AWS UG Lancashire x Tech Voices April 2026: Blackburn
Details
AWS User Group Lancashire and Tech Voices are joining forces to bring together people on the front line, sharing what actually works (and what really doesn't).
Whether you're at the coalface, shaping solutions, studying or simply exploring the world of tech, join us.
||| FEATURED TALKS |||
🎙️ Mark Francis - CTO @ Moonstar
'How to Build a Realtime Collaborative AI Chat'
What to expect:
AI chat is easy, that is until you try to make it work for teams. Mark breaks down how he built a realtime, multi-user AI chat where people can collaborate in the same conversation. From syncing data and streaming responses to handling scale, he’ll share what actually works and what broke along the way.
🎙️ Benjamin Clark – Founder @ Sudoblark
'How to Build AI Data Pipelines on AWS'
What to expect:
Most teams think AI agents require a total architectural overhaul. Ben is here to show you that they're actually just a natural extension of the existing infrastructure patterns you already use. Using a live bookshelf-cataloguing system as a guide, you'll see how to extract metadata from images and build genuine AI integration without the specialist ML overhead. No new stack required—just smart patterns that work on any cloud.
There will be a chance to network🗣️ and of course the obligatory 🍕on offer.
Grab your space!
||| SCHEDULE |||
18:00 - Doors, food, drinks
18:30 - Welcome
18:40 - Speaker 1
19:10 - Break for refreshments & networking
19:20 - Speaker 2
19:50 - Open Mic & Community News
20:00 - Close
||| LOCATION & HOW TO FIND US |||
Industry Collaboration Zone at Blackburn College
HERE is the part to take note of as some people do get lost.
🚗 CARS: Park in the Car Park in front of the University Centre Building. The car park location for the Industry Collaboration Zone can be tricky to find; please see the Google Pin and the What3words location below to help you find it better.
You will see that you can access the car park at the front of the building via either St Paul's Street or Alma Street. Take care when coming to the car park entrances and note the Bus Lane.
What3words - https://w3w.co/stand.proud.tasty
Google Pin - https://maps.app.goo.gl/8r6PoD6RzV3uqpPT8
As you stand facing the University Building, you will see a brown brick building to the right of the car park – this is the Harrison Centre, ICZ - https://w3w.co/names.mixer.badge
Car Park charges apply after 16:30, or you can register your vehicle at reception for free parking. Please be advised that failure to do either will result in Parking Fines.
🚌 PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Industry Collaboration Zone is just over half a mile from Blackburn Train Station. The nearest bus stop is Alma Street.
||| SPONSORS |||
AWS User Group Lancashire thanks our generous sponsors:
