Professional Development

Casemates is one of Luxembourg's English-speaking Toastmasters clubs - here you’ll find a supportive and friendly environment which will allow you to develop your communication skills, become a confident leader and have fun! Each meeting is clearly structured with three parts: improvised speaking on various topics, prepared speeches by members, and an evaluation part where all the speakers receive feedback. Members are holding the various roles necessary for the organisation - a different one at each meeting. You can come as a guest and see how it works for yourself - we guarantee that you will feel welcomed and will have fun in our learn-by-doing environment!

Rejoignez-nous pour notre prochaine session de l’Odoo Academy dédiée à la **comptabilité**, le **30 juin** **2026 au Luxembourg!** 🚀 Que vous soyez un professionnel de la finance, un comptable ou un chef d’entreprise souhaitant optimiser ses opérations financières, cette formation gratuite vous apportera les connaissances et compétences essentielles pour utiliser efficacement l'application Odoo Comptabilité. Inscrivez vous gratuitement sur notre site : [https://www.odoo.com/r/tVT](https://www.odoo.com/r/tVT) —--------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Les informations pratiques :** Où? Odoo Luxembourg - [13 Rue de l'Industrie, 8399 Windhof Koerich, Luxembourg](https://www.google.com/maps/place//data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x47eab53af13e0435:0xbad293d406e6e49d?sa=X&ved=1t:8290&ictx=111) Quand ? Les 30 juin 2026 de 9h à 17h Inscription? [https://www.odoo.com/r/tVT](https://www.odoo.com/r/tVT) Prix ? Gratuit ! Au plaisir de vous y voir nombreux et de vous rencontrer !

**Welcome to our June UX Beers in Antwerp!** This time, we will host our event on Tuesday the 30th of June at Craftzing in Antwerp. [Ariad](https://www.ariadgroup.com/) and [Creative Skills](https://www.creativeskills.be/) sponsor our events. Follow the event online? We stream live via [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBqyTDAyQBw) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# UX TALKS **Talk 1:** **UX with AI: Did we all just get promoted?** By An-Sofie Rombouts, Product designer @ Gorilla Working in a startup often means designing without established UX processes. So with AI emerging, it can feel like a lifeline: faster prototyping, '*deeper*' research, and more concepts to explore. But somewhere between the third AI-generated prototype and losing the thread of your prompted designs, it can become painfully obvious what the impact is of designing with LLMs. We're not executing anymore, we're reviewing, approving, and critiquing, like a manager. This talk gets honest about what that actually means: the speed gains are real, but the cognitive debt is quietly compounding, and your future as a designer depends on understanding why. Explore how designers can protect their cognitive depth, enhance their review capacity, and stay in control when the machine can almost draw anything. **Talk 2:** **Growing UX in organisations that are not there yet.** By Koen Peters, Designer at Namahn More and more organisations are asking us to help build design expertise in-house, even putting together a design team for them. I have learnt that in such cases, you need to set aside your own biases and assumptions first: your neatly mapped-out methodology, your Figma dogmas and all the other things you as a design agency take for granted. The reality in these organisations is often very different: limited resources, no design culture and few or no trained designers on the team. Through a few client case studies, I will show how we have tackled such challenges. Organising a training in UX and design thinking is a good first step, offering a chance to get to know the team and identify which skills are already there and which are missing. I will also demonstrate tools and activities that we have used to help a team get started and become more aware of UX research and design. These include a script for choosing the right UX approach, skills assessment models to identify gaps and first steps towards creating a design playbook. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# SCHEDULE 18:00 - Doors open. Drinks & snacks 19.00 - 19.15 - Introduction to UX Belgium Meetup, announcements 19.15 - 19:45 - Talk #1 19:45 -20:15 - BREAK 20:15 - 20:45 - Talk #2 20:45 - 21:30 - Socialize \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# SLACK CHANNEL We have our own UX Belgium slack channel. [Come join us and say hi!](https://join.slack.com/t/ux-belgium/shared_invite/zt-1bjpnuiog-T4Di4flXYPWgbT9KrZ53CA) \*\*\* \#\#\# YOUTUBE CHANNEL All our livestreams and talks are recorded and available on our [UX Belgium youtube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCno7V18T-EglYXprgrUZQ7A). \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# ABOUT UX BELGIUM UX Belgium is a growing community of User Experience (UX) professionals in and around Belgium. Look for these types of events: UX Beers Periodically, we gather at a different agency or venue to drink beers, network and listen to speakers on various themes in the world of UX and digital design. UX Antwerp: Each last Tuesday of the month UX Brussels: Each second Tuesday of the month, 4x per year UX Workshops Now and then we organize events to dive deeper into specific skills and techniques in UX. These are smaller, hands-on workshops designed to boost your UX toolbox. \*\*\* The UX Belgium Meetup Team

