From Jakarta to Las Vegas: My Experience at Google Cloud Next 2025

Attending Google Cloud Next 2025 in Las Vegas was a transformative journey—one that blended innovation, leadership insight, cultural exposure, and professional inspiration. As someone leading digital transformation at Pos Indonesia Digital, this was more than a trip—it was an opportunity to learn from the best, connect with global peers, and explore how frontier technologies could shape the future of digital services in Indonesia.

The trip began with an unexpectedly smooth visa process. I applied for a U.S. visa just weeks before the conference and was scheduled for an interview at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta. The interview was brief and straightforward—just a few questions: What’s your purpose of visiting the U.S.? How long will you be there? What’s your job and which company do you work for? After answering honestly and confidently—explaining that I was attending a Google event—I was handed a single sheet saying my visa was approved. Two days later, my passport arrived with the visa attached. Quick and seamless.

For my flight, I chose Korean Air, which offered a 13-hour transit in Incheon, South Korea. While it may sound long, this was actually a unique opportunity. South Korea has implemented a visa-free entry program for transit passengers—a tourism initiative that encourages travelers to step outside the airport and explore the city. Even without a Korean visa, I was allowed to pass through immigration simply by filling in an arrival form. For the address in Korea, I wrote “TRANSIT”—and that was it. I was in.

The flight from Jakarta to Incheon took about 7 hours. I spent the long layover getting some rest, exploring the terminal, and experiencing Korean efficiency firsthand. Later that evening, I boarded another Korean Air flight to Las Vegas—about 12 hours in duration. Curiously, we arrived one hour earlier than scheduled. It was a small surprise that gave me a little extra time to adjust and prepare for the days ahead.

Landing in Las Vegas, I was immediately struck by the city’s contrast—its dazzling lights and endless energy. The venue for Google Cloud Next was just as grand. Thousands of innovators, developers, founders, executives, and technologists gathered from around the world, creating an atmosphere filled with curiosity and anticipation.

The opening keynote was a major highlight. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google/Alphabet, and Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, shared their bold vision for AI, data, and enterprise transformation. They unveiled Gemini 2.5 Pro and Gemini Flash, new models pushing the boundaries of multimodal intelligence. They also announced Ironwood, Google’s next-gen Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), capable of delivering up to 42.5 exaflops—designed to handle massive AI workloads efficiently.

One product that particularly caught my attention was Vertex AI Agent Builder—a toolkit that simplifies the creation of AI agents for enterprise use. It allows developers to build agents that can reason, take actions, and interact with users more naturally. As someone involved in digital solutions, this unlocked new possibilities for us at Pos Indonesia Digital—especially in customer support automation and internal workflow optimization.

I joined several sessions on industry-specific use cases. These ranged from AI in public sector modernization, financial services risk management, HR process automation, to contact center transformation using LLM-powered assistants. The ideas presented weren’t just futuristic—they were applicable, scalable, and surprisingly relevant to the challenges and aspirations we face in Indonesia’s digital economy.

Between sessions, I took time to connect with key people. I met with the Board of Bespin Global, a trusted Google Cloud partner, and also reconnected with peers from Google Indonesia and Google Asia Pacific, team from Hutama Karya, Erajaya Group, etc. What made it even more meaningful was meeting Indonesian professionals working behind the scenes at the event. There’s something deeply inspiring about seeing fellow Indonesians contributing on a global stage—it’s a sign of how far our talent has come.

Following the main conference, I took the opportunity to explore the West Coast through a self-driven road trip. I rented a car and started my journey from Las Vegas to Los Angeles—a scenic 4-hour drive through the Nevada and California desert. The road was open and smooth, and the landscapes were stunning. For someone used to Jakarta traffic, the freedom of cruising down an American highway was both liberating and cinematic.

In Los Angeles, I had a few hours to explore. I made sure to visit Lake Hollywood Park, where I captured photos with the famous Hollywood Sign in the background. I also passed through Beverly Hills, the iconic neighborhood known for its luxury homes and pop culture history—including the classic series Beverly Hills 90210. Though the visit was short, it was packed with nostalgia and excitement.

Driving in the U.S. was an experience in itself. The rules were strict but logical. GPS apps worked flawlessly. Parking, however, required some trial and error—especially in big cities. In many places, I had to find metered parking or use parking structures. Payments were done via apps or credit cards, and signs were very clear. It felt digitized, modern, and refreshingly efficient.

Next, I drove 6 hours north to San Francisco, the heart of American tech culture. First stop: the Golden Gate Bridge. Walking along its length, I couldn’t help but admire the engineering marvel that has symbolized California for decades. The view of the bay, the skyline, and the Pacific wind—it was serene and powerful.

But the true highlight was my visit to Silicon Valley. I stopped by Googleplex in Mountain View, where I explored the open campus, rode one of the iconic Google bikes, and grabbed a drink called “Noogler” at the Google Store. The atmosphere was playful yet highly innovative—a living example of what great culture can build.

Not far from there, I visited Facebook (Meta) headquarters in Menlo Park. The campus was equally impressive, with creative architecture and collaborative spaces designed to nurture new ideas. Finally, I made my way to Cupertino, where I entered the Apple Store next to Apple Park—one of the most futuristic buildings I’ve ever seen.

This entire experience wasn’t just inspiring—it was a strong reminder that vision, technology, and execution can come together to create real impact. And that as leaders in digital transformation, we are never too far behind—if we stay curious, open, and bold enough to adopt new ideas.

For Pos Indonesia Digital, the takeaways from this journey are immense. From the potential of AI agents to cloud-native risk analytics, from automated customer support to smarter digital infrastructure, everything I experienced can feed into our roadmap—benefiting not just our business, but also the millions of Indonesians we serve.

As I reflect on this journey, I’m grateful—not only for the opportunity to attend, but for the deeper realizations it sparked. Technology isn’t just about disruption. It’s about empowerment. It’s about making things simpler, smarter, and more human—at scale.

And so I return, not just with photos and memories, but with ideas worth implementing and a renewed energy to lead with purpose.