Four teams of MCPs tackled technical challenges in a race to TechEd 2010. In the end, the Gold Team, Susan Ibach, Christopher Harrison and 447 members of their pit crew pulled it out and won $10,000 for International Development Enterprises, a non-profit organization that provides low cost access to water for poor rural households worldwide.
But it's not over! The three remaining teams can win $5000 towards their charities, but they need your help in the cloud--pick a team, join their virtual pit crew, and earn them points by meeting online challenges.
Hi @TiffanyWI here with a closing report from Tech ED 2010! Here are my top three takeaways in no particular order and my assignment for the next 11 months…
Community:
In my role at New Horizons, I am entrenched in the Microsoft Partner Community. The Partner Community is very centric on collaboration and understanding the needs and wants of you, the IT Community. Microsoft Partners focus on how we can help you make informed decisions on technology, strategy and implementation. My week at Tech ED exposed me to YOUR community, and because of you I feel so energized.. My experience at TechED was completely eye opening to a community of IT Professionals that are driven to provide the best solutions… From the minute the week kicked off with the IT Grand Prix arrival on Friday, you could feel the vibe in the air. The “You are not in this alone!" vibe, this community is focused on growth and using the newest tools and resources. How many times have I struggled with a dilemma and thought that I was the only one facing this? Now I know of resources like Springboard or I can join a User Group!
The SharePoint community has always felt like homebase for me, and closing out the week I had the opportunity to have Joel Olsen present at the kickoff of the Greater New Orleans SharePoint User Group. His message rang loud and clear on what this technology community means to him and how he has grown professionally because of it! He referenced specific examples of professionals and companies that have utilized the community to make informed decisions for growth!
Thank you for welcoming me to be a part of OUR community..
Politics:
Working in technology for close to a decade, I was quite taken back when this political war hit me dead on by mid-week! The Microsoft technology community considers themselves either one of two things: You are either an IT Pro or a Developer! It was like being in a congressional session and having someone cross party lines… The community takes what it does very seriously and everyone else should too.. However since New Horizons specializes in training that crosses the party lines (for this reason) I NEVER think twice about talking to you as one group but at TechED 2010 that message was heard loud and clear for me!
I will also say this; it has been made clear to me why the SharePoint community has evolved into its own group (Ie. ItPro, Dev, SharePoint), and that is because they ACTUALLY marry these two groups together.. The SharePoint professionals are the ones who are willing to dive across both party lines… I know this may be a poor example, but to me it could not be closer to the truth. Think about yourself or someone you know who works in SharePoint… Think hard… They would openly have a conversation on development or server and not think twice about it… Can you imagine that same conversation with someone from the Development world about Server issues??? I don’t want to take credit for this discovery but I am willing to bring it to the table and relish in its glow =).
RockStars:
Tech Ed is filled with wall to wall IT rock stars. They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem so here it goes. My name is Tiffany Ingargiola and I didn't know who Mark Russinovich was.. A huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. That changed this past week and I already feel smarter from being in his presence. Actually, I was so enamored with his cult like following that I attended his session on Thursday afternoon titled “The Cases of the Unexplained”. I feared at his level of intelligence and knowledge that I would be tweeting or binging to pass the time; however it was in fact the total opposite… The audiences of several hundred were just as enamored as I, and he could even tie a joke into the blue screen of death. Honestly you had me at blue screen. I now admit I am part of his cult and a tad smarter to boot!
You don't have to be a Technical Fellow to be a RockStar however. Folks like Stephen Rose and Ken Rosen who are constantly involved in the community, open and responsive make us all feel like IT RockStars in our own worlds every day!
Tech ED 2011 Assignment:
Stay involved in this community as they embrace this launch year like never before, Follow those who are leading the cutting edge of the Microsoft world and actually aspire to be one of those RockStars! I am anxious for TechED 2011! Eager to see how my friends have grown professionally and personally, hungry to learn the most efficient tools to grow our business and how the training we offer can help you reach your goals.. See you in the Twitterverse!
On behalf of the Green Team and all of the victims of Alzheimer's disease and their families I want to extend my sincere thanks. My mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in her early 50's and remained alive for 20 years. This was a difficult experience for her and for all of us who loved her. My wife never got to know my mom as Helen, the strong, vibrant woman who kept her family together. They would have gotten along very well. She only knew her as the person who was bed ridden in a nursing home. This disease was devestating to the entire extended family. My dad was approaching retirement and looking forward to new adventures with my mom when she first got sick. He was battling with cancer at the time and was in such despair that he gave up and let the cancer take him. Fortunately, my siblings and I became closer and stronger together as a result of all that we went through. Our sincere hope is that we can find a way to ensure that all of you can live without having to go through the pain that we went through.
I want to thank Microsoft Learning, all of the teams (ground teams and the virtual pit crews) for all of their support before, during and after this event. it means a great deal to me and my family. I want to especially thank Rachel Jones, my friend and team-mate for agreeing to be part of this endeavor without knowing exactly what she was getting herself into. I also want to thank the love of my life, my bride, my best friend Laurie for letting me be away from home to undertake this adventure.
Thanks to you all!
Go Green!
Visit our green team forum and post your thoughts.
Mike
Congrats to the Green team for clinching the runoff and $5,000 for Alzheimer's Association. It was close to the end but they pulled it off.
Also congrats to the Red and Blue teams as well as the Gold team. Without all of you, this wouldn't have been possible and for that we really appreciate it.