Dear Club Polyglotte members, Please note that we changed our online meetings from Skype to Teams. An installation of Teams is not necessary (see links at the bottom). The online meetings take place on Tuesdays at 19:00, unless otherwise indicated. CP English Club Polyglotte Luxembourg Community in Microsoft Teams with Pete from London on Tuesdays at 19:00 h: https://teams.live.com/l/community/FEA32nllYOKVkYfQA8?v=g1 CP German Club Polyglotte Luxembourg Community in Microsoft Teams with Margit on Tuesdays at 19:00 h: https://teams.live.com/l/community/FEAPmC0cP2yAknqqAw?v=g1 CP Italian Club Polyglotte Luxembourg Community in Microsoft Teams on Tuesdays at 20:30 h. https://teams.live.com/l/community/FEAgAGRUsyLPKIB8BU?v=g1 CP Spanish Club Polyglotte Luxembourg Community Community in Microsoft Teams on Wednesdays at 19:00 h: https://teams.live.com/l/community/FEA7FZyGJ463yXNOwM?v=g1 CP Luxembourgish Club Polyglotte Luxembourg Community in Microsoft Teams Wednesdays at 19:00 h https://teams.live.com/l/community/FEAyv2RkRJLWFo8vAo?v=g1 CP French Club Polyglotte Luxembourg Community in Microsoft Teams on Fridays at 19:00 h. https://teams.live.com/l/community/FEAHMjICzF_sgKrfgs?v=g1 When you click on the secured https link, you need to connect to Teams and click on the button to join via your browser (no installation needed) Or via the MS Teams App, which is of course also possible. Download from the official website for your desktop: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/download-app For your Android device from Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.teams&pli=1 For your OIS device from Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-teams/id1113153706 Kind regards, Your Club Polyglotte Luxembourg team Email: clubpolyglotte@gmail.com

Welcome to our weekly physical or virtual Club Polyglotte meeting. * As usual, a minimum consumption of one drink or something small to eat is obligatory at Restaurant Quai Steffen at 13, Place de la gare at the Luxembourg railway station. * We start our get together at 19:00 h and finish at 22:00 h. As on every Tuesday, participate at one of the following language tables: 1. English 2. French 3. Luxemburgish 4. German 5. Spanish 6. Italian or languages like Mandarin, Russian, Romanian or Arabic, if needed. We are constantly searching for Buddies who lead the various language tables and for those who would like to participate in the organisation for our club established in 1999. Please message us, if you are interested in managing the Club with us on Facebook / Meta. Membership fees per calendar year: 3 EUR cash (members until and including 24 Y, only 1 EUR) Compulsory consumption applies at Restaurant Le Quai Steffen! Best regards, Your Club Polyglotte Luxembourg team

