Design Strategy

Boardgame night #165 The idea is: play a game, have a drink and chat with friendly people. We start around 20.00 with playing board games so that's the perfect time to jump in and play with us. We will bring a couple board games, but you're also welcome to bring your own games. Feel free to join, bring friends or family. We hope to play with you then! You can also signup on facebook. Visit us at: https://m.facebook.com/groups/463859440486833

**Um was geht es dieses mal?** Dieses Mal haben wir zwei Talks für euch! **Agentenentwicklung ist wie Kindererziehung, nur mit mehr Logs - Ein Blick hinter die Kulissen bei vaylens - Dennis Lüger (vaylens)** "Was hat die Entwicklung eines KI-Agents mit Kindererziehung zu tun? Mehr als du denkst. In diesem Vortrag zeigt vaylens, wie wir den Service in der eMobility-Branche mit einem intelligenten Agenten neu denken – und warum der klassische Design → Develop-Prozess hier völlig an seine Grenzen stößt. Wir sprechen über die echten Herausforderungen: den Aufbau einer funktionierenden Wissensbasis, die Tücken von RAG, das Testen eines Systems, das sich ständig weiterentwickelt, und den Alltag mit einem Produkt, das selbst noch „in den Kinderschuhen“ steckt. Natürlich teilen wir auch unsere Erfolge, die wachsenden Fähigkeiten unseres Agents und geben einen Ausblick darauf, welche nächsten Schritte anstehen, um den Service der Zukunft zu gestalten." **Give Your AI Superpowers: Warum alles mit dem Model Context Protocol beginnt. - Benjamin Font Pera (codecentric)** "Moderne Sprachmodelle erreichen heute eine beeindruckende Leistungsfähigkeit, bleiben jedoch häufig in isolierten Umgebungen gefangen: Ohne eine einheitliche Schnittstelle können sie nur schwer auf externe Systeme, Datenquellen oder Werkzeuge zugreifen. Genau hier setzt das Model Context Protocol (MCP) an. MCP schafft eine standardisierte Integrationsschicht, über die LLMs transparent, strukturiert und kontrollierbar mit ihrer Umgebung interagieren können. In diesem Talk zeige ich, wie MCP die Grundlage für praktische, handlungsfähige KI-Agenten schafft Im Coding-Bereich demonstriere ich, wie ein Coding-Agent über MCP nicht nur mit Ticketsystemen arbeiten kann, sondern durch den Figma-MCP-Server sogar „sehen” lernt. Im n8n-Ökosystem wird sichtbar, wie MCP echte Agenten-Workflows ermöglicht. Am Beispiel des „Kai Vertriebsassistenten” zeige ich, wie ein LLM über MCP mit n8n Agenten kommuniziert, fehlende Informationen aktiv abfragt, Daten aus HubSpot oder Jira abrufen kann und komplexe Aufgaben wie das Erstellen von Versicherungsangeboten vollständig automatisiert. Der Vortrag verbindet konzeptionelle Grundlagen mit praktischen Demonstrationen und zeigt, wie MCP KI-Modelle aus ihrer Isolation löst und in vollständig integrierte, handlungsfähige Agenten verwandelt." **Hybrides Setup!** Wir freuen uns, euch bei uns in den Räumen der codecentric AG in Dortmund willkommen zu heißen. Vor Ort versorgen wir euch mit Snacks und Getränken und freuen uns gleichzeitig über interessante Diskussionen und einen guten Austausch. Für alle, die es nicht zu uns ins Office schaffen, werden wir das Meetup Hybrid durchführen. Der Stream beginnt ca. 10 Minuten später, damit wir vor Ort ausreichend Möglichkeit für persönliches Kennenlernen haben. Den Live-Stream findet ihr auf dem [YouTube-Channel der codecentric AG](youtube.com/@codecentricag). **Anreise:** Per Zug: Vom Dortmunder HBF sind es ca. 10 Minuten zu Fuß. Mit dem Auto: Rund um das Office gibt es einige Parkflächen, dazu befinden sich in dem Parkhaus der Thier-Galerie weitere Parkplätze.

