This guide answers the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) that attendees, or whoever wants to follow AWS re:Invent 2019, may have. Below in each section, the resources are mentioned as backlinks to help you make the most out of the AWS re:Invent 2019.

Pro-tip: Bookmark this page to refer to all the useful links and resources list at a single place.

AWS re:Invent is just at the corner. The biggest party hosted by AWS, every year, to celebrate all their achievements, announce product innovations and showcase the gigantic position that AWS holds in the cloud industry. And Why not? AWS can be tagged as the father of the cloud industry (being the first in the market). They own this market in terms of product range, the worldwide cloud market share, and also by organizing the biggest cloud event for years.

AWS re:Invent 2019 will be hosted, for yet another year, at Las Vegas, Nevada. The dates must have been imprinted on cloud users’ minds, i.e., December 2 – 6. 

The last year was bigger than ever and this year also re:Invent promises the same. 

1. Why this guide only?

To get the most out of the re:Invent 2019, you need to read the entire guide. As an AWS re:Invent attendee, it is overwhelming to be the part of such a global event. The event unfolds various keynote sessions, workshops, networking sessions, competitions, etc. These bits of the event take place parallelly most of the time spread across the four-day haul. You can only be present at a single place at a single point in time. Humans still haven’t figured out how to be omnipresent; only God almighty believed to do so. 

That’s why this guide becomes so important. Afterall you are visiting Las Vegas, go easy on yourself. Let us help you plan your AWS re:Invent 2019 visit. 

2. Who can refer to this guide?

We have tried to present the roadmap and feed you with the best possible resources and information so that you can attend the event without even missing the essence of re:Invent that matters to you. 

If you are attending the event or wants to follow re:Invent, then this guide is for you. So if re:Invent is your thing, then this entire page is dedicated to you. Feel special about it.

3. Mobile App is your savior

Before everything, you need to install the Mobile App to roam around the campus with a well-defined map, keep a tab on event schedules, and the best thing it sits in your mobile phones that you will most likely to use every single moment. So download it now from Google Play Store or App Store.

Learn more about the mobile app here: https://reinvent.awsevents.com/info/app/?trk=www.google.com,direct

4. Can’t make it to Las Vegas? 

If you couldn’t make it, whatever will be the reason, then at the comfort of your seat, you can watch the event. Here comes the worst part; you can only Livestream the Keynote Sessions.

You can register for the Livestream here. 

5. Don’t forget to pick your badges (we know you won’t)

You can pick up the badges from 9 am onwards on Sunday, 01 December. The badges can be collected both from the venues and the airport.

The swag (a hoodie) pickup can be done at Venetian. Pro-tip is you should do this on Sunday. If you can’t make it on Sunday, get there as soon as you can on Monday. That’s your only and the best chance to get the size of the hoodie you want and carry the SWAG!!!

6. What about the stay during the event?

You can book your stay on the properties classified as “sleeping only.” List of the properties for 2019 is – New York New York, Park MGM, Signature at MGM, Vdara, Cosmopolitan, Planet Hollywood, Paris, Bally’s, Caesar’s, Flamingo, Linq, Harrah’s, Treasure Island, and Wynn.

For more information, refer to the “Flights & Hotels” page for an exclusive property map and breakdown of discounted room rates. Better book it now if you haven’t yet because there are always fewer chances to get rooms during event days. 

7. AWS Event Team’s show – How to re:Invent

Jill Fagan and Annie Hancock are back with the show “How to re:Invent“. If you want to go rogue with your re:Invent attending plans and be clear about what this event really holds for you, this is the must-watch series.

Each episode covers an important topic with key guests throwing tips to attend the event to make it more worthwhile and get the most out of it.

Here is the link to the playlist with all the 14 episodes this year curated by the AWS team.

8. Plan your week with Session Catalog

There is a plethora of content ready to be presented by speakers, various sponsors, AWS team for the overall positive experience of attendees. But it’s a fact that you can’t see it all live. Pro-tip is you need to refer AWS Hero Guides to help you cut through all the sessions content published for different categories such as Machine Learning Guide, Practical Security, etc.

You can star against your preferred session that you want to attend, and it will automatically book your calendar for that slot. It will restrict you to one event only at a particular time slot. As we said earlier, you can’t be everywhere.

List of all the AWS Hero Guides

• Guy Ernest, “Enterprise Transformation Guide”
• Margaret Valtierra, “Introverts Guide”
• Martin Buberl, “Startup Guide”
• Dave Stauffacher, “Storage Enthusiast Guide”
• Drew Firment, “Getting Starts With AWS Guide”
• Eric Hammond, “Advanced Serverless Guide”
• Francisco Edilton, “Analytics Guide”
• Peter Sbarski, “AWS DeepRacer Guide”
• Ryan Kroonenburg, “AWS Certification Guide”
• Kesha Williams, “Machine Learning Guide”
• Mark Nunnikhoven, “Practical Security”
• Cyrus Wong, “AWS Educators Guide”
• Serhat Can, “DevOps Guide”
• Thorsten Höger, “Programming in the Cloud Guide”
• Tung Nguyen, “AWS Container Guide”

9. Bootcamps are the best way to learn at AWS re:Invent 2019

AWS re:Invent will be hosting 14 bootcamps for various topics. Out of which 11 are AWS-led, and 3 are partner-led bootcamps. 

If any subject interests you, then bootcamps should be your one-stop to learn the foundation of the topic and earn a certification. 

10. Midnight Madness promises an extra dose of madness

There will be an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest chicken wing eating competition. The interesting fact is the record was set for the same last year with 397 participants.

If you are expecting more madness, then you are right. There will be a full-fledged Air Band performance making it bigger than last year’s performance, which was just drumming by Air Band.

Midnight Madness is like a fun, musical, loud, and robust way to kick-off the event. The midnight madness will take place on the night of 01 December.

11. Builders Fair – like a science fair but with cloud projects

This year, Builders Fair will feature over 70 projects from AWS. The fair is the best way to get the general knowledge about what people are building with AWS Cloud. The concept of this fair is inviting different projects, and then project owners give a demo and convey their efforts behind it to the attendees.

Be sure to stop by and check it once! Builders Fair is one of those events that keeps surprising and inspire attendees to spend some quality time.   

12. Hands-on Lab & Spotlight Labs 

The hands-on labs allow you to walk-in whenever you want without any prior registration. There are over 100 hands-on labs to choose from. The average time one hands-on lab take is around 30-60 minutes.

Apart from this, AWS also hosts “Spotlight Labs” with dedicated instructors to walk you through the lab as a group. The average time for Spotlight Labs is around 90 minutes. 

13. Dev Chats  

Community leaders and AWS Heroes are responsible for conducting the Dev Chats. 

There are about 19 dev chats to be hosted this year. Developers always tend to be informal. These dev chats give more of a “meetup” vibe as compared to the formal vibes of regular sessions. 

You can use the “Dev Chats” filter in the Session Catalog.

It’s on a first-come, first-serve basis without the option to reserved seats. If your schedule allows catch up with these Dev Chats for deep-dive conversations with experts.

14. Intersect – a musical ending

Intersect is a music, art, and tech festival. You can get the tickets for two days for $169 (pretty cheap in Las Vegas).

It is not technically part of the AWS re:Invent but can’t be separated either. 

It was born out of AWS annual re:Play party theme. This is the first time Intersect Music Festival will be held at Las Vegas Festival Grounds. Check out all about this event here.

For all the information you can visit the official website.

We hope that this guide will help you to attend the event in a productive way with several. For all the live updates and major announcements of AWS re:Invent 2019, subscribe to our blog.