Editor's Note: The post is authored by MVP Lead for Brazil JP Clementi
The 2011 edition of the MVP Open Day Brazil happened on September 28th at Microsoft Brazil Headquarters in São Paulo with the goal of enabling MVPs to understand and discuss the present and future of Microsoft products and technologies, to provide a rich networking environment among themselves and the Microsoft team, and to identify future engagement and contributions opportunities.
The Open Day brought together not only 62 MVPs from Brazil but also MVPs from other countries in the region such as Chile, Uruguay, and the USA. Besides MVPs, local product teams and technical evangelists were also attending helping creating an even better environment for rich discussions and networking. Overall there were over 90 attendees at the event this year.
The day-long agenda was co-created with an advisory panel of MVPs itself, local product teams and technical evangelists. So as well as ensuring plenty of networking opportunities the agenda included:
- Nestor Portillo – MVP Program Director
- Paulo Iudicibus – DPE Director
- Roberto Prado – National Competitiveness Director
- Décio Farias – Windows Phone Product Manager
- Luciano Condé – Azure Product Manager
- Alex Schulz – Developer Evangelist
- Paula Nobre – Windows Product Manager
- Mauro Sant’Anna – Developer Security MVP
- Danilo Bordini – CORE IO Product Manager (Windows Server, System Center, Forefront)
- John Sirmon – Sr. Program Manager (SQL Community Advisory Team)
- Jeff Woolsey – Principal Program Manager Lead (Windows Server and Virtualization)
- Rodrigo de Carvalho – Dev & Tools Product Manager
- Brian Keller – Sr. Technical Evangelist (ALM)
- Rodrigo Pinto – Office Product Manager
- Ana Carolina Garini – Visio & Project Product Manager
- Ricardo Senna – Office 365 Specialist
- Daniel Ferreira – MSDN & TechNet Site Manager
- Rogerio Panigassi –MSDN & TechNet Site Experience Program Manager
- Yuri Diógenes – Sr. Technical Writer (Windows Security Team)
MVP Open Day 10 Year Award Presentation
MVPs Renato Haddad and Claudenir Andrade in the company of the current MVP Lead – JP Clementi, former MVP Lead – Leonardo Tolomelli, and former MVP Lead and current MVP Program Director – Nestor Portillo.
From Renato Haddad | @rehaddad
“Since I became an MVP in 2001 I was able to observe how the role of contributing with the community trough learning and sharing knowledge is important to all of us. The fact of donating knowledge is the best way of learning and helping others because so much information are passed all at once that I feel it’s our duty to understand the prepare the best way to transmit the message to the community. This friendly atmosphere around the MVPs allowed me to understand the necessity and the importance of better preparing our developers, fact that unfortunately our educational structure in Brazil is lacking, so, it’s only fair and gratifying to be able to help and do our part. The fact is that I share only with the intent to help, without expecting anything in return because I believe doing my part is already a start for a better Brazil.
There have been so many good moments throughout all the years, relationship with Microsoft Brazil and USA, events, presentations, trips to the Summits, anyway 10 years is almost one third of a professional life. I can only thank the friends at Microsoft, the community for the opportunity to contribute to all, I am the one who is very thankful for being part of this team”
From Claudenir Andrade | @ClaudenirAndrad
“If you ask me to highlight two important qualities and that I managed to cultivate with the help of the community and the MVP program, are: humbleness and availability. If I were to put these two sentences on a mission to the Microsoft MVPs, it would be the following: share the little you know or your expertise with everyone in the community, and do it from the most beginners at universities or forums to more experts in events, articles, and face-to-face meetings. This availability and selflessness to share knowledge without expecting anything in return from the community is what fascinates me, and in the end the community always recognizes those who help and contribute.
I thank Microsoft, also thank Leonardo Tolomelli that took care of MVPs at the time that "we were six", Nestor Portillo at the time we were "twelve" and now the JP Clementi has managed very well this select group of 90 professionals that cause impacts and leave his mark on the community. This is it… "Leave your brand, change the world, or .... go home" ;-)”
Some Tweets from MVPs Following the Event Using the Hash Tag #MVPOpenDay
I also take the opportunity to share below some of the open feedback received on social media channels and some of the final numbers of the event.
- “Schedule 100%, excellent content and network. I hope this is the first of many!” Fernanda Saraiva – SharePoint MVP @fefesaraiva
- “The MVP Open Day boils down to Opportunities and networking…Excellent event.” Erick Albuquerque – ASP.NET / IIS MVP @_ealbuquerque
- “Excellent content from the #MVPOpenDay, the interaction with the product team and the networking are essential” Marcelo Sincic – Windows Expert IT Pro MVP - @MarceloSincic
- “#MVPOpenDay BR Unique event to interact and discuss with several PMs. Full day with NDA content and feedback #mvpbuzz” Eduardo Petizme –Forefront MVP @Petizme
- “#MVPOpenDay BR @MVPBrasil: It was a great opportunity to engage with the local Microsoft team. Organization and presentation grade 10!” Idevar Junior – Windows Expert Consumer MVP @IdevarJr
Until Next Time!
Overall it was an amazing experience for me since it was my first MVP Open Day as MVP Lead. To have a chance to meet and network with most Brazilian MVPs, to meet other MVPs from Latin America and the USA, to promote a rich environment for everyone to have a chance to learn and engage in topics ranging from Microsoft’s strategic insights and specific technical information, was definitely very rewarding to me.
Until the next MVP Open Day!
Até mais, (See you later)
JP Clementi
http://twitter.com/jpclementi
About the Author
JP Clementi is from São Paulo, Brazil and is currently the MVP Lead for Brazil. He holds a bachelor and a master degree in Computer Science from Georgia SW University, where he was on a tennis scholarship and was inducted to the hall-of-fame in 2007. JP has over 10 years of experience in the IT industry with work experience both in Brazil and in the USA. Besides being a technology enthusiast, he remains a huge tennis fan and during his spare time enjoys playing and spending time with his wife and family.