**3D Workshop** * **Ontwerpen met Fusion360** * **Scannen in 3D** * **Het gebruik van 3D printers** **Je bent nu welkom in de nieuwe locatie NewTechPark** Je kunt ook online aan deze fysieke bijeenkomst deelnemen. De bijeenkomst is dan op de locatie te volgen. Als je [hier](w.j.put@hccnet.nl) vooraf een mailtje stuurt kun je dinsdagavond tussen 19.00 en 20.00 uur inloggen met Jitsi voor vragen, of ter kennismaking met hcc!3D. Online neem je deel aan de bijeenkomst met [https://wij.hcc.nl/3D](https://wij.hcc.nl/3D) [(Alleen toegang als je zichtbaar bent met voor- en achternaam. )](https://wij.hcc.nl/3d)

Hi all, We are excited to bring the Kafka community together once again for a new Kafka meetup. On January 20th, 2026, we will host an in - person evening featuring three strong perspectives on Kafka: MCP in practice - from intent to streaming; Kafka-native Kroxylicious proxies; and the organizational realities of Event-Driven Architecture. **The Speakers:** We are very excited to welcome **Anatoly Zelenin** (Founder @ DataFlow Academy, Kafka book author) introducing Kroxylicious, an emerging open-source early stage Kafka proxy. We are also proud to feature our own **Abhinav Sonkar** (Software Engineer @Axual.com), who will present a hands-on talk on MCP and Kafka in practice. Finally, **Eti (Dahan) Noked** (Head of Engineering @ PX.com) will close the evening with an honest look at Event-Driven Architecture: the dream, the reality, and the organizational cost. **Agenda:** **Doors open: 17:30** **17:30 - 18:30: Networking, food & drinks** **18:30 – 19:00: “From Intent to Streaming Apps: MCP in Practice with Kafka”** by Abhinav Sonkar (Software Engineer @ Axual) **19:05 – 19:50:** **“Kroxylicious, the snappy open-source proxy for Apache Kafka”** by Anatoly Zelenin (Founder @ DataFlow Academy, Kafka book author) **20:00 – 20:30:** **“Kafka & Event-Driven Architecture: The Dream, the Reality, and the Organizational Cost”** by Eti (Dahan) Noked (Head of Engineering @ PX.com) **20:30 - 21:15**: **Drinks & Kafka chit-chat** **Abstracts:** **From Intent to Streaming Apps: MCP in Practice with Kafka** As AI assistants begin interacting with real infrastructure, a key challenge is ensuring those interactions are safe, reliable, and constrained by clear rules. The Model Context Protocol (MCP) addresses this by defining a structured way for AI systems to discover capabilities, understand context, and invoke external tools through explicit contracts. This talk presents MCP through a practical Kafka-focused case study. Using the Axual MCP server, Abhinav will demonstrate how high-level intent expressed in natural language can be translated into governed Kafka operations such as topic management, access control, and application deployment. The session will also show how MCP can be combined with declarative technologies like KSML, a YAML-based DSL for Kafka Streams, to generate and deploy streaming applications without writing Java code. **Kroxylicious, the snappy open-source proxy for Apache Kafka** Proxies are a powerful architectural pattern commonly used in other application-layer protocols like HTTP, but they remain underutilized in the Kafka ecosystem. Kroxylicious is a groundbreaking, early-stage project that aims to change this by making it easier to develop Kafka proxies with minimal effort. While some organizations have built their own Kafka-aware proxies to address specific challenges, these solutions often remain closed-source and highly specialized. Kroxylicious tackles this problem by offering a set of pre-built capabilities and common features out-of-the-box, enabling developers to concentrate on the custom logic their applications need. In this session, Anatoly will introduce Kroxylicious, highlight its potential use cases, and demonstrate how it can simplify Kafka proxy development, reduce complexity, and unlock new possibilities for real-time data processing. **Kafka & Event-Driven Architecture: The Dream, the Reality, and the Organizational Cost** The goal of this talk is to show how to use Kafka effectively to achieve Event-Driven Architecture, and what this means for an organization. Eti will cover when an organization is ready for EDA, when Kafka is the right choice, and when it might not be. The talk completes the picture by exploring what can go wrong, how to avoid common pitfalls, and how architectural decisions around Kafka and EDA affect organizational structure, team ownership, and long-term sustainability. **Location:** Axual HQ Jaarbeursplein 22, Utrecht Please RSVP so we can arrange enough food & drinks. We are looking forward to welcoming you again on **January 20th, 2026**. **Team Kafka Meetup Utrecht**

