My AWS re:Invent Experience and Why You Should Attend

I’m grateful to be able to say that attending AWS re:Invent in 2024 was one of my most insightful experiences as a cloud professional, and it’s something I highly recommend for any developer or tech professional. With the 2025 registration opening on June 3rd, here’s a snapshot of my experience and why you might want to attend if you get the opportunity.

What to Expect at AWS re:Invent

AWS re:Invent isn’t just another tech conference - it’s a vibrant, inspiring week in Las Vegas filled with learning, innovation, and incredible networking opportunities. The sessions range from beginner-friendly introductions to advanced deep dives, making it accessible and valuable for everyone. If you are already quite advanced with AWS, this conference will benefit you a lot more than the regional AWS Summit events, where the focus is generally more on entry-level and intermediate sessions. The scale of re:Invent is massive and it really is the week where AWS takes over the Las Vegas Strip (and airport, as you will already see an AWS presence there when you touch down!).

In 2024, the event featured thousands of sessions covering a diverse array of topics such as cloud architecture, artificial intelligence, serverless computing, cybersecurity, DevOps, software migration, and data analytics & storage. Attendees could choose from hands-on workshops, talks by subject-matter experts, and keynote addresses from industry leaders. There’s also an expo with hundreds of booths and more than a hundred networking events after hours between the Sunday and Wednesday nights. It’s safe to say that you will not get your regular amount of sleep while at re:Invent!

Personal Highlights from re:Invent 2024

Before I jump into how to go about preparing for re:Invent and making sure you are not overwhelmed by the 60 000 people and thousands of sessions to choose from, I’d like to share some valuable sessions I attended. I was in a fortunate position to have two of my colleagues with me, so we devised a strategy to decide who focuses on what, and my session focus was mainly on cost optimization (FinOps), optimizing our SaaS architecture, as well as general cloud management and security best practices.

Cost Optimization Insights

• Advanced strategies for cost allocation using AWS Cost Categories.
• Proactive budgeting and cost control methods with AWS Budgets, including integrations with Slack for real-time notifications.
• Insights tailored specifically for managing costs in containerized workloads, critical for efficient cloud operations.
• Perform advanced analytics on cost using AWS Cost and Usage Reports.

Security and Best Practices

• Hands-on tips for securing Amazon S3 effectively, crucial for protecting sensitive data.
• Best practices for secure and simplified multi-account management with AWS Control Tower.

Innovative Container and Database Techniques

• Lazy-loading container images using Seekable OCI (SOCI), significantly speeding up container startup times.
• Modern data modeling techniques with Amazon DynamoDB, valuable for high-performance applications, presented by the DynamoDB AWS Hero, Alex DeBrie.

Session Types

I’ve been attending most of the hands-on sessions like workshops and builders’ sessions. But there’s a lot more than that, including:

Hands-On Learning

Interactive Training & Hands-on Workshops

These sessions provide a practical, immersive experience, allowing you to actively engage with AWS technologies. Interactive Trainings are longer, instructor-led sessions designed to help you deeply understand specific AWS services through guided exercises. Hands-on Workshops similarly offer direct experience, often in shorter sessions, where you can explore services and solutions in a live AWS environment.

Deep Dive Discussions

Breakout Sessions & Chalk Talks

Breakout Sessions are expert-led presentations covering various technical and business topics. They’re typically lecture-style with opportunities for audience questions. Chalk Talks, on the other hand, foster interactive discussions. Held in smaller settings, they encourage open dialogue between presenters and attendees, ideal for exploring specific scenarios, architectures, and best practices.

Developer-Focused Sessions

Code Talks & Builders’ Sessions

Code Talks are designed specifically for developers, providing detailed walkthroughs of actual code, SDKs, and APIs. These sessions show real-world examples and practical guidance. Builders’ Sessions offer intimate, small-group settings where you work alongside an AWS expert on specific projects or challenges, ideal for personalized guidance and technical problem-solving.

Quick Insights & Networking

Lightning Talks & Dev Chats

Lightning Talks deliver concise, impactful insights in quick sessions, perfect for a rapid overview of emerging trends, AWS best practices, or innovative solutions. Dev Chats facilitate casual, informal discussions between AWS engineers and attendees, allowing for spontaneous questions, networking, and exchanging tips and insights.

Comprehensive Learning Experiences

Bootcamps

Bootcamps are extensive, multi-hour or even full-day learning opportunities that dive deeply into specific AWS topics or certification preparation. These structured, intensive sessions are perfect for gaining a solid foundation or mastering advanced concepts in a collaborative environment.

With such diverse session types, AWS re:Invent ensures you’ll find sessions perfectly aligned with your interests and learning style, enhancing your overall experience.

Networking and Connections

One of the best aspects of AWS re:Invent is meeting AWS experts and peers from around the world. These interactions often spark fresh ideas, solutions, and collaborations. It’s a fantastic way to gauge upcoming trends and best practices in the industry. You’ll also learn from the best of the best, as many of the speakers are leaders in their fields. I’ve had the opportunity to meet up with the head solutions architect from the AWS Aerospace & Satellite division, as well as chatting with a serverless solutions architect about improving our SaaS architecture.

