This year marked something special for the MVP community—the inaugural MVP Summit Swag Design Contest, a brand‑new way for MVPs and RDs to express their creativity and contribute to the visual identity of MVP Summit 2026.  

The contest ran November 13-December 2 and winners were notified the week of December 8. Participants could submit a single entry and were encouraged to bring their best ideas, boldest visuals, and most community‑inspired concepts. Judging by the enthusiastic feedback, it’s clear that the contest was not only a creative outlet, but also a meaningful way for MVPs to connect with the community and celebrate their passions through art.  Contest participants shared the following: 

• “I love it! Being able to express not only with my technical skills as an MVP but with art in an expressive way is wonderful. Thank you for the opportunity!” 
• “Thanks for this swag contest! I had a lot of fun to think about something and design it 😊" 

What Set the Winning Designs Apart 

While the contest included standard rules and artwork requirements, what truly shaped the outcome were the judging criteria, which guided the judges to select the top five winning pieces: 

• Relevance to MVP Summit & community resonance (50%) 
• Originality & visual impact (50%) 

These criteria helped spotlight designs that not only looked great but also captured the spirit, people, and purpose of the MVP community. The winners embraced themes of collaboration, creativity, nostalgia, connection, and pride, each in their own unique style. 

How Creators Used AI 

Another standout element of this inaugural contest was how participants embraced AI as part of their creative toolkit. While artwork had to be original, the use of AI was permitted. Based on entry responses: 

• 75% used AI somewhere in their design process 
• 40% used AI for 100% of their creation 
• 35% blended AI with traditional tools and hand‑drawn techniques 

Many described AI as a brainstorming partner or creative spark: 

• “I used M365 Copilot to create the design, then tweaked it in Paint.” 
•  “I used Copilot to brainstorm the visual idea, and then a redraw by hand using Surface Pro and pen.” 
• “My prompt was used with Midjourney… AI didn't produce everything perfect and the little bit of touches here and there prove to keep the ‘Human in the loop.’” 

This hybrid human‑plus‑AI process echoed a theme that keeps coming up: how AI can accelerate creativity, but human expertise, editing, and vision remain central. 

Meet the Winners 

Below are the five winning artists, their winning designs, and a short statement they provided about their artwork.

1. Amanda Sterner - Paint and a Surface pen is all you need 

Artist Statement: “A cute juice box that is filled with yummy community, tech and a little glitter! I wanted to share something fun and cutesy, it's not perfect and that makes it the perfect representation of that the love for what we do are more important than getting something perfect 🥰🥰.” 

2. Andrew Hess - AgentsTogether 

Artist Statement: “I wanted to create something inviting that meant collaboration. With AI we always hear ‘Keep the human in the loop’, so I was thinking how can we incorporate AI and Humans together… one being human and the other being a robot, together as one.” 

3. Henrik Wojcik - Clippy4ever 

 Artist Statement: “This design reimagines Clippy as a collectible‑style bobblehead… a fun blend of nostalgia and modern creativity that reflects the spirit of the MVP community. Clippy symbolizes helpfulness and connection… The minimal, single‑color style keeps it fresh, recognizable, and aligned with the event’s visual identity.” 

4. Massimo Crippa - Retro Badge 

 Artist Statement: “This design blends the classic MVP identity...in a retro badge style. The vintage look evokes a sense of legacy and craftsmanship… Overall, it celebrates both the heritage of the program and the spirit of community, learning, and inspiration that defines the MVP Summit.” 

5. Summit Bajracharya - Community Connect 

 Artist Statement: “My design uses dotted lines to symbolize the connections that the MVP Summit fosters… These lines represent the invisible threads of collaboration, unity, and shared purpose… highlighting that beyond technology, the Summit builds meaningful relationships rooted in respect, inclusion, and shared passion.” 

What Winners Receive 

Each of the five winners earns: 

• One MVP Summit T‑shirt or tote 
• One pop‑up merchandise item of their choice 
• Inclusion in the virtual swag, including attribution in the design files 
• Bragging rights 😉 

What’s next for MVP Summit attendees? 

MVP Summit attendees can look forward to these designs in the virtual event swag launching in the new year (registration required to access) as well as onsite at the event’s on-demand swag printing station and/or pop-up at the Microsoft Company Store. Artwork from qualified entries will be showcased during the event in person and online to celebrate contest participants. 

Congratulations and thank you! 

To the five winners—Amanda, Andrew, Henrik, Massimo, and Summit—congratulations and thank you for helping shape the first chapter of a new MVP Summit tradition. 

To everyone who participated, whether your design was selected or not, thank you for sharing your creativity, vision, and passion. Your contributions made this debut contest truly memorable. 

About the MVP Summit 

The MVP Summit is an exclusive multi-day event for all active Microsoft MVPs (Most Valuable Professional) and RDs (Regional Directors). This year’s event takes place March 24 - March 26, 2026, at the Microsoft Redmond campus and online.  

MVPs and RDs must have a signed Non-Disclosure Agreement on file in order to participate in the event. The MVP Summit features a large catalog of in-depth technical discussions that emphasizes two-way engagement, along with other community focused opportunities. 

To find out more about the Microsoft MVP Program, visit mvp.microsoft.com.