Our First Event: How AWS SBG Aeris Kickstarted the Cloud Journey with AWS 101
Every community has a moment when it stops being an idea and becomes real. For AWS SBG Aeris, that moment was Sunday, September 6, 2026, at 1:00 PM PHT.
The event was called AWS 101: Kickstart Your Cloud Journey. It was our very first, it was held online, and 59 people showed up to learn.
Why AWS 101?
AWS is not yet widely known in our community, and many students see the cloud as something reserved for experts. We wanted to change that. Our goal was simple: give students a friendly starting point, so anyone could walk in curious and walk out with real cloud basics.
One month of preparation
We spent a full month preparing. With a small team, the only way to make that work was to split tasks fairly, so nobody carried the whole event alone and everyone owned a piece of it. We divided the work across program and content, promotion, registration and attendance, and hosting and tech support.
The moment things went wrong
Then came the part no planning sheet can fully prepare you for: we lost connection during the event.
It is a stressful moment when you are the organizer and 59 people are waiting. We moved quickly, switched to another platform for the virtual setup, and got the session moving again.
Things will not always go as planned. What matters is how fast you adapt.
The result
The response was overwhelmingly positive. Attendees appreciated that the event was well organized, that it was funded so nothing blocked their learning, and that they learned a lot. Many asked when the next workshop would happen.
Behind the scenes, our Meetup group now has 176 members and a 4.7 rating, and AWS 101 remains our first listed event there.
Lessons I would pass on to other student organizers
- Start early. A month of preparation gave us room to fix problems before the event.
- Share the work fairly. Small teams work when every person owns a clear task.
- Have a backup platform. Test your virtual setup and keep a second option ready before event day.
- Stay calm and communicate. Attendees forgive technical trouble when you handle it openly.
- Listen to feedback. Requests for more workshops told us what to build next.
What is next: Kiro
The next workshop I am planning is about Kiro, the AI-powered development tool. After learning a lot at the Kiro x Quick workshop by the AWS User Group PH, I want to bring that same hands-on experience to our members.
Thank you
Thank you to everyone who attended, to my team who shared the work, and to AWS and the AWS User Group Philippines for supporting student communities.
Join us
If you missed AWS 101, you have not missed your chance. Join AWS SBG Aeris on Meetup and be part of our next event. Build. Learn. Glide.