Cognos

**Venue:** Riverbank House, 2 Swan Ln, London EC4R 3AD **Please note:** 1\. 🚨🚨🚨 A valid photo ID is required by building security\. 🚨🚨🚨 2\. This event follows the [NumFOCUS Code of Conduct](https://numfocus.org/code-of-conduct). Please familiarise yourself with it before attending. If your RSVP status says "You're going" you will be able to get in. No need to show your RSVP confirmation when signing in. If you can no longer make it, please unRSVP as soon as possible. **Code of Conduct:** This event follows the NumFOCUS Code of Conduct. Please get in touch with the organisers with any questions or concerns. As always, there will be free food and drinks, generously provided by our host, Man Group. **Main Talks** 1. **[Nicoleta Lazar](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleta-lazar-921a6864/) Query federation in modern OLAP databases** As analytics ecosystems grow more diverse, organisations increasingly need to query data across warehouses, data lakes, and operational systems without excessive data movement or duplication. **Query federation** has become essential by enabling unified SQL access and intelligent predicate pushdown into heterogeneous sources. This talk introduces the core principles of federation and why it matters for modern OLAP workloads. Using StarRocks as a model system, we highlight its vectorised execution engine, native connectors, and deep Apache Iceberg integration that together deliver high-performance lakehouse querying. 2. [Ben Guerin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjhguerin/) **How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let Claude Code Write the Python [the story of [ismypubfucked.com](http://ismypubfucked.com/ "http://ismypubfucked.com")]** 43,000 pubs. Official VOA data. One question. [ismypubfucked.com](http://ismypubfucked.com/ "http://ismypubfucked.com") got 400k visits in two weeks and wall-to-wall media coverage: from the Mirror to the Telegraph to City AM. I'm not a Python developer. I used Claude Code to wrangle government spreadsheets, match them to OpenStreetMap, and ship a working site. All in less than 6 hours from initial idea to a live website. The AI wrote the Python, I just knew what story the data could tell. This talk covers what happens when tools like Claude Code unlock Python for people who think in narratives rather than syntax, and what a decade of building viral campaigns has taught me about making people actually give a shit about spreadsheets. **Lightning Talks** 1. **TBC** 2. **TBC** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Logistics** Doors open at **6.30 pm** (get there early as you'll need to sign in with building security). Talks start at **7:00 pm**, with drinks afterwards from **9:00 pm** at The Banker (EC4). We have reduced capacity for this event, but there will be plenty of people to discuss data science questions with. Please unRSVP in good time if you realise you can't make it. We're limited by building security on the number of attendees, so please free up your place for your fellow community members. If you want me to trim lightning talks down to two or shorten any abstracts, say which ones.

**A software engineers guide to LLMs** In this talk Richard Conway will break down what LLMs are layer by layer, how they work, how they use software principles to work and how to use them in software. This will be a fluid talk with a lot of philosophy, maths from school and how to build your software understanding things like hallucinations and new techniques that can make your management of LLMs more deterministic. We'll consider a lot of things here including the new code generation tools which have developers quivering in their boots, what they mean for our industry and how to use them for effect. Lots of mini-demos and great discussions, good people, beer and pizza! **About the speaker** Richard Conway co-founded the user group, along with Andy Cross, Joe Hancock and Chris Parsons. He is a Microsoft AI MVP and a Microsoft Regional Director and has been writing software in one form or another since his fingers were large enough to hit a ZX81 keyboard.

Registration Portal: [Event Registration Portal](https://luma.com/cclondon26?utm_source=sherif) About Event ​"Why are there no coffeeshops open late? But what if I want to co-work at night?!?" - everyone on Twitter ​Cerebras is excited to present, Cafe Compute. The first, late-night pop-up coffeeshop with a barista bar ☕️, cozy snacks and couches 🛋️, and more. ​​​​​​This event is brought to you in collaboration with OpenAI. ​​Cerebras is the world’s fastest AI inference, up to 15x faster than leading GPUs. Cerebras Inference is powered by our Wafer-Scale Engine (WSE-3) - the world's largest AI chip. Experience the speed for yourself with OpenAI Codex-Spark, powered on Cerebras, and get free compute at cerebras.ai. Location Please register to see the exact location of this event.

