Reflections on another re:Invent from an AWS Hero
One of the most incredible parts of re:Invent is the Community Lounge at Buddy V’s. It’s a vibrant hub for AWS Community Builders and AWS Heroes, offering a unique space to network, share ideas, and strengthen friendships.
This year, the Lounge was buzzing with excitement, and for good reason! We had internal talks organised by the Believe In Serverless community, which were absolutely fantastic. Huge kudos to Farrah Campbell and Taylor Jacobsen, who somehow pull off this masterpiece every year. Seeing so many familiar and new faces, all united by their passion for AWS, is a reminder of why the community is at the heart of everything we do.
The highlight of re:Invent for me? Without question, Werner Vogels’ keynote. When the Amazon CTO declared, “Listen to the Heroes” it was a proud moment for our community.
His emphasis on reaching out to the 257 global AWS Heroes for advice and expertise resonated deeply.
It’s an honour to represent England as the only AWS Serverless Hero north of London. The keynote also struck a balance — yes, AI remains a hot topic, but AWS reminded us of their commitment to core services with announcements like Amazon Aurora DSQL. It’s great to see AWS continuing to innovate where it matters most.
Re:Invent is as much about people as it is about technology. At Chica’s, I had the pleasure of dining with friends old and new, including Luca Mezzalira, Barney Brown, Matt Meckes, Mark Sailes, Ran Isenberg, Allen Helton, and Andres Moreno.
The table buzzed with discussions about complex patterns, solution architectures, and of course, web sockets with Allen at the table! These moments remind me how re:Invent fosters not just technical learning but lifelong connections.
This year also marked a milestone: the 10th anniversary of Amazon ECS and AWS Lambda. The celebratory meal was a gathering of around 100 people, spanning Heroes, service team members, and advocates. During the meal I was also given two of these cuddlies which are now firmly on my daughters' beds!
Sitting alongside Kristi Perault, Matt Coulter, Eric Johnson, and Joshua Kahn was a highlight. Conversations spanned everything from serverless GTM to future directions for AWS. It’s evenings like this that embody the spirit of re:Invent — a celebration of collaboration and shared purpose.
What’s a re:Invent experience without the legendary Believe in Serverless party at Omnia nightclub?
Hosted by Momento, this annual event has become a cornerstone of the week — a chance to unwind, connect, and celebrate the vibrant serverless community. From the stunning venue to the sheer energy of the crowd (along with flashing green hats and necklaces), it’s a tradition that captures the magic of re:Invent.
Being an AWS Serverless Hero is an incredible privilege. One that I take very seriously. And re:Invent is a reminder of the opportunities it brings: meeting peers, discussing new features with service teams, and representing my company, Leighton, in the global AWS ecosystem.
From the Community Lounge to the Believe in Serverless party, every moment at re:Invent reaffirms why I’m passionate about what I do — community. Here’s to another fantastic year and the friendships, innovations, and ideas it brings. Until next time, Las Vegas!
One of the most incredible parts of re:Invent is the Community Lounge at Buddy V’s. It’s a vibrant hub for AWS Community Builders and AWS Heroes, offering a unique space to network, share ideas, and strengthen friendships.
This year, the Lounge was buzzing with excitement, and for good reason! We had internal talks organised by the Believe In Serverless community, which were absolutely fantastic. Huge kudos to Farrah Campbell and Taylor Jacobsen, who somehow pull off this masterpiece every year. Seeing so many familiar and new faces, all united by their passion for AWS, is a reminder of why the community is at the heart of everything we do.
The highlight of re:Invent for me? Without question, Werner Vogels’ keynote. When the Amazon CTO declared, “Listen to the Heroes” it was a proud moment for our community.
His emphasis on reaching out to the 257 global AWS Heroes for advice and expertise resonated deeply.
