AWS Partner Network (APN) Blog

On the Ground: Daily Updates from Global Partner Summit 2018

GPS 2018-1We are thrilled to be in Las Vegas for AWS re:Invent 2018 and our annual Global Partner Summit.

This year’s conference provides AWS Partner Network (APN) Partners with opportunities to connect, collaborate, and discover.

APN Partners from across the globe are here and busy attending breakout sessions, chalk talks, and hands-on training to learn how AWS and the APN program can help build and grow your business.

Interested in learning more? We’ll be diving into all of the APN program launches announced at re:Invent on December 11 for the “Inside the APN: re:Invent Edition” webinar. Register here >>

Daily Update for Thursday, Nov. 29

Amazon Web Services Chief Technology Officer Dr. Werner Vogels delivered his annual re:Invent keynote, diving deep on new AWS services at the state of cloud computing in 2019.

Check out the AWS News Blog for all the latest announcements >>

Top 3 Things That Happened Today

  1. Dr. Werner Vogels Keynote: Werner announced new AWS services such as the Well-Architected Tool, Amazon Managed Services for Kafka, and a slew of new AWS Lambda features.
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  2. Datadog-reInventSponsor Booths at the Expo: The Expo at The Venetian hosted the AWS Village, Developer Lounge, Builders Fair, sponsor booths, and content theaters.
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    Special thanks to all of our APN Partners who participated in the Expo and spent time connecting with AWS customers.AWS Competency Partner Datadog was named the “Sponsor of the Year” at re:Invent. Congratulations, Datadog!
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  3. re:Play Party: Not just an EDM concert and interactive extravaganza, the popular re:Play party is the ultimate playground for those of us who didn’t get the memo that grown-ups don’t play.
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    The events is 8 – 12 p.m. at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. More info here >>

Last Chance for AWS Certifications at re:Invent

If your organization needs additional certifications to qualify for the next APN Partner Tier, or your staff wants to take that next step on their AWS Cloud journey, Friday is the last day to take onsite AWS Certification exams at re:Invent.

Earning an AWS Certification helps you demonstrate your deep technical skills and expertise to design, deploy, and operate applications and infrastructure on AWS.

Register for AWS Certification exams >>

AWS Innovate – re:Invent Recap Edition

Join us December 4 at AWS Innovate, re:Invent Recap Edition.

This is a free online conference providing a complete wrap-up of AWS re:Invent 2018 keynotes, sessions, and launches. With content tailored specifically for APN Partners, you’ll hear the very latest from the Global Partner Summit, including information on how to leverage AWS technologies to serve your customers, and how the APN Program can help you build and grow your business on AWS.

Register for AWS Innovate, re:Invent Recap Edition >>

Daily Update for Wednesday, Nov. 28

Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy delivered the AWS re:Invent keynote and introduced new AWS services such as Amazon FSx, AWS DeepRacer, and AWS Managed Blockchain.

Top 3 Things That Happened Today

  1. Andy Jassy Keynote: Andy’s keynote was full of AWS business updates, service launches, and announcements. You can watch the full keynote blow, or read the AWS News Blog for the full details on today’s big updates.
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    Watch Andy’s keynote on YouTube >>
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  2. reinvent photoshoot“The Next Smart” Photoshoot: APN Partners who are employed by a company with an AWS Competency or AWS Managed Service Provider (MSP) designation have been stopping by the APN Booth in the Sands Expo (#2547) and participating in our “Next Smart Photoshoot.”
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    Participation in our photoshoot is simple:

    • AWS Competency and MSP Partners can visit the APN Booth #2547 in the Sands Expo during operating business hours.
    • We have a professional photographer onsite to take a side profile headshot to match “The Next Smart” ad campaign look-and-feel. We’ll collect your email address and ensure you get your own high-resolution copy of the photo.
    • A few weeks after re:Invent, we’ll send you the photo along with further instructions on how to build a personalized marketing asset via APN Marketing Central to help your organization build demand for their vetted, validated, and verified solutions on AWS.
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  3. APN Partner Sponsor Booths: There are a lot of APN Partners attending re:Invent, and this is always a great chance to reconnect with contacts and make new connections. Be sure to visit the sponsor booths at the Sands and Aria Expos to network and learn about APN Partners’ business solutions.
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    AWS Competency and MSP Partners will be highlighted with these designations at their respective booths. See all the re:Invent sponsors >>

Don’t Miss These Events on Thursday

Dr. Werner Vogels Keynote

Amazon Chief Technology Officer Dr. Werner Vogels will deliver his annual keynote on Thursday, exploring new AWS services and the state of cloud computing in 2019.