On the AWS Events app, you’ll also be able to book one-on-one chats with experts and other attendees - it’s like a mini social network feature in the app and it can be quite useful. For me, the app allowed me to see the other people attending from South Africa and the sectors they worked in. It might be old-school, but you might want to carry a few business cards with, or have your LinkedIn profile QR code handy to scan - networking is one of the biggest advantages of a conference of this magnitude.

Practical Tips for Future Attendees

• Plan Ahead: It’s impossible to effectively plan your day during breakfast each morning. As there were over 2000 sessions in 2024 (including repeats of some sessions), you can only attend a small fraction of them. In fact, I had a short list of around 250 sessions I wanted to attend! My recommendation is that you attend 2-3 sessions per day, and make sure they are worth your time. The travel distances and times between sessions make planning sessions the most important thing if you want to get the most out of the conference. Do some research by reading blog posts of other past attendees to get tips on how to prepare best.

• Reserve Your Seat: Sessions fill quickly, so think about your top picks when the session list is available. Some weeks later you’ll be able to reserve seats for your sessions. I only started reserving seats about 15 minutes after session reservations became available and I could only reserve about 20% of the sessions I wanted to reserve a seat for. So hit the refresh button on your browser at the second when the session bookings become available and be ready to do a speedrun of reservations in 120 seconds. If you can’t reserve a seat for a session you want to attend, you can still walk in on the day, but then you will have to start queueing an hour before the session to ensure you get a seat and this wastes valuable time you could’ve used to attend other sessions or time at the expo.

• Network Actively: Engage directly with AWS experts and fellow attendees; these conversations provide immense value. Attend as many after-hour networking events as possible. You’ll meet interesting people and learn from fellow developers in a wide variety of fields - we even met data engineers from NASA at one networking event! If there’s someone you really want to meet at re:Invent, reach out to them on LinkedIn or X beforehand.

• Participate in Workshops: Hands-on sessions solidify your understanding and help you immediately apply your new knowledge. Most of the talks are recorded and shared with slides after the conference, so hands-on sessions will be the greatest value for any developer at re:Invent. Ask the workshop assistants for a public link to allow you to access the workshop again when you are at home and well-rested.

• Plan Your Accommodation: The Venetian Resort is where the heart of the conference is, so try to stay close to this area. Pack comfortable shoes, because you will do a lot of walking each day. There are shuttles between all venues and the monorail can also be used between some, so make use of this.

• Pack Light: At the expo, you will get dozens of freebies ranging from water bottles to hoodies, and even bigger things if you are lucky and win a competition, so pack light and be prepared to return home with 10 to 15 kilograms of extra goods. Some people even suggest taking a whole extra bag, but in my case I just took an almost-empty carry-on bag and had some extra space in my check luggage.

• Stay Connected: There’s WiFi available in most areas, but if you travel from outside the US, you might want to get an e-SIM ahead of your arrival to make sure you can quickly get directions or search for something on the web wherever you are. For travelling away from the Strip, I recommend Uber or a similar e-hailing service.

• Get AWS Certified: Unique perks and swag is available to attendees who have passed at least one AWS certification before the conference. One of these perks is access to the Certification Lounge, where you can hang out between sessions and grab a snack or drink to recharge.

• Enjoy It!: If you try to attend every session and every after-hours event, you’ll struggle to survive the re:Invent week. Plan ahead, but adapt throughout the week and take some time to just breathe and see the Strip and bucket-list attractions while you are there. On the Wednesday night I attended the AWS EMEA meetup at XS Nightclub and had a blast with other AWS customers from my home region. A highlight of the week is AWS re:Play, a fun-filled evening at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds where there are several fun activities, including live shows. In 2024, I was fortunate enough to see Zedd, one of my favourite EDM DJs, live on stage! Have a look at the agenda ahead to plan all the fun as well - there’s even events like a fun run, but I had to give that a skip as I was beyond tired by Wednesday morning and not in any state to run 5km on 5 hours of sleep.

Summary

There’s no way I can summarize the overwhelming experience that is re:Invent! What I can say is that you are unlikely to ever attend a developer conference of this magnitude and learn as much from experts as you will at re:Invent. If you ever get the chance to attend this vibrant conference, attend it! You will not regret it and I assure you, you will return to work with dozens of new ideas to explore.

A note on costs: Attending re:Invent is a significant investment. In 2024, the full conference pass was $2099, with hotel accommodations on the Strip being quite expensive as well. Factor in flights and other expenses, and you’re looking at a substantial budget. However, many employers consider this a worthwhile professional development investment, and the knowledge and connections gained often justify the expense.

Attending AWS re:Invent significantly broadened my perspective and directly influenced how I approach my projects today. Whether you’re a developer, cloud engineer, or tech enthusiast, this event is well worth your time. Until the next time!