Manchester Databricks User Group

Welcome to the Manchester Databricks Meetup March 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 Giles Middleton | Quantify Data Value and ROI through Unity Catalog Metrics, System Tables and Lineage

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

18:55 - 19:30 – Holly Smith | The Metadata Marathon: How three projects are racing forward

19:30 onwards: Drinks & Networking

Date and Location:
Date: 20th March – 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: Giles Middleton, Head of Data at Orbis Investment |

In this session, Giles will explore a practical methodology for helping to define Data Value. Through a combination of trackable metrics, we can discover the value, waste, and governance of data platforms, helping CDOs and data teams quantify the real impact of their data investments. He will break down these three core metrics so that organisations can expose how effectively data is being utilized, discussing how tools like Databricks Unity Catalog, system tables, and lineage tracking can provide valuable insights. If you're looking for a structured approach to demonstrate ROI on your data strategy, this is a session you won’t want to miss!

18:55 - 19:30 – Holly Smith, Staff Developer Advocate at Databricks |

Join Holly for a deep dive into the evolving world of open storage formats. With so much buzz around Delta, Hudi, and Iceberg, it’s easy to lose track of who’s doing what and why it matters.
In this session, we’ll break down, the history of open storage formats and how we got here, a technical comparison of Delta, Hudi, and Iceberg – what problems they solve and how they differ, and roadmaps and the future of metadata management in modern data platforms. This session is designed for data engineers and intermediate to advanced users, this talk will provide the insights needed to navigate the shifting data landscape and make informed choices for your data projects.

Date and Location:

Date: 20th March 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!