The bAWSton User Group

Meet others interested in all aspects of Amazon Web Services (AWS). Gather to discuss Development, Standards, Networks, Marketing, Promotion and Business opportunities using AWS. Our group is more technical, so we look for relevant topic matter, and stay away from sales presentations. This Meetup is open to anyone interested in learning more about Amazon Web Services!
And now for some details...
Since the lockdown ...
We've switched to zoom based meeting like everyone else.  We've been meeting alternate Thursdays since March 2020, with meetings starting at 5:30.  Our Twitter handle is Awsugboston.

Upcoming Scheduled Meetups: In general, we meet alternate Thursdays, from 5:30-7pm, with 5:30-5:50pm for socializing, and 6-7pm for presentations. Sometimes we do a single long presentation, other times we have several shorter (30-40 minute) presentations. 
Attendance: We usually have an attendance of approx. 30-60+ depending on location and topic - and we normally hold these Meetups in the Boston area - however, we are branching out to other areas/facilities. Our attendees are generally in the middle ground between novice and expert, with many in the dev/ops space. If an RSVP list is desired, this can be provided to the host sponsor, however, it ONLY includes the member's Meetup profile name (may not be their real name) and profile link - it does Not contain direct email contact info.
Presentations: If you wish to present, contact the Organizer (see below). Suggest a topic and an upcoming meeting(s) that you would be available to present. Then we will need an abstract of the presentation (title and descriptive info) and a bit about the presenter (brief bio, just a few words). We generally have 2-3 presentations/presenters per Meetup without repetition from recent past meetups. If 2 presentations, then these are usually 40min with Q&A. Usually the main sponsor is provided the choice of topic and presentation slot. Our attendees are looking for technical depth and NOT a sales pitch - so please keep this in mind when proposing and creating your presentation. Sometimes it is what you don't say that is important - for example, if you wanted to expose the need for your solution, you can point out all the Amazon-native methods of solving a problem, and in the presentation it becomes clear that an additional solution is needed. Again, we stay away from sales presentations.
It’s important that speakers speak loud and clear, in the event a PA system is not available. Also, when questions are asked, the presenter should repeat the question so that all can hear and understand the context of the answer.
Presentation - Slides: Usually there are requests for slides after a presentation. We request that presenters post a link to the slides used, as a comment in the applicable Meetup event page. Any comments go to the entire group of subscribers (who have notifications enabled).
Sponsorship: Sponsors have first dibs on presentations (which need to be AWS-centric and Not a product demo). Sponsors are provided time during the Meetup to address attendees. In general the sponsors arrange food/drink AND location - and this can be split up (co-sponsorship). The moderators of this Meetup group do not arrange or supply the meeting space.  We can always add an event to the calendar, so if you are interested in sponsorship, please reach out to the Organizer (see below). Special events are welcome.
Sponsorship - Food/Drink: We really appreciate our food sponsors and provide them extra time in self-promotion. Food and drink selection is up to the sponsor. Usually a mixed assortment of pizza and salad works well - but this is up to the sponsor. Pretty simple fare for this crowd - and usually no alcohol (but optional if the venue allows). The food sponsor makes all the arrangements - including flatware, napkins, cups, plates, water, condiments, etc. Food is consumed as people arrive and mingle around 6:30pm, and we usually get started with the presentations by 7pm. To help with arranging food, here is a link to ezCater, which makes it easy to select a restaurant close to the venue, estimate the food required to support the 50-75 people, place the order online, and make the delivery arrangements. Expect to pay approx. $500 for food/drink.

Sponsorship - Location: We are open to a variety of locations. Minimum requirements include a facility that can host approx. 60 attendees, with projector and screen available. The only time we have needed amplification is when the meeting area has significant background noise (like certain climate control systems, or open environments where sound does not carry well). The facility should support groups who allow food and drink on premise. Please specify if alcohol is Not permitted, and/or if there are drinks/snacks or benefits that the facility supplies beyond the space hosting. Usually, attendance requires RSVP for security check-in (if required). Be aware that Meetup members do Not necessarily use their legal name in their profile. Any prerequisites need to be spelled out (like requiring attendees to sign an NDA, or updating their profile with their legal name). The host location sponsor is responsible for posting signage to make it very clear where attendees need to go for the meetup. Please supply any special instructions with regard to directions, parking, security check-in, etc. - these will be posted on the Meetup site.
Note: We have arranged with Amazon to use their Boston office several times a year. In general, these Meetups are reserved for sponsors who do Not have a facility to offer. If you require a facility, there are many locations throughout the Boston area, including places like WeWork, that can be contacted to help facilitate a meeting space.

Sponsorship - Other Items: There are other forms of sponsorship available, including supplying swag, offering door prizes for info cards being filled out, and covering the Meetup site hosting fees. Please reach out to the Organizer (see below) for further details and arrangements.
Promotion of Other Events: We receive many requests to post outside events, functions, positions, and other items to the Meetup group. Members have provided direct feedback that they do Not want any sales presentations or unrelated solicitations. So, we keep it simple, stay focused on the purpose of this Meetup, and provide opportunities for companies to sponsor or present, and make announcements during the Meetup. In addition, comments can be posted to any of the scheduled Meetup pages on the Meetup site. These comments go out to the entire membership (who have notifications enabled).
Attendee List: We are often asked about providing presenters and sponsors the attendee list. Unfortunately, many Meetup registrants use nicknames, and emails are not available. If an RSVP list is desired, this can be provided to the host sponsor, however, it ONLY includes the member's Meetup profile name (may not be their real name) and profile link - it does Not contain direct email contact info. However, presenters/sponsors can post to the Meetup site, commenting on the particular meeting page, which goes out to the entire group (who have notifications enabled). In the comments you can indicate follow-up contact info, offer slides, and drive response to another web link where more info can be gathered from attendees.

