How to re:Invent, Episode 4 - Packing and Survival Tricks

In the fourth and final episode of How to re:Invent, I will go into final packing advice and ways to survive the week on-site, and how to get the most out of it.

First of all, I would recommend that you read Episode 1 about Vegas, as it does cover some important aspects of Vegas, like how to get from the airport, how to avoid getting scammed, and many more tricks related to Vegas. I will bring some back in this episode but far from everything.

Let's start with something that is important to know, that will influence what you pack.

Getting Around

It doesn't matter if you use the shuttle, monorail, or ride share, you will still walk a lot. The different venues are massive and walking just between sessions will pack a good amount of steps. If you are like me, and prefer walking over the shuttle, then 30k steps per day is nothing strange.

When we look at the map of the campus from The re:Invent Page

If you would follow the red path, that is an 1-hour walk of 1.6km / 2.6 miles.

Besides walking, your options would be:

Shuttle

AWS provides a free shuttle service that runs between the different venues. This is a good option if you don't feel like walking. The shuttle times will be clearly displayed in the re:Invent app and at each venue. Make sure to check before you board, sometimes walking is faster.

Monorail

There is a monorail that runs between MGM Grand and Sahara. AWS does offer, at the time of writing, free rides between MGM Grand and The Linq station.

For any changes in the services that AWS provides during re:Invent, make sure to check out re:Invent Transportation

Weather

How is the November/December weather in Vegas? I would say very unpredictable! I have seen everything from snow to very warm weather. Though mornings and evenings can be chilly and go as low as 5-10°C (40-50°F), and in the afternoon, it can easily reach 25°C (75°F) in the sun. A light jacket can be a good idea, together with the re:Invent hoodie it should have you covered. But it all depends on where you are from; being from Sweden, 15°C (60°F) is perfect t-shirt weather. I'm sure people from warmer places do not agree with that statement, though.

Being in the Desert

It's important to never forget that Vegas is located in the middle of the Nevada desert. That means that the humidity is around 25%, which is very dry air. This hits me hard every year; my skin is dry, my lips get dry, and my airways suffer. One of the best pieces of advice on how to beat that comes from my Fellow AWS Hero Monica Colangelo to rent or buy a humidifier for your room. This advice comes from the amazing The re:Invent Queens’ Guide: Tips You Should Know Before Landing in Vegas created by the fantastic Suzana Melo

It's also important to drink plenty of water, but I also make sure to include electrolytes to help the body make use of the water.

Buying Snacks and Water

You could buy your water or snacks in the hotel convenience store, you could, but you shouldn't. They are always overpriced and the latest Vegas attraction is that several of them use dynamic pricing. Making items even more expensive during periods of high demand. You should also stay away from the hotel minibar; this is where you will get ripped off! There is a story from this summer about how a guest was charged $26 for a bottle of water from the minibar in Aria.

Instead, go to CVS, Target, Walgreens, or ABC; they are located at several locations along The Strip. The ABC stores are known for having the best prices, but it varies, so make sure to compare. I normally buy a stack of snacks and water early in the week so I have that throughout my stay.

Packing Tips

With that short introduction to some of the Vegas and re:Invent quirks, let's dig deep into the packing advice. Just remember, this is what I pack to survive; you might, of course, not need it. Still, I think these are some solid pieces of advice from someone who has walked the re:Invent paths almost 10 times now.

Shoes

We kick off the advice with the number 1 thing to bring: comfortable and great walking shoes. As mentioned, I can easily walk 30k steps per day; doing that in uncomfortable shoes will be a nightmare. For all the women reading this, leave the heels at home; trust me, you will not need them.

I always bring more than one pair, normally I pack 3 or 4 pairs. What this does is that I can rotate shoes every day and my feet thank me. One of the pairs is always a pair of black comfortable sneakers; those are great if you get invited to a fancier dinner or party.

Lip Balm and Moisturizer

This I can't survive without! I always pack a large bottle of moisturizer, and it's always empty when I go home. That can be because my skin tends to get very dry very easily, but for sure bring it. There are so many different lip balms on the market; bring whatever works for you and your lips, just make sure to bring it.