April Edition ✨✨! We will be at Kraken Tech (Octopus Energy Group), London office! (in-person only event, no streaming) **Talks:** **Digitising Historical Caving Data with Django** - *Andrew Northall* Building an automated pipeline with Django which can extract, structure and publish 2,700+ historical printed reports from scanned PDF copies. *Andrew Northall* is a Python & Django specialist who maintains several open source Django projects/services for the caving and amateur radio communities. **llms.txt for Django: what works** - *Thibaud Colas* The llms.txt format is an emerging standard to structure information for Large Language Models. It’s a desirable addition to the docs of Python packages. Let’s review how to adopt it! We’ll discuss the fundamentals of the format and its benefits as a user of the docs, and as a maintainer. How to produce and consume those files across different tools (Sphinx, mkdocs, Django). How to optimize them for different LLMs with an eval suite. Tools and techniques you should be able to reuse through other engineering tasks with LLMs. *Thibaud Colas* works at Torchbox as developer, core contributor to the Wagtail CMS build on Django. **Want to share your Django or Python knowledge?** We’d love to feature your talk! Just fill out our [speaker form](https://forms.gle/LkaRdKVTF9ApbrEq7) to propose a talk! **Agenda:** • 6:15pm Doors open, socialising • 6:30pm Food and drinks offered by our sponsor • 7:00pm Doors close \*\* • 7:15pm Introduction, News, Talks • 8:30pm Socialising • 9:30pm Fin **Please make sure to arrive between 6:15 PM and 6:55 PM**. If you arrive earlier than 6:15 PM or later than 6:55 PM, you can take a seat in the seating area located in the downstairs reception. **Please note that we cannot accommodate arrivals after 7:15 PM.** Our meetups are governed by a [Code of Conduct](https://www.djangolondon.com/code-of-conduct/). Please take a few minutes to read it. This meetup is sponsored by: • [Kraken Tech (Octopus Energy Group)](https://kraken.tech/): "Kraken is a revolutionary energy tech platform built with predominantly Python & Django. We Serve 54 million households worldwide and have 38GW of contracted capacity." • [JetBrains](https://www.jetbrains.com/): "We make professional software development a more productive and enjoyable experience." Website: [https://djangolondon.com](https://djangolondon.com/) BlueSky: [@djangolondon.com](https://bsky.app/profile/djangolondon.com) Github: [github.com/djangolondon](https://github.com/djangolondon/) Open Collective: [opencollective.com/the-london-django-meetup-group](https://opencollective.com/the-london-django-meetup-group/)

Friendly book group Please remember to change your RSVP if you can't make it so someone on the waitlist can take your slot. New books chosen by popular vote and read 2 months later. We look forward to seeing you there!

\#\#\#\# Step 1: TAKE THE TEST The Oxford Capacity Analysis identifies 10 vital personality traits that influence your entire future. It is a factual, scientific analysis taken from your answers, and it takes about an hour to complete. \#\#\#\# Step 2: GET YOUR RESULTS After you complete the test, your personality analysis is generated and displayed. Within minutes your analysis will highlight your strengths and weaknesses—which personality traits to take advantage of and which need help. \#\#\#\# Step 3: CONSULTATION While the analysis graph shows distinct personality traits, it is the interrelationship of these traits that provides the greater picture of your personality. We provide a complimentary consultation with one of our trained staff, who will give a detailed evaluation of your personality analysis. In this one-on-one consultation, you gain a better understanding of your personality strengths and weaknesses, and establish the recommended path to your fast and lasting success.

Vibe Coding Collective is teaming up with **ElevenLabs** to push the boundaries of sound-first vibe coded apps. For one night, we’re getting full access to their tech to explore what’s possible when vibe coding meets voice and music generation. Whether you want to build a voice-controlled game, an AI storyteller, or a children’s app, this is your playground. Use any tools you like (Lovable, Google AI Studio, v0, Cursor, Replit…) and plug in ElevenLabs' power. 🍻 **Format 🛠️** We’ll be teaming up in small groups (2–3 people). We'll provide a specific "Voice & Vibe" challenge, then it’s heads-down building. The goal is to **vibe, experiment with sound, and see how voice and music changes the way we interact with vibe coding**. ## New to vibe coding or voice tech? ✨ No worries! We’ll provide a special **ElevenLabs Starter Kit** with API recipes and prompt examples so even total beginners can get an AI talking in minutes. ## Schedule 🕒 *(Aim to arrive by 6:50 PM so we can get your API access sorted!)* * 7:00 – ElevenLabs Presentation & Tech Demo * 7:20 – The Challenge + Team Formation 🤝 * 7:30 – Round 1: Build & Hear 💻 * 8:15 – Break (Grab a drink, hear what others are cooking) 🍺 * 8:30 – Round 2: Polish & Play 🏗️ * 9:00 – The "Vibe Check" Demos 📺 (Show/Hear what you built!) * 9:20 – Hang out, network, make friends ✌️ ## Who is it for? Anyone! Curious coders, GameDevs, artists, musicians, sound designers, voice actors, entrepreneurs. If you’ve ever wanted to talk to your computer (and have it talk back), you belong here. ## What to bring: * Laptop! 💻 * Headphones (Essential for testing those voice vibes!) 🎧 * Vibes ⚡ ## Location 📍 London College of Political Technology Newspeak House 133-135 Bethnal Green Road London E2 7DG 👉 No gatekeeping. No silence (this time). Just new voices and friends! Disclaimer: By signing up, you consent to the collection and sharing of your name, email address, photos, videos, and software, unless you explicitly opt out by informing the organizers.

