This is the first opportunity I have had to blog about the first MSP event I attended on the weekend. The event was organised so all the MSPs this year can get to know everyone, discuss various activities for the next year and get free stuff.
On the Sunday evening, the Academic team took everyone out for a meal. This was a great night, good food, good wine, good conversation and all free! I was on the same table as Matt Duffin, who is a intern at MS UK, so that was excellent to find out what he is getting up to.
On the Monday, we were on campus for a full day of presentations. Started early at 8.30 with Breakfast, then straight into presentations about how to be a good MSP. We then had more food, a discussion around .Net 3.0 and Vista, more food, then onto XNA and ASP.net/Atlas, yet more food (noticing a trend yet?) and a final talk about Office 2007. All really good talks.
Got some excellent freebies as well. Vista RC1 dvd, 256mb USB Pen, Cup, T-Shirt, Full MSDN subscription for this or next year and best of all I was given a free copy of the Application = Code + Markup book!!! Really looking forward to giving that a read.
Big thanks for Stuart Leddy and Matt Duffin and the rest of the academic team for a great weekend. Can’t wait for the next one. Shame I didn’t get chance to speak to some of the people from Microsoft more (like Mike Taulty, or Mark Johnston)
Just need to organise some events on campus now. If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to send them to me.