One decade as a Sitecore MVP

What it really means to be part of this amazing community

This year I received my 10th consecutive Sitecore MVP award. I'm still filled with gratitude for the this recognition and the incredible journey it has been. Joining the ranks of a fantastic group of professionals who have achieved this milestone feels surreal, but it also triggered me to share my thoughts on what the "Sitecore Community" and it's MVPs truly represent and why it matters so much to the Sitecore ecosystem.

The Sitecore MVP Program

The Sitecore Most Valuable Professional (MVP) program started in 2008. Two community giants, Klaus Petersen and Mark Cassidy, from that year are still MVP now.  In 2026, just over 200 professionals were honored across three categories: as usual most in Technology and a bit less in Strategy and Ambassador.

A Sitecore MVP is an individual with expertise in Sitecore who actively participate in online and offline communities to share their knowledge and expertise with other Sitecore partners and customers.

But here's what many people don't understand: being an MVP isn't about being the best developer or the most skilled employee at your company. Although most MVPs are strong developers or architects, it's not those skill that get you the recognition. MVPs are community builders and passionate advocates, who share their knowledge and made themselves valuable to the broader Sitecore community through consistent contributions during the past year. The award recognizes actively sharing expertise, helping other community members solve problems, and by doing this contributing to the collective knowledge  base and strengthening the Sitecore community ecosystem.

The true meaning behind the award

Let me be clear about something important: you don't become an MVP for money, career advancement, or personal gain. Although some employers (and maybe even customers) like to see this on your resume and might reward you for the efforts. But if you are considering it, always remember that without a genuine desire to give back to the community it is not going to work. This is the way the community stays alive and that is where the recognition comes from. MVPs are evaluated based on the quality, quantity, and impact of their contributions, not their job title or technical skills.

The vibrant Sitecore community ecosystem

There are numerous blogs and videos related to Sitecore out there. But the community is richer than just blogs - next to some more official site at https://community.sitecore.com it has some (well known) online channels on Sitecore Slack for real-time discussions and problem-solving and Sitecore Stack Exhange as a dedicated Q&A hub with a vast number op people to help you solve your issues. Both are created and maintained by volunteers from the community and have helped lots of people with their Sitecore questions.

What makes the Sitecore community special is the rich ecosystem of resources and events that bring us together. Next to the online channels people are also organizing user groups. Although I do get the feeling the number of groups and sessions is declining (e.g. my local one stopped) there are still quite a few that do meet - in person or sometimes virtual, making them available to more people globally. Time zones are sometimes painful, but it can be fun to join them and meet new people. Due to several reasons it's been a while, but I know I enjoyed speaking at the user groups in Perth, Pakistan and Hungary. 

A very special "user group" is SUGCON. You can't call this a user group anymore, it's a full blown annual conference - but still organized by community members (with a little help from Sitecore, obviously). We just had this year's events in London (Europe) and Delhi (India). If you ever get the opportunity to join the conference, do not hesitate. Join, feel the vibe, learn, talk to people, make connections and experience the Sitecore community. They will welcome you with open arms and you'll end up with new or renewed connections all over the world.  

It's impossible to mention every initiative and I am sure there are plenty that I even don't know about. I do wan to mention the #SitecoreLunch gatherings. The timing of the informal gathering is difficult for me, but it does seem to be a cheerful and fun bunch of people so I can only encourage you to try it out. One more that cannot be forgotten is the annual Sitecore Hackathon.  Every year a number of teams from all around the world try to create something amazing in 24h. And every year some of those teams really succeed in delivering true added value - free to the community. On https://sitecorehackathon.org/ you can check the entries, view photos...  or subscribe for the next edition (subscription is usually in January).

How to become a Sitecore MVP

The path to MVP recognition is straightforward but requires dedication. The program is open to anyone working with the Sitecore platform who has a passion for sharing knowledge. This question was asked and answered on Sitecore StackExchange so I will not repeat everything mentioned there.

Practically, know that applications used to open in November, with reviews happening in December and announcements in late January. They changed the "open" window though so now you can create you application anytime and add data all year long up until the deadline. If you decide to apply, please do take it seriously. Yes, the community will welcome everyone and does like new MVPs - but we also need to review all the applications. So if your application is anything like "I want to be MVP so next year I will... " or "I worked hard on all my Sitecore projects but have actually not shared anything with the community" then I would advice you to stop already and try again and better next year.

