Drumroll please: The AWS Pop-up Loft London is back!

We are extremely excited to welcome the AWS Pop-up Loft back to London. From Sept. 18 to 29, the Loft—newly located in the heart of Shoreditch—will offer startups and AWS enthusiasts an opportunity to talk to AWS technical experts, attend training workshops, participate in networking events, and enjoy our onsite co-working facilities.

What is the AWS Pop-up Loft?

The Loft is a community space where visitors have free access to a range of activities and events geared towards entrepreneurs, developers, and technical experts. These include hands-on workshops, technical talks, and presentations from AWS partners and customers. At the Loft, attendees wil be able to engage with some our most knowledgeable experts and receive technical guidance from AWS Solutions Architects, evangelists, and AWS thought leaders. We also know how to throw a mean party (or two)!

What progammes will be available?

• • The Ask an Architect Bar: If you or your team is looking for technical advice on anything AWS related, then book a 30-minute session with an AWS Solutions Architect and ask questions to your heart’s content. Walk-ins are welcome; just check with the welcome team on the day you stop by.
  • FinTech Showcase: As the premier global hub for FinTech innovation, London is front and centre when it comes to hosting innovative startups who are changing the conventions of the banking industry. AWS customers Starling Bank, Tail and TransferWise will talk about improving the customer experience with open APIs and will also share views on the future challenges and opportunities resulting from new 2018 regulations like PSD2 .

• AWS Gameday: An exciting new addition to the Loft, AWS GameDay lets attendees pretend to be a DevOps lead at hot new (fictional) startup called Unicorn.Rentals! Jump into the driver’s seat as the company gears for launch and site traffic starts to ramp up. All players will be working as part of a team to keep users happy and costs low by effectively managing infrastructure in a live AWS environment. (AWS experience recommended. Laptop required.) Registrations for the live game are closed now, but you can still join a virtual team on twitch.tv/aws and be part of the fun! Register here.
• Specialist Breakout Sessions: During the Introduction to Amazon Lightsail session, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about how to spin up a virtual server, install your LAMP stack or web app, and simply get going. AWS Microsoft experts will talk about developing your Microsoft applications on AWS at the Developer Dojo Workshop, while the Public Sector team will be hosting a breakfast session to talk about the challenges of understanding security and assurance requirements when Building for the Public Sector.
• Partner-hosted Evening Events: After a busy day of hands-on learning, the Loft experience wouldn’t be complete without hearing from some of our partners talk about the latest trends and innovations in DevSecOps and EC2. Contino and ANS Group will be hosting evening events and combining talks around specialist cloud topics. Networking opportunities with exciting new start-ups will be available.
• Startup Business Series: You asked for it, so here it is. Want to know more about AWS startup programs like Activate or how you can become a SaaS seller through our Marketplace platform? Want to get the insider track on what venture capitalists are looking for when it comes to investments or raising capital? We’ve planned a whole afternoon on Wednesday 20th September to offer advice, tips and knowledge around effectively building, scaling, and growing your startup. On September 21st, you will also get the chance to pitch your project to our business development managers for a chance to win Activate credits! No appointment needed, just drop by and let your ideas grow at the Loft.

How Do I Get Involved?

Getting involved is straightforward —just  sign up for a free Loft membership via the London AWS Pop-up Loft website and then pick a few sessions to get started. Creating a Loft membership will provide you with access to the Loft (including the co-working space), free Wifi, social events, workshops, and all the breakout sessions. Keep in mind, however, that you’ll need to register for individual sessions ahead of time on the website. (That way we’ll know how much coffee to bring!)

The Loft is a great opportunity for us to say thank you to the AWS Community and we’ve got a jam-packed agenda full of content lined up over the two weeks. Follow our updates on the @AWSstartups twitter handle, register to attend, and we’ll see you there!