With the competition over, head over Born to Learn or to the main forums and join the conversation over there.
Thanks again!
So the competition is over and there's still no winner. Why? It appears the database I use to pull the Exam Challenge data is undergoing a backup and restore and thus it's offline
The score for first is close. Green holds a 3 point margin over Blue, and Green leads the final unresolved challenge 10 exams to 7. It could reverse when I pull the final data. So Blue could tie it if it wins the Exam Challenge outright.
Stay tuned - I'll pull the data first thing Friday morning and we'll see who wins $5000!
Until the end of the runoff....this is your last chance to update your subscription (make sure you use the same email as the one you used to register here) or Are You Certifiable.
I'll have scores for you late tonight (around 11p-12am) as I'm traveling. But don't worry, I'll keep an eye on the scores
Just updated the scores and there's one more day for the runoff for $5000 and it's a close one. If it ended today, Green wins with 44, Blue in close second with 41. So one more day and this is all over!
WE WON!
Wow.
Can you believe that we are actually at a loss for words. But don’t worry, it won’t last.
First and foremost, thank you to each and every member of the Gold Team. If it wasn’t for your incredible work in the online challenges we would NOT have won. Every post, every exam, every subscription updated, every virtual business card viewed, every team member recruited was critical to our success. The fact that we swept the online challenges is just amazing!
We really cannot thank you enough for your help!
This race has been just an incredible experience for us in so many ways. In the beginning it was just so cool to read the Gold Team roll (not role) call and find all these team members from around the world who we had never met supporting us. Then hearing about your success with exams made our day. Your support for IDE was very touching and really meant a lot to us, because we really do believe in IDE and the work they do.
The ground challenges were tense at times, but also unbelievably rewarding. Having the opportunity to work with underprivileged people, to think that maybe you could play a small part in them taking the next step. To help an overworked IT staff cope with all their challenges so that their organization, the Audubon Society, can focus on their mission. Great experiences all of them.
The foot race on Friday was exhausting. I don’t think the pictures do justice to how tired and sweaty we were at the end of that race. We did not plan on running 3-4 miles with backpacks around the city of New Orleans in 90 degree weather, 100% humidity!
We also want to take a moment to say that we have incredible respect and admiration for all the teams who participated in this race. The Red Team was the strongest team on the ground challenges, especially their work with the Audubon Society. The Green Team made real connections with everyone we met along the way. The Blue Team gave us a real run for our money both literally and figuratively. Well done to all the teams and please consider supporting them in any way you can in the TechEd Runoff.
Speaking of the TechEd Runoff, we just wanted to let you know that we chose to withdraw. We have had the opportunity to help our charity substantially with our win. We wanted another of the worthy nonprofits to benefit from this event.
All of this is not to say there weren’t lighter moments in the race. Susan left pens scattered across the country. Chris had a remarkable collection of hotel room keys by the time it was over. I still don’t know how I ended up with a whiteboard marker in my backpack or where it came from. Beignets straight from the deep fryer are REALLY hot. Jogging through the National Mall was awesome. There were just so many moments along the way that made this a fun, rewarding experience.
But in the end, the real winners are all the nonprofits we helped along the way and raced for. And of course the real winner is International Development Enterprises and the people they will be able to help with the money you helped win. Well done Gold Team and if you are at TechEd please stop by the certification desk; we want to thank you in person.
(PS We will post some photos later today as soon as we get a chance so please come back later and check in)
The IT Grand Prix is (sort of) over and the Gold Team has won $10,000 for International Development Enterprises. Congratulations to Susan Ibach, Christopher Harrison, and the 447 members of the Gold Team pit crew!
You can watch the winning team announcement here:http://borntolearn.mslearn.net/prix/b/weblog/archive/2010/06/07/the-winner-of-the-it-grand-prix-is.aspx
HOWEVER, it’s NOT entirely over. We’ve announced an extension to the IT Grand Prix that runs through the end of the TechEd. The remaining team who performs the best in the 5 challenges at the end of TechEd North America 2010 (June 10) will win $5,000 towards their charity.
Here’s how it works:
1. Gold Team is not eligible for the $5,000 prize – Susan and Christopher have elected to pull their team out so another charity can get the money.
2. All 3 teams are starting with a clean slate – scores have been reset to 0 since the completion of the main $10,000 event (11:59pm Friday, June 4th).
3. Points will be awarded until 5:00pm PDT Thursday June 10th.
So don’t stop now. 4 more days and every team has an equal chance of winning.
Ken and Steve Holcomb announce the winner of the IT Grand Prix!
More below -
Congrats Gold Team! Well done and congrats to all teams involved. You guys did a great job. The scoreboard has been updated so you can see the breakdown. It was very close to the end.
We ran a great race! Congratulations to the Gold Team for taking first place. But we still have a shot Green Team!
Spread the word that any additional Pit Crew challenges completed during Tech Ed can help us win an additional $5,000! This includes any exams you take during Tech Ed, Virtual Business Cards, Are You Certifiable, and Update Your Subscriptions. (Does not include Forum posts.)
We would like to thank our Green Team pit crew members personally! We ran a good race and could not have done it without your support!
Please join us for a Green Team Rally Monday at 5:30 p.m. outside room #255 by the certification area. This prefaces the Exhibition Hall Reception which starts at 5:45. We have some SWAG for you.
We'll be the ones in GREEN!
Watch our Not so Perfect Cheer!