How to re:Invent, Episode 3 - Reserved Seating

In the third episode, I'll look deeper into reserved seating, what it is, how it works, and how to prepare for it.

Getting a seat in the sessions you like is crucial for a successful re:Invent. Standing in line for sessions can be a waste of time.

Recap Episode 1 and 2

Before we dive deep into the actual ins and outs of reserved seating, we need to do a short recap of episodes 1 and 2.

Campus

First of all, the campus! If this is your first re:Invent, it can be hard to understand and grasp the size of the re:Invent campus. Walking from Mandalay Bay in the south to Wynn/Encore in the north is easily a 90-minute walk or a 30-minute bus ride, depending on traffic. So moving back and forth between these venues is not feasible. My biggest advice to you is to stick to one venue. If your favorite session for the day is at Mandalay Bay, stay there the full day.

Maps of the campus are available on the re:Invent webpage.

There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, and that is moving between the north-end venues: Venetian, Caesars Forum, and Wynn/Encore. Venetian and Caesars Forum are connected with a walkway going from the expo, and Venetian is connected with Wynn/Encore with a walkway as well. So a move between Venetian and Caesars Forum can be made in 15-20 minutes, for example.

Breakout Sessions vs Other Types

There are several different types of sessions at re:Invent. The most common type is breakout sessions, but there are also Chalk Talks, Code Talks, Lightning Talks, Workshops, and Builders’ Sessions. Each type has its own characteristics and purpose.

When planning your week, there is one important thing to remember. Most Breakout Sessions are recorded and will be published so you can watch them later. Now, I'm not saying that you should not attend Breakout Sessions. I really enjoy these as well, and sometimes I don't want to be interactive, which is more or less required in most other types.

Please do remember that Chalk Talks and Code Talks are more or less driven by the audience. The success of these sessions depends on the activity of the audience, asking questions, and discussing. So going to one of these sessions with the attitude "I will sit in the back and just listen," well, maybe that session is not for you.

Now! If you ever end up in a position where you are choosing between a Breakout Session and a Chalk Talk, I will always prioritize the Chalk Talk, as this is not recorded!

For Workshops and Builders’ Sessions, remember that you MUST bring your own laptop.

Keynotes

There are five keynotes happening during the week. I would say that you should attend at least one keynote in person. The big difference between Keynotes and other sessions, in the aspect of reserved seating, is that Keynotes are walk-up only. First come, first served. So if you like to attend a Keynote, you will have to line up.

Prepare for Reserved Seating

First of all, you need to create your plan for the week. Hopefully, by now, you have your favorite sessions worked out. If not, make sure to read the second episode How to re:Invent, Episode 2 - Session Planning.

With day, time, and venue now available for sessions, it's time to refine the plan. This is my process: first of all, I pick my top must-see session every day and lock that in. After that, I start to add sessions around it, taking venue, transportation, and breaks for food and rest into mind. Always a minimum of 30 minutes between sessions and never more than 4 sessions per day. If you like to stretch it, you can do 5, but don't try to overdo it.

The last step is to find backup sessions. For each session, I always have one backup session, in case I don't manage to reserve my first choice.

When this is done, I'm ready for the opening of reserved seating.

Reserve Your Seat

Time to reserve the seat! This will be done via the Event catalog.

For each session, there will be a Reserve button. If a session is full, this button normally becomes disabled and a text like Session full or Only walk-up available will be shown.

Reserve seating will open at a specific time. I always make sure I have logged into the Event catalog prior to that. There will be so many people accessing the portal at once that preparing by logging in and opening it up prior to that is good.

This year, reserve seating opens up on October 14th.

Before it opens, I have created a text file with all the IDs of the sessions I like to see, in the order of importance to me. Starting with the most important and then moving down. Why do I do this? Then I can copy & paste and search for sessions and just reserve them fast.

You must be fast when it opens. The most popular sessions are full within minutes, so if you are not ready and prepared when it opens, you will probably not get the sessions you like.

If you follow my steps above, I would say you are prepared for everything!

Good luck!

Final Words

This was the third episode in "How to re:Invent." Stay tuned for more episodes on parties, re:Invent in general, and final packing advice!

See you all in Vegas! Send me a message on LinkedIn if you like to meet up!

Don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn for more content, and read the rest of my Blogs.

As Werner says! Now Go Build!