**🚀 UPDATE: MEETUP CAPACITY LIMITED (Moving to Luma)** RSVPs are limited on Meetup, but we have opened additional spots on our new official platform, Luma. 👉 Secure your priority spot here: [https://luma.com/bcbf10yp](https://luma.com/bcbf10yp) ℹ️ Why are we moving to Luma? We are progressively moving the Lux Finance Circle to Luma to offer a cleaner, professional experience: **📢 Welcome to our next Lux Finance Circle meetup!** For a decade, buying in Luxembourg felt like a sure thing. Prices only went up, rates were near zero, and the only real question was how much you could borrow. That world is gone. Prices have cooled from their peak, mortgages cost far more than they did three years ago, and the people who used to say "just buy, you can't lose" have gone quiet. So if you are sitting on a down payment right now, what do you actually do? Buy before prices recover? Keep renting and invest the difference? Wait for rates to fall? Most people answer this with their gut, with pressure from family, or with a number their bank advisor handed them. Almost nobody runs the real math. This session is an open, structured discussion about how to think about buying versus renting in Luxembourg today. Not the "rent is throwing money away" cliché, and not the "you'll be priced out forever" fear. The real version: what genuinely goes into the decision, and how to know which one leaves you richer over your actual time horizon. **🧭 Format of the Event** This is a casual, discussion-based gathering with no long presentations. We'll sit around the table, and your host Romain will kick things off with a short introduction covering: * The true cost of buying that almost nobody counts: notaire fees, registration duties, maintenance, and the money your down payment could have earned elsewhere * Why "rent is dead money" is only half true, and when renting is actually the smarter financial choice * The breakeven: how many years you need to stay in a home before buying beats renting * The Luxembourg specifics that change the math, including the Bëllegen Akt credit, today's mortgage rates, and a market that is no longer only going up We'll also walk through a simple buy-vs-rent calculator you can use afterward to run your own numbers. From there, we open the floor for discussion. Bring your situation, your numbers, and your skepticism. **Recommended Preparation** Before the event, think about this: if you are leaning toward buying, do you know how many years you would need to stay in that home just to break even versus renting? And if you are renting, do you know what you would need to invest each month for renting to come out ahead? 👥 Who Can Join? Everyone is welcome. This discussion will be especially valuable if you are: * A resident sitting on a down payment, unsure whether to buy now or keep waiting. * Someone who feels the pressure that renting is wasting money, and wants to test whether that is actually true for your situation. * A current owner wondering whether your next move is to upgrade, stay put, or sell and rent. 🤝 Bring a Colleague Know someone who keeps saying they "need to get on the property ladder" but has never run the numbers, or someone agonizing over a buy decision right now? Bring them along. 📌 Practical Info * 🗓️ Date: Tuesday, June 30th, 2026 at 18:30 * 🗣️ Language: The event will be in English. * 📍 Location: Hotel Le Place d'Armes (18 Place d'Armes, Luxembourg), in the alcove at Bar Le 18. Ask at reception for directions if you are unsure. * 🍻 Drinks: Drinks are self-paid at the venue bar. * 👥 Limited Seats: Please RSVP so we can manage space.

Feel free to bring games, or suggest some from my collection (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/collection/user/garryjenkins). Please RSVP so I can select appropriate games for the number of people attending. Food and drinks should be purchased on site. Also to have an idea about what type of games you probably will play, you can take a look at the comments of previous weeks of this weekly meetup. If you have any question, don't hesitate to send me a message, or ask here in comments.

Join a chill women's chess match♟️All levels are welcome 19:00 🕰️ MUDAM — Instagram @herluxembourg https://www.instagram.com/herluxembourg

What happens when you leave behind the familiar path and start building something of your own? Join us for our next LuxBuzz Integration Breakfast with [Steve Muscat Azzopardi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevemuscatazzopardi/) \- Leadership Mentor\, Talent Development Specialist\, Author helping professionals navigate career transitions\, leadership growth & purposeful work through mentoring & human\-centered development\. Having moved to Luxembourg twice, [Steve](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevemuscatazzopardi/) knows firsthand that integration is about much more than settling into a new country. It is also about finding your place, redefining your professional identity and sometimes having the courage to take a completely different direction. In this conversation, [Steve](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevemuscatazzopardi/) will share his journey from corporate employment to entrepreneurship, mentoring and authorship, along with the lessons he learned along the way. Expect an honest discussion about career transitions, personal growth, meaningful work and building a life on your own terms. 📅 3 July 2026 ⏰ 09:00–10:30 📍 The Office Charlotte, Luxembourg As always, we will keep the format informal, interactive and welcoming. A special thank you to the [Biergerpakt by Mifa](https://www.linkedin.com/company/biergerpakt/) team for their trust and support in making these conversations possible and helping create more opportunities for connection, participation and intercultural dialogue in Luxembourg. Come for the conversation. Stay for the connections. ☕️🐝 Please, register using this link: [https://lnkd.in/efVYWcNa](https://lnkd.in/efVYWcNa) Participants wishing to obtain a Biergerpakt Certificate must sign the Biergerpakt Participation Agreement prior to the event. Let's make the buzz together!