The Databricks London Meetup is back after a short break, and we’re looking forward to bringing the community together again for another friendly, in-person evening of data, AI, and good conversation. Join us for a relaxed meetup where data and AI professionals can swap ideas, hear a couple of practical talks, and meet others working with Databricks in the real world. Whether you’re deep into the platform already or just keen to learn from the community, this is a great chance to pick up something useful and meet some excellent people along the way. This session will include the latest Databricks updates, a practical talk from the Advancing Analytics team on how they used Lakebase to power AI projects, and time for questions with the Databricks team before we round things off with pizza and networking. **17:30 - 18:00:** Arrival & Networking **18:00 - 18:10:** Opening Remarks & Introductions **18:10 - 18:30** What’s New in Databricks - Simon Whiteley **18:30 - 19:00** Building Better AI Projects with *Lakebase* \- Toyosi Babayeju from Advancing Analytics **19:00 - 19:15** Q&A with the Databricks team **19:15 onwards:** Pizza, Drinks & Networking *Join us for a fantastic evening of learning and networking at the London Databricks meetup!*

**Online Agenda - Via Teams** * 18.20 - Introductions * 18:30 - Guest Speaker Talk * 19:30 - Q&A. Event Close **______________________________________________________** **In Person Agenda** 18:00 - Arrive. Networking 18:30 - Guest Speaker Talk 19:30 - Q&A & Pizza 20:30 - Event Close **______________________________________________________** **Report Design and Your Brain** Your brain is amazing but it can work in strange ways when trying to understand your visualisations and data. How can we make it easier for viewers to understand it, how can you hack your visual to give it a better emotional context. In this fun and slightly interactive session, Jon will give you insight on how to structure your visuals and dashboards, and learn how your brain can mislead lead you, and processes information. **_____________________________________________________** **MeetUp Member Resources In GitHub Here:** [https://github.com/EastMidlandsData](https://github.com/EastMidlandsData) Including introduction slides and our **Code of Conduct**. **______________________________________________________**

**Important:** Register on the [event website](https://www.aicamp.ai/event/eventdetails/W2026040809) is required for admission. **RSVP on meetup is turned off** Enjoy afterwork drinks and practical discussions on Apache Kafka, ClickHouse, PostgreSQL and much more. Enjoy a session designed for data engineers, architects and technical decisions-makers like you, who want to address the challenges they face in data-infrastructure. No high-level pitches but straight into practical discussions on how to build scalable, efficient open sourced-powered data platforms. **Why Attend?** * Connect with local data and tech professionals * Get practical insights into streaming, storage, and analytics with Kafka, Iceberg, PostgreSQL, and ClickHouse * Learn how to reduce operational overhead while scaling your data infrastructure performance * Bring your questions and challenges for direct discussions with Aiven experts **Agenda:** * 4:00pm\~4:30pm: Checkin, Food, Networking * 4:30pm\~6:00pm: Tech talks and Q&A * 6:00pm\~7:00pm: Happy hour, Open discussion, Networking * **Tech Talk: Context Is the New Infrastructure** **Speaker:** Stan Dmitriev (Aiven) **Tech Talk: Apache Kafka on Aiven** **Speaker:** Hugh Evans (Aiven)

