zlacker

I once signed up to attend an AWS event way in advance, and provided my email address and phone number when I signed up. Plus, I had chatted with our rep/salesperson about how I was attending this event.

Then, on the day of the event, I drove 5 hours to the conference hall, but when I arrive there, none of the staff know anything about an AWS event! there is some other event happening for high school teachers, and that's it. I double and triple check the AwS event website. It's still up, and still has the same location and date. I call our rep, who reaches out to some other people and eventually gets back to me and tells me the event was cancelled!

Why did nobody reached out to let me know, and why didn't they even take the website down! it was bizarre. I really had thought I was going insane.

I had brunch, and then drove back another 5 hours. At least I got reimbursed for the mileage!

>>lantry+(OP)
This is when I contact my AWS rep and get credits for the amount I’d be contracting you out for over those 12 hours.

>>lantry+(OP)
Driving 10 hours both ways to an AWS event to look at some slide decks you can already find online and eat some mid-tier catering doesn't seem like a great use of a day to me.

>>Waterl+eb
I would expect a full on junket at my favorite place in my town, with the presenters I want to see.

>>hn_205+sq
It's not just slide decks, and also the networking at those events is quite good. Swag and catering vary wildly though (even in France where poor catering is somewhat insulting).

>>hn_205+sq
Besides the slide content, the purpose of conferences like this is to get to know other people in the industry, have organic discussion, talk about common issues or needs from the vendors, and learn from one another. The sessions are the frame for that. And, if the company you work for is paying for it, then it's a nice vacation, if it's a multi-day event.

>>hn_205+sq
Nor me, but if they're going to advertise an event, they should hold it, and if they're going to cancel then they should inform the people who RSVP-ed.

I will add that, if it is on company time, I may use it as a networking opportunity.

>>hn_205+sq
Probably live in Texas or the midwest where 5 hours is considered a short drive

>>wlesie+gu
LA - San Jose?

>>lantry+(OP)
I had coworkers fly out to a training class and met up with some other attendees in the lobby prior to the training. That's when they all realized that there was no training course and no one had told any of them.

>>hn_205+sq
It was on company time, my boss wanted me to attend, and I was much younger than I am now :shrug:

>>hn_205+sq
Nothing wrong with a life full of interesting experiences. Looking back, would you rather say:

- remember that Tuesday last October, when I spent 10 hours driving to ... AWS ... or

- remember that Tuesday last October, when I debugged my Flexbox CSS?

>>hn_205+sq
The best part about traveling is sampling the local buffet in more ways than one.

>>sofixa+Zr
Poor catering is insulting in America too, we just happen to be a society that insults by default.