⚡ **Circle** by **AI & Coffee — Luxembourg's In-Person AI Community** AI is moving faster than any of us can keep up with alone. The best way to make sense of it — and stay ahead of it — is by getting in the same room as people who are just as obsessed with it as you are. That is exactly what AI & Coffee is about. We are bringing together Luxembourg's most curious, creative and driven minds for an afternoon of open, honest and energising conversations about artificial intelligence — not in theory, but in practice. No slides. No pitches. No pressure. Just real people, real ideas and real connections over great coffee. ☕🤖 *** ☕ **What we will talk about** AI & Coffee is an open conversation — guided by curiosity and driven by the people in the room. Expect discussions around: * What is actually happening in AI right now — the real breakthroughs, the real hype * Tools, projects and experiments people are building and testing * Practical AI use cases across industries — finance, marketing, tech, healthcare and more * Ideas, feedback and fresh perspectives from people at different stages of their AI journey Feel free to bring your laptop if you want to show something you are working on. Some of the best conversations at our last event started with someone sharing their screen. 💡 *** 👥 **Who is this for?** Developers and engineers building with AI Founders and entrepreneurs exploring AI for their business Investors and mentors looking to understand what is coming Researchers and students at the forefront of AI Creatives experimenting with AI tools Corporate professionals curious about AI's impact on their industry And anyone who simply cannot stop thinking about where AI is heading If AI excites, challenges or intrigues you — you belong here. *** ✨ **What to expect** A warm, welcoming and relaxed atmosphere where everyone has a seat at the table. Our host will kick things off with a few conversation sparks and the latest AI highlights — then the rest is yours. Meet, talk, connect and exchange freely. No commitment. No agenda. No pressure. Just the kind of afternoon that leaves you energised, inspired and already looking forward to the next one. *** 🎉 **The only cost is your own coffee or drink.** Bring your curiosity, your ideas and an open mind — and let's keep building one of the most exciting AI communities in Luxembourg. 🇱🇺 👉 Register now — spots are limited and they go fast!

Growth sounds exciting… until it starts demanding change. Many people say they want confidence, better relationships, clarity, purpose, discipline, peace, a new career, a new identity, or a completely different life. But when real growth actually begins, something unexpected happens: resistance. We overthink. We delay. We go back to familiar habits. We question ourselves. We stay in environments we’ve already outgrown. We become uncomfortable when challenged. We want transformation… without losing the version of ourselves that feels safe and familiar. And this is where many people get stuck. Not because they are lazy or incapable. But because growth is uncomfortable by nature. It asks us to let go of old patterns, old beliefs, old coping mechanisms, and sometimes even old versions of ourselves. And that can feel confusing, lonely, frustrating, and deeply uncomfortable. Especially when one part of you wants change… while another part desperately wants certainty. This Gather & Grow event is for people who feel they are somewhere between: – who they used to be and – who they are becoming. Together, we will explore: – why growth feels difficult even when we truly want it – why people stay stuck in familiar patterns – fear of change and self-sabotage – confidence, self-worth, and identity shifts – the discomfort of outgrowing old versions of ourselves – the difference between talking about growth and actually living it – why awareness alone is often not enough to create change This is not just a casual discussion circle. Gather & Grow is a facilitated experience designed to encourage reflection, awareness, honest conversations, deeper understanding, and meaningful personal growth. You are welcome to participate at your own pace, but come with openness, curiosity, and willingness to think beyond your usual patterns. You do not need to have everything figured out before coming. Most people don’t. Sometimes growth simply begins by finally having the conversations we usually avoid. 📍 Location: I AM WOW – City Concord Free parking available. Please arrive a little earlier to order your drink so we can begin together on time. If you feel like you’ve outgrown parts of your old life but don’t fully know what comes next yet… this conversation is probably for you.

