AWS User Group Finland reinvent 2023 recap - Sponsored by Cloud2

We kicked off the 2024 AWS User Group Finland meetup year with a re:Invent 2023 recap, and Cloud2 stepped up to sponsor and host us at their new offices on Insinöörinkatu in Helsinki. Around 60 people showed up on a cold January evening, and registration had filled up quickly, which was a good sign for the year ahead.

Teemu Ijas from Cloud2 kicked things off with a presentation on the architecture of the Cloud2 Spotter platform, giving the audience a look at how they built and run their product on AWS. It was a solid technical talk that showed what Cloud2 does beyond just consulting. Then Rolf Koski took the stage for the main re:Invent 2023 re:Cap, walking through the key product announcements and launches from Las Vegas. Having someone who was there in person break it all down is always more valuable than reading blog posts or watching recorded keynotes.

There was a lot of discussion around generative AI, which dominated re:Invent 2023 in a big way. Amazon Bedrock updates, new model partnerships, and the overall direction AWS is taking with AI services were hot topics throughout the evening. The audience had plenty of questions, and the back-and-forth made it feel more like a discussion than a presentation.

Cloud2’s new offices made for a great venue, and they took care of food and drinks, which made the networking portion of the evening relaxed and enjoyable. It is always good to reconnect with the community after the holiday break, and seeing the new Cloud2 space was a nice bonus.

Thanks to Cloud2 for sponsoring and to Rolf Koski for leading the recap. A solid start to the 2024 meetup season for AWS User Group Finland.