Thoughts of an Engineering Trainer

The first thing that struck me is the sheer size of this event. To be surrounded by thousands and thousands of technologists is in itself a rare occurrence. I’m used to having friends’ eyes glaze over when I start to talk about work. So to be in a place with thousands of like-minded individuals, is in itself fun. The energy at re:Invent is palpable and the organizers have made sure to have every part of the experience well thought out.

My day would start early with breakfast at the Venetian and then go straight into talks and keynote speeches. I’d be busy from early in the morning, until well into the evening hours, and still, I felt that I hadn’t seen or done much… because there was just so much to do.  But by the evening I was exhausted, having walked between 6 and 8 miles every day.  

My ‘strategy’ was to do at least one hands-on session every day for a few hours. This gave me the opportunity to learn with and from others as well as to network and importantly… CHARGE MY PHONE!

For those thinking of attending re:Invent, I cannot state how important it is to ensure you have the ability to charge your phone. Either schedule it into your day, or carry a power bank with you (if you can manage the extra weight in a bag you will be carrying round with you all day).  I used my phone for connecting with others, reaching out to colleagues, connecting on LinedIn, checking my schedule and the map etc.  Don’t forget to download the app, it’s useful.

Regarding your schedule, I recommend planning out your days before you arrive. There will be so much happening on the day, it might help to start the day with an idea of what you want to see. Note that many of the sessions will get filled up as soon as the booking system opens.  So the sooner you can book your sessions, the better.  Actually that goes for Hotel venues too.  I will say however, there were days when I decided to juggle my schedule and I was able to attend great sessions that I had not booked ahead of time, just make sure to get there early. 

There are shuttles to take you from one venue to the next and they recommend leaving one hour to get to sessions in different venues.  However, I found that it took longer to get to the Venetian than from the Venetian. I was therefore often able to go from the Venetian to other venues in half an hour. 

Other ways that re:Invent demonstrated their adherence to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion practices was to have sensory rooms.  At first I thought, well I don’t meditate, so I don’t need that. By the last day however, after spending three years working at home in solitude, and now being surrounded by SO MANY PEOPLE, I was in need of some quiet time. The sensory room was quiet and dark. There was prayer mats, yoga mats, and even a two-person, blow up tent that looked like it was made of large, silver bubble wrap.  Inside the tent were floor pillows, a white-noise machine, as well as a light fixture.

I stayed in that tent for an hour and when I came out, I quite literally felt refreshed and ready to seize the day. 

Let’s talk about the keynotes. Firstly, they are very well presented, with visual effects and clear, eloquent speakers. However… it’s very ‘peopley’.  It takes a good hour to fill the hall with all the attendees. During that time, they serve beer, play SUPER LOUD, live music with flashing lights.  If you like that sort of thing, it’s marvelous.  For me however, I was wearing ear-plugs (because after working in a school for hearing impaired children for 10 years, I learnt to protect my hearing) and still it was so loud, even my ribs were vibrating. 

The first keynote speech was the only one that I watched live, in person. After that, I decided to watch the others from the certification lounge. That lounge is available for those with an active AWS certification.  The atmosphere in the lounge is relaxed and quiet and you can get drinks and snacks. I got my AWS certification the week before the convention and it was worth it just to have access to that lounge!