Ready for a different kind of afterwork? Want to get buzzed with inspiration? **Join our Meaningful Afterwork!** A relaxed and uplifting space for meaningful conversations inspired by the Bahá’í Writings. Together, we explore deep questions about life, purpose, and the world around us, connecting spiritual insights with the realities of everyday living and the challenges of society. An open, co-created, and collaborative space for reflection, discussion, and consultation, where everyone is welcome to be a protagonist, share, listen, and think together. And because meaningful connection also happens around the table, this is also a potluck-style gathering: feel free to bring something to share! Food for the soul… and for the body ;) Come as you are. Bring your openness and curiosity, meet new people and recharge your spirit! The Details: * 📅 **Date:** Thursday, 2nd July * ⏰ **Time:** 6:30pm * 📍 **Location:** 17, Allée Léopold Goebel, Luxembourg City In case you have further questions, feel free to contact us via email ([meaningfulafterwork@gmail.com](https://meaningfulafterwork@gmail.com "https://meaningfulafterwork@gmail.com")). Warmly, Your Meaningful Afterwork Team P.S.: As spaces for the upcoming Meaningful Afterwork will be limited, please sign up via the link below to let us know if you’re coming, if you’re bringing a colleague, and what treats you might be bringing for the potluck: 🔗 [https://forms.gle/6sfBMUcrFm9NeCD1A](https://forms.gle/6sfBMUcrFm9NeCD1A)

*** we are at the outdoor bar Mikrosomos and usually at the long bench tables. they to find an organiser and say hi!! Want to practise French 🇫🇷 German 🇩🇪 English 🇬🇧 Luxembourgish 🇱🇺 — or ANY language you can find a partner for? Then join our crew of friendly expats & locals for a night of chats, laughs & global energy 🎉 In Luxembourg, speaking multiple languages is basically a superpower 🦸‍♂️🦸‍♀️ — but this meetup is all about connection, not perfection. Beginners, pros & “I understand but can’t speak” people — all welcome 😄 Don’t feel like practising a language? 😎 No worries — you’re STILL totally welcome! come hang out, meet people & enjoy the international vibes anyway 🥂✨ Come for the languages — stay for the laughter, friendships & drinks 🍹 ✨ What You’ll Find ✔ Super chill atmosphere 😌 ✔ Expats from everywhere 🌍 ✔ Zero pressure — just vibes ✨ ✔ “How do you say…?” moments 🤔😂 ✔ Old friends & new — ❤️ 🍹 AFTER-EXCHANGE APÉRO 🤩 Languages warm-up… Drinks cool-down… Balance restored 😌🍺 Most weeks we wander to another bar afterwards for beer, bites & bonus socialising. Just follow the organisers — they know the 🔥 hotspots 😉 🪧 HOW IT WORKS ➡️ Sit with the group for the language you want to practise ➡️ Switch groups anytime — totally chill ➡️ Rare language? Post in the group & find your match 💫 ➡️ Luxembourgish shows up too 🇱🇺 ⚠️ By attending, you agree organisers can’t be held liable for regulation violations (or accidental grammar crimes 😜)

**NOTICE: Space is Limited** Please RSVP here, only if you are able to actually attend this *IN-PERSON opportunity* to network with other women at the **Ohio Valley DynamicsCon Regional event in Dublin, OH.** All times are Eastern. Many women have experienced moments in their careers when asking for help felt uncomfortable, speaking up felt risky, or admitting they didn't have all the answers felt like a sign of weakness. Yet the most successful leaders rarely succeed alone. This interactive roundtable explores the confidence challenges many women face throughout their careers, the isolation that can come from believing you're the only one experiencing them, and the power of community in changing that narrative. Through candid discussion and shared experiences, participants will explore how to advocate for themselves, build trusted support networks, seek mentorship, navigate professional challenges, and support other women along the way. At its core, this conversation is rooted in a simple belief: there is room for all of us. Success is not a limited resource, and leadership is not about earning one of a few available seats. It is about building bigger tables, pulling up more chairs, and creating opportunities for others as we grow. This is not a lecture. It is a conversation. Attendees will leave with practical strategies, new perspectives, meaningful connections, and renewed confidence to ask for help, offer support, and help create workplaces where more women can thrive together. ***Reminder, All times are Eastern for this In-Person Event!***

