What is AWS re:Invent?
re:Invent is an annual week long conference hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS). The conference offers a variety of events that are purposed towards educating attendees about various cloud related topics. This is done through multiple avenues, including keynotes, leadership discussions, technical sessions, training opportunities and more. On top of this, AWS uses re:Invent as a platform to announce new up-and-coming AWS features and services. As an informative cloud-centric learning conference, re:Invent attracts cloud users of all levels, from software developers of big Fortune 500 companies to groups of friends looking to create their own tech startups.
re:Invent 2021
re:Invent has already started this year (this past Monday) Despite last year’s conference taking place entirely online, re:Invent 2021 has transitioned back to in-person (with vaccination and mask requirements) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Attending the full conference in person costs $1799; but you can view a lot of the events live and virtually for free.
In addition, there are educational opportunities more geared towards AWS specific skills, such as their bootcamps and time slots to take AWS Certification exam. It is afterall, hosted by AWS. The conference also has various social events to promote more interaction and networking. These events include Midnight Madness, a pep rally to kick off re:Invent, Quirky, a collection of events featuring board games, TV shows, and bingo, and re:Play, the annual much-awaited party with dodgeball, music, Office Chair racing, and more. They really do have something for everyone! You can see all of the events at this year's conference by looking at the agenda.
Attending re:Invent Virtually
Tickets for the in-person conference are sold out, but you can still register as a virtual attendee. Anyone over the age of 18 is eligible to register, and best of all, it’s free.
With a virtual ticket you can:
- Attend Live Keynotes
- Attend Live Leadership Sessions
- Access On Demand Breakout Sessions
Live Keynotes
re:Invent 2021 features five live and unique keynotes for in person and virtual attendees. These keynotes are the main attraction of the entire conference - often all major developments pertaining to new AWS services and features are announced here, so they're worth attending to stay on the cutting edge of the industry. AWS has a collection of their keynotes from AWS re:Invent on their their youtube channel.
Here's a quick overview of the AWS re:Invent keynotes:
- Adam Selipsky (CEO, AWS) Keynote: Focus on AWS specifics including their services, products, and customers.
- Swami Sivasubramaniam (VP, Amazon Machine Learning) Keynote: In-depth account of acting on data, from data analytics to machine learning.
- Peter DeSantis (Senior VP, AWS Utility Computing) Keynote: Detailed view of how AWS optimizes their cloud infrastructure to meet intense computing needs.
- Werner Vogels (CTO, Amazon.com) Keynote: Insights into how to build strong architecture to support an application, and what the future holds in store for software development.
- Global Partner Summit Keynote: Discussion of various innovations in the cloud, how this affects AWS Partners, and how AWS enables these Partners to create their own innovative solutions.
Leadership Sessions
This year’s conference will further feature fifteen leadership sessionswhere experienced cloud and AWS leaders will provide insights into recent technological advancements, prospective future directions, and stories about their own success in AWS. These sessions cover topics ranging from redefining corporate citizenship to prospects for the future of AWS, and essentially serve as mini keynotes with a more narrow and specific focus than the five keynote presentations. For viewers with interests that align with topics discussed in these sessions, attending them can be extremely informative and valuable.
What if I can't join virtually?
For those who were not able to complete the virtual registration or can’t join for a particular session, the keynotes and leadership sessions will be posted online for on-demand viewing soon after the event concludes. Further, the AWS twitter posts daily recaps of the conference and any AWS re:Invent announcements you may have missed in multiple languages.
As AWS re:Invent 2021 wrapped up Friday, December 3rd. We've compiled a recap of major releases announced during re:Invent here.
Our team attended re:Invent 2021 where we met many members of the global cloud computing community. If you'd like to get in touch, fill out our contact form here!
