Season of AI - MCP

Join us for Season of AI – MCP, a global, community-driven initiative by Microsoft developers, created for developers. This event is all about hands-on learning, collaboration, and innovation with Model Context Protocol (MCP).

This session is your chance to:

• 🤝 Connect with like-minded innovators in your local community
• 💡 Learn how MCP works and how to build smarter AI-powered experiences
• 🛠 Work through guided labs and exercises
• 🚀 Exchange ideas, share challenges, and inspire new projects

Why attend?
You'll not only gain practical AI skills but also become part of a supportive, global network of developers contributing to the future of AI interoperability.

🎯 Skill Level: All levels welcome. Basic C# knowledge and familiarity with GitHub is helpful.

💻 What's needed: A laptop with VStudio Code is required if you want to make some cool demo. This is going to be a guided hands-on session!

Prereqs:

### 1. Visual Studio Code

• Download and install VS Code
• Essential for MCP development and integration

### 2. .NET 9 SDK

• Install the latest .NET 9 SDK
• Verify installation: `dotnet --version`

### 3. C# Dev Kit Extension

• Install the C# Dev Kit extension
• Provides comprehensive C# development support
• Includes IntelliSense, debugging, and project templates

### 4. Node.js

• Download and install [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/) (LTS version recommended)
• Required for MCP Inspector and other MCP development tools
• Verify installation: `node --version` and `npm --version`
• Enables npm package management for MCP tooling

### 5. Docker Desktop

• Download and install Docker Desktop
• Required for running MCP servers in containers
• Verify installation: `docker --version`
• Ensure Docker Desktop is running before starting MCP servers

💬 Agenda

1. Welcome & Introductions
2. Overview of the Model Context Protocol (MCP)
3. Hands-on Lab Session
4. Community Discussions & Q&A
5. Closing Remarks

This event is happening in partnership with Azure Cloud Commanders: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/group/eec4a25f-7f05-4073-9725-4168fe70ef3c