Is public speaking something you’ve always wanted to learn? Then you’ve come to the right place! Experience a safe and playful environment at U-Speak! Toastmasters where you can develop your public speaking, communication, and leadership skills. \#\# 🌟 Special Event: Club Contest Evening Members will compete with their speeches. The winners will represent U-Speak! at the next contest level. Guests are warmly welcome to attend, cheer, and enjoy! * 🗓️ When: 20th of January 2026 * ⏰ Time: 19:15 - 21:30 (7.15pm to 9.30pm) Walkin at 19:15; Start of the meeting at 19:30 * 🌐 Venue: Pub Florin, Utrecht * 🙋🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️Attendance: Typically, 15-20 people attend each meeting Many of our club members are not on Meetup, so the number of people attending as indicated here is not reflective of the actual number of people attending on a night. * 🙋🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️ Guests are welcome; rsvp is encouraged

Are you ready to step fully into the spotlight and deepen your presence on stage? The Intermediate Plus course On Stage! is designed for improvisers who already feel at home performing and want to sharpen their theatrical instincts, storytelling skills, and connection with an audience. In this course, you will move beyond simply playing games and focus on how scenes really work. You will explore how to build stronger characters, clearer relationships, and emotionally grounded moments that feel believable and engaging. Short form games are treated with more intention and depth, allowing you to discover how structure, commitment, and acting choices elevate even the simplest scenes. Over the weeks, you will work with a wide range of formats, including open scenes with no fixed structure. You will learn how to trust yourself and your fellow players when there is no clear roadmap, and how to let stories emerge naturally. There is also strong attention on audience interaction, from confidently asking for suggestions to clearly presenting games and formats so the audience feels included and invested. This course places extra emphasis on stage presence and performance readiness. You will receive more detailed feedback from the trainer, helping you fine-tune your choices and grow as a performer. Together as a group, you will prepare for a public show, with additional performance opportunities where possible. This course is ideal if you want to go beyond quick laughs and create scenes that feel rich, human, and memorable. #### Who should sign up for this? This course is for intermediate and advanced players. Ideally, you have completed two beginner courses and at least one intermediate course, including performing in shows. You feel comfortable on stage and are motivated to challenge yourself further. #### Course details Course start: Tuesday 20 January to Tuesday 14 April 2026 No lesson on 17 February Time: 19:30 to 21:30 Location: [Buurtcentrum De Leeuw](https://maps.app.goo.gl/FYjqR6xQQtdeqJbH6) After class drinks at Hygge or O’Leary’s Thirteen lessons, including one show. Show date to be confirmed. We aim to organise additional performance opportunities where possible. Price €325 including VAT #### About the teacher Rutger Pull specialises in short-form improv and Dutch Theatresports. He has a sharp eye for what a scene needs in order to work and excels at teaching players how to recognise and support that. His feedback style is positive, clear, and precise, helping players grow while staying playful and confident. Rutger began improvising during his university years in Enschede and has been performing for many years with Iets Anders in Utrecht. His classes combine structure, insight, and enjoyment, creating a focused yet relaxed learning environment.

Join us for an evening of good vibes! Whether you’re a local or an expat, Mingle Mania is the perfect place to socialize and make friends or even to practice languages. 🤝🤼‍♂️💬🙋‍♂️🫂 👉 Join [https://chat.whatsapp.com/GopSuzuFKRBKeYVKQrX4pE](https://chat.whatsapp.com/GopSuzuFKRBKeYVKQrX4pE) The group has many regular members, we intend to do various type of events, the goal is to build a strong community for all sorts of activities. If you have an event idea that you would like to see happen, let us know. We generally have about 20 participants, the age is between 20 and 60 averaging somewhere around 30, language exchange is not strictly enforced, culture exchange happens naturally. **mingle** (verb, intransitive): to move among people and talk to them, especially at a social event. 📍 **What We Are:** * A diverse group of locals and expats * ...going out at least every Tuesday 😊 🆓 **Event Details:** * It is free to join and operated on a voluntary basis! * Please honor the bar by ordering at least one drink.

