Big Conference, Big Ideas

Amazon Web Services’ re:Invent extravaganza at the Venetian Las Vegas is a window into innovations and trends that make for a singular event.

Anyone who’s ever organized and designed a conference knows  how hard it can be to attract and engage attendees. And as the events space grows more crowded and more complex, the task is only getting harder. That’s why some of the world’s biggest companies seek a true hospitality partner to help them think outside the box—and the hotel ballroom.

Take Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) popular conference, re:Invent. In 2016, AWS hosted around 32,000 attendees across five days at the Venetian Las Vegas and the resort’s adjoining conference facilities.As the five-year-old conference has grown by leaps and bounds, re:Invent has tapped the Venetian’s expertise, working hand in hand to achieve the sort of creativity and innovation that has established re:Invent as a model event.

“We’re experts at serving and entertaining people,” says Chandra Allison, senior vice president of sales for the Venetian and the Palazzo. “And we have a lot to work with—luxury hotels, retail, dining and entertainment, meeting and convention facilities—all in one place.

We’re passionate about understanding our partners’ objectives, then  utilizing our amenities to bring them to life in new and creative ways.”

According to Ariel Kelman, vice president of worldwide marketing at AWS, the conference uses the Venetian and the adjoining Palazzo as a “blank canvas,” creating shareable experiences that today’s attendees demand.

“We really pride ourselves on making re:Invent not only a great learning environment and experience for attendees,” says Kelman, “but also a place to network, have fun, and collaborate with their peers.”

Here, Kelman discusses the most compelling conference trends and how AWS is using them to raise the bar on their own event.