O.k. @AWSreInvent recommendations time! Not just talks, but tips! Let's start with CON362 - The Container Power hour with @jessfraz, @abbyfuller, and @clare_liguori. This talk will be a "where were you when" talk.
In ARC338, Distinguished Engineer @PeterVosshall is going to get into How AWS Minimizes the Blast Radius of Failures. I've seen the dry-runs, and this talk is talked with concepts that are going to blow your mind and be immediately useful.
In SRV325, the Leadership Session, @mndoci Ken Exner and David Richardson are diving into serverless, microservices, and devops. They each pioneered those things!!
In ARC335, Becky Weiss and David @dyanacek will be talking about how we manage resiliency! I hope they knock on wood.
In CMP207-L, Matt Garman is going to talk about EC2 and our newest offerings. I know what we're launching, and there's some awesome things coming. Then go to NET209-L, to hear @primitivetype speak about our network!
o.k., now tips! First: bring a water bottle, portable battery charger, comfortable shoes. Those are a must.
If you travel hand-luggage only and need to buy some toiletries, the CVS that's outside at the bottom of the Venetian bridge is the cheapest place with the quickest lines. Consider getting some unscented febreze if you don't like smoke odors from walking through casino floors.
If you need to get away from the crowds to recharge for 15 minutes, take a walk outside, but try to go East-West, not North South. Nobody walks along Sands Ave or Spring Mountain. Easy to take a breather.
If you want to want to connect with someone, don't exchange business cards, send an e-mail or message to one another, right there. Just a simple few words in the subject or body, enough to be searchable. A million times more effective than cardboard.
The re:Play party is awesome awesome, but consider carefully if your enjoyment can be improved by wearing comfortable shoes and/or ear-plugs. It is *big*, and *loud*.
Vegas is full of malls, but if you want to get some uniquely Vegas-y gifts to bring back to loved ones, the themed stores in the Venetian mall are best IMO. You can get used card decks and lots of other trinkets.
My last tip is to remember that re:Invent is incredibly stimulating and it's just too hard to make it 5 or 6 days in a row if you collapse into bed each night. Budget for 30 minutes of screen free time and do some stretching. It'll pay off!