What matters is consistent and meaningful contributions to the community. Not your projects. Not your ambitions. But if you are really willing to do this, we will be very happy to have you on board. And do not give up - it took me a few years as well to get my first MVP title and look at me now...  The path to becoming an MVP starts with a single contribution.

The benefits of being an MVP

While the intrinsic reward of helping others is the primary motivation, the MVP program does offer some tangible benefits.

As mentioned before, you will not see it directly on your bank account. Although you do get discounts on certain events like Sugcon, an invitation to the Sitecore MVP Summit (usually in the US though - which might make it difficult for people nowadays) and if you do attend in-person events you will probably notice some people wearing an MVP t-shirt and/or sweater. 

There is the global recognition and the inclusion in the public MVP directory, and it does feel nice to be amongst that group of inspiring professionals. 

But in my opinion, the biggest advantage is the exclusive access to early product information and releases and especially the direct communication with Sitecore teams. Becoming an MVP opened many doors for me. I remember jumping on the SXA train and having very frequent calls with Adam Najmanowicz and his team. Many more very interesting and meaningful encounters with various people within Sitecore followed. By attending MVP webinars you connect with the right people. And if you do have questions, remarks, feedback or suggestions you do know who to talk to. And even though they might listen anyhow, that MVP tag on your name does make the Sitecorians listen even better. 

One decade  

An now I can look back at my 10-year journey as an MVP. It has brought to many people and places. I am still honored, not only to be MVP but also to be speaker on lots of Sitecore events like Sugcon and the Sitecore Symposium. I have seen Sitecore evolve from a solid Danish CMS (I started on v5 by the way) to a full blown worldly DXP to a headless CMS with a bunch of additional services. The products have changed, the organization behind it as well. The community also changed - I've seen it grow and shrink back a bit. But it still feel very good when I see many familiar faces again at a Sitecore event.  The relationships I've built, the knowledge I've gained, and the satisfaction of helping others have been immeasurable.

Joining the group of professionals who have achieved 10 (consecutive) MVP awards feels like joining an exclusive club of individuals who have demonstrated unwavering commitment to our community's success.

All those years in the community have brought me a lot - professionally of course, but I was also able to meet people from all around the world. Close to home in Europe, in both North and South America but also in Africa, Asia and even Australia. Connecting with people from all those different background and cultures makes you grow as a person - and is fun too. Attending the Sitecore events also brought me to several wonderful places. And even though it actually is working - especially when you're speaker - it also is a tremendous experience. I still remember (ok, vaguely) the party in Vegas, strolling through New Orleans, Harry Potter in Orlando but even eating kebab at 3AM at the beach in Malaga or guiding fellow community members through my (almost-home) town Ghent. And the week after the event, we are back solving each other problems again...

Changing of the guard

As we look toward the future, it's important to acknowledge the leader/mentor that has guided our community. Tamas Varga, who has served as Director of Community Programs at Sitecore and led the MVP program since joining the company in 2016, will be stepping away from the program later in 2026 to finally fulfill his sailing dream. Tamas himself was an MVP, and his leadership has been instrumental in shaping the program we know today. During Sugcon Europe 2026 he was awarded the Honorary Sitecore MVP title. Well deserved!

Sebastian Winter is expected to take over this important role, ensuring continuity in the program's excellence and community focus. Knowing Sebastian I am quite confident he will do an excellent job as he, as a former MVP as well, understands the value and true power of our community. 

The real value of community

At its core, the Sitecore MVP program represents something beautiful: a group of professionals who believe that sharing knowledge makes everyone stronger. We're not competing against each other; we're collaborating to push the entire ecosystem forward. But remember it's not all about the MVPs. It's about all of you, all community members - and all Sitecorians that engage with us.

This community is here for you, whether you're just starting your Sitecore journey or you're a seasoned professional. Engage online. Attend meetings and events. Share your experiences, thoughts, remarks or anything that you feel might be useful to others. And don't be afraid to ask questions. 

The Sitecore community has given me more than I could have ever imagined when I started this journey more than 10 years ago. So I'm not stopping here. And I hope you are not either. 

The community is waiting to welcome you.