**Practical Curiosity: Learning from Everyday Data** How do we actually get better at utilizing our day-to-day data? Fancy dashboards and complex models might look nice and draw attention, but that’s not where most of us spend our time. In fact those shiny outputs frequently sit unused, while the real insights are drawn from the analyst’s daily practice. Sometimes it’s as simple and as powerful as noticing that a segment is shrinking, a channel is underused, or certain links keep getting all the clicks. There’s many different places that the spark of insight can come from, but you have to keep your head in the data and know where to look. In this session, we’ll explore real-world examples of how segmentation, testing, and click behavior can uncover practical digital marketing opportunities. You’ll leave with inspiration for your own use cases, along with a few simple ways to ask better questions, spot meaningful patterns, and make smarter decisions without overcomplicating it. **About Our Speaker:** [Elaine Armbruster](https://www.linkedin.com/in/elainearmbruster/) is a Director of Digital Experience at the [American Diabetes Association](https://diabetes.org/), where she focuses on using data and insights to create smarter, more effective digital experiences. A lifelong Columbus resident, she has built her career in email marketing and the broader digital user journey, and is finding she most enjoys working in the messy middle where systems, data, and big ideas don’t quite line up yet. 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)

Click Here For More Videos: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17bwkttXhV/ *********************************** Salsamante Dance Academy will be at Swerve Every Tuesday Night to share the Rhythm & Energy of Bachata & Salsa. These are Beginner Level lessons to get you comfortable and understand the two dances. Spread the Good News to all. Swerve Dance & Fitness Complex 640 Lakeview Plaza Blvd A, Worthington, OH 43085 Bachata 7pm-8pm Salsa 8pm-9pm $15 - One Lesson $20 - Both Lessons

You can sleep in on the Sesquicentennial (observed), we’re shifting to the following Friday. But join the local UX community for a chat and some biscuits to catch up. If you were in CA for Figma Config, tell us all the lines and you can tell me how I can animate an SVG without coding it by hand, and why I’d even want to. Thanks to the team at Nationwide of supporting the group.

**PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT NOTES:** 1. The dates for this series are simply placeholders at the moment. We are working on our 2026 schedule, and adjustments are forthcoming. 2. Each class in this series has an attendance fee. 3. Each class, from BOTH a sign-up and fee perspective, is a separate entity. 4. As the Etch toolset evolves, so too will the class outline below. **Introduction:** Our Site Building with Etch class provides detailed instructions on the philosophy of the Etch development framework, as well as in-depth, hands-on instruction on using the Etch environment and associated tools. Anyone familiar with Kevin Geary and the Digital Gravy set of products will tell you that they offer ground-breaking approaches to professional WordPress site development. As we write this, the Etch toolset and environment are rapidly taking shape, with weekly quantum leaps forward in WordPress development methodologies. As early investors in the Etch product offering and its development process, we are actively testing and evaluating the toolset as it takes shape. We are beyond excited to see how WordPress site development is being modernized, and can't wait to bring this course set to you. It will be a paradigm shift in page and site development within WordPress, as well as moving your development mindset light-years forward. Join us as we explore Etch and dive deep into development approaches that will genuinely elevate your craft as a website developer and agency provider. Scalable, responsive, compliant websites are now within easy reach, and Etch provides both the platform and toolset to take you there. **The breakdown of the 10-class series is as follows:** * Class 01 - TBD * Class 02 - TBD * Class 03 - TBD * Class 04 - TBD * Class 05 - TBD * Class 06 - TBD * Class 07 - TBD * Class 08 - TBD * Class 09 - TBD * Class 10 - TBD Throughout the class sessions listed above, we cover the following key areas of web development with Etch: * **Introduction to Etch Interface:** * Familiarization with the toolset's layout and understanding how to navigate and interact with its various components. * **Visual Site Building:** * Techniques for creating layouts using Etch's interface, incorporating sections, divs, containers, and elements to build semantically correct page structures. * **Styling and Design:** * Utilizing Etch's styling approach to customize elements, apply global CSS classes for consistent design, and leverage features like Flexbox and CSS Grid for responsive layouts. * **Dynamic Content and Custom Fields:** * Integrating dynamic content from custom post types and custom field plugins (like ACF, Meta Box, and even built-in fields) to build data-driven websites. * **Component Building:** * Creating and managing reusable components for headers, footers, post type layouts, and other site-wide elements. * **Performance Optimization:** * Understanding how Etch contributes to fast-loading websites and implementing performance best practices. * **Advanced Features:** * Depending on the class level, it might delve into advanced topics such as conditional logic, interactions, and custom code integration to enable more complex functionality. The series aims to equip participants with the skills to efficiently build, customize, and maintain WordPress websites using Etch, catering to both beginners and experienced web developers alike.

