The scale of re:Invent and the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas can be a bit overwhelming. So, beyond reserving seats for engaging sessions, there are a few other things you might want to consider.
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. You’ll walk several miles a day, and with the wrong wardrobe, your body (especially your feet) will feel it. You should prioritize comfort.
Stay hydrated. Las Vegas is a very dry and warm place, even in late November. Make sure you drink plenty of water. Pro tip: order a case of water on amazon.com and have it delivered to your hotel room or an Amazon Locker near your hotel—you’ll save money.
Remember to eat. You’ll burn a lot of energy moving from session to session and venue to venue. I pack a couple boxes of protein bars or other snacks in my luggage and make sure I always have something close at hand.
Plan downtime into your schedule. If you’re like me, you’ll need time to recharge your tech and your social batteries. Don’t burn yourself out by not taking a minute here and there to breathe. For me, this means not booking myself into more than four or five sessions a day.
Ask questions and talk to people. If you attend a really great session and want to go deeper into the topic, talk to the presenter and carry on the conversation. Seek out some of the social lounges (or the AWS Heroes Lounge) to connect with other builders. Don’t feel embarrassed to ask questions—remember that the cloud hasn’t been around forever and that every person attending the conference started from the beginning. The Expo Hall is a great place to meet vendors and connect with AWS product teams. Take advantage of having everyone in the same place at the same time.
Share your enthusiasm. Be excited. The energy you can bring to the conference will spread to other people and may make a difference for another attendee.
Get involved! There are community events all week long—take some time to spend with other attendees having fun. Remember, the conference is only as good as you make it!