5 Ways to maximize AWS re:invent as an ABW Grantee

Congratulations to all the All Builders Welcome (ABW) grantees for this year’s AWS re:invent. Two of my mentees got the grant this year, and I’m super excited for them. For context, All Builders Welcome (ABW) grants is a program developed by AWS to provide assistance to the underrepresented groups in tech who are less than 5 years into their tech career journey, with the aim of fostering diversity and inclusion. The grant covers free re:Invent entry ticket that is worth $1,799, Airfare to Las Vegas, accommodation during the conference, 1 free voucher for AWS certification exam, and access to over 100 re:Invent contents - Keynotes and Leadership sessions, Technical workshops, and many other fun activities.

As a former ABW grantee, I can tell that this year grantees will have a lot of questions about how to make the most of this largest annual tech gathering. Well, I’ve got your back! I hope these few tips would be helpful to you as you plan ahead of your trip to Las Vegas in the last week of November.

1. Create re:Invent action plan.
   Before the event, take advantage of the power of LinkedIn. Be active on LinkedIn and Twitter to know who will be attending the event in your network. You can send them a DM If you would like to connect with them at the event. After you have reached out to some folks in your network, make a list of those people you’ve connected with and people you want to meet. Review your list. Categorise the people on your list in 2 groups: “Must Meet” and “Nice to Meet”.

2. Travel light.
   Yes, this is very important as you are packing your luggage. One thing to note is that Las Vegas is warm and not as cold as some other states in the US around this time of the year. So, you don’t need to pack a lot of bulky clothes. And remember to make room for swags. I’m sure the ABW team will emphasize this during their info session for the grantees.

3. When you arrive at the re:Invent, be your authentic self. Don't fake it. You might be standing in line for registration with your future hiring manager or CEO. So, be generous, and look for ways to strike up a conversation even while in line to grab your conference tag or food.

4. Show up early. This is the best time for you to connect with the organizers - ABW team, guests speakers and sponsors. Also, there might be some surprise gifts for people that get to those sessions early (keep it a secret 🤫)

5. Strategically position yourself for people to connect with you. You should ensure that you are standing next to the food and drinks table. People tend to be more relaxed and willing to connect when they have food or a drink in hand.

After all of this networking extravaganza, the only thing that will make the effort worth it is making sure that you follow up. I prefer LinkedIn messages because most people are probably overwhelmed with the hundreds of emails in their inbox already. If the people you connected with make a post about their experience at the re:Invent, make sure to comment and engage with their content. This will help you build your personal brand as well.

Finally, I would recommend that you try to register for Chalk Talk sessions and other reserved sessions that’s open to ABW grantees. I found Chalk Talk sessions the most educational. Overall, don’t try to do too much. Learn as much as you can, have as much fun as you can, and rest as much as you can.