Making the most of AWS re:Invent
My top 10 tips [with lot of pictures from previous years]
Hey, Prasad here 👋 I’m the voice behind the weekly newsletter “Big Tech Careers.”
In this week’s article, I share top tips to make the most of your trip to AWS re:Invent based on my experience!
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This year will be my fifth time attending AWS re:Invent!
Every year offers new opportunities to learn, connect, and grow in ways you don’t expect.
For those attending for the first time, it can be overwhelming but also incredibly rewarding.
With over 2,000 sessions, thousands of attendees, and opportunities happening simultaneously across multiple venues, even seasoned cloud professionals feel the FOMO creeping in!
Based on my experience, here are my top 10 hard-won tips to help you navigate the whirlwind and get the most out of your week.
1. Start with a Plan, but Stay Flexible
The paradox of re:Invent is this: you need a strategy, but you can’t stick rigidly to it.
With 2,000+ sessions running simultaneously, trying to wing it leads to analysis paralysis and wasted time.
Start by identifying your core learning objectives. Are you focused on AI/ML? Data analytics? Specific AWS services? Security? Governance?
Use the official Events app to reserve seats in sessions that align with these priorities. However, some of the best sessions will be ones discovered by chance, through recommendations from conversations, or talks that sound better than expected. Leave room in your schedule for serendipity.
Pro tip: prioritize hands-on workshops, builder sessions, chalk talks and code talks. They are not recorded and you get more attention from the speakers. Breakout sessions are recorded and you can view them later.
2. Go Easy on the Multitasking
The thumb rule of re:Invent is just as crucial: resist the urge to multitask your way through the agenda. You simply cannot attend every session. Instead, pick one or two focus areas—whether that’s artificial intelligence, security, or specific AWS services and commit to depth over breadth. This approach does two things: it gives your brain space to absorb complex material, and it creates buffer time for spontaneous discoveries.
Not sure where to start building your agenda?
Browse helpful attendee guides - put together by AWS Heroes - for help choosing the right learning sessions and make the most of your time at AWS re:Invent.
3. Network, Network, Network
Let me be direct: the hallway conversations are where careers are made. The formal sessions provide structured learning, but the real value often lives in the spaces between.
Be intentional and generous with your networking. Introduce yourself to people sitting next to you in sessions. Swap QR codes - have a business card or your LinkedIn QR code ready. Don’t be shy about approaching AWS experts, Solutions Architects, or partner representatives. Most people at re:Invent are there for similar reasons, and they’re often delighted when someone initiates conversation.
Seek out side events hosted by communities and AWS partners. Join the community lounges where people gather. Attend meetups organized by groups within your industry or interest area. These gatherings tend to be smaller and more intimate than the main events, creating space for deeper conversations.
4. Pack Strategically
This might seem like small stuff, but logistics matter more at re:Invent than at most conferences. You will walk 20,000+ steps a day and that’s not an exaggeration. Most conference-goers finish the week amazed at how much ground they’ve covered. That means feet need to be happy.
Comfortable shoes are absolutely mandatory. Break them in before arriving, and don’t try to look fashionable at the expense of foot comfort.
Beyond footwear, carry a reusable water bottle (mostly you’ll get it as a swag). Vegas are notoriously dry, and dehydration sneaks up on people fast. Your body needs water. All venues have water stations, so refilling is easy.
Pack lip balm. Seriously. The desert air is brutal, and you’ll will be talking a lot. Lips will thank you
.
Bring a portable battery or power bank. Your phone and laptop will be working hard all day, and you don’t want to miss all the action because your device died.
Finally, consider bringing a small notebook if you take handwritten notes, a pen, and maybe some mints or gum for those long sessions. These small items make a real difference in how you feel and perform throughout the day.
5. Embrace the Community Sessions
Some of the best learning at re:Invent doesn’t happen on the main stage. It happens in community sessions where fellow builders share real-world stories, hard-won lessons, and practical insights you won’t find in marketing materials.
Community sessions are different from mainstream breakout sessions. They’re often hosted by user groups, regional communities, or specialized interest groups. These are people who’ve walked in similar shoes, and they’re eager to share what worked and what didn’t.
Community gatherings are where you’ll will find peers who get it—the challenges, the wins, the frustrations, the breakthroughs. You’ll leave these sessions with not just technical knowledge, but with connections to people who can be your sounding board long after re:Invent ends.
Even I’m a hosting a community meetup on Monday for the BeSA (Become a Solutions Architect) community. Jeff Barr will be joining us and signing certificates. Come join us!
