Hi MGCI Members!

As we move into summer, the MGCI community continues to show what makes this ecosystem so powerful – connection, collaboration, and shared learning.  From recent sessions that brought real-world insights to the forefront, to global events and upcoming opportunities to engage, there’s a lot happening across our community.

Let’s take a look at what’s been happening and what’s next. 🚀

✅ Recently Wrapped: MGCI Monthly General Session

🎤 Learn Along with Your Community Peers!

We came together again for another MGCI General Session learning directly from one another and we focused on a topic every event organizer struggles with, building sponsorships that actually work.

Hosted by Heather Cook, this session featured Stacy Burris, Event Strategy Consultant at JSB Events, who brought a unique perspective from her experience as both an event producer and sponsor.

The conversation challenged a common assumption:
👉 The issue isn’t your event, it’s the sponsorship product you’re offering.

Key takeaways included:

• Why practitioners are your most valuable audience asset (even without buying authority)


• How to move beyond outdated Gold/Silver/Bronze tiers


• The three questions that help identify sponsors who will actually renew


• How to create a sponsorship approach that drives commitment before the event even ends

This session delivered practical, real-world strategies to help organizers rethink sponsorship and build partnerships that last.

➡️ Watch the recording

➡️ Join the discussion 

🎤 Event Production Training & Office Hours ​

This month’s training dove into how to find and select speakers, removing the guesswork and awkward outreach that often slows organizers down.

The session explored how great speaker lineups don’t happen by chance, they’re intentionally built. From uncovering new voices to making confident connections, attendees walked away with a clearer path to curating sessions their communities actually want to attend.

Key takeaways:

• Where to look: Proven ways to discover high-quality, relevant speakers beyond the usual channels


• How to connect: Practical approaches to outreach that feel natural and effective


• How to curate: Building a balanced, engaging lineup that reflects your audience and drives attendance

The session delivered actionable strategies to elevate event programming and spotlight speakers who truly resonate.

✅Watch the recording

✅ Join the Discussion 

🌟 Community Highlight

🎉 TechCon365 Chicago

The community came together in Chicago for TechCon365, bringing Microsoft 365 and Copilot conversations to life through in-person connection and deep technical learning.

Events like this continue to demonstrate:

• The power of community-driven learning


• The importance of real-world, practitioner-led sessions


• How connections built in person translate into stronger global collaboration

From hallway conversations to hands-on sessions, moments like these strengthen the fabric of our ecosystem.

🎉🎉Shout out for Paul Papanek Stork

Congratulations on an incredible run as a conference speaker. Decades of TechCon and so many other events is an amazing achievement, but your impact reaches far beyond any one event. Over the years, you’ve shared your knowledge, inspired countless attendees, and helped shape our community through your generosity, expertise, and passion for teaching others. Thank you for your MVP Contributions as well.

Thank you for every session, every conversation, and every contribution you’ve made along the way. Your presence on our stages will be missed, and we’re grateful for everything you’ve given to the community. Wishing you all the best in this next chapter. Thank you, Paul!

Check out this posting and video! 

🗓️ Upcoming MGCI Sessions

🎤 MGCI Monthly General Session

Topic: CollabDays Poland

Wrap the year with Michal Ziemba, Senior Software Architect at Capgemini and MGCI Regional Lead.
Discover how CollabDays Poland grew into a community people show up for and stay connected to.

📅 July 14⏰ 8:10 AM PT

https://aka.ms/MGCIMtgAM

🍕 Event Training – July

Topic: FOOD! Meals, Snacks, and Beverages 🍕☕

This month’s training focuses on one of the most practical (and often underestimated) parts of event planning:

• Managing food logistics and budgets


• Navigating venue requirements


• Planning for attendee experience and inclusivity

These sessions bring organizer-to-organizer insights you won’t find in a playbook.

📅 July 30 ⏰ 8:10 AM PT

https://aka.ms/MGCITrainingMTG 

⚠️ Reminder: MGCI Summer Break

☀️ MGCI will be on a summer break for the month of August.

There will be:

• No General Session


• No Event Training

We’ll be back in September with more community conversations, training, and opportunities to connect.

Use this time to:

• Plan your upcoming events


• Submit sessions


• Bring new voices into your local communities

🌎 Community Days – Upcoming Events

The community never slows down and CommunityDays.org continues to be the place to discover what’s happening around the world.

Whether you’re attending or organizing, this platform is the hub for community-driven learning.

💡 What Happens Next

June and July have shown the continued momentum of this community across events, sessions, and conversations.

But what happens next is up to all of us.

• When you share what you’ve learned, you strengthen someone else’s event


• When you bring someone new into the room, you expand what’s possible


• When you collaborate across communities, you turn momentum into movement

That’s how MGCI continues to grow – together.

Sincerely,
Your Board Officers