Most people use LLMs by feel: ask a question, read the answer, decide whether it “seems good,” and move on. That works for casual use. It does not work when you are building software, automating workflows, writing important documents, or relying on AI for anything that needs to be repeatable. In this talk, we’ll look at how to improve and evaluate the inputs and outputs of LLMs using practical measurement techniques. We’ll cover how prompt changes affect results, how to compare outputs, how to build simple evaluation sets, and how math-based methods like similarity scoring can help you move beyond guesswork. This will be beginner-friendly, so even if you don't know anything about AI, you should get something out of it. However, this will be a little more technical than our intro talks. You do not need to be an AI researcher, but programmers and technically curious attendees will get a lot out of it. We’ll cover: * Why “it looks good” is not enough * How to improve prompts by changing the input, context, and constraints * How to compare LLM outputs more systematically * Basic evaluation techniques for accuracy, consistency, and usefulness * How embeddings, cosine similarity, and scoring can help evaluate results * Where automated evaluation works — and where humans still need to stay in the loop By the end, you’ll have a practical mental model for treating LLMs less like magic and more like systems you can test, measure, and improve. LOGISTICS AND PARKING: The talk starts at 7:00 PM. The first half hour is reserved for everyone to get set up and mingle. Free pizza and drinks! The cheapest parking option is to find street parking, which will only cost you a few bucks. Otherwise, park in the nearby veteran's museum lot for $8. It's highly recommended you avoid the nearby $15 garage parking.

**PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT NOTES:** 1. The dates for this series are simply placeholders at the moment. We are working on our 2026 schedule, and adjustments are forthcoming. 2. Each class in this series has an attendance fee. 3. Each class from BOTH a sign-up and fee perspective is a separate entity. **Introduction:** Our Page Building with Bricks web development class provides detailed instruction for using Bricks Builder, a visual site builder for WordPress, to create and manage websites. Widely considered by many of the world's leading web developers to be the most complete page builder on the market today, Bricks Builder offers a wide range of features and comprehensive tools. Our Bricks Builder web development class provides detailed instructions on utilizing the toolset. The series of courses covers the core features of Bricks Builder, enabling users to design and develop responsive, visually appealing websites. Moreover, the courses are oriented to reinforce a focus on professional, scalable web development. Throughout the series, we focus our page-building instruction on the semantic and structural integrity of the pages in a responsive world. By the end of the 10-class series, participants will have a fundamental understanding of proper web page and website development. **The breakdown of the 10-class series is as follows:** * Class 01 - Survey of Page Builders / What Bricksbuilder Does For You * Class 02 - Boxes, Boxes, Boxes / Sections / Containers * Class 03 - Static Units / Relative Units / Responsive Development And Math Functions * Class 04 - CSS Variables And DRY Development / Classes And Global Styling * Class 05 - CSS Grid And CSS Flexbox * Class 06 - Responsive Development / Breakpoints And Media Queries * Class 07 - Effective Use Of Color / Effective Use Of Images * Class 08 - Beginning To Think Dynamically / Using Templates And Components * Class 09 - Dynamic Styling / Data Attributes And Attribute Selectors * Class 10 - Pseudo Elements / Programmatically Styling With Pseudo Classes Throughout the class sessions listed above, we cover the following key areas