Name: Manchester Databricks User Group
Start: 2025-05-15T16:30:00.000Z
Location: Slalom

Welcome to the Manchester Databricks Meetup May 2025!

Join us for an exciting evening of Databricks insights, expert sessions, and networking.

**Agenda:**

**17:30- 17:45 Arrival & Networking**
Mingle with fellow data enthusiasts and professionals.

**17:45 - 18:00** **Opening Remarks & Introductions**

Get to know your fellow attendees and the organisers.

**18:00- 18:35 Luke Thorp** \| What's new in Databricks\, a Data Scientist's Perspective

**18:35- 18:55 -** Enjoy some delicious pizza and beverages while networking with peers.

**18:55 - 19:30** – **Joe Wretham** \| How Do I…\.\. Build a Generative AI App?

**19:30** onwards: Drinks & Networking

**Date and Location:**
**Date:** 15th May – 5:30pm - 7:30pm

**Venue:** Slalom – Floor 15, Bloc, 17 Marble Street, Manchester, M2 3AW

Join us for a fantastic evening of learning and networking at the Manchester Databricks User Group!

**Session Details:**

**18:00- 18:35: Luke** **Thorp, Solutions Architect, Databricks**

Join Luke and dive into the world of Data Science, Machine Learning and Gen AI on Databricks. What's new, what's changing, and what is coming very, very soon. He will touch on Batch Inference using Databricks AI Functions, Agentic AI and what new tools we have on offer, Databricks Apps and how they can help data shine in a different light. We will also cover some of the new shiny things like the AI Builder. Finally, we will discuss upcoming events and where to learn more about Databricks more generally.

**18:55 - 19:30** – **Joe Wretham, Senior Data Scientist, Co-op**

Join Joe for a deep dive into the development of the Co-op’s new Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) powered AI assistant for store colleagues. The session will cover the background of the project, some of the challenges faced and overcome so far and the future plans into production and beyond. It will also discuss some of the Databricks tech powering the app including vector stores, model serving/endpoints and AI functions and talk how the team have iterated on and refined the product to make sure it improves the working lives of the Co-op’s 40,000 retail store colleagues.

**Date and Location:**

**Date:** 15th of May 2025 – 5.30pm – 7.30pm

**Venue:** Slalom – Floor 15, Bloc, 17 Marble Street, Manchester, M2 3AW

Join us for a fantastic evening of learning and networking at the Manchester Databricks User Group!

Manchester Databricks User Group

Admin

Daniel Thornton

Dave Poole

Alex Meehan

Andrew

Romeo S

kamandibirjandi

Nick Latocha

Ryan Smyth

Pawel Bednarski

Matt Monks

emmanuel.o.afari

Owen Allford

Gavin Reynolds

Chris N

vimal vyshagam

Ben Berry-Allwood

Joe Mulvey

sudhanshu raj