Hi all! First of all: Happy New Year!! 🍾 We’re super excited to kick off 2026 with our first PuXu meetup of the year! And we are very happy that it will be around a much coveted subject: **The Design System**. Our event brings together three experts from public service organisations to share practical approaches across key areas around research, design, vision, experimentation, and implementation of design systems. We're really excited about this one, as we have had many requests from the community to host an event about this topic! **Speakers:** **[Anton Olivier](https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonolivier1/) \|** Sr UX Designer **@ [Logius](https://www.logius.nl)** Anton explores how the Dutch Government interacts with citizens today and how this evolves into a smoother digital experience. In his talk he’ll share lessons from ongoing research, will demonstrate current prototyping, and show off implementation of a government-wide design system, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities in creating a single digital gateway for citizens. Anton is a UX Strategist at [Logius](https://www.logius.nl), a subsidiary of the Dutch ministry of internal affairs, where he is responsible for the UX side of government notification, messaging and personal data available at MijnOverheid. **[Jeffrey Lauwers](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreylauwers/)** \| Sr\. Designer @ [NLDS](https://www.nldesignsystem.nl) from [Valsplat](https://valsplat.nl) Jeffrey has a strong passion for design systems, accessibility, and Ajax. He is currently part of the core team behind NL Design System. In this talk, Jeffrey shares his experience with design systems, focusing on the NL Design System. He explains what the system is, how it works, and how designers can contribute at different levels. The talk explores the design side of NL Design System, including design tokens, components, patterns, templates, and tools like Figma, illustrated with practical examples. Additionally, Jeffrey highlights the importance of community, accessibility, research, and sharing knowledge across teams **[Joshua Grootveld ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-grootveld/)**\| UX Design Engineer @ [KVK](https://www.kvk.nl) I am a Designer with a curious mind and a big heart for people. I love bringing structure to creative chaos and I guide individuals and teams toward clarity through structure, empathy, and collaboration. When I’m not wrangling figma components or explaining why card variants are a philosophical debate, I’m probably grinding korean on duolingo, building my own flashcard app, or building APIs that screenshot things for reasons that made sense at the time.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ The talk: Design Systems, maintenance and AI-integration 5 years into working on design systems, I’ve realized something uncomfortable: the way we build systems is killing the human thinking we need most. AI is eating both discovery and delivery work at a quick pace… But instead of panicking, what if we used this moment to refocus on what humans are actually good at? This talk is about design systems in 2026, product/UX collaboration when robots do the grunt work, and why experimentation beats fear every single time. I’ll share what I’ve learned so far and hopefully inspire you to start experimenting yourself. **What to expect:** 🌟 **Inspiring Speakers:** Hear from inspiring speakers as they share real-world insights on **Design Systems** (More details to follow!); 🤝 **Connect & Network:** Meet like-minded individuals passionate about design systems; 🍹 **Drinks & Networking:** Enjoy casual conversations over drinks in a relaxed setting. **RSVP now** to secure your spot and join the conversation! See you the 22nd! **Details:** 💶 Price: **Free** 📅 Date & Time: Thursday January 22nd - 18:00 - 22:00 📍 Location: Acato Digital Creative Agency \| Oudegracht 231 \| Utrecht 🎟 Limited to 50 spots!! 🇬🇧 Event will be in English 🏆 Main event sponsors: [Acato](https://acato.nl) & [Visma ProActive](https://proactive-software.com/nl/) 📧 Questions or Feedback? questions@puxu.community 📢 We are open for future collaborations & speaking engagements.

## Brick the shapes of the New Year! As we step into a new year, we’re welcomed by a fresh landscape of opportunities, ambitions, and challenges waiting to be shaped. It’s the perfect moment to refocus, redefine our goals and re-energize the way we work together. Starting 2026, we’re using **LEGO® SERIOUS GOALS®** @ the **Scrum Facilitators** to help us transform ideas into tangible results. LEGO enables us to visualize our thoughts, explore possibilities with our hands and build shared understanding within yourself. By turning abstract goals into something physical, we create clarity, alignment, and space for creativity. **What can you expect from the event?** * Craft your concrete goal for 2026 * Powerful coaching of yourself done by you and by others * Help keeping yourself accountable of your goals * Metaphors & visualizations * Curiosity & reflection * Lots of fun :-) **Evening Plan:** 17:30 - 17:45 Walk In, Network 17:30 - 18:30 Intro and getting into it 18:30 - 19:00 FOOD 19:00 - 19:50 Goal Building 19:50 - 20:40 Note to Yourself, Make goals concrete 20:40 - 21:00 Walk Out, Network 21:00 Please go home you lovely people :)

> The location is Landhuis in de Stad, Utrecht Want to expand on a game design idea? Talk about a game feature that isn't just ready yet? Are you looking for playtesters or do you want to brainstorm on a new board game design with others and get their feedback? Find out what goes into making board games or just meet like-minded board game enthusiasts? Then the Amsterdam Board Game Design session is for you! Join us on [Discord](https://discord.gg/eDfmkyCyVX) for more information about what we do and upcoming events!