What Next? 
Sponsors: Identify a meetup date and reach out to the moderator with a description of your desired involvement, and any additional questions not answered above.
Presenters: Provide topic/abstract and indicate when you could be available to provide the presentation.

Reaching the Meetup Group Organizer: Brian Tarbox, briantarbox@gmail.com 
***********************
AWS Boston Meetup Code of Conduct

Our community is dedicated to providing an inclusive environment for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), or technology choices.
We do not tolerate harassment of participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any venue, including talks, workshops, parties, Slack and other online media. Participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled at the discretion of the community organizers.
If you believe someone is violating the code of conduct, we ask that you report it by emailing BrianTarbox@gmail.com, contacting us at awsbostonmeetup.slack.com, or via the website.
All our speakers, attendees, and anyone else taking part in Boston AWS User Group activities are expected to familiarize themselves with these policies. While these policies are open to discussion and change over time, participation in the community implies that you are willing to abide by the policies in place at that time.
AWS Community Code of Conduct
Our community’s code of conduct (this document) is in addition to the AWS Community Code of Conduct, used by AWS communities like ours around the world. The two codes of conduct should generally align, but where they conflict please consider this document as authoritative.
Long Version
Respect yourself, and respect others. Be courteous to those around you. If someone indicates they would like to be left alone, let them be. Our event venues and online spaces may be shared with members of the public and employees of the venue; please be considerate to all patrons of these locations.
Here are some behaviors we’d like to see:
• be nice! 
• welcome newcomers into your circle of discussion.
• encourage current and new speakers by listening respectfully and asking relevant questions at the end of talks.
• help clean up at the end of an event.
• be considerate of others when entering and exiting the venue. There may be people working or neighbors sensitive to noise.
Here are some examples of behaviors which are not appropriate:
• offensive verbal or written remarks related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race or religion.
• sexual or violent images in public spaces (including presentation slides).
• deliberate intimidation.
stalking or following.
• unwanted photography or recording.
• sustained disruption of talks or other events.
• drunk or under the influence of illegal drugs at an event venue.
• inappropriate physical contact.
• unwelcome sexual attention.
• sexist, racist, or other exclusionary jokes.
• unwarranted exclusion from the community based on age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion.
Community members asked to stop any inappropriate behavior are expected to comply immediately.
Reporting
Any time that you feel this code of conduct is being broken, or the conduct of speakers or attendees is distressing to you, you should always feel comfortable to report it, knowing that you will be taken seriously, and that it will be appropriately investigated and dealt with. There are a few different avenues for reporting.
Personally, to members of the organizing committee by emailing BrianTarbox@gmail.com,
Directly, either in person or on Slack to one of our organizers
Anonymously, at tbd. Anonymous reports will go to all members of the organizing committee.
All complaints made in any of these ways will remain confidential, be taken seriously, investigated, and dealt with appropriately.
Personal reports are always much better since there is only so much investigation that can be done without the ability to speak to the reporting party. When you report personally to any of the above people, please make sure you tell them if there is anyone specifically you do not want them to speak to about the issue. Normally the person you report to will discuss the report with other team members and/or the reporting mentors.
What happens after you file a report?
You will receive an email from the organizing committee acknowledging receipt of your report. The committee will meet to review the incident and determine:
• What happened.
• Whether this event constitutes a code of conduct violation.
• Who the bad actor was.
• Whether this is an ongoing situation, or if there is a threat to anyone’s physical safety.
If this is determined to be an ongoing incident or a threat to physical safety, the committee’s immediate priority will be to protect everyone involved. This means we may delay an “official” response until we believe that the situation has ended and that everyone is physically safe. Once the committee has a complete account of the events they will make a decision as to how to respond. Responses may include:
• Nothing (if we determine no violation occurred).
• A private reprimand from the committee to the individual(s) involved.
• A public reprimand.
• An imposed vacation (i.e. asking someone to “take a week off” from events or Slack).
• A permanent or temporary ban from some or all Melbourne AWS User Group spaces (events, Slack, etc.)
• A request for a public or private apology.
Unless they’re anonymous, we’ll respond to the person who filed the report with either a resolution or an explanation of why the situation is not yet resolved.
Once we’ve determined our final action, we’ll contact the original reporter (if we can) to let them know what action (if any) we’ll be taking. We’ll take into account feedback from the reporter on the appropriateness of our response, but we don’t guarantee we’ll act on it.
Speakers
Presentation material should be appropriate for people of all ages.
Any public presentation which is part of any event, including but not limited to presentations, lightning talks, recruiter/job position or other promotions, mailing list posts and forums, is subject to this code of conduct and thus may not contain:
• sexual or violent imagery.
• exclusionary language.
• insults or personal attacks.
Presenters are asked to avoid language which is not appropriate for an all-ages audience as much as possible.
If the subject matter of the presentation cannot be presented adequately without including language that could be considered offensive, this should be pointed out in advance, at the beginning of the talk and in the schedule.
If presenters are unsure whether their material is suitable, they are encouraged to show it to an organizer before their session.