Electrolytes

I pack and bring some form of electrolytes to help with hydration, both from the dry air but also a bit too much partying....

Reusable Water Bottle

Now, this is not something I pack and bring. As there has always been a water bottle included in the re:Invent swag kit. I bring it up to remind you all to use it! There are water stations throughout the venues; just carry the bottle with you and refill it. Perfect to add your electrolytes in as well.

Coffee Travel Cup

I can't stand the paper cups that most coffee is served in, so I bring my own thermos travel cup that I can get coffee in. The cup I have also has a built-in French press, which means I can brew my own coffee in my room every morning. Which for a coffeeholic like me, is a lifesaver!

Antibacterial Hand Sanitizing Wipes

This! Together with hand sanitizing spray/gel is something I always carry with me. Clean hands are one of the best ways to stay healthy and avoid the dreadful conference cold. Pack extra and share with friends!

Hoodie and Jacket

The re:Invent swag pack normally includes a hoodie. I bring an additional one so I can alternate, and to be honest, nothing beats the 2016 hoodie with a zip pocket! Besides that hoodie, I bring a light jacket that can withstand wind in a good way. I have found that the wind during outdoor events like re:Play is what makes me the most cold.

Earplugs

What? I can hear you? Exactly! Casinos are loud, venues are loud, the expo is loud, re:Play is loud. It feels like everything in Vegas is just a bit louder than normal. And that's why I always bring my earplugs. I bring a pair of heavy-duty concert plugs for re:Play and more conversation types for everything else. You can bring any type of earplugs; I use the Loop Earplugs as I feel that they are very comfortable and come in a great carrying case that I can put on my lanyard.

Travel Adapter, Power Bank, and Charging Cords

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked to borrow a charging cable, power bank, or travel adapter, I would be rich by now. So before you leave home, double-check that you got your adapter, if you live outside of the US, that is, and your charging cable. Running out of battery mid-day during re:Invent is not fun, and the number of outlets is not that many. You will always see that person sitting on the floor hogging a wall outlet. Other advice around this is to put your phone on power-saving mode.

Don't Fill Your Bag

Leave room in your bag for swag 😎

Quick Packing Checklist

• 🥿 Comfortable shoes (2–3 pairs)
• 🧴 Moisturizer + lip balm
• 💧 Electrolytes + reusable water bottle
• ☕️ Coffee travel mug
• 🧼 Hand sanitizer + wipes
• 🧥 Hoodie + light jacket
• 🎧 Earplugs (Loop or similar)
• 🔌 Travel adapter + power bank + cables
• 🎒 Extra space in your bag for swag

Prepare Your Devices

A bit of tech prep goes a long way:

• Update your laptop and phone before traveling; no forced reboots mid-session.
• Download the re:Invent app and sync your schedule early.
• Add session room numbers and shuttle stops to your calendar with alerts.

My Survival Tips

These are my planning and survival tips for the week on-site in Vegas; it's a marathon and not a sprint.

Eat and Relax

Starting off with food and breaks. The first couple of years, I was really good at taking breaks and not packing my schedule. I had lunch every day, sat down with strangers, and had a good chat. Then around year 3-4, I started to instead pack my schedule to cram as many sessions as possible; it was also around this time they started with take-away boxes for lunch. I can tell you, a big mistake from my side! So don't be like young me and skip food and breaks; don't pack your days! You need the energy to absorb all new learning!

I recommend a good breakfast, sit down for lunch, and at least one break in the afternoon, grab a coffee and a snack!

I have a really good story about what taking breaks can lead to. My very first re:Invent in 2016, I was really new to AWS; we started building our project at the end of 2015. Our solution included the long-lost service CloudSearch, and we had some problems with it. Me and my colleague had lunch in the main lunch area at Venetian, which is an experience of its own; it's huge. We sat down with a stranger at a table and started chatting. Turns out he was the PM and original engineer that built CloudSearch, and all our problems got solved there at that lunch table!