## 🎨**Activity for EXPATS & English Speakers** ☕ Are you an art enthusiast living in or around **Amersfoort, Hilversum, Utrecht, Nieuwegein, IJsseltein, De Bilt and the rest of cities of the Utrecht's province** who love painting or drawing? Maybe you've felt the joy of creating but struggled to find others who share your passion and speak **ENGLISH**? **You're not alone! 😉** ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ## 🖌️**About this event** You will meet other Art Lovers like you to Draw, Paint and have some drinks Together ! Our events are not just about sketching or creating art—they’re about building connections. Every two weeks, we meet at a café to have a relaxing time drawing a painting. Please keep on mind that **ENGLISH i**s the official language we will use to integrate everyone in our conversations. ⭕⭕⭕➡️ **IMPORTANT ⬅️** ⭕⭕⭕⭕ ### 👩🏻‍🎨**Book formally your Seat 🪑via [WHATSAPP](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f)** **If you want to confirm officially your attendance and separate your seat🪑. Book your seat in meet-up, and contact us via [WHATSAPP HERE](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f) to receive more information on the address of our activities.** **Thanks a lot for your understanding!** 💐🥰 ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ### 👩🏻‍🎨**How Does It Work?** This event is simple, this initiative takes 2 Hours. Most of the participants use pencils, water pencils or watercolours. Main aim is to socialize while we draw. There will be plenty of time to talk and get to know each other. We have to mention that this event is suitable for all levels. Many have started to draw in our event actually. Also it is very important that you **[JOIN US AT OUR WHATSAPP COMMUNITY](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f),** to stay up to date on our upcoming events and participate in our Drawing and Painting Contests! **👉: [https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f)** 🍀 ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ### ☕**Where?** We will meet in different cafes mainly in the *center of Amersfoort ( and some occasions in other cities around)*. I will inform you of the exact place some days in advance this event. The place will depend on the number of attendees. ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ### **🎟️ What is included?** 🟢 **2 HOURS TO HAVE FUN!** 🟢 **15 mins warming-up creative activity and paper material**🖌️🎨 🟢 New friendships and **conversations in ENGLISH** in a relaxed atmosphere 🟢 **Souvenir picture** with you and the rest of Art Lovers 📷 🟢 Exclusive **access to our Art Lovers Community** on which you will receive: ***\~\~\~ Drawing challenges,*** ***\~\~\~ Training content,*** ***\~\~\~ FREE Entries only to members*** ***\~\~\~ Drawing Competitions*** 🟢 Time to **create alongside fellow artists and amateurs** 🟢 The freedom to **work at your own pace** 💃🕺🎈 ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ### 🖼️**Art Materials?** Bring your own practical art materials to be adaptable to sketch on a coffee table. Like your sketchbook, pencils, watercolor, markets, pencils, your Tablet..etc ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ## **See you to Paint, Draw, and drink together!🌟☕🍷🍪🍰**

📍 The location is **OBA Oosterdok (Library) Oosterdokskade 143, 1011 DL Amsterdam.** We are meeting in **Singezaal 6.3** (which is on the 6th floor of the building) 🎲 Want to expand on a game design idea? Talk about a game feature that isn't just ready yet? Are you looking for play testers or do you want to brainstorm on a new board game design with others and get their feedback? Find out what goes into making board games or just meet like-minded board game enthusiasts? 🃏 You are of course also very welcome to just join and play (test) one of the games that will be presented today! 🤩 Then the Amsterdam Board Game Design session is for you! 📱 Join us on [Discord](https://discord.gg/eDfmkyCyVX) for more information about what we do and upcoming events!

⚠️🦖 **IMPORTANT**: You need to be a registered attendee to get access to Bitbash. **Get your free ticket at**: https://www.bitbash.nl/tickets Dutch Azure Meetup is partnering with Info Support to bring you **Bitbash**; an exciting FREE conference that will cover the latest Microsoft technologies and innovations. Whether you're interested in .NET, Azure, Data platforms or AI, Bitbash will let you take your skills to the next level! Inspiring community speakers will present you with insightful sessions, real-world experience, and compelling demonstrations. Check the full agenda at https://www.bitbash.nl/agenda! Bitbash is an in-person event that's held on Saturday January 24 at Info Support in Veenendaal. Additional pre-conference workshops are organized on Friday January 23. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn and network with like-minded professionals. See you at the event!

