This will be my sixth in-person re:Invent, and I’m still learning new tricks every year. Last year’s guide was one of our most popular posts, so I wanted to update it with fresh insights—both from my own experiences and from the incredible AWS community that continues to share their wisdom.

If you’re heading to Vegas in December, here’s what you need to know to make the most of your week.

Before You Even Get to the Conference

Angelo Mandato shares a time-saving arrival tip: If you’re flying in on Sunday or Monday between 7am and midnight, you can pick up your badge at the baggage carousels. This is a huge time saver that allows you to go straight to sessions on Monday morning instead of waiting in the registration line at the Venetian Expo.

Once you’ve got your badge, consider spending Sunday afternoon walking the Venetian campus. Even though the Expo and sessions won’t be open yet, this is an excellent opportunity to familiarize yourself with the layout between the Venetian Casino, Venetian Canal Shops, Venetian Expo, and the Wynn. You’ll discover shortcuts through the second-floor Mall Canal Shops that will be convenient during the week. Angelo also points out a hidden gem: there’s a door across from the Expo entrance where you pick up SWAG (like the hoodie) that leads down a hallway to a bridge putting you right at the Wynn conference center—much faster than the 30-minute walk through the casinos.

Have a Strategy (and Permission to Say No)

The week of re:Invent can be a real blur. Most of us are dealing with jet lag on top of the long hours. The week will simultaneously seem like a lifetime and be over in a blink. Try to set some goals for yourself. A few good examples of daily goals:

• Meet and connect with 3-5 new people
• Go to one extracurricular activity
• Visit one row of booths on the show floor
• Have lunch with a colleague/customer/partner. You know the saying. Never eat alone!

Here’s advice from Daisy Urfer: You’re about to be invited to (or have the opportunity to register for) every possible dinner and social networking event. At most conferences, you try to embrace everything. re:Invent is different.

Give yourself permission to say no or ask to move the meeting outside of the event. It’s a long week—prioritize the time and events that truly need the in-person experience. Schedule those “let’s catch up” meetings for the weeks following the event instead.

And don’t underestimate the power of a strategic nap or an early night. Showing up exhausted to a meeting with a potential customer or AWS PDM doesn’t serve anyone. Sometimes the best networking move is getting some sleep.

As Cris Daniluk wisely advises: Schedule no more than 4 sessions a day. Ideally 3. You aren’t going to crush 40 sessions in 4.5 days and integrate it into your work. Use the time you save for taking notes, meeting people (maybe your next job or your next hire), hydrating, and resting.

Don’t Let the Strip Beat You: Smart Session Planning

As Steve Radich puts it: Real conference FOMO is mathematically guaranteed—2,000 sessions in 5 days? Impossible. You’ll miss the large majority.

Suzanne Melo offers this crucial advice: Plan your schedule based on venue location, not just session content. Trust me, re:Invent is HUGE. Sessions are spread across multiple venues that aren’t exactly close together. Even just moving between rooms in the same building or venues connected by walkways (like The Venetian or Caesars Forum) can take 20-30 minutes. Changing venues? Budget at least an hour.

Here’s what works:

• Pick your #1 must-see session of the day
• Build the rest of your schedule around that venue or nearby ones
• Allow at least 30 minutes between sessions
• Have backup sessions planned that are close by—sessions fill up

You’ll thank yourself when you’re sipping coffee during a chill break instead of sprinting down the Strip looking for shuttles in a panic.

Tools to make session planning easier:

Raphael Manke recommends exploring the session catalog using the unofficial re:Invent planner at reinvent-planner.cloud. It’s already helped more than 2,000 people and has features like calendar feeds, shareable session lists, and updates about newly added sessions.

For catching up on what you missed, Steve Radich built faikconference.com—every recorded session gets run through AI to give you summaries with deep links to exact timestamps, compressing 42 minutes down to digestible slides with free audio summaries.

Networking Preparation

While it’s not a bad idea to carry paper business cards, most people have gone digital. Here are some tips:

• Digital business cards: Solutions like Blinq are popular
• Use your LinkedIn QR code: Lauren Liles suggests saving it as your phone’s screensaver for easy networking. Here’s how to access it:
  • Ensure you have the LinkedIn app on your phone
  • Navigate to the search bar and click the QR code icon on the upper right
  • Choose between displaying your QR code or scanning someone else’s
  • Remind people to click the three dots and select “Connect” if you’re using the Influencer setting

Engage the Community

Building meaningful connections at re:Invent extends far beyond the conference floor. The AWS community is one of the most welcoming and collaborative in tech. Being proactive about engagement can turn your conference experience from good to exceptional.

• Join relevant Discord servers and look in your Slack communities for re:Invent channels
• Follow event hashtags across social media platforms
• Comment on posts you see—this is one of the easiest ways to engage
• Post pictures and videos on your own channels with the hashtag
• Engage with AWS Community Builders and User Group Leaders at the Community booth
• Participate in community-led side events

Carla Young shares this insider tip: If there are potential partners or vendors you’re legitimately interested in exploring that will be sponsoring, reach out ahead of time—they often have extra special swag, private dinners, or special events.

Try to find a “conference buddy” early if you’re there solo. Carla found another first-time attendee on the plane next to her last year and they hung out at the event!

Realize that there is no possible way you can do everything. Lots of parties keep their special guests under wraps, so RSVP on conferenceparties.com but keep an eye on social media for announcements.

