One of the most exciting things about TechEd this year is the RD Grok Talks – 10 minute technical presentations in the Microsoft Reginal Director Cabanas.  The press has already written about these grok talks. 

The Grok Talks are being filmed for repurposing and guaranted to be well worth checking out.  we are talking over 40 Microsoft Regional Directors talking about the most cutting edge, bleeding edge technical stuff around.  attendees just might learn more quicker from these grok talks than many of the actual sessions.  Let’s just assume that when i get my teched DVD the groktalks will be the only thing i watch… i don’t even watch my own sessions… 🙂 

RDs are not MS employees.  they are 3rd party ms experts – in fact, arguablly some of the most talented and famous technologists in the Microsoft World.   MS encourages us to be honest about where MS is great and where they are not so great.  The RDs have steered significant product roadmap decisions at the highest levels of MS for years. I am truly honored to serve in this group – there are ~150 RDs worldwide (http://www.microsoftregionaldirectors.com). 

The concept is new, driven and owned by the RDs themselves (read into this->no marketing people massaging “the message”).  The RDs driving this effort are my buddies: Scott Stanfield, Pat Hines, Scott Hanselmen, Kate Gregory and some others. 

My Grok Talk is on the kick ass VSTO guided tour i built.  if you are here come on over and heckle me.  i’m filming at 4:20PM on tuesday.  in the RD cabanna.  i promise you, you will be enamored by VSTO 2005 if you see me do this demo…..and i don’t screw it up…. 🙂