Demand Planning

You can now join us for some friendly Badminton games on Wednesdays too! All levels welcome! IMPORTANT: in order to secure your place you’ll need to both book a spot on Meetup AND pay €8 by Sunday 18h00. This is to make sure we can cancel courts if demand isn’t there, and make sure we’re being fair to people on the waiting list. Refunds will only be possible after Monday AM if another player is definitely able to take your spot Always worth joining our Whatsapp group as well for faster, often better, updates: https://chat.whatsapp.com/FTipqtyIwcZLThbw8KpQtZ?mode=gi_t

**⚡️ Bitcoin accepted** via [Swiss Bitcoin Pay](https://swiss-bitcoin-pay.ch/) **⚡️** No presentations (usually). No altcoins or shitcoins. No photos. Telegram: [https://t.me/BrusselsBitcoinMeetupGroup](https://t.me/BrusselsBitcoinMeetupGroup) NOSTR: [https://tinyurl.com/BRUSSELS-BITCOIN](https://tinyurl.com/BRUSSELS-BITCOIN) Every 2nd Wednesday of the month.

**First time comers** Please make sure to read the rules and contact the organizer before! Otherwise you will be moved to waiting list. Apologies for inconvenience but we have to do it to avoid no-shows. **Games format.** 95% are double games (unless someone needs a break), typically 4 people play together 2 sets and then mix with players from other fields. We play with plastic shuttles - Yonex Mavis 2000 (which are provided). **Registration** If it's your first time, please send a private message to the host to confirm. No-shows are taken quite seriously because they unbalance the games a lot. Also once you register please keep an eye on you private messages, in case we need to contact you. **Players level** Having players with much less experience often unbalances the game making it much less interesting for more experienced players. We still try to be welcoming. As a rule of thumb, if you know what a "clear" is, you are welcome to join. (Note that on Sundays the attitude is a bit more relaxed than on Wednesdays, it's the weekend after all ;) ) Otherwise, feel free to get in touch with me (Timur) and we can see if we can arrange so you and existing players can have good experience playing. **Price and payments** The price of participation is EUR 8.95. Payment is on-site in cash, or via payconiq. Info provided during or shortly after the event. **Cancelations and no-shows** * Switches and cancellations are free of charge if done more than 50 hours before the start of the matches * If you cancel within the 50-hour window before the event starts, you will be placed on the wait-list for the next week's event, whether or not a replacement is found. If no replacement is secured, you'll still need to cover your share of the costs.

**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**. **______________________________________________________**

🏃‍♂️ Sunday Vacations | Train Together, Finish Together --- Thinking about joining the **20km of Brussels on May 31st**… but don’t want to train alone? 👉 Join our **after-work training group** and prepare together in a fun, social, and motivating atmosphere. Whether you're a beginner or already running regularly — **you’re welcome.** --- ## 📆 Weekly Runs (April → May) We train **twice a week after work**: ### 🔵 Once per week – Easy Social Run 👉 Perfect to build consistency and meet the group --- ### 🟣 Once per week – Long Run (Main Session) * Distance increases every week * Structured pace groups 👉 This is the **key session** to prepare for the 20km --- ## 🏳️ Follow Your Flag (Pace Groups) To keep things simple, we use the official **20km Brussels pacemaker system**: * 🟠 **Beginner (≈ 2h15)** Run/walk friendly — just aim to finish * 🟣 **Steady (≈ 2h00)** Comfortable and regular pace * 🟢 **Intermediate (≈ 1h45)** Faster group for those who want a challenge 👉 Not sure? Start easy — you can switch anytime. --- ## 📊 Long Run Progression We gradually build up to the race: 6 km → 8 km → 10 km → 12 km → 14 km → 16 km → 18 km 🔥 * lighter week before the race --- ## 🏁 Goal 📅 Sunday 31 May 2026 🎯 Run the 20km of Brussels — together --- ## 💡 What to expect * Friendly, international group 🌍 * No one left behind * Natural pace groups * Motivating and social vibe 👉 We start together, run in groups, and finish together. --- ## ☕ After the run Optional drink or snack — because it’s also about **meeting people and having fun** --- ## ⚠️ Practical info * Bring water * Wear proper running shoes * Join at your own responsibility * Beginners welcome --- ## 🌍 About Sunday Vacations We are a **Brussels-based community** organizing social activities, hikes, and trips. 👉 This training is part of our mission: **bringing people together through shared experiences** --- ## 🔗 Participation To join, a **Sunday Vacations membership** is required: * Explorer (€5/year) → + €5 organizing fee * Voyager (€50/year) → no organizing fee * Ambassador (€150/year) → no organizing fee + perks 👉 Details: [www.sundayvacations.com/membership](http://www.sundayvacations.com/membership) --- 🔥 Don’t train alone — join us and enjoy the journey to the 20km!

