MVP Lead PJ Forgione has written this guest post about his time at CES 2011.
MVPs and other industry leaders swamped Las Vegas recently for CES 2011. US community program manager, Jake Grey, and I saw this as a great opportunity to join the teeming masses of 140,000 attendees and gain a glimpse into where the future of consumer technologies is heading and how community is likely to evolve as the technology does.
Jake and I spent time with Microsoft product team members and members of the broader consumer community, as well as really getting the opportunity to connect with MVPs. We were able to gather feedback and measure community excitement both at the expo hall and during informal settings throughout the week. It was great to see Steve Ballmer’s keynote announcing Avatar Kinect, Kinect integration with Netflix and Hulu, Windows Phone, Xbox Games, the next version of Surface and be there to hear the community’s enthusiastic response.
I got to sit in on the Entertainment Matters panel where Microsoft VP Mich Mathews shared her insights along with other industry execs about how marketing is helping to shape innovation in the consumer industry.
I also sat down with Trent McMurray, of the newly launched and community-run Windows Phone Concierge website, to discuss the evolving spaces in which the Windows Phone community participates – such as Windows Phone on MSAnswers and the newly launched New York City Windows Phone User Group. Check out the video below:
I also had the opportunity to catch up with Windows Phone MVP Johan Van Mierlo. He talked to me about the WP7 community and the New York Windows Phone User Group!
I am looking forward to catching up with more MVPs at this year’s MVP Global Summit!