Remember that you can sign up for re:Invent keynote livestreams here >>

GPS Sessions to Attend

Check out great sessions like these at Global Partner Summit on Thursday:

  • 9 Ways to Win Business & Earn Customer Trust (GPSBUS209)
  • How Peak.ai Uses Amazon SageMaker for Product Personalization (GPSTEC316)
  • Foundations of Building Meaningful Customer Datasets (GPSCT405)
  • How Partners Use AWS IoT Services & Edge Compute to Grow (GPSTEC318)
  • Architecting a Real-World Microservices Architecture & DevOps Strategy on AWS (GPSCT404)

Check out all the Global Partner Summit breakout sessions >>

re:Play Party

Not just an EDM concert and interactive extravaganza, the re:Play party is the ultimate playground for those of us who didn’t get the memo that grown-ups don’t play.

The events is 8 – 12 p.m. at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. More info here >>

Daily Update for Tuesday, Nov. 27

The APN hosted our annual Global Partner Summit keynote today at The Venetian. The keynote was emceed by Terry Wise, Vice President, Global Alliances and Channels, AWS.

Terry announced a host of new APN Programs and updates, and you can check out all the new announcements in our GPS keynote recap >>

Announcements at the GPS keynote include:

Terry Wise_Global Partner Summit

Terry welcomed several AWS customers and APN Partners on stage to discuss their cloud journey. Special thanks to Pebbles Sy-Manalang, CIO at Globe Telecom; Bernd Heinemann, Board Member at Allianz; Ramin Sayar, President & CEO at Sumo Logic; and (pictured above) Brad Jackson, CEO at Slalom Consulting.

Top 3 Things That Happened Today

  1. APN Program Changes: One of the key announcements we made during the GPS keynote was a set of updates to the overall APN program that will recognize and support the growth, investment, and innovation of our evolving APN Partner community, and better align APN Partners to more structured program benefits.
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    Learn more about the changes to APN tiers, benefits, and requirements >>
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  2. New Programs for APN Consulting Partners: We announced an exciting set of new APN Programs that will help Consulting Partners grow their practice on AWS. Learn more about the new programs here:

  3. New Programs for APN Technology Partners: We have launched two new APN Programs for Technology Partners, and you can dive deep on each program here:

Don’t Miss These Events on Wednesday

Andy Jassy Keynote

Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy’s keynote highlights Wednesday’s slate of events. Be sure to arrive at The Venetian early to get a good seat, and hear about the major AWS services launches for 2019.

Don’t forget that you can sign up for re:Invent keynote livestreams here.

Check out “The Next Smart” Photoshoot

If you’re employed by a company with an AWS Competency or AWS MSP designation, you can stop by the APN Booth in the Sands Expo (#2547) and participate in our “Next Smart Photoshoot.”

Participation in our photoshoot is simple:

  • AWS Competency and MSP Partners can visit the APN Booth #2547 in the Sands Expo during operating business hours.
  • We have a professional photographer onsite to take a side profile headshot to match “The Next Smart” ad campaign look-and-feel. We’ll collect your email address and ensure you get your own high-resolution copy of the photo.
  • A few weeks after re:Invent, we’ll send you the photo along with further instructions on how to build a personalized marketing asset via APN Marketing Central to help your organization build demand for their vetted, validated, and verified solutions on AWS.

GPS Sessions to Attend

Check out great sessions like these at Global Partner Summit on Wednesday:

  • APN Programs to Maximize Customer Opportunities with AWS Sales Teams (GPSBUS210)
  • Build Business-Ready Blockchains with Intelligence (GPSTEC319)
  • Drive Customer Value with Data-Driven Decisions (GPSBUS206)
  • Safeguard the Integrity of Your Code for Fast and Secure Deployments (DEV349-R1)
  • Tapping into Enterprise Workloads: SAP, VMware & Microsoft (GPSBUS204)

Check out all the Global Partner Summit breakout sessions >>

AWS Navigate Launches 3 New Tracks

The AWS Navigate Program provides a prescriptive path for APN Partners to build a specialized practice on AWS. Our Navigate tracks offer APN Partners the guidance they need to become AWS experts and deploy innovative solutions on behalf of AWS customers.

At the GPS keynote today, we announced three new AWS Navigate tracks:

Based on high demand from our APN Partners, we developed the AWS Navigate Program to help APN Partners become successful in their business differentiation journey on AWS. You can take these tracks today and start building a specialized practice in each area.