Sugcon 2026 - London - day 2

After an interesting first day at Sugcon in London we started early for a fully packed second day. People who have attented Sugcon before know that the first session on day 2 seems like a very interesting spot as you get the honor of opening the full day but it also is a very challenging spot as a lot of people are not fully awake yet. 

Friday

At 8h30 Morten Ljungberg had the pleasure of kicking it off with his Corgi branded explanation of MCP's.

It was a very nice session, especially at this hour. I recall Morten being a worried about the level but I assured him this was definitely ok. Most people might already know quite a bit of what he told but I found it still very interesting and presented in an entertaining way. As "the guy who's presentation are always stuffed with cats" I might not really be a dog person but it's fun to see him brand his presentation this way. The day started well, and still have so much to come.

I did miss a few parts of sessions on Friday. For a big part because I got into some interesting conversations with all kind of people during breaks - going from community members, mvp's to fellow Epam folks that I do not see that much in real life. As a 2026 (long-time) Sitecore MVP I was also asked to participate in creating promotional material for Sitecore's 25th birthday which they are celebrating this year. I assume you might have seen some of the #SitecoreSilver posts...

Of course, this is still a conference and even though talking to people is important and very interesting, grabbing some of the sessions surely is also. I will not list all the ones I attended, as that would be a boring list of AI, AI and more AI - sometimes working, sometimes not and usually a great idea but needs to be proven and nobody knows how.  But I'm still writing a post on Sugcon we I will talk about some sessions of course. 

I attended a session by Harald Greve, engineering manager at Macmillan Cancer Support and Sitecore Technology MVP now.  His session on "Post Quantum Cryptography" was pretty interesting and well presented. It's surely something to look into and he posted the main takeaways so you can/should read those. It was a clear explanations about encryption and why this should matter to us, not only somewhere in the future but surely also now already. 

A few years ago Sugcon started planning some "lightning talks" around lunch time on day two. It was a success and they keep on doing that. A lightning talk is a fast-paced presentation restricted to 15 minutes, typically focusing on smaller or even niche technical tips, customer showcases, or just smaller topics related to Sitecore rather than deep-dive sessions. I like them a lot and usually some of them are very good. 

This year I decided for one of them to go crazy and join the marketing track ☺.  I know Jacqueline is a good speaker and I was not disappointed. Her session on intelligent content was surely lightning, full of spirit and interesting even for non-marketers. The marketing track adventure felt good and might be repeated.

One of the AI sessions I would like to mention was from Volodymyr Nikitin and his hare and tortoise. A well presented fairy tail that gets you thinking about using AI as your developer friend. Not in a sense of I need this fully blown now right away, but it's also not something to ignore. It's about finding the right balance and the right tasks for AI and the human. And it was brought in a fun way keeping us all awake - which is an achievement right after lunch. 

Andrei Pop also had a session on AI and Sitecore's vision to Agentic Workflows.  At a certain point (in the future) the marketer using Sitecore will/should be talking to any LLM and asking that to do his work. Listening to Jacqueline we know there should be some human interference as well if you really want to stay in touch with other humans - it's all interesting and we'll see what the future brings. 

Sponsor sessions are something many conference attendees usually try to skip, but Piers Matthews from Dataweavers has proven it can be different. It does not need to be a sales pitch but can also be an informative session. I already attended his session last year in Antwerp which was ok-ish, but this year it was really interesting to hear what I was actually expecting. New security issues are popping in the (new) mach architectures, and they can be fixed but you do need to pay attention to them of course.

But all good things come to an end, and so does Sugcon. Not without a thank you to the organizers of course (sorry Anders - the picture with you on screen included was not good at all).  So once more thanks for organizing this. And good luck to Sebastian Winter who will take over Tamas' role.

And then it is time to go home. Coming from Belgium I travelled to London by train which was a nice experience to be honest. Would be nicer without those Brexit-border-controls, but still... As I do have a son who still likes Harry Potter a bit and I was in the right station, I couldn't leave without a last picture. And the relief I did not have to go through platform 9 3/4 as the line there was longer than the security line at Eurostar ☺

That was Sugcon Europe 2026. Maybe we'll meet again at the 2027 European conference. 