**🚀 We're thrilled to announce the next Cloud Native Meetup @ ING!** Come join us for an evening of talks, great conversations, and good food. Expect fresh insights, real-world stories, and the kind of hallway chats that spark your next big idea. **Agenda** 🕕 18\.00 — Doors open \| Food & drinks 🎤 19.00 — Welcome 🔐 19.15 — What I'll Tell My Kids About K8s Security *(Lars Lefebvre, ING)* 🚀 19.45 — K8s-wish and other LLM adventures *(Andrew Yourtchenko)* ☕ 20.15 — Break ⏳ 20.30 — Kubestronaut Panel 🤝 21.00 — Networking **Getting here** **No on site parking available**, instruction on how to get there [over here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FYT8vBU513koHhvOyqW8tQshbzAhlzQ_/view?usp=sharing). **If coming by car, please only refer to the public car park instructions.** Access via entrance A, then follow the signs. **Sessions:** **Session 1:** **What I'll Tell My Kids About K8s Security (Lars Lefebvre, ING):** What I'll Tell My Kids About K8s Security is a creative and story-driven talk that makes Kubernetes security approachable — even for those who aren't deep in the weeds of K8s. Framed through metaphors and everyday analogies, the talk explores complex security challenges in a fun and memorable way. In the second half, I'll share the story behind an open source tool we built at ING to help teams uncover and understand real-world security issues in their clusters. *Bio:* Lars is a dedicated Cloud and Application Security Engineer with a strong background in the Cloud Native stack. He’s experienced in managing multi-cloud environments, promoting cloud-native practices, and enhancing security measures in software development lifecycles. **Session 2:** **K8s-wish and other LLM adventures (Andrew Yourtchenko)** Can we use LLMs to avoid writing YAML? This talk explores two approaches — a single-shot LLM call and a full agentic loop — using two open source projects, and what each gets right and wrong. *Bio*: After 25 years at Cisco across three lives — TAC Security, IPv6 technical marketing, and high-performance networking software — Andrew is now building open source agentic AI tools and doing occasional consulting. He is a coauthor of DHCPv6 and other RFCs, and holds 4 US patents. **Session 3: Kubestronaut Panel** *30 minutes \| Q&A* Meet a panel of Kubestronauts, some even Golden. We'll kick off with a quick intro to what a Kubestronaut (and Golden Kubestronaut) actually is, then dive straight into an interactive Q&A. Hear about their journey, what the grind really looks like, and what they'd do differently. This session is all about the conversation. *Bio Olivier Calzi (Golden Kubestronaut):* From pulling Ethernet cables as a student in France to becoming a Golden Kubestronaut, I have spent 10 years learning the stack from the ground up. Now a Cloud Native Expert with 15 CNCF certifications, I focus on SRE and infrastructure architecture. I'm a firm believer in the "work-study" model and a lifelong student who still finds engineering deeply fun. *Bio François Duthilleul (Golden Kubestronaut):* François Duthilleul is a Principal Solutions Architect at Red Hat, leading the security domain in the EMEA Telco CoE, co-author of the OpenShift Security book, and contributing to O-RAN and Sylva standardisation. The first Belgian Golden Kubestronaut and 2025 Top SSA, he brings 15+ years of network cloudification experience — and you'll find him at rock concerts, on a road bike, or talking cloud-native over a craft beer. *Bio Evelien Schellekens (Kubestronaut):* Evelien is a Principal Solutions Architect at Elastic. She enjoys sharing knowledge through public speaking and interacting with the technical community. She’s passionate about observability and open source technologies like Kubernetes and OpenTelemetry.

Free Dutch lesson, 4 seats available at Avenue Louise in Brussels. We will assess your level of Dutch, have conversations, you will learn some grammar, and you will get a custom advice for a training course, private or in a group. Gratis Nederlandse les, vier plaatsen beschikbaar aan de Louisalaan in Brussel. We stellen je niveau vast, we hebben conversaties, je leert wat grammatica, en je krijgt een persoonlijk advies voor een cursus, privé of groepslessen.

Socializing and Networking 🛜🆕 at PLUX on Thursday. Making new friends and drinking 🚰🎈🎉🚿🌊. Everybody Welocme, locals, expats or new 🆕 in town.

