Survival tips for a techie adventure in Las Vegas 🏜️💻
Heya! ☁️ I had an amazing opportunity to attend Google Cloud Next 2025 in Las Vegas! 😮💨 If you’re planning to attend a similar conference in the future, here are some things I really wish I had known beforehand — and this is just the beginning! 🎉 I’ll be sharing more blog posts soon with deeper dives into Google Cloud Next 2025 🚀😎
🎁 1. Swag Overload Alert
Don’t pack too many t-shirts or socks — you will be receiving a lot of colourful swag 🧦👕. Save space in your luggage for all the swag you will get, otherwise you will be playing Tetris with your luggage on the last night! (like me!) 😉
👋 2. Introducing Myself… a lot!
At local conferences, I was used to people instantly recognising the company I worked for 😊 But at Google Cloud Next, I quickly realised I had stepped into a much bigger pond 🌍🐬
Not many people had heard of my company, and I found myself repeatedly explaining what we do — sometimes even stumbling through it at first 😅. It was a great reminder that outside of your local scene, that my name tag doesn’t tell the whole story.
Next time, I’ll definitely come prepared with a helpful intro — something clear that can open up great conversations ☕
📅 3. Build Your Agenda Immediately
Some sessions book out super fast 🏃♀️💨. As soon as you are registered, jump into the agenda builder and start planning — or you might miss your top picks.
📧 4. Actually Read the Instructions
Yes, those e-mails they send you? Please read them 😂! They will tell you what to expect, what to bring, and how to get around. This may include installing a mobile application for the conference which includes agenda, map etc.
📱 5. The App Was… 😢😞
The Google Cloud Next app was buggy and confusing for me 😵💫. The map barely loaded, and it was very slow 🐌. I wish I had taken screenshots of the maps before the day. I ended up asking for directions a lot 🧭🙈.
🎤 6. Keynotes = Queues
The keynotes and opening ceremonies are awesome, but be prepared to be in the queue for a loong time 😅.
🕒 7. Sessions Aren’t Next Door
Don’t underestimate how long it takes to walk from one room to another during the connference 🏃♂️📍. Especially if you are trying to catch back-to-back talks in different floors.
🤝 8. Meetups: Hit or Miss
I booked several meetups and only went to one — the DORA meetup, which was really cool 🎉. The others were too overcrowded. Sometimes you couldn’t hear people, even with a mic 🎙, and you couldn’t see what was written on whiteboards either 😵. I would recommend booking more sessions over meetups.
🏨 9. Stay Close to the Conference Centre
Getting to the venue takes more time than you think! Try to book a hotel as close as possible 🏨!
🌡️ 10. Hot Outside, Freezing Inside
Las Vegas is HOT 🔥… but the convention centre is very cold 🧊. I was glad I packed a cardigan/jumper for those chilly session rooms 🧥.
☁️ Final Thoughts
Google Cloud Next 2025 was a really awesome experience 💙. I met inspiring people, learned so much and came back full of ideas 💡 and looking forward to sharing more about my experiences!
Next blog on Google Cloud Next coming soon! 😎🤗