If you’re looking for an insightful recap of AWS Community Day Vadodara 2024, I highly recommend reading Nirmal’s blog post here. In this post, I’ll share my personal experiences organizing the event, focusing on my roles in social media, graphics, and speaker management.
Our planning journey began in August 2024, right after our AWS User Group Vadodara Generative AI event. We held weekly sync-ups to ensure we were on track. As part of my responsibilities, I focused heavily on social media and graphic design. My goal was to create engaging posts that not only informed our audience about the event but also captured their excitement. I had a fantastic team of volunteers, and I encouraged them to take ownership of their roles. There were times I had to push them to stay on track, but we experimented with various formats like polls, countdowns, and even a pre-event LinkedIn Live to create buzz.
However, we often faced delays in graphics, which led me to step in and prepare visuals myself. This was a learning experience for me—I had done some basic graphic design before, but never at this level of detail. Balancing these tasks was challenging, especially during a family trip, where I found myself on the road but still dedicated time to coordinate with the social media and graphics team. I spent hours ensuring everything was on schedule, crafting posts, and providing feedback, which made the trip feel chaotic yet fulfilling.
In addition to social media, we held regular sync-ups with our volunteers and college students to boost participation. These meetings were crucial in fostering a collaborative atmosphere. We discussed strategies to promote the event, sharing insights on how to reach different audiences effectively. Thanks to the support from Nirmal Pathak (AWS UG Leader) and Nilesh Vaghela (AWS Community Hero). I was able to align our efforts and set clear expectations. We encouraged volunteers to share their ideas and experiences, which helped us refine our approach and create a strong sense of community among the volunteers. This collaboration not only enhanced our outreach efforts but also made the volunteers feel valued and invested in the event’s success.
One of my primary concerns was securing quality CFP submissions for our three event tracks. With the help of Nilesh bhai, who reached out to AWS speakers, we received fantastic submissions that made the selection process both challenging and exciting. Coordinating with speakers for pre-event logistics was a great learning experience, and working closely with Priyal Jadav (part of AWS UG Vadodara Team) made it all the more enjoyable.
The week leading up to the event was particularly hectic for me. Just three days before the event, one of our speakers had to pull out due to AWS approval issues. Initially, Priyal and I had planned to be backups, but when this unexpected situation arose, Priyal had a few other commitments and couldn’t step in. I discussed the situation with Nirmal bhai and confirmed that I could take up the topic myself. I’m comfortable discussing AWS subjects, so it felt like a natural fit despite the sudden change.
On October 18th, we helped with the AWS UG Women in Tech event, which was a rewarding experience. I had the chance to interact with inspiring speakers like Ridhima Kapoor, Mahima Saran, Archana Kar and Omshree Butani, as well as our dedicated Vadodara team. The morning was filled with productive discussions and networking, setting a positive tone for the main event on the next day.
In the afternoon, Vikramaditya (AWS Cloud Club Captain) and I set off to roam around the city, gathering swag items as instructed by Jay and Nirmal bhai, eager to ensure everything was in place after wrapping up the Women in Tech event. Upon arriving at the venue, I quickly assessed the situation and made sure our social media and graphics teams were aligned on their tasks.
Once that was done, I dedicated my time to collaborating closely with the MOC and led/audio teams. We focused on ironing out any potential issues and ensuring everything was set for a smooth experience. I engaged in discussions about the event flow, helping the MOC team rehearse their roles and clarifying technical setups with the audio team. This teamwork was crucial in addressing any last-minute uncertainties and ensuring everyone was on the same page. I want to give a special shoutout to Shivang for his exceptional work with the led/audio setup; he ensured everything ran seamlessly. I also want to acknowledge Harsh, who did a fantastic job managing social media and graphics while I was busy focusing on other aspects of the event.
As we wrapped up preparations, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness, bolstered by the confidence that our collective efforts would deliver a fantastic experience for our attendees. After finalizing everything, we planned a pre-event dinner, which offered a great opportunity to chat with some of the speakers. I loved how Nilesh bhai and Dimple ma'am went out of their way to assist the speakers, showing them around and even sharing a little garba with them.
I still had a few things to wrap up myself. I needed to finalize my session and plan out questions for the quiz with Priyal. Additionally, we were organizing a career counseling initiative, so I coordinated the attendees into their respective time slots and assigned them to experts. It was a busy evening, but I managed to get everything done and was finally set by 3 AM, ready to go.
On the morning of the event, I arrived early to check in with the registration team and the led/audio support team. With many unknowns in those areas, I wanted to ensure everything was running smoothly. During Mahima’s session, I felt honored to receive appreciation for being an AWS Golden Jacket owner—something I’ll discuss in more detail in a separate post.
As the event unfolded, I was busy managing the MOC and led/audio teams, trying to squeeze in a meal amid the chaos. Nirmal’s encouragement helped me take a quick lunch break before I transitioned to managing the advanced track.
After lunch, I also monitored our career counseling initiative. While we had interested students and experts, I recognized that we could have structured the sessions better. I apologize to anyone who felt let down; it’s an area we’re eager to improve for future events.
Finally, it was time for my session, which I’ll elaborate on in a separate post. The quiz and conclusion went off seamlessly, thanks to the fantastic work by Jay and Nirmal bhai. Afterward, I jumped in to help distribute goodies while everyone enjoyed taking photos.
Reflecting on the event, I echo Nirmal’s sentiments: “The AWS Community Day Vadodara 2024 was a roller coaster ride. We faced hurdles, but the outcome exceeded our expectations. The feedback from participants and speakers was overwhelmingly positive. Thank you to everyone who made this happen—let’s gear up for AWS Community Day Vadodara 2025!”