**🗨️ Let’s talk Dutch together!** We are meeting up for an informal chat to practice. Native speakers are appreciated! No preparation needed, come and go as you like! ❗**Rules and practical info -------------------------------------** \- Make sure you respond to the event\, it is very helpful for the organizer\. Don’t forget to remove it if you cannot make it\! \- A minimum level of A2\-B1 is recommended\. **\- Please purchase at least one thing to support the location\.** Do not consume external food or drinks there. *Visit the website [languagebuddies.be](http://languagebuddies.be) for the event calendar, other social links, information on how to organize something yourself, and more!*

# 🗣️ Language Exchange at Gare Maritime **Practice languages over drinks in Brussels' coolest food court!** Join fellow language enthusiasts for an evening of conversation, connection, and cocktails at the stunning Gare Maritime. Whether you're polishing your French, learning Dutch, or practicing any other language, come mingle in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. ## 📍 The Venue **Gare Maritime Food Court** \- Tour & Taxis A breathtaking industrial space transformed into Brussels' hottest social hub. With its soaring ceilings, vibrant atmosphere, and multiple bars serving everything from craft cocktails to Belgian beers, it's the perfect setting for a language meetup. ## 🎯 What to Expect Grab a drink and dive into natural conversations with people from all over the world. Chat in French with a Parisian, practice Dutch with a local, share travel stories in English, or switch between languages as the mood strikes. This is all about organic connections and real conversations - no pressure, no structure, just good vibes and great company. **Everyone welcome:** complete beginners to fluent speakers, locals and expats, native speakers and eager learners. ## 👥 Who Comes to These Events? Our community includes language students, professionals new to Brussels, polyglots, locals wanting to practice their English, expats improving their French or Dutch, and anyone curious about other cultures. The common thread? A love of languages and meeting interesting people. ## 🍹 Drinks & Atmosphere Gare Maritime shines when it comes to drinks. Multiple bars offer creative cocktails, local craft beers, quality wines, and non-alcoholic options. The industrial-chic setting with communal seating makes it easy to strike up conversations and move between groups. ## 💡 First Time? No Worries! Just show up and introduce yourself. People are friendly and everyone remembers being a beginner. The best way to learn is by speaking, and mistakes are just part of the journey. Bring your curiosity and willingness to try - that's all you need.

This week we will walk through ***the Halle forest*** ([www.hallerbos.be/en/](http://www.hallerbos.be/en/)) and enjoy the ***blossoming bluebells*** (who are only blossoming 3 weeks a year) and watch the spectacle of ***blue carpets in the forest***. As starting point I choose ***“Beersel” with its beautiful castle*** ([http://en.visitbeersel.be](http://en.visitbeersel.be/) ). From there we will continue our route to Dworp where we will have lunch somewhere before entering the ***“Halle Forest” to see the bluebells***. Afterwards we hike to Sint-Genesius-Rode where we can have a coffee/drink in ***the local pub “Onze Parochie”*** and where you have the possibility to take the ***train back to Brussels***. For those who are ***not tired*** we will ***continue our road to Watermael-Boitfort*** passing trough the “Soignies Forest” and end our hike with a ***drink in in the local pub “Le Club”*** at Place Wiener before taking the tram home. ***Don't forget to pay Maikel a drink :-)*** We will walk both ***on paved and unpaved roads***. I’ve ***never walked this road before*** so it’s possible that there are some mistakes in the planning. ***●●Meeting point*** We meet ***at 09h30 in front of the Delhaize “Shop & Go” inside the Schuman train station***". The train (S5 3379 - direction Halle) leaves from ***platform 4 at 09h48.*** We will arrive at our destination at ***Beersel at 10h15*** and start our hike. ***●● Train tickets*** ***\- single ticket Brussels to Beersel \(2\,60 € weekend / 2\,60 € with train card\+\)*** ***\- single ticket Sint\-Genesius\-Rode to Brussels \(2\,90 € weekend / 2\,60 € with train card\+\)*** ***●● Trains back to Brussels*** There are ***2 trains every hour*** from Sint-Genesius-Rode to Brussels at ***XX:07 and XX:26*** **Last Train = 23h00** ***●● Specifics*** distance: \~ 24 km / \~ 34 km elevation gain: \~ 355 m / \~ 394 m net walking time: \~ 5h00 / \~ 7h00 ***level: easy – open to everyone*** ***In the unlikely case of too bad weather we may cancel a hike even few hours before the event. If this must happen we will of course update the Meetup website and send out an email to those registered. So it is important to have access to either the ([http://meetup.com/](http://meetup.com/)) website and/or your emails.*** ●● ***What to bring*** \- warm comfortable hiking clothes – ***waterproof hiking shoes*** \- extra socks to change \+ compeed for blisters \- enough water \(min 2 l\) and food for lunch/breaks \- sun protection oil\, a hat and sunglasses OR a raincoat (please consult the weather forecast on [www.meteo.be](http://www.meteo.be/)) **\- some money to pay Maikel a drink ;\-\)** ●● ***Basic rules*** Please RSVP only if you ***really intend to come***. And if your plans change ***update your RSVP latest 1 day before the hike*** so other people still have the possibility to join. This is basic courtesy towards others. ***People who cancel at the last day or don’t show up for the hike will be blacklisted for future hikes.*** Do not show up for a hike unless you are on the roster (i.e. Yes RSVP - but not Wait Listed). **●● *Acknowledgement of member responsibility and release of liability*** **By signing up for this event you agree to release the organizers from any responsibility and liability in all claims. As the participation is strictly voluntary and you freely choose to join, it is the responsibility of individuals participating to ensure that they are fit enough and have adequate coverage to protect themselves.**

