A Recap of the MVP Summit 2025

This year’s annual MVP Summit took place from March 25 – 27  and it was an extraordinary event that gathered several hundred Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs), Regional Directors (RDs), and Gold Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors in-person and online to learn, connect and share.  Additional pre- and post- activities were hosted by Microsoft product groups.

The MVP Summit 2025 showcased hundreds of technical sessions, bringing together Microsoft's experienced, passionate, trusted, and influential community contributors to receive NDA-covered previews of upcoming developments and a chance to share direct feedback with product group leaders. The input MVPs provide helps Microsoft build better products, and their impact helps Microsoft reach developers and IT communities worldwide.  

Highlights from the MVP Global Summit 2025

The event provided plenty of opportunities for networking, learning from each other and hearing from Microsoft program leaders in community sessions.  Of course, there was plenty of time for a picture or two. Virtual attendees dedicated the early and late hours of their days (and all the hours in between!), contributing to discussions, and catching the latest product news and updates, direct from the Microsoft campus in Redmond.

Microsoft Product Leaders at the MVP Summit
The MVP Summit kicked-off with a powerhouse 90-minute keynote, where luminaries like Annie Pearl, Charles Lamanna, Jeff Teper, Gaurav Seth, Yina Arenas, and Amanda Silver unveiled the dawn of the Agentic AI Era, showcasing its transformative potential for our lives and work. MVPs lined up before sunrise at the Microsoft Conference Center to make sure they got a spot for the keynote.

To cap off an incredible event, Scott Guthrie, EVP Cloud + AI, delivered an “Unfiltered” session that sparked ideas and left no question unanswered.

In addition to all sessions delivered from Redmond, the program team designed hybrid regional sessions with Microsoft executive leaders from across India, Japan, South Korea, Greater China and Spanish speaking regions to add local perspectives to the content and recognize our diverse community.

Connecting with Community on Microsoft Redmond Campus
Bringing together so many MVPs in one place means there has to be time to celebrate this amazing community.  And celebrate we did!

Our MVP authors who have recently written technical books were recognized at an MVP Authors Event at the Microsoft Library.  Authors were able to sign a copy of their book for inclusion in the Microsoft Library and connect with other MVPs.  The Microsoft Library now includes over 130 books that were authored by active MVPs. 

MVPs were able to pick-up their event swag at the Reactor and could choose from a custom t-shirt or a tote bag.  And, printed MVP award certificates were made available to MVPs who attended the Summit in person. This year, we also had a pop-up store at the Microsoft company store where MVPs could purchase MVP swag like water bottles, socks, and zipper pulls.

The great thing about MVPs is they are not shy, and they will take the initiative to create their own community. Here are just some of the fun activities MVPs organized:

• A sticker swap table with people printing and sharing stickers from around the world.
• A “sweet treat” candy contest. MVPs from around the world gathered during lunch hour to share a specialty treat from their country.  Judges sampled 23 treats and crowned the best one came from Italy.
• A Women in Technology breakfast
• A fun Amigurumi crochet animal scavenger hunt
• Lots of 3-D printing!

Highlights from the Campus Tours

The feedback from last year's campus tours was very positive and MVPs asked for more, so we delivered! During the three day Summit, MVPs could choose from a variety of tours, spanning the Garage, the groundbreaking Inclusive Tech Lab, the sonic wonders of the Microsoft Audio Lab, and the cutting-edge Studio B labs. Self-guided tours were also available to some notable spots on campus. You could feel the excitement as MVPs were guided through these immersive experiences, leaving them inspired and appreciative of the passion and expertise within Microsoft.

The Hub at the Summit

New this year was the Hub experience at the Summit.  It was the place for MVPs to connect with each other and informally meet with Microsoft leaders during “meet and greets” to ask questions or take a photo.  With more than a dozen booths, it was an easy way for MVPs to ask questions of the MVP Program team and grow connections and learn more from exhibiting product and partner teams. It was also a great spot to gather for group photos, have a coffee and catch up with a friend or just have a little down time in between sessions.

The Hub hosted a small stage for theater sessions where a handful of MVPs shared their insights on topics ranging from Coaching Autism by MVP Dennie Declercq; Navigating Work-Life Rhythm as a Woman in Tech by MVP Carike Botha; Creating Engaging Video Content by MVP Oz du Soleil; and Encouraging New or Nervous Speakers with MVP Matt Gordon.  MVPs also got a chance to learn how they can connect with some of our partner programs from teams representing the Student Ambassadors, Cloud Advocates, Microsoft Learn, and the Reactor. 

To celebrate our 50^th anniversary we had a special session with legendary Microsoft developers Larry Osterman, Raymond Chen and Program Manager KC Lemson who shared stories from the Windows 95 launch, Ninja Cat and many other key milestones of Microsoft’s history.    

Networking Mixer

After sessions wrapped up on Day two, MVPs had a chance to come together for a casual gathering to wind down and try their hand at Microsoft themed BINGO.  Of course, there were prizes involved so MVPs did their best to enjoy the food and drink while working to fill in their BINGO cards. 

To honor Microsoft’s 50^th anniversary, MVPs were asked to wear their vintage Microsoft swag. There were also lots of stickers commemorating this special year which the company officially celebrated on April 4, 2025.

So, What’s the Summit Really Like?

We think it’s a pretty special event but don’t just take our word for it. Watch what MVPs have to say in their own words.  And view what was said on social media using #MVPSummit and #MVPBuzz 

That’s a Wrap! 

Thank you to all the MVPs who participated in person and virtually. We can’t wait to see you again next year! Speaking of next year -- join us for the next MVP Summit March 24-26, 2026.