Getting Around

Vegas transportation during re:Invent requires strategic thinking and flexibility. The distance between venues can be deceptive, and what looks like a quick trip on the map might be miles of walking.

• Study the shuttle system: The free re:Invent buses are often the best way around—in many cases better than Uber/Lyft
• The monorail is your friend: Adam Sandman found that the monorail from center strip station was the fastest way to get to MGM Grand last year. Just walk a few blocks down from the Venetian to pick it up. David Shepherd notes you can get a cheap multi-day pass—it’s quick, clean, and usually empty. The station at MGM is closer to the sessions than the lobby. Last year it was free during most of re:Invent
• Vegas is the one place on earth where cabs make more sense than rideshares—they’re always at the ready. The exception is at the end of the day when the line backs up
• Smart pickup/dropoff strategy: JD Romero suggests that if you take an Uber or taxi, get dropped off or picked up at Treasure Island and walk across the street instead of waiting through the slog of people trying to get to the Venetian
• Keep multiple rideshare apps ready for peak times
• Consider walking for nearby venues, but beware—the walking adds up. Don’t be a hero
• Screen shot a map of the Strip from Google for easy reference

Have a Meal Plan

Meal planning at re:Invent deserves more attention than you might expect. The combination of 70,000+ attendees and numerous private events means that casual dining isn’t always possible. Many restaurants in conference venues will be bought out for private functions. More than likely, there will be nothing available to walk into at the Venetian. It’s easier than you might think to be 12 hours into the day and realize you didn’t eat anything.

• Research restaurant availability in advance
• Make reservations where possible
• Know the quiet spots for impromptu meetings
• Keep snacks handy for long sessions
• Save a list of 24-hour dining options
• Note quick-service locations near main venues
• Lauren Liles recommends bringing your own mini espresso maker to avoid long coffee lines—caffeine is essential during that busy week
• Drink water like it’s your job
• Note that there’s a Walgreens near the Venetian—it’s a good first stop for breakfast bars, bottled water, and snacks at reasonable prices

Don’t Pack Like It’s an Ordinary Trip

You’ll be spending a week in the desert and walking 20-40k steps a day. You need a different packing strategy.

The Essentials:

• Chapstick: As Nathan Hiscock and Daisy Urfer both emphasize, this is an underestimated necessity. I don’t use this stuff 51 weeks out of the year, but you absolutely need it in Vegas
• Wool socks: You’ll appreciate the antibacterial properties after a long day
• Portable humidifier: Travel models where you invert a disposable water bottle work great. Nathan specifically recommends this if you aren’t used to dry climates
• Eye drops: Your eyes will get insanely dry. I also bring Lumify to eradicate redness
• Shoes: Start test driving them now. Even normally comfortable walking shoes will fail you at 40k steps. I favor Brooks leather walking shoes—not the prettiest, but I’m not writhing in pain at the end of the day
• Allergy meds: Most of us have allergy flares like no one’s business out there
• Blister bandages: Compeed is the brand I buy—they cushion and stay on
• Avian spray bottle: A spritz on the face feels great in the middle of a long day
• Mini first aid kit: Include ibuprofen, Claritin, band aids. Even if you don’t use it, you’ll make friends helping others
• Fabric refresher: A small spray jar with wrinkle releaser combo. Just trust me
• Hand cream and cotton gloves: For nighttime. Every year my hands get what looks like frostbite from the dryness
• Saline nasal spray: Gordon Clark notes you can dry up and wither by day 2
• Large suitcase half-packed: Angelo Mandato recommends bringing your largest suitcase with only half of it filled when you arrive. The other half should have empty boxes to prevent shifting during travel. This allows you to bring home all the SWAG you’ll receive without having to check an additional bag

Additional Wisdom:

• Brian Tarbox recommends bringing a stack of one-dollar bills to tip the wait staff and bartenders who give you free drinks. A little karma goes a long way. As David Shepherd adds, the staff at private parties are incredibly busy—show your appreciation!
• Long socks with good shoes and a light jacket
• Hand sanitizer and lotion
• If there’s a display of products in your hotel room, don’t touch it—most are wired with sensors and you’ll get billed just for moving something

Daily Survival Tips

• For each coffee or beer, drink one water (Brian Tarbox)
• Don’t be that drunk person at the end of each night with your free event drinks
• Take time post-session to talk to speakers—Refayat Haque recommends this for being able to ask specific questions that reinforce what you learned
• Talk to people in the lines you’re in—they’re your people (Brian Tarbox)
• Tackle the expo hall in sections—there’s too much to see (Chrystina Nguyen)
• Check out the giveback program (making blankets or filling bags)—makes a great daily feel-good goal
• Make an effort to attend re:Play—it’s so much fun for all
• Stop by the Community Hub

Remember

As Nathan Hiscock says: It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Stay as close to the Venetian as possible. Comfortable shoes deserve a repeat mention—really don’t underestimate the number of steps you’ll do per day.

re:Invent is an absolute whirlwind of the best kind. Take it all in and enjoy yourself!

A huge thank you to the AWS community members who continue to share their wisdom: Daisy Urfer, Cris Daniluk, Steve Radich, Suzanne Melo, Raphael Manke, Lauren Liles, Carla Young, Adam Sandman, David Shepherd, JD Romero, Nathan Hiscock, Brian Tarbox, Gordon Clark, Refayat Haque, Chrystina Nguyen, Angelo Mandato, and all the contributors from last year’s post. Your insights help attendees make the most of their re:Invent experience.