Greetings from New Orleans and the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference! I am a bit delinquent, posting behind Lily’s great recap of Day 1 of the Conference. Delinquent meaning, Day 1 for her was actually my Day 2, as I participated in the Day of Giving campaign that was coordinated by Microsoft for the Microsoft and Partner attendees that were able to attend on Sunday. I chose the option (option #2) located within the convention center, where I spent over an hour gluing beads on a canvas, replicating the work in a much grander scale which was done by the less fortunate students of New Orleans. There were 6 of these types of artwork replications that will soon mark the walls of the school that was being painted and landscaped by those who were participating in option #1. It was great working next to partners from Latin America, Chicago, Minnesota, and Microsoft’s very own Allison Watson. What a joy – she is an amazing woman doing an amazing job managing the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Program.
Since I am already delinquent, let me back up by saying that I arrived on Friday afternoon to spend some time with friends that live here in the Big
Easy. It was quite a weekend prior to arriving at the convention center on Sunday afternoon. We went on a swamp airboat tour where I met Big Al, and we participated in the New Orleans version of The Running of the Bulls, followed by the partaking of catfish and some cool jazz at the Desmands Annual Catfish Festival. New Orleans offers some great culture and entertainment opportunities! It’s a great place to visit, and a great place to attend a Conference. Microsoft knows how to mix a little business with pleasure when choosing locations for the Conference each year. Where will it be held next year??? If it is like years past, we won't know until the closing session…
Now back to the Conference, as I mentioned, Lily did a great job covering the official first day of the Conference. Stay tuned for more – I am out of time as I need to run back to the convention center for a meeting……
Posted
Jul 14 2009, 05:53 PM
by
Jill Kunkel
As the Director of Global Partner Programs, Jill Kunkel has overall responsibility for partner and channel relationships, including driving incremental revenue and program management. Jill is a resourceful and team-oriented professional with over ten years of experience within the software industry, ranging from entrepreneurial start-ups to a major technology corporation. Her technology career began at Microsoft, where she contributed to the formation of the Customer and Partner Experience initiatives which are still in place today. Prior to joining Bamboo Solutions, Jill held positions with other Microsoft ISV Partners focused on SharePoint technology, where she was instrumental in building and launching their existing channel partner programs. Her ability to navigate within the Microsoft Partner ecosystem is reflected in her consistent record for creating and developing relationships to deliver value for all parties.