Join us for some focused writing time. All writers and all experience levels are welcome and don’t worry, no one will see what you've written. This session is about getting your writing done and meeting other writers in your area. When you show up, say hello to everyone, grab a drink, and get your writing tools ready. Once you’re all settled, take some time to chat with your fellow writers. Once everyone’s arrived, I will lead quick introductions and then set the timer for our quiet and focused writing session. Afterward, we’ll have time to chat and get to know each other. We often talk about our successes and challenges as writers. If you don’t have time to stick around, no worries! **A note about the format** We don’t host critiques or readings. These events are a safe space for writers of all skill levels and genres to work on their craft, so no one will read or critique your writing. For our full event schedule, visit [https://shutupwrite.com](https://www.shutupwrite.com). **Other Important Details:** WiFi name/password: [PLEASE INCLUDE DETAILS] Travel / Parking info: [PLEASE INCLUDE DETAILS]

Let’s meet and discuss whatever comes to mind about one of Tennesse Williams’ most famous plays.

2026 may be the last year many developers write code by hand. We need coding agents to solve complex problems in production codebases, but vibe coding alone won’t get us there. Vibe coding is all gas, no brakes. It burns up the context window until the agent slips on its own slop. You can go fast at first, but the more you stuff into the context window, the more tangled its outputs get. While the industry is rapidly increasing code generation speed, we still have to understand, review, merge, and maintain what gets shipped. This talk featuring Michael Geiger will outline how coding agents (Claude Code + Gas Town) work and a framework for orchestrating them to solve complicated problems in complex codebases. It’s about steering the model: doing the research to align intent, planning the approach up front, implementing in parallel steps, and breaking early. Human judgment still matters, but it should be spent on high-leverage decisions: what to build, what to forbid, and “what is quality?”, not cleaning up slop. Attendees will leave with a checklist to identify workflow and environment gaps that hold agents back, so you and your team can ship higher-quality software starting tomorrow.

**Web Design Decoded: Tools, Practices, and Proven Processes:** **Semantic HTML** At WebDev Columbus, we are exploring some of the most important topics of professional high-end web design and page building. Primarily focused on site building in the WordPress environment, our group explores tools, tips, and techniques for building the best WordPress sites possible. Additionally, we focus on disciplines and technologies that take website design from visually appealing to optimized spaces for delivering you and/or your client's message effectively and with a nod towards extended reach. Each session combines practical demonstrations with real-world insights, giving you actionable knowledge you can apply immediately. Whether you're a seasoned developer looking to enhance your design skills or a newcomer wanting to understand design best practices, this series offers valuable insights for every skill level. **What to expect:** * Hands-on demonstrations of popular design tools * Best practices for design-to-development workflows * Tips for creating responsive, accessible designs * Real-world problem-solving scenarios * Interactive Q&A sessions * Networking opportunities with fellow developers **Each meetup features:** 60 minutes of focused presentation 30 minutes of live demonstrations 30 minutes for questions and discussion **See you there!** Our casual, collaborative environment encourages learning from both presenters and fellow attendees. Bring your questions, share your experiences, and connect with Central Ohio's web development community! **Stay tuned for specific session topics and dates.**

## Learn Infrastructure-as-Code (the FUN Way) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: Azure CBUS × Columbus HashiCorp User Group × DevOps Columbus** What if learning Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code didn’t feel like a whitepaper… but more like a game? Join us for a joint Azure CBUS, Columbus HashiCorp User Group, and DevOps Columbus meetup where **Mark Tinderholt** \(Principal Architect\, Microsoft Azure \| HashiCorp Ambassador \| “The Azure Terraformer”\) shows how **Minecraft** can be used as a surprisingly powerful way to understand real-world Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. In this session, Mark will demonstrate how Terraform and Azure can be used to provision, configure, and manage Minecraft servers—while teaching the same patterns you’d use for production cloud infrastructure. ### What we’ll cover * Infrastructure-as-Code fundamentals using **Terraform** * Provisioning real infrastructure on **Azure** * Applying **IaC best practices** (immutability, repeatability, versioning) * How playful environments like Minecraft make complex concepts *click* * Why learning through experimentation beats click-ops every time ### Who should attend * Developers, platform engineers, and cloud engineers * Terraform users (new or experienced) * Anyone curious about Infrastructure-as-Code but tired of boring examples * Minecraft fans who want to see it used in a totally unexpected way No prior Minecraft experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn infrastructure the fun way. Come for the blocks, stay for the Terraform. 🧱➡️📐 Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/