6. Anchor Your Days to 1–2 Venues
Here’s a tip that will save you hours: cluster your sessions by location. Re:Invent spans multiple hotels and venues across Las Vegas. If you’re constantly moving between venues, you’ll waste time on transportation, lose mental energy on logistics, and arrive at sessions flustered.
Instead, structure your schedule so that most of your sessions for a given day are in one or two venues.
I understand that sometimes it’s not possible. Certain sessions you want to attend might only be offered at a specific venue at a specific time. That’s okay. Do what makes sense. Just try to minimize the constant shuffling between hotels throughout the day. You’ll arrive at sessions more refreshed, more present, and with more energy for networking.
7. Rest and Recharge
This might be the most important tip on this list, and it’s also the one most people ignore. Re:Invent runs for a week, and if you’re going to last until Friday and actually retain what you learn, you need to prioritize rest and recovery.
Your brain and body can only absorb so much information before they hit a wall. Trying to push through by attending every session, every after-party, and every roundtable is a recipe for burnout. And burnout means you’ll be mentally checked out by Wednesday, missing valuable content and connections later in the week.
Schedule downtime intentionally. Block it on your calendar if you have to. Take an afternoon to return to your hotel, lie down, and recharge. Drink water constantly. Get sleep—real sleep, not just three hours because you stayed out until midnight at every evening event.
8. Don’t Skip After-Hours Events—But Find Your Balance
The after-hours events are where the magic happens. These are the evening lounges, happy hours, partner receptions, and community dinners where people actually connect.
In sessions, everyone’s focused on taking notes and grabbing one-liners. But at after-hours events, you have time for real conversations. You meet someone at a cocktail hour, discover you’re both working on similar challenges, and suddenly you have a collaborator or a mentor. These are the relationships that often lead to job opportunities, partnerships, or friendships that extend far beyond re:Invent.
AWS partners host excellent after-hours events. Community groups often organize their own gatherings. Get out there and engage.
That said, find your balance. Don’t feel obligated to attend every single event. If you’re exhausted, if you need to rest to be sharp tomorrow—that’s okay. Skip an event. Pace yourself. A couple of quality conversations at a well-chosen event often beats sprinting through four different venues trying to work the room.
9. Show Some Love and Provide Feedback
Here’s something that takes couple of minutes but makes a real impact: provide thoughtful feedback on the sessions you attend.
Every session you attend represents months of work. AWS teams and presenters spend considerable time designing, creating, testing, and refining their content. They genuinely want your feedback and it directly shapes the conference experience for next year.
Use the official app to rate sessions you attend. Leave thoughtful comments. If a presenter nailed it, tell them. They have worked very hard. If you have suggestions for how a session could be even better, share that perspective. This feedback is gold to the people who create the session, and it helps AWS continuously improve the re:Invent experience.
It takes minimal effort and means something real to the people who poured their energy into helping you learn and grow.
10. Bring the Value Home
The re:Invent experience doesn’t end when you board the plane home.
Each day, capture your key takeaways. What did you learn that surprised you? What architecture pattern will you bring back to your team? Which conversation shifted your thinking? Which person should you follow up with? Write these down while they’re fresh. A good practice is to spend fifteen minutes each evening jotting down the day’s highlights.
When you return to your team, share these learnings. Did you discover a new AWS service that could solve a problem your team faces? Tell them about it. Did you learn about an architectural pattern that could improve your systems? Walk them through it. Your team didn’t attend re:Invent, so they need you to bring those insights back.
Go further and share publicly. Post your reflections on LinkedIn or other social platforms. Write a blog post about what you learned. Talk about it in community forums. This practice does something important: it forces you to synthesize your learning in a clear way, which deepens your own understanding. It also multiplies the value—other people benefit from your perspective and experience at re:Invent.
The learning doesn’t stop when the conference ends. It compounds when you’re intentional about capturing, sharing, and applying what you’ve experienced.
The Bottom Line
If you’re heading to re:Invent for the first time, here’s what you need to know: yes, it will be overwhelming. Yes, there will be moments when you feel like you’re missing something important. Yes, you’ll probably have FOMO at some point. And yes, absolutely yes, it will be worth it.
The learning is real. The connections are genuine. The inspiration is infectious. The experience of being surrounded by thousands of people working on cutting-edge technology, solving real problems, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with cloud is remarkable.
Approach the week with intention. Plan your sessions but stay flexible. Protect your energy fiercely. Lean into the community. Have conversations with strangers. Take care of yourself. Provide feedback. And bring the value home.
This week can change your career trajectory, expand your network, and reignite your passion for the work you do. Make it count.
See you on the Expo floor!