**🚀 AI for Data & Analytics: From Raw Data** **to Real Impact (Beginner-Friendly Meetup)** Are you curious about how AI is actually being used in real-world data roles? Wondering how tools like Claude or AI assistants can help you work smarter—not just faster? Join us for a **hands-on, beginner-friendly meetup** where we break down how AI is transforming the way data professionals work today. Whether you're just starting out or already working with data, this session will give you practical insights you can start applying immediately. *** ### 💡 What You’ll Learn **🔹 Claude Code & AI Foundations (by [Nitish)](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitish-galat/)** A simple, no-jargon introduction to modern AI tooling: * What is Claude Code and how to actually use it * Understanding core concepts like *skills*, *skill.md*, and *MCPs* * How everything connects behind the scenes * Live walkthroughs to help you get started right away 👉 Perfect for beginners with little to no AI experience. *** **🔹 Turning Raw Data into Business Decisions with AI (by [Abhishek](https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhishek-gadve-8010a2119/))** Learn how data analysts can truly leverage AI in their daily work: * How to use AI to speed up data analysis workflows * Where AI adds real value—and where it doesn’t * Turning messy, raw data into meaningful business insights * Practical use cases from real industry experience *** ### 👥 Meet Your Speakers **Nitish Galat – BI Analyst & Gen AI Specialist** With experience across data automation and Gen AI, Nitish focuses on simplifying complex AI systems and making them accessible for everyone. **Abhishek Gadve – Senior Product Analyst** Abhishek specializes in translating data into business impact, helping teams make smarter, faster decisions using analytics and AI. *** ### Why Attend? This isn’t a theory-heavy session. It’s a **practical, real-world focused meetup** where you’ll: * Understand AI concepts without the overwhelm * Learn tools and workflows you can actually use * Gain clarity on how AI fits into data roles today *** ### 🎟️ Free Event – Limited Spots We’re keeping this session **small and interactive** to ensure quality discussions and personalized learning. If you're a **student, aspiring data analyst, or working professional**, this meetup will give you a clear edge in understanding AI’s role in data.

You want to do your best! You want to realise your potential! You want to make the right decisions at the right time! Obviously- you want to be a success! Do you have all the skills in place? Do you have areas in your life or personality that are weaker and you feel can stop you or hold you back? Would you like a free personal consultation to help locate your strengths and weaker areas? We can help you to maximise on your potential. If you would like a free 1 hour consult then register now! We have various times available for your own personal consultation This is hosted at the Scientology Life Improvement Centre in London. We use the Oxford Capacity Analysis test. https://www.scientology-london.org.uk/personality-test/

\#\#\#\# Step 1: TAKE THE TEST The Oxford Capacity Analysis identifies 10 vital personality traits that influence your entire future. It is a factual, scientific analysis taken from your answers, and it takes about an hour to complete. \#\#\#\# Step 2: GET YOUR RESULTS After you complete the test, your personality analysis is generated and displayed. Within minutes your analysis will highlight your strengths and weaknesses—which personality traits to take advantage of and which need help. \#\#\#\# Step 3: CONSULTATION While the analysis graph shows distinct personality traits, it is the interrelationship of these traits that provides the greater picture of your personality. We provide a complimentary consultation with one of our trained staff, who will give a detailed evaluation of your personality analysis. In this one-on-one consultation, you gain a better understanding of your personality strengths and weaknesses, and establish the recommended path to your fast and lasting success.

Elixir London Meetup; February 2026 edition. All are welcome. **Session 1: Anton Borisov - Distilling Kafka's Binary Protocol into Elixir** We'll trace a produce request to show what any Kafka client has to get right. In the BEAM ecosystem, erlkaf wraps librdkafka, brod implements the protocol in Erlang, and [kafka_ex](https://hex.pm/packages/kafka_ex) goes pure Elixir. Kafka_ex's approach is to generate serializers at compile time from Kafka's own schema definitions: plain structs, pattern matching, structural boilerplate isolated from the logic you actually think about. That design is what let us jump two major versions ahead and adapt to significant protocol changes. Let's dig into the idea, the code, and the tradeoffs. **Session 2: Evadne Wu** **\- JavaScript Execution Strategies in Elixir\-based Agent Frameworks** We'll look at integration points between elixir agents (in the AI fashion) and JavaScript execution, and all the foot guns involved. *The event is kindly sponsored by* [Fresha](https://www.fresha.com). **Time** Doors open at 18, start at 18.30. **Venue** Fresha The Bower, 207-211, Old St, Tower, London EC1V 9NR **Refreshments** Food and drinks will be provisioned on the day. **IMPORTANT**: **If you wish to take photos and post online during the event, please notify organisers first, so that attendees can opt-out from being in photos.**