It’s an honour to represent England as the only AWS Serverless Hero north of London. The keynote also struck a balance — yes, AI remains a hot topic, but AWS reminded us of their commitment to core services with announcements like Amazon Aurora DSQL. It’s great to see AWS continuing to innovate where it matters most.
Re:Invent is as much about people as it is about technology. At Chica’s, I had the pleasure of dining with friends old and new, including Luca Mezzalira, Barney Brown, Matt Meckes, Mark Sailes, Ran Isenberg, Allen Helton, and Andres Moreno.
The table buzzed with discussions about complex patterns, solution architectures, and of course, web sockets with Allen at the table! These moments remind me how re:Invent fosters not just technical learning but lifelong connections.
This year also marked a milestone: the 10th anniversary of Amazon ECS and AWS Lambda. The celebratory meal was a gathering of around 100 people, spanning Heroes, service team members, and advocates. During the meal I was also given two of these cuddlies which are now firmly on my daughters' beds!
Sitting alongside Kristi Perault, Matt Coulter, Eric Johnson, and Joshua Kahn was a highlight. Conversations spanned everything from serverless GTM to future directions for AWS. It’s evenings like this that embody the spirit of re:Invent — a celebration of collaboration and shared purpose.
What’s a re:Invent experience without the legendary Believe in Serverless party at Omnia nightclub?
Hosted by Momento, this annual event has become a cornerstone of the week — a chance to unwind, connect, and celebrate the vibrant serverless community. From the stunning venue to the sheer energy of the crowd (along with flashing green hats and necklaces), it’s a tradition that captures the magic of re:Invent.
Being an AWS Serverless Hero is an incredible privilege. One that I take very seriously. And re:Invent is a reminder of the opportunities it brings: meeting peers, discussing new features with service teams, and representing my company, Leighton, in the global AWS ecosystem.
From the Community Lounge to the Believe in Serverless party, every moment at re:Invent reaffirms why I’m passionate about what I do — community. Here’s to another fantastic year and the friendships, innovations, and ideas it brings. Until next time, Las Vegas!
One of the most incredible parts of re:Invent is the Community Lounge at Buddy V’s. It’s a vibrant hub for AWS Community Builders and AWS Heroes, offering a unique space to network, share ideas, and strengthen friendships.
This year, the Lounge was buzzing with excitement, and for good reason! We had internal talks organised by the Believe In Serverless community, which were absolutely fantastic. Huge kudos to Farrah Campbell and Taylor Jacobsen, who somehow pull off this masterpiece every year. Seeing so many familiar and new faces, all united by their passion for AWS, is a reminder of why the community is at the heart of everything we do.
The highlight of re:Invent for me? Without question, Werner Vogels’ keynote. When the Amazon CTO declared, “Listen to the Heroes” it was a proud moment for our community.
His emphasis on reaching out to the 257 global AWS Heroes for advice and expertise resonated deeply.
It’s an honour to represent England as the only AWS Serverless Hero north of London. The keynote also struck a balance — yes, AI remains a hot topic, but AWS reminded us of their commitment to core services with announcements like Amazon Aurora DSQL. It’s great to see AWS continuing to innovate where it matters most.
Re:Invent is as much about people as it is about technology. At Chica’s, I had the pleasure of dining with friends old and new, including Luca Mezzalira, Barney Brown, Matt Meckes, Mark Sailes, Ran Isenberg, Allen Helton, and Andres Moreno.
The table buzzed with discussions about complex patterns, solution architectures, and of course, web sockets with Allen at the table! These moments remind me how re:Invent fosters not just technical learning but lifelong connections.
This year also marked a milestone: the 10th anniversary of Amazon ECS and AWS Lambda. The celebratory meal was a gathering of around 100 people, spanning Heroes, service team members, and advocates. During the meal I was also given two of these cuddlies which are now firmly on my daughters' beds!