**⚔️ Introduction to Wargaming & Painting Miniature Soldiers at The Arcane Foundry ⚔️** Join me in **The War Room at [The Arcane Foundry](https://share.google/S5i6DYJnJteHWeKtd)** for a laid-back evening of hobby talk and tabletop fun! For just **$15**, you’ll get a **3D-printed regiment of 20 high quality resin models** of your choice to paint — a **$40 value!** Bring your creativity, relax, and let’s make something awesome together. **Choose one from Below:** * 20 Orc Warriors * 20 Empire Soldiers * 20 Dwarf Warriors * 20 Elf Spearmen Step into a world where strategy meets artistry — and where every painted figure tells a story of battle, honor, and imagination. Join **Daclaud** at **The Arcane Foundry** for an evening that introduces newcomers and enthusiasts alike to the timeless craft of **tabletop wargaming** and **miniature painting**. My own journey began with a fascination for fantasy — knights in armor, grim and hardened warriors, and monstrous creatures locked in epic battle. That passion led me to **Dungeons & Dragons**, where I painted my first **Basic Heroes set** and felt the spark that comes from bringing a character to life in miniature form. Not long after, I discovered **Warhammer Fantasy** and **Warhammer 40,000**, and I was hooked. The vision of vast armies clashing across the table — each unit meticulously painted, each story unfolding through dice and imagination — became my creative obsession. During this event, we’ll explore the **origins of wargaming**, from its early military simulations to the richly detailed worlds of modern tabletop battle systems. You’ll learn how to **build and customize your own armies**, paint your first figures, and experience the joy of turning strategy and storytelling into a hands-on art form. Whether you’re drawn by the lore, the hobby, or the thrill of commanding miniature legions, this introduction will open the gates to a world that has captivated hobbyists for generations. **🎨 RSVP today and join us at The Arcane Foundry — where every brushstroke and battle tells a story.**

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 **Abstract** GitHub Copilot is rapidly changing how developers write, understand, and maintain code. Powered by generative AI and deeply integrated into modern development environments, Copilot acts as an intelligent coding assistant, helping developers move faster while maintaining quality and focus. In this session, we’ll explore what GitHub Copilot is, how it works, and where it fits into a real-world developer workflow. We’ll break down what Copilot can (and cannot) do, where it can be used, and how licensing differs for individuals and organizations. Most importantly, this talk goes beyond theory with a live, hands-on demo showcasing Copilot inside the IDE and on GitHub, demonstrating how it can assist with code generation, refactoring, learning new APIs, and accelerating day-to-day development tasks. Designed for developers, technical leads, and engineering managers, this session provides a practical introduction to AI-assisted development, highlights best practices for getting value from Copilot, and closes with guidance on how to continue learning and evolving alongside this rapidly advancing tool. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how GitHub Copilot can enhance productivity, improve developer experience, and fit into modern software teams today, not someday. **YouTube Link** TBA