Why do I tell you that? You never know who you will meet if you just slow down, have lunch, and join strangers at re:Invent.

Breakfast

Buffet-style breakfast with different cold and hot options; it's decent but not anything fancy.

Time: ⏱️ Served Monday to Friday 07:00 - 09:00 AM with an exception for Tuesday when it's served 06:30 - 08:30 AM, due to the keynote. Venues: 📍 Caesars Forum, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, The Venetian, Wynn

Lunch

Same as breakfast, this is a buffet-style serving. The lunch is also great but not fancy; they serve different things every day like pasta or tacos. One tip that I have around lunch is that the different venues serve different food, and I find it interesting to try the lunch in a different venue every day.

Time: ⏱️ Served Monday to Thursday 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Venues: 📍 Caesars Forum, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, The Venetian, Wynn

Afternoon Coffee & Lounges

Plan for breaks, go outside, breathe some fresh air, and recharge. If you’re certified, visit the Certification Lounge — comfy seating, espresso machines, snacks, and a quiet space. There are also Builder Lounges and Community Lounges where you can meet other attendees (and AWS Heroes). Breaks are important, and often you meet the most fun people in these areas!

Be on Time

Vegas and re:Invent don't wait for anyone! Be on time! I don't think I can stress this enough! Be on time! Sessions will start on time, and if you are not there, you might not get in.

If you have reserved a seat for a session, you must be in the room and scanned in 10 minutes before the session starts. I have seen people arriving to the reserved seating line 11 minutes before start, and when they get up front, being told sorry since they were not scanned in 10 minutes before. So be there on time!

Visit the Expo Early

The Expo is a massive area with hundreds of vendors and sponsors showing off their products and services. It can be overwhelming to visit it all, so my best advice is to visit it early in the week, preferably Tuesday. The Expo opens up at 4:00 PM on Monday, with the Welcome Reception. If you plan to have real vendor conversations, do it before everyone’s tired.

I know swag can be fun, but I would recommend only grab swag you’ll actually use — be kind to the environment 🌍

Sleep

Sleep beats FOMO every time.

I know this can sound boring, but sleep does matter. Sleep beats FOMO all the time. I'm the worst person to give this advice, or maybe the perfect person, as I always get too little sleep every year, and in the end of the week, I'm exhausted. So, don't be like me, get your normal hours of sleep. If you travel from outside of North America, jet lag will probably also impact you.

Don't Skip After-Hour Events

After-hour events are a great way to network, learn new things, and have fun. AWS hosts several evening events like the Welcome Reception (Monday) and Networking Receptions (Tuesday & Wednesday). Sponsors and vendors also arrange a ton of parties that you can attend to get free food and drinks; find them at Conference Parties.

But be reasonable, remember.... sleep 😉

rePlay

On Thursday night, re:Invent goes out with a bang with the legendary re:Play party. On the main stage, you will have some of the best DJs in the world; if you like dancing, this is the place to be. There are free food and drinks during the party; the lines can sometimes be very long.

The party will be outside at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds; it can be very chilly, so dress accordingly.

Bring your hoodie, jacket, and those earplugs again!

Shuttle buses go from the venues to the party, or you can take the monorail. I normally grab the monorail (AWS often covers monorail fares).

Summary of What to Expect Day by Day

• Sunday: Registration opens
• Monday: Registration, Expo opens, Welcome Reception
• Tuesday: Keynotes, sessions, evening networking events
• Wednesday: Deep-dive sessions, community meetups
• Thursday: Sessions + re:Play party
• Friday: Final sessions, recovery, brunch, and travel day

Final Words

This was the fourth and final episode in “How to re:Invent.” I hope this guide helps you prepare, pack smart, and truly enjoy the week.

After nearly a decade of attending, I’ve learned that re:Invent isn’t just about sessions or announcements; it’s about connecting, sharing stories, and walking away inspired to build something new.

So pack smart, stay hydrated, take breaks, and remember: it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

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

As Werner says: Now go build!