AWS re:Invent 2024:  the perfect blend of learning, collaboration, and inspiration!

Attending AWS re:Invent is a bucket list experience for many in the tech industry, and every year Versent sends a delegation from around Australia to represent. It’s our chance to enable Versentonians to step outside their comfort zones, to broaden their perspectives, to learn new skills, and generally hone their craft. And having the most up-to-date info means we can expertly guide our customers through their digital transformation journeys.  This year we once again had a group immerse themselves in this incredible event. Our six lucky, and well-deserving, Versentonians – Jeny, Steve, Sri, Kyle, Anand and Nick – share their insights in this blog article.

A celebration of AWS

With over 70,000 attendees, the event’s scale is remarkable. The event is polished and well-organised, reflecting its 13 years of growth. For many of us, re:Invent is more than just keynotes and sessions; it’s a celebration of AWS. Being among so many passionate individuals was thrilling. The chance to connect globally with technologists was invaluable, and LinkedIn showed increased engagement, highlighting the event’s networking impact. 

Learning from the best in the world!

AWS re:Invent is a great mix of “here’s what’s coming” and “here’s how to actually do it”. Our highlights included walking around the expo and meeting representatives from favourite brands like Postman, GitHub, and Snowflake. Attending sessions on GenAI, Serverless, Amazon Bedrock, Intelligent Edge Computing, and Amazon Q Developer provided a wealth of learning opportunities (more in this further down).

Experiencing the keynotes live from the main hall was electrifying. Beyond the impactful announcements, it was about the energy in the room—thousands of attendees united in their passion for technology, listening to industry leaders deliver insights that shape the future.  Watching Versent named the 2024 Industry Partner of the Year for Energy & Utilities and seeing our name on the big screen during the Partner Keynote for achieving the Digital Sovereignty Competency was a proud and humbling moment.

The Builder’s Sessions, Workshops and Chalk Talks were also a gold mine of learning and interaction.  Chalk Talks provided the chance to engage in deep discussions and network with peers working on similar solutions. It was invaluable to exchange ideas and collaborate in real-time.

Stretching beyond our comfort zone and attending sessions outside of our familiar skills was hugely beneficial in broadening our perspectives.  For example, delving into AWS’s IoT space, getting hands-on experience with a LoRaWAN device, onboarding it into AWS IoT, and using GenAI to collect metrics and visualize them in Grafana.

In summary, the opportunity to learn from the best in the world was not to be missed!

Tech highlights

• Amazon Aurora DSQL and Aurora HA/DR Design: Improvements in distributed SQL were pretty impressive – with better scalability and some cool multi-region deployment features for disaster recovery.
• Terraform Cloud vs. CloudFormation vs. CDK: CloudFormation is your go-to for AWS native services, CDK makes developers’ lives easier, and Terraform Cloud shines when you’re juggling multiple clouds.
• Modern Application and Database Modernisation: Some great tips on moving to microservices, and the real-world examples were super helpful. It was nice to see how others have done it successfully.
• Aurora PostgreSQL Limitless Database: A game-changer for sure – think automatic scaling and storage management that works, even when you’re dealing with massive amounts of data.
• Amazon Nova: Throwing their hat into the LLM ring!
• Amazon Q Developer: The star of the show for many – an AI-powered dev tool that handles code review, suggestions, and documentation, and plays really nicely with other AWS tools.

GenAI is transforming productivity for developers and businesses, particularly with tools like Amazon Q. This technology is new for many of us, and we’re now inspired to complete AI-related certifications and work on personal projects to stay ahead in the field!

Networking

Another standout aspect of the event was the chance to network and engage with like-minded professionals. It was inspiring to exchange ideas, gain diverse perspectives on industry trends, and connect on both professional and personal levels. Team-building activities and events allowed people to get to know each other better, fostering a sense of camaraderie and fun and creating so many memorable moments. The art of socialising was learned and appreciated, making the overall experience even more enriching. re:Invent is well-suited for introverts, extroverts, and everyone in between, offering a detailed and meticulously planned networking experience.    From formal to informal gatherings, all provided the perfect environment to foster connections with colleagues and peers and strengthen relations.

Thanks for the opportunity

AWS re:Invent is an amazing opportunity provided by Versent, which leaves a lasting impression.  We are deeply grateful to Versent for this opportunity, so massive thanks & kudos to everyone behind the scenes for making it all happen!

The event’s scale, organisation, depth of learning and networking opportunities make it a standout experience in the tech industry.  For anyone thinking of applying for next year, the message is clear: you will not regret it, so keep applying!  The experience is well worth the effort, and the sense of completion and achievement is profound.  We are excited to explore how to implement these learnings to elevate how we present our solutions in the market.