This is the code for the Amazon Echo app for APIstrat Austin conference. Using the app you can ask for the schedule of the conference.

alexa_apistrat_lambda.js

'use strict';

/**
 * Author: Nicolas Grenié, @pisoung
 * Date: November 2015
 * This is the code for the Amazon Echo app for APIstrat Austin conference. Using the app you can ask for the schedule of the conference.
 * It uses APIstrat API developed by Kin Lane
 */

require('jaws-core-js/env');
var request = require('request');
var _ = require('underscore');
var Q = require('q');
var moment = require('moment');

module.exports.handler = function (event, context) {
    try {
        console.log("event.session.application.applicationId=" + event.session.application.applicationId);

        if (event.session.new) {
            onSessionStarted({requestId: event.request.requestId}, event.session);
        }

        if (event.request.type === "LaunchRequest") {
            onLaunch(event.request,
                     event.session,
                     function callback(sessionAttributes, speechletResponse) {
                        context.succeed(buildResponse(sessionAttributes, speechletResponse));
                     });
        }  else if (event.request.type === "IntentRequest") {
            onIntent(event.request,
                     event.session,
                     function callback(sessionAttributes, speechletResponse) {
                         context.succeed(buildResponse(sessionAttributes, speechletResponse));
                     });
        } else if (event.request.type === "SessionEndedRequest") {
            onSessionEnded(event.request, event.session);
            context.succeed();
        }
    } catch (e) {
        context.fail("Exception: " + e);
    }
};

/**
 * Called when the session starts.
 */
function onSessionStarted(sessionStartedRequest, session) {
    console.log("onSessionStarted requestId=" + sessionStartedRequest.requestId +
            ", sessionId=" + session.sessionId);
}

/**
 * Called when the user launches the skill without specifying what they want.
 */
function onLaunch(launchRequest, session, callback) {
    console.log("onLaunch requestId=" + launchRequest.requestId +
            ", sessionId=" + session.sessionId);

    // Dispatch to your skill's launch.
    getWelcomeResponse(callback);
}

/**
 * Called when the user specifies an intent for this skill.
 */
function onIntent(intentRequest, session, callback) {
    console.log("onIntent requestId=" + intentRequest.requestId +
            ", sessionId=" + session.sessionId);

    var intent = intentRequest.intent,
        intentName = intentRequest.intent.name;
        console.log("INTENT",intentName);

    // Dispatch to your skill's intent handlers
    if ("WhenIsSpeakerTalkingIntent" === intentName) {
      getSpeakerTalkingSession(intent,callback);
    } else if("WhatsNowIntent"===intentName){
      getWhatsNowProgram(callback)
    }else if("WhenIsSessionIntent"===intentName){
      getWhenIsSession(intent,callback)
    } else {
        throw "Invalid intent";
    }
}

/**
 * Called when the user ends the session.
 * Is not called when the skill returns shouldEndSession=true.
 */
function onSessionEnded(sessionEndedRequest, session) {
    console.log("onSessionEnded requestId=" + sessionEndedRequest.requestId +
            ", sessionId=" + session.sessionId);
    // Add cleanup logic here
}

// --------------- Function to get when is a specific session-----------------------
function getWhenIsSession(intent,callback){
  console.log(intent);
  var sessionName = intent.slots.SessionName.value;
  var cardTitle = "Info about session "+sessionName;
  var repromptText = "";
  var cardContent = "";
  var speechOutput = "";
  var sessionAttributes = {};
  var shouldEndSession = true;
  var URL = "http://api.austin2015.apistrat.com/schedule/search/";
  URL +="?query="+sessionName;
  console.log(URL);
  request.get(URL,function(err,resp,body){
    if(err && err.code == 'ETIMEDOUT'){
      speechOutput += "<s>Oh no, looks like the APIstrat API is down.</s>"
      speechOutput += "<s>You can now find Kin Lane and complain about it</s>"
      speechOutput += "</speak>"
      callback(sessionAttributes,
                   buildSpeechletResponse(cardTitle, speechOutput, cardContent, repromptText, shouldEndSession));
    }
    if(resp){
      var body = JSON.parse(body)
      console.log(body);
      speechOutput = "<speak>"
      if(body.length ==0){ //no result
        speechOutput += "<s>I am sorry I could not find info about this session in the program</s>"
        speechOutput += "</speak>"
        cardContent = "Could not find any information regarding this session in the program"
        callback(sessionAttributes,
                     buildSpeechletResponse(cardTitle, speechOutput, cardContent, repromptText, shouldEndSession));
      }else{ //speaker found
        var sessions = body;
        speechOutput += "<s>I've found "+sessions.length+" sessions for the criteria: "+sessionName+"</s>";
        cardContent = sessions.length+" sessions found for the criteria: "+sessionName
        _.each(sessions,function(s){
          speechOutput += "<s>"+s.title+" in "+s.location + " on "+moment(s.start_time).calendar()+"</s>"
          speechOutput += "<s>With ";
          var nbSpeakers = s.speakers.length;
          _.each(s.speakers, function(speaker,index){
            speechOutput += speaker.name +" from "+speaker.company;
            if(index < nbSpeakers -1)
              speechOutput += " and ";
          }) //end each on speakers
          speechOutput +="</s>"
        }) //end each on sessions
        speechOutput += "</speak>"
        console.log(speechOutput);
        callback(sessionAttributes,
                     buildSpeechletResponse(cardTitle, speechOutput, cardContent, repromptText, shouldEndSession));
      } //end of if
    }
  })
}