See all the AWS Navigate tracks available to APN Partners >>

Daily Update for Monday, Nov. 26

AWS re:Invent is all sold out, and it was an action-packed first day with AWS Certification exams, hands-on labs, bootcamps, breakout sessions, and more.

This year, Global Partner Summit sessions are taking place throughout the week across the entire re:Invent campus. Tuesday morning’s GPS keynote will be held at The Venetian, while breakout sessions are at Aria, Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mirage, and The Venetian.

Check out the full agenda of GPS sessions if you’re still trying to build your schedule. Some GPS sessions have capacity, but be sure to arrive early!

Top 3 Things That Happened Today

  1. APN Partner Booth: The APN Booth opened today and is a great place for APN Partners to meet with AWS experts (including our new APN Ambassadors) and APN staff. We are excited to discuss how you can differentiate your business offerings through the APN program, integrate solutions with AWS, leverage APN co-marketing opportunities, and more.
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    The APN Booth is located at the Sands Expo (booth #2547). We’ll be here all week, so stop by after Tuesday’s Global Partner Summit to learn more about all the new announcements.
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  2. Partner Marketing Meetings: APN Partners are meeting with the AWS Partner Marketing Team to discuss the co-marketing programs that we offer. This includes Partner Demand Generation, APN Marketing Central, Integrated Partner Campaigns (IPCs), and Digital Marketing Services.
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    The AWS Sponsorship team is also on hand to help APN Partners learn how to participate in AWS-led events and get in-person access to AWS customers and prospects. The Partner Marketing Briefing Center is located at The Venetian, Hall D, Meeting Room #200. You can request a meeting here.
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  3. APN Partner Bootcamps: Led by AWS Solutions Architects, bootcamps are an opportunity to hone existing skills and learn new ways of working with AWS. We hosted several exclusive bootcamps today for APN Partners, diving deep on AWS technical foundations, machine learning, and migration. Each bootcamp helped APN Partners gain a greater understanding of how AWS solutions address customer business requirements.

Need more training after re:Invent? We have a full set of APN Partner Training offerings for you to select from!

Don’t Miss These Events on Tuesday

Global Partner Summit Keynote

The annual Global Partner Summit keynote is Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. in The Venetian, Level 2, Hall A. The keynote will be emceed by Terry Wise, Vice President of Global Alliances and Channels, AWS. Arrive early to get a good seat, and get ready to learn about cloud-powered innovation and the business opportunities it creates for APN Partners.

If you’re at re:Invent and working the Expo Hall on Tuesday morning but can’t make the GPS keynote, we’ve got you covered there, too. The keynote will be livestreamed to the Expo Hall until doors open to the public.

If you’re not in Las Vegas, sign up for re:Invent keynote livestreams here.

GPS Sessions to Attend

Check out great sessions like these at Global Partner Summit on Tuesday:

  • AWS Partner Network 2019 & Beyond (GPSBUS207)
  • Making Hybrid Work for You: Getting into the Cloud Fast (GPSTEC308)
  • Big Data Governance in a Post-GDPR World (GPSCT310)
  • Automated Solutions for Deploying AWS Landing Zone (GPSWS407)
  • How to Sell on AWS Marketplace (GPSMP202)

Check out all the Global Partner Summit breakout sessions >>

AWS Competency & MSP Awareness at re:Invent

GPS-3For AWS Competency and MSP Partners attending re:Invent, you may have seen our awareness campaign featured at McCarron International Airport in Las Vegas.

The campaign is titled The Next Smart and advertisements were featured in both the Terminal 3 Baggage Claim and Terminal 1 Rotunda just outside the baggage claim shuttle.

We also have a special activity planned this week for individuals that are employed by a company with an AWS Competency or MSP designation—wherein you can participate in our “Next Smart Photoshoot.”

Participation in our photoshoot is simple:

  • AWS Competency Partners can visit the APN Booth #2547 at the Sands Expo during operating business hours.
  • We have a professional photographer on-site to take a side profile headshot to match “The Next Smart” ad campaign look-and-feel. We’ll collect your email address and ensure you get your own high-resolution copy of the photo.
  • A few weeks after re:Invent, we’ll send you the photo along with further instructions on how to build a personalized marketing asset via APN Marketing Central to help your organization build demand for their vetted, validated, and verified solutions on AWS.

Please stop by the APN Booth to participate in “The Next Smart” photoshoot!

Stay Connected

Follow AWS and the APN on social media for all the latest updates about re:Invent 2018: