The Pacific Northwest is blessed with at least a few movers and shakers. That is, people who have global influence in a positive way. One such person is Dale Chihuly. He resides at the top of the list in the recent art-glass movement. Although decorative...

One of the questions I always get is "What kind of clothes should I pack for my trip to Seattle?" In this post I'll share my strategies for moderating my comfort while in Seattle or in conference centers. One Size Does Not Fit All It’s not surprising...

If you’re like me, one way I rate conferences is based on the food! We take planning the menus very seriously, so much so, that we even do taste tests! I enjoy that part of my job, but we really do it so that we can make sure we have a nice variety of...

If you’ve been to a few MVP Global Summits before, you know that for several years in a row, Canadian MVPs used to show up in the keynote proudly wearing their country colors, i.e. a Canadian Hockey Jersey. One year, they even got Steve Ballmer to put ...

Wondering what you can do in Seattle when you’re not in sessions during the MVP Global Summit? Obviously, with a city as large and diverse as Seattle, it would be impossible to cover every attraction. Therefore, I’ve come up with a list of 20 attractions...

It’s fascinating how much discussion you can generate by just asking the question, “How do you travel from and to the airport?” Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac), its only 15 miles away from downtown Seattle, but the numerous opinions on airport...

Here’s one for you “3P N WC WM.” Got any idea what that is? Give it a whirl tomorrow morning at WSCTC when you visit one of three of the latte carts, and you’ll be getting my favorite drink! There will be one latte stand by registration and two in the...

If you like to do ollies or you just like the swosh of your skis on snow, then here is a quick list of places to hang out: Snoqualmie - http://www.summitatsnoqualmie.com/ this is the cheapest and quickest place from downtown Seattle. Alas, the elevation...

Have you been to Seattle before? Think you’ve done it all already? Really? Have you seen a salmon fly through the air or climb a ladder? Have you watched a huge ship ascend a 26 foot vertical hurdle in just a few minutes? Have you witnessed a giant troll...

During every Summit, MVPs ask me for key places to do their shopping. The most common question is about outlet malls or electronics stores. But there’s so much more! The Seattle area also has a good selection of upscale shops such as those on 4 th and...

Looking for a place to try out those dancing shoes in Seattle?  Look no further than some of the places below.  The city has a wide assortment of dance clubs, dance ballrooms, for you to explore while you are here for the MVP Global Summit....

I always love it when people come to visit the Seattle/Bellevue area. It gives me a chance to see the places I visit every day with fresh eyes. I’m reminded of the excitement I felt when I first visited this area and how captivated I was by the architecture...

If you can squeeze in some time to explore the area, there are endless attractions and activities. Our beautiful mountains are only an hour away. Award-winning wines at local wineries and brew pubs are nearly as abundant as Starbucks! We’ve got performing...

Even though I personally love salmon, I sure don’t want it at every meal. For events such as the MVP Global Summit where we utilize several different venues to provide meals, Salmon “could” get scheduled a lot since all venues suggest a Pacific Northwest...

With all the deep dive technical sessions and opportunities to engage with Microsoft product groups and executives, a lot of highly sensitive and confidential information is shared at the MVP Global Summit. If that information gets out, it can be damaging...

If you like Hot Sauce, consider visiting Double DD Meats in Mountlake Terrace . Just 15 miles north of Seattle, this small family owned business is not only famous for great meat and their own special sausage; but they are also the veritable hot sauce...

Overview The Schedule Builder is the tool to use to enroll in sessions and build a custom schedule based on your Technical Expertise and your Technical Interests. Contents Session Enrollment Deadline Opening Screen Sections of the Schedule Builder How...

We’re looking forward to you joining Steve Ballmer, Toby Richards and Ron Markezich for the keynotes during the MVP Summit on Tuesday, March 1st. This is a great opportunity to hear from our senior leaders about their thoughts of the industry, the importance...

There are plenty of nice restaurants in Bellevue or nearby to satisfy your vegetarian and Halal preferences. Here are the ones who received the best reviews. Udupi Palace - Vegetarian 15600 NE 8 th Street Ste 0-9 Bellevue, WA 98008 (425) 649-0355 Strictly...

For previous MVP Summits, we used the Microsoft Conference Center (MSCC) as our on-campus hub, where we hosted sessions and used it as the nerve center for administration and transportation. This year, our on-campus hub will be located at the West Campus...

Around February 16 th , MVPs from around the world will be gathering at the Bellevue Hyatt Regency Hotel for the 2010 MVP Global Summit.  It is a new place for us to start this event and certainly a different location.  Previous Global Summits...

Out of town travelers need to plan for some ground transportation to get to and from the airport and for transportation needs outside of MVP Summit plans. There are several options which include taxis, limos, shuttles and buses. Here is a run down of...

If you attended the last summit, you will probably notice that our main campus layout has changed a little bit and now there are a couple of additions that you may want to visit. One of the new spots and the most popular one at this moment is an open...

Looking for some great Chinese cuisine during your stay in Seattle? While one of the first places people think of when “Great Chinese Food” comes to mind is the distinct International District, there are a few other places serving surprisingly good food...

Each year there are dozens of large technical conferences where software professionals from around the world converge on a host city to learn about Microsoft technologies, network and build relationships with their peers, and experience the local culture...