On Thursday, June 15th, our team embarked on an exciting adventure to the AWS Summit in Madrid. While many of our colleagues had attended previous AWS Summits, both David and I were attending for the first time. With a flight scheduled for 7 a.m., we all gathered at the airport Starbucks after passing through security to fuel up with some much-needed coffee. There's nothing like starting the day with a cup of coffee in good company!
The Journey and Arrival in Madrid:
After enjoying our coffee, we proceeded to the boarding gate and flew to Madrid. The flight lasted approximately one hour, and time flew by quickly as we engaged in conversations and felt the excitement building up. Upon arrival at Barajas Airport, we requested a Cabify ride for the six members of our team. Some of us ended up sitting backwards, which caused a bit more motion sickness than usual, but after a brief 15-minute ride, we arrived at the IFEMA Convention Center, the venue for the event.
Immersed at the Summit:
Once we reached the venue, we were amazed by the large number of people eagerly gathering for the AWS Summit. Following the directions, we made our way to Pavilion 10 out of the twelve within the complex. Upon entering, we received our general attendee cards, which granted us free movement throughout the venue and access to all the activities.
Keynote and Thematic Tracks:
The day kicked off at 9 a.m. with a welcoming ceremony, where we were served a delicious breakfast that included a variety of pastries such as croissants, chocolate muffins, filled donuts, Berliners, along with juices, and of course, coffee. We certainly needed that energy boost! (Insert a joke here).
Next, at 10 a.m., the Keynote began, with Miguel Álaba, Managing Director of AWS Iberia, highlighting the significance of AWS in companies and its support for digital transformation in our country. Following that, Diego Pantoja-Navajas, VP of AWS Supply Chain, presented the latest AWS functionalities, and a representative from BBVA took the stage to explain how AWS is driving digital transformation in the banking sector, using their own case as an example.
After the Keynote, at 11:30 a.m., we divided into different thematic tracks. Some of us chose the more technical tracks, such as AI/ML, data, architecture, DevOps, developer technologies, and AWS fundamentals. Personally, I attended sessions on AI/ML, DevOps, and AWS fundamentals. One of the standout sessions was on optimizing DevOps strategies with AWS CodeCatalyst, a unified software that enhances team productivity. I also attended a conference that delved into the latest features of Amazon EC2 with Ravenpack, and how to build cost-efficient Kubernetes infrastructure, using Ryanair as a case study.
Interaction and Learning:
After the morning sessions, we headed to the dining area around 2:25 p.m. Though there were queues for drinks and food, we eventually managed to have lunch and discuss our impressions of the presentations so far.
At 3:25 p.m., we returned to the sessions. In my case, I attended a conference on implementing security fundamentals and verifying the resilience of architecture based on the technical and business requirements of each application, within the AWS fundamentals track. The conferences were so fruitful that our colleague, Arnau Oller, had the opportunity to ask an expert how to design the architecture for the Client X project and received a proposed architecture.
The presentations continued, but it was time to think about our return. At 5 p.m., we gathered at the entrance of the pavilion to head back to the airport.
Return Journey:
Upon reaching the airport, we still had some time before boarding, so we sat in a bar, chatting about various topics. At 7:30 p.m., we finally boarded the plane, which took off at 8 p.m. Approximately at 9:15 p.m., we landed back in Barcelona. At that point, we bid farewell to our colleagues and headed home.
Conclusions:
Our journey to the AWS Summit in Madrid was an unforgettable experience. From the vibrant event atmosphere to the valuable presentations and workshops, we returned with a clearer vision of how AWS is revolutionizing the business world and how we can apply these innovations to our own work. It was a great opportunity to learn, establish connections, and share knowledge with experts and professionals in the industry.
Undoubtedly, the AWS Summit in Madrid reaffirmed our belief that AWS cloud services will continue to drive digital transformation in our companies, opening new opportunities for growth and innovation.
Final Note: We would like to express our gratitude to the entire TradeHeader team for giving us the opportunity to attend an exceptional event and providing us with an enriching experience. It has not been easy as we have had to leave projects, meetings and tasks on hold for a day, but it has been totally worth it. We are excited to implement everything we have learned and eagerly look forward to future AWS events as we continue our journey towards cloud innovation.
Sincerely yours
The TradeHeader Developer Team
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