The Fellowship of the Star Schema: Transforming OLTP Data for Power BI One does not simply build reports on OLTP data. Join us on an epic journey from the depths of raw, normalized tables to the shining halls of a well-modeled star schema fit for Power BI greatness. We will demystify the differences between OLTP and OLAP, walk through star schema vs snowflake (and why Power BI has a clear favorite), and show you the compression differences between normalized and columnar storage that will make you never look at an OLTP model the same way again. We will cover the different types of dimensions, when to use them, and how to handle Slowly Changing Dimensions without losing your mind. You will leave knowing exactly how to identify a bad model, how to convert OLTP data into a clean star schema, and how to forge relationships that rule them all. Whether you are a data wizard, a curious hobbit, or somewhere in between, your models will never be the same.

**The Data-Driven Brand: Using Analytics to Shape Perception** Can you use analytics to improve tacos? This being CBUSDAW, we think the answer is probably “yes”, but we’re not sure how to implement or test this theory. For our April meetup we’ve got Sara Kear, CMO of Condado Tacos, to investigate this delicious question. Sara will explore how she blends quantitative data and qualitative customer feedback to shape brand positioning and drive business decisions. We all know that marketing and analytics go way beyond attribution. Sara will show how Condado uses customer insights to inform product and pricing strategy. She’ll also highlight how Condado leverages customer feedback at scale to influence operational priorities, positioning marketing as the voice of the customer across the organization. In the last 12 years Condado has gone from one location in Columbus to 52 locations across 10 states, so we’re guessing there’s more to that growth than really good guac (though the guac probably helps). Ultimately, this talk focuses on the intersection of art and science—using data to inform creativity and build a brand that resonates with customers in a measurable way. **About Our Speaker** Sara Kear is Chief Marketing Officer at Condado Tacos, where she oversees brand, restaurant design, menu and pricing strategy, off-premise including catering, and customer data strategy. Since joining in 2021, she has helped grow the brand from 19 to 52 locations while building a data-driven marketing organization focused on loyalty and customer insights. Condado has since been named to the Inc. 5000, recognized as Breakout Retailer by Chain Store Age, and consistently ranked among FastCasual’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers. Thanks to our 2026 sponsors: [Clarivoy](https://www.clarivoy.com), [What Box Consulting Group](https://www.whatboxconsultinggroup.com), [Conductrics](https://www.conductrics.com), and [Piwik PRO](https://piwik.pro) More info at [cbusdaw.com](https://cbusdaw.com)

Pay attention! We’re delaying a week for those of you who may be on Spring break and/or celebrating the holiday. Ok, no pancakes, but waffles-a-plenty. Join the local UX and Digital Design community for a casual monthly breakfast. Look for us upstairs!

We're bringing the community together for a casual happy hour with ServiceNow-themed trivia, food and drinks, and great conversation. Details coming soon - for now, save the date and plan to join us for connection and fun.

The global Azure community is coming together again, and Columbus is officially on the map. View the session lineup and speakers at [Global Azure Columbus 2026](https://coazure.github.io/cbus-global-azure-2026/) On **Saturday, April 18, 2026**, the Azure Columbus Meetup, DevOps Meetup, and Code and Coffee Meetup are hosting our local edition of Global Azure 2026. This is a free, community-driven event packed with learning, networking, and all things Microsoft Azure. Whether you’re building modern cloud-native apps, experimenting with AI agents, deploying containers, automating infrastructure, or just beginning your Azure journey, this event is for you! **What to Expect** * Engaging technical sessions * Real-world Azure architecture & cloud-native patterns * AI, agents, automation, and modern DevOps * Food and drinks (because learning burns calories) * Time to connect with fellow engineers, architects, and cloud enthusiasts **Who Should Attend?** * Software engineers (any language, any stack) * Cloud architects * DevOps engineers * Data professionals * AI explorers * Platform builders * Anyone who loves solving hard problems with great tools If you build, deploy, automate, scale, monitor, or optimize in Azure, you’ll feel right at home. **Why Global Azure?** Global Azure is a worldwide community event where Azure user groups host learning sessions on the same day across the globe. It’s grassroots. It’s technical. It’s practical. And it’s powered by people who genuinely love sharing what they’ve learned. And yes, it’s free to attend!

AI is changing how art is made. But when does it stop being your work and start being the machine’s? This month we're going to be doing a panel with with digital image, music, and written word artists, talking about at what point, while using AI in the creation process, does the work become not the artist creation? We encourage audience participation during this event that will be moderated by Chris Slee. Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.transformlabs.com/services)