// --------------- Function to find info about speaker -----------------------
function getSpeakerTalkingSession(intent,callback){
  var cardTitle = "Info about speaker "+intent.slots.SpeakerName.value;
  var repromptText = "";
  var cardContent = "";
  var speechOutput = "";
  var sessionAttributes = {};
  var shouldEndSession = true;
  var URL = "http://api.austin2015.apistrat.com/speakers/";
  URL +="?query="+intent.slots.SpeakerName.value
  console.log(URL);
  request.get(URL, {timeout: 1500},function(err,resp,body){
    console.log("ERR",err);
    if(err && err.code == 'ETIMEDOUT'){
      speechOutput += "<s>Oh no, looks like the APIstrat API is down.</s>"
      speechOutput += "<s>You can now find Kin Lane and complain about it</s>"
      speechOutput += "</speak>"
      callback(sessionAttributes,
                   buildSpeechletResponse(cardTitle, speechOutput, cardContent, repromptText, shouldEndSession));
    }
    if(resp){
      var body = JSON.parse(body)
      console.log(body);

      speechOutput = "<speak>"
      if(body.length ==0){ //no result
        speechOutput += "<s>I am sorry I could not find info about this speaker</s>"
        speechOutput += "</speak>"
        cardContent = "Could not find any information regarding this speaker"
        callback(sessionAttributes,
                     buildSpeechletResponse(cardTitle, speechOutput, cardContent, repromptText, shouldEndSession));
      }else{ //speaker found
        var speaker = body[0];
        speechOutput += "<s>I've found "+speaker.sessions.length+" sessions for "+speaker.name+"</s>";
        cardContent = speaker.sessions.length+" sessions for "+speaker.name+" "
        _.each(speaker.sessions,function(s){
          speechOutput += "<s>"+s.title+" in "+s.location + " on "+moment(s.start_time).calendar()+"</s>"
          cardContent += s.title+" in "+s.location + " on "+moment(s.start_time).calendar()+" "
        });

        speechOutput += "</speak>"
        callback(sessionAttributes,
                     buildSpeechletResponse(cardTitle, speechOutput, cardContent, repromptText, shouldEndSession));
      }
    }
  })
}

// --------------- Function to get what's happening now -----------------------
function getWhatsNowProgram(callback){
  var cardTitle = "APIstrat";
  var repromptText = "";
  var cardContent = "";
  var speechOutput = "";
  var sessionAttributes = {};
  var shouldEndSession = true;
  var URL = "http://api.austin2015.apistrat.com/schedule/now/";

  request.get(URL,function(err,resp,body){
    if(err && err.code == 'ETIMEDOUT'){
      speechOutput += "<s>Oh no, looks like the APIstrat API is down.</s>"
      speechOutput += "<s>You can now find Kin Lane and complain about it</s>"
      speechOutput += "</speak>"
      callback(sessionAttributes,
                   buildSpeechletResponse(cardTitle, speechOutput, cardContent, repromptText, shouldEndSession));
    }
    if(resp){
      var body = JSON.parse(body)
      speechOutput = "<speak>"
      if(body.length ==0){
          speechOutput += "<s>Sadly nothing is happening now at APIstrat</s>"
          speechOutput += "</speak>"
          cardContent = "Nothing happening at the moment"
      }else if(body.length == 1){
         var event = body[0]
          speechOutput += "<s>There is "+event.title+" happening now on "+event.location+" by "+event.speakers[0].name+" from "+event.speakers[0].company+"</s>";
          speechOutput += "</speak>"
          cardContent = "There is "+event.title+"happening now on "+event.location+" by "+event.speakers[0].name+" from "+event.speakers[0].company
          //TODO if multiple speakers
      }else{

      }
      callback(sessionAttributes,
                   buildSpeechletResponse(cardTitle, speechOutput,cardContent, repromptText, shouldEndSession));
    }
  }) //end request.get
}

function getWelcomeResponse(callback) {
    // If we wanted to initialize the session to have some attributes we could add those here.
    var sessionAttributes = {};
    var cardTitle = "Welcome";
    var speechOutput = "Welcome to the Alexa Skills Kit sample, " +
            "Please tell me your favorite color by saying, " +
            "my favorite color is red";
    // If the user either does not reply to the welcome message or says something that is not
    // understood, they will be prompted again with this text.
    var repromptText = "Please tell me your favorite color by saying, " +
            "my favorite color is red";
    var shouldEndSession = false;

    callback(sessionAttributes,
             buildSpeechletResponse(cardTitle, speechOutput, repromptText, shouldEndSession));
}

// --------------- Helpers that build all of the responses -----------------------
function buildSpeechletResponse(title, speechOutput, cardContent, repromptText, shouldEndSession) {
    return {
        outputSpeech: {
          type: "SSML",
          ssml: speechOutput,
        },
        card: {
            type: "Simple",
            title: "APIstrat - " + title,
            content: "APIstrat - " + cardContent
        },
        reprompt: {
            outputSpeech: {
                type: "PlainText",
                text: repromptText
            }
        },
        shouldEndSession: shouldEndSession
    };
}

function buildResponse(sessionAttributes, speechletResponse) {
    return {
        version: "1.0",
        sessionAttributes: sessionAttributes,
        response: speechletResponse
    };
}

How did this code work? isn't there a problem in line 275 shouldEndSession: shouldEndSession

I guess this causes an Alexa custom skill (nodejs) to always timeout and not end at the wish of the user or naturally when session is requested to end.