 

 

Sugcon 2026 - London

I was able to attend the Sitecore Usergroup Conference - better known as Sugcon - in London this year and that needs a blog post afterwards. Way overdue - but never too late I assume. 

This was my 7th Sugcon so I am starting to know my way around such conferences. Which is nice as you also get to see many familiar faces again. More on that later... let's start in London. 

Due to circumstances (budget reasons) I was not able to stay in the conference hotel. It's always nicer to stay there as you automatically bump into community members all the time, but this fact also pushed me to pay a visit to a part of London that I had never been before and is definitely
worth visiting. 

I might assume everyone knows the sights of Big Ben, Westminster Abbey or the Palace of Westminster. 

I'm not sure if people would recognize the King of England, nor his palace. But his guards, yes..  everyone knows the King's Guard. And if you're in walking distance it would be silly not to pay a visit, stroll through St James Park and accidently bump into The King's Life Guard on the Mall.

Thursday morning, before the start of the conference I went for a walk. As this still is England, we couldn't spend our days here without any rain. We were still very lucky and didn't get much at all, but on Thursday a few drops brought me into the National Gallery.  A Japanese-tourist-style quick visit through a (free) museum with almost no people at that time was actually fun. And a little bit of relaxed culture before we would probably be overwhelmed with AI surely didn't hurt. 

But enough tourism, we (you) are here for Sugcon. 

Thursday

Keynotes

The keynote for the 2026 Sugcon was presented by Scott Liewehr, Global Vice President of Market Strategy & Growth at Sitecore.  It was short, to the point and well presented. Everything a keynote should be. And with a shoutout to the amazing MVP community. As a member of the MVP class of 2026 it's always nice to see and hear some recognition from Sitecore for our efforts. Thank you Scott, well done.

As a final highlight, Tamas Varga was called on the stage. Most people in the Sitecore community know already that he will be leaving us soon to realize his (sailing) dream. And although we all feel there is no-one who deserves this more than Tamas, we will of course miss him. The announcement to make him a Sitecore Honorary MVP got a well deserved standing ovation from the entire room. Tamas is joining a select group of Sitecore folks who really made a lot of impact.  I do hope to bump into him in the future somewhere - wishing you all the best Tamas!

After this first highlight, we were thrown back into the past by Richard Potter (son of Harry) from Microsoft to remind us that AI is not the end of the world but an opportunity and/or a challenge to be part of this evolution. 

It was an inspiring session and I am glad I was not the only one in the audience that had to raise his/her hand when he asked who was already working (in our digital sector) in 1993...

Breakout sessions

Time for the breakout sessions. I started with Sebastian Winslow's session on "Agentic AEO/SEO optimization". I was rather disappointed with the session as it did not deliver what I hoped for. Too vague, no concrete examples. I talked to Sebastian afterwards - because having open conversations is what we in the Sitecore community (should) do - and he knew and also explained the reasons behind it. Anyway, this happens at conferences and it did give me a good chat with Sebastian which was probably more valuable than any session content could have been.

 

I continued with a session by Simon Hauck on SitecoreAI publishing. I can't say it was not interesting because it was and it certainly is a topic that people should think about. But I also left the session with the idea that I did not learn that much - maybe because this is not (yet) really a part of my job and as such was missing a connection. I will remember thinking about it when it crosses my path though and that is all I expect from a session to be honest. 

Christian Hahn is not only a familiar face in the Sitecore community - even outside Germany - but the last few years also a recurring speaker at Sugcon. This year he brought along Romina Metnik to bring us up-to-date with the latest developments around Sitecore Studio and especially the Sitecore Marketplace. 

The final "session" on Thursday is rather traditionally the Sitecore hackathon awards ceremony. And it's always nice to see two major Sitecore dinosaurs again - Akshay and Jason, you rock!  

It was apparently rather clear that most or all participants learned how to use AI. But also amazing what has been created again by a motivated community. 

Time for the "community diner" - or just more time to mingle and have some great conversations. I managed to catch up with some (very) familiar faces and meet some new ones as well. Going from small-talk to Sitecore (obviously) to world class problems... anything van be discussed on such a community evening. I know quite a few discovered one or more London bars afterwards - to be honest I kept it rather quite, although I couldn't resist a nighttime visit to London

It was an interesting first day. Let's continue on Sugcon day two...