Sitting alongside Kristi Perault, Matt Coulter, Eric Johnson, and Joshua Kahn was a highlight. Conversations spanned everything from serverless GTM to future directions for AWS. It’s evenings like this that embody the spirit of re:Invent — a celebration of collaboration and shared purpose.
What’s a re:Invent experience without the legendary Believe in Serverless party at Omnia nightclub?
Hosted by Momento, this annual event has become a cornerstone of the week — a chance to unwind, connect, and celebrate the vibrant serverless community. From the stunning venue to the sheer energy of the crowd (along with flashing green hats and necklaces), it’s a tradition that captures the magic of re:Invent.
Being an AWS Serverless Hero is an incredible privilege. One that I take very seriously. And re:Invent is a reminder of the opportunities it brings: meeting peers, discussing new features with service teams, and representing my company, Leighton, in the global AWS ecosystem.
From the Community Lounge to the Believe in Serverless party, every moment at re:Invent reaffirms why I’m passionate about what I do — community. Here’s to another fantastic year and the friendships, innovations, and ideas it brings. Until next time, Las Vegas!
One of the most incredible parts of re:Invent is the Community Lounge at Buddy V’s. It’s a vibrant hub for AWS Community Builders and AWS Heroes, offering a unique space to network, share ideas, and strengthen friendships.
This year, the Lounge was buzzing with excitement, and for good reason! We had internal talks organised by the Believe In Serverless community, which were absolutely fantastic. Huge kudos to Farrah Campbell and Taylor Jacobsen, who somehow pull off this masterpiece every year. Seeing so many familiar and new faces, all united by their passion for AWS, is a reminder of why the community is at the heart of everything we do.
The highlight of re:Invent for me? Without question, Werner Vogels’ keynote. When the Amazon CTO declared, “Listen to the Heroes” it was a proud moment for our community.
His emphasis on reaching out to the 257 global AWS Heroes for advice and expertise resonated deeply.
It’s an honour to represent England as the only AWS Serverless Hero north of London. The keynote also struck a balance — yes, AI remains a hot topic, but AWS reminded us of their commitment to core services with announcements like Amazon Aurora DSQL. It’s great to see AWS continuing to innovate where it matters most.
Re:Invent is as much about people as it is about technology. At Chica’s, I had the pleasure of dining with friends old and new, including Luca Mezzalira, Barney Brown, Matt Meckes, Mark Sailes, Ran Isenberg, Allen Helton, and Andres Moreno.
The table buzzed with discussions about complex patterns, solution architectures, and of course, web sockets with Allen at the table! These moments remind me how re:Invent fosters not just technical learning but lifelong connections.
This year also marked a milestone: the 10th anniversary of Amazon ECS and AWS Lambda. The celebratory meal was a gathering of around 100 people, spanning Heroes, service team members, and advocates. During the meal I was also given two of these cuddlies which are now firmly on my daughters' beds!
Sitting alongside Kristi Perault, Matt Coulter, Eric Johnson, and Joshua Kahn was a highlight. Conversations spanned everything from serverless GTM to future directions for AWS. It’s evenings like this that embody the spirit of re:Invent — a celebration of collaboration and shared purpose.
What’s a re:Invent experience without the legendary Believe in Serverless party at Omnia nightclub?
Hosted by Momento, this annual event has become a cornerstone of the week — a chance to unwind, connect, and celebrate the vibrant serverless community. From the stunning venue to the sheer energy of the crowd (along with flashing green hats and necklaces), it’s a tradition that captures the magic of re:Invent.
Being an AWS Serverless Hero is an incredible privilege. One that I take very seriously. And re:Invent is a reminder of the opportunities it brings: meeting peers, discussing new features with service teams, and representing my company, Leighton, in the global AWS ecosystem.
From the Community Lounge to the Believe in Serverless party, every moment at re:Invent reaffirms why I’m passionate about what I do — community. Here’s to another fantastic year and the friendships, innovations, and ideas it brings. Until next time, Las Vegas!