**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)

**💘 Speed Dating from Home – Meet Cleveland Singles Live on Zoom** This online speed dating event is built around a host who sets the tone, keeps things easy, and helps people feel comfortable from the first minute. We pair you by personality and age so every conversation feels natural. Each round is a brief one-on-one Zoom chat with a Cleveland local paired by age and personality. A host keeps the pace comfortable. **Choose your age range to register:** - **Ages 18-32** → [REGISTER HERE](https://tempodating.com/product?productId=430.0&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Cleveland&groupurlname=downtown-local-singles-mixer-and-mingle&ar=18-32&face_v=3.0) - **Ages 30-46** → [REGISTER HERE](https://tempodating.com/product?productId=430.0&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Cleveland&groupurlname=downtown-local-singles-mixer-and-mingle&ar=30-46&face_v=3.0) - ✨ **Ages 40-58** → [REGISTER HERE](https://tempodating.com/product?productId=430.0&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Cleveland&groupurlname=downtown-local-singles-mixer-and-mingle&ar=40-58&face_v=3.0) **⚠️ Heads up — RSVPing here isn't enough.** Register through your age group link below and complete the quiz. Capacity is limited. --- ✅ **You will like this if:** - 🎯 People fed up with swiping who want actual conversation - Anyone who likes connecting online before meeting face-to-face - Anyone curious about speed dating in a relaxed setting **At a glance** - 🌍 **Format:** Zoom video session – short timed rounds - 🌍 **Location:** Online from home – no need to go anywhere - **Host:** Professional host keeping the evening smooth and relaxed 🧭 **How the session runs** 1. **Register** – Select your age group above and sign up. 2. **Fill in the matching quiz** – Helps us find your ideal matches for the evening. 3. **Log in** – Connect to the Zoom session from home. The host runs the show. 4. **Meet your matches** – Cycle through short chats with compatible Cleveland singles. 💡 **Tip:** Prepare a couple of questions — it keeps the conversation moving. ⭐ *"I was nervous but the host made it effortless. Met someone wonderful first try."* – Cleveland single --- ✨ Register, take the quiz, and connect with Cleveland locals tonight. 💗 ✨ Quick version: this one gets straight to the point. Everything important, without the extra padding. 🤝 **Community angle** - The atmosphere is guided, social, and easy to join - Repeat attendees help create familiarity and momentum - The host keeps the pace clear and the room welcoming That community angle is deliberate: better conversations, more familiar faces, and stronger momentum over time.

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 meet to learn and practice American Sign Language and to grow our familiarity with Deaf culture. Facilitated by hearing folks (with a connection to a professional interpreter) using Deaf-created content. People of all ASL skill levels are welcome! As we learn, we hope to connect more with the Deaf community in Central Ohio. Join us as you're able! Come regularly or just once - whatever you're looking for! Each meetup will explore different topics related to ASL/Deaf culture, and will feature time to practice conversation with one another. Just bring yourself and a willingness to learn!

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!

Community Seed and Plant Swap Do you love gardening? Want to expand your collection of plants and seeds without breaking the bank? Join MOFB for their free community-based event. Sunday, April 19th 4-6 pm at Mid-Ohio Farm on the Hilltop 116 N Wheatland Ave Columbus OH, 43223 To RSVP for free in-person attendance: https://forms.gle/t6Ppoc5WnRFPTJMZ

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) Sign up also accessible via [Transform Labs Luma](https://luma.com/55umjqta)