the middle of August or during the middle of September. Microsoft will provide rooms for 4 summit days. You can get all this information from the registration link and also from official Microsoft MVP web site (https://mvp.microsoft.com/en-US/Summit). Firstly book your rooms from the Microsoft listed hotels. When I registered, Microsoft provided options to select a double bed, and if I am sharing with one more MVP, then the room is free of cost. Yes, we do not need to pay any amount if we share room with another MVP. We also can mention as my roommate if an Indian is preferred (or others from your nation). All the Microsoft provided hotels will give us free Breakfast, so we have no need to spend money for our breakfast for the 4 days stay. Microsoft will provide lunch for the 4 days during summit. Regarding Dinner, for 4 days it will be awesome as daily there will be a party and you will be having lots of fun and meet many new friends.

After you register and got your Visa, then you should check for your budget range flight and book it as early as possible. If you want to stay for only the 4 days, for the actual days and not visit any nearby places in Seattle, then you need to spend money only on this flight ticket, and Microsoft will pay for the hotel and food and free shuttle bus from the hotel to the Microsoft campus, for all four days, in the morning and in the evening.

One important tip is if you want economic travel and like to avoid other extra expenses like a taxi, then take the bus, as that is cheaper, and you can get the bus to take you to all places with just $3 for one trip. From the airport to your Microsoft provided place, the bus will be available, which will cost you only $3. If you take the taxi, it will cost more than $50, and even the shuttle express will cost more than $20. To avoid unnecessary expenses, use the bus, which will save your pocket money.

If you would like to visit a few places in Seattle and do some shopping, then first try to find other MVP friends who are all visiting the MVP summit. Talk to all of them and try to book a hotel for your extended stay with a group of friends. Check hotels that provide free breakfast, Airport drop, and that have the facility to travel to downtown Seattle by bus or by Metro train. Metro train is better to reach downtown Seattle.

Orca Card: If you plan to extend your stay and plan to visit more places in Seattle by bus or by train, then it’s better to buy the Orca Card (for bus and train). In Seattle, we need to give the exact change on a bus. We don’t get any change if we give $5 or $10. If we take a bus and get down in 2 stops and take another bus, then again we need to spend $3 plus $3 for both buses. If we have the Orca card, we can use that both in the bus and also in the train. If we take the bus and get down in 3 stops and take another bus, we need to pay for the first bus example $3 and for second bus only $0.25 or $0.50, which is a quarter or half dollar (less than $1). The Orca card will save our money and time.

If you plan to do shopping like for Dress (clothes), Chocolates (or other snacks), Toys, or basic household items, then Walmart and Costco are the best and economic-oriented places to visit.

Microsoft will provide $200 range vouchers for all MVP. We can use that to purchase any items from the Microsoft Store!

If you visit downtown Seattle, you can purchase a few more things, like Starbucks Coffee, etc.

Place to Visit in Seattle:

1) Snoqualmie Falls (* Salish Lodge & Spa, 6501 Railroad Ave, Snoqualmie, WA 98065)

2) Discovery Park (* 3801 Discovery Park Blvd, Seattle, WA 98199, USA)

3) Kerry Park (211 W Highland Dr, Seattle, WA 98119, USA)

4) Pike Place Market (Seattle Downtown) +

5) Pier 57 (Seattle Downtown) +

6) Smith Tower (skyscraper in Pioneer Square in Seattle) +

7) Waterfront Park (Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98101, USA) +

8) Gum Wall (Post Alley, Seattle, WA 98101, USA) +

9) Seattle great wheel (1301 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98101, USA) +

10) Space Needle ( 400 Broad St, Seattle, WA 98109, USA)

11) The Center for Wooden Boats (1010 Valley St, Seattle, WA 98109, USA)

12) Chihuly Garden and Glass (305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA 98109, USA)

13) Museum of Flight

14) Paramount Theatre

15) Bicycle Tree on Vashon Island

Hope you all like this blog post. If you have any question’s kindly leave me a comment.  See you all soon with another blog post.

Here is one more blog written by TechNet Wiki Ninja Ken about our MVP Summit Sunday Surprise: TechNet Wiki Ninjas at MVP Global Summit

Thank you all.

Your’s,

Syed Shanu

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