*GOhio!* turns 8!! 🥳 Come celebrate with us at [Pins Mechanical](https://www.pinsbar.com/locations/easton)! 😄 **Summary** Pins Mechanical Co. is a social entertainment venue that combines old-school games like duckpin bowling, pinball, and other classic arcade and table games with craft cocktails, local beers, and punch. The vintage-industrial atmosphere is designed for playful, face-to-face gatherings with friends, family, and colleagues, offering a casual and lively alternative to a typical bar. Pins' Easton location spans over 38,000 square feet, making it the largest in the United States. This massive entertainment venue features two floors, a mezzanine level with stadium seating, and three full-service bars. It offers 16 duckpin bowling lanes, two indoor bocce courts, and more than 60 classic and modern pinball and arcade games. For additional fun, the location is known for its two outdoor patios, an indoor slide, and an expanded patio pong setup. **Activities** As noted below, some machines take actual quarters. Pins has two change machines (one downstairs and one upstairs) that accept ones, fives, or tens (only), and return quarters (only). * *Duckpin Bowling* [Like Bowling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duckpin_bowling) but with smaller balls, stubby pins, and no oil on the lanes. The cost is $9 per game per person. * *Pinball* [Who](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Who)'s a [wizard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinball_Wizard) on these [retro machines](https://pinballmap.com/map/?by_location_id=15311)? At $1 per play, everyone! Takes quarters. * *Arcade* Play classics like Gorf, Pac-Man, Gorf, Donkey Kong, Gorf, Galaga, and Gorf! The best part is, there's Gorf! And all the arcade games are free! * *Patio Pong* The classic college party staple but bigger. Instead of tossing a ping pong ball into cups, you use a regular ball and oversized buckets. There are two of these upstairs, and they're both free! * *Ping Pong* The most popular sport in China! They have two ping pong tables downstairs and two more ping pong tables upstairs. For those of you who have studied topological spaces and set theory, you will know this means they have four total ping pong tables. They have bubble gum dispensers with ping pong balls in them for 25¢ each. The dispensers take quarters. However, they also have racks where they store the ping pong paddles, and in these racks are slots for ping pong balls. It's not uncommon to see balls already here, so there's a chance you may be able to play ping pong for free if you want to. * *Hookie* You can't put your eye out! The safe alternative to darts: Hook thrown rings on a board. Outdoors on the upstairs patio, and free! * *Bocce* Like bowling, except there’s turf and a lot more balls. You can also knock your opponent’s balls out of the way. There are two of these upstairs, and they're both free! * *Foosball* Everyone loves [foosball](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_football)! 50¢ a game. Takes quarters. * *Giant Jenga* Stack massive wooden blocks into a tower, then take turns pulling out one block at a time without collapsing the tower. There are four of these sprinkled throughout the venue (two downstairs and two upstairs, with one on each patio), and they're all free! * *Skeeball* There are three skeeball machines on the first floor (near the Gorf machine!), and they're all free! * *Giant Connect Four* On the outdoor patio upstairs, and free! * *Bubble Hockey* This is upstairs. Up to four people can play at once, and it costs $1. Takes quarters. * *Cornhole* There are two cornhole lanes upstairs, and they're both free! * *Basketball* There are two basketball machines downstairs. They're tucked behind the downstairs bar, so they're not always obvious unless you go look for them. They're $2 per play, and they take quarters. * *NES and Sega Genesis video games* These are collections, downstairs (near the Gorf machine!), of video games that you can play for free! * *The Big Metal Indoor Slide* This large two-story slide is for kids, and certainly no adults would ride this. After all, it's not like it's free or anything. **Outdoor Patio** Pins at Easton actually has two outdoor patios. But for our purposes, only the upstairs one matters. See, it will be winter and likely cold. But their upstairs patio has multiple ceiling heaters and two massive gas fire pits that put out a ton of heat. Sitting out here may be a real option. As mentioned above, the upstairs outdoor patio has one of the venue's two Patio Pong setups, one of their multiple Giant Jengas, the Giant Connect Four, and Hookie. **Food** Pins doesn't serve food, but there's a [Mikey's Late Night Slice](https://www.latenightslice.com/) next door. This Mikey's is basically an extension of the Easton Pins; there's a large open doorway between both establishments. Mikey's has a fountain dispenser with Coke products. You can also get Coke and Diet Coke (but not Coke Zero, like you can at Mikey's) at the bars in Pins, but I think the quality of the soda pop from Mikey's fountain is better than that from the bar hoses Pins uses to dispense soft drinks. You are also quite allowed at Pins to either bring food in or order it in via your favorite delivery app. **Parking** I recommend parking in the [Worth Garage](https://eastontowncenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/parking-at-easton-updated-file-sept-25.pdf). It's literally right next door to Pins, and it's free as long as you park on Level 2 or above. They recently started charging people to park on Level 1, and you pay for parking on this level the same way you pay for street parking in Columbus, with the [ParkColumbus](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.parkmobile.parkcolumbus&hl=en_US&pli=1) app. I've seen them enforce this by ticketing people's cars, but I don't know how they actually compel payment. The garage is not a public street that actual cops can write you tickets for parking illegally on. If you have an actual ticket from a cop that you don't pay, they can go so far as to issue a warrant for your arrest. But all Easton has, seemingly, is, "[Please pay our ticket](https://eastonpreferredpark.com/)." Still, in my ongoing efforts to eliminate needless stress and aggravation from my life, I just park above the first Level. The actual address of the garage is [4049 Worth Ave, Columbus, OH 43219](https://www.google.com/maps/place/4049+Worth+Ave,+Columbus,+OH+43219/@40.0542293,-82.9137962,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x88388a86de3af559:0xc1dc8b4661fc834f!8m2!3d40.0542293!4d-82.9137962!16s%2Fg%2F11sgzjp4ml?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDkyNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D). However, your GPS is stupid. The actual entrances to the garage are on the cross steets Brighton Rose Way and Fenlon St, not Worth Ave. Just keep this in mind once you get to the garage. **Where we'll meet** I'll post in the comments where I am. People will obviously want to explore different areas of the venue over the course of the event (and there's a lot to explore), but please just let me know (as in, come find me) once you've arrived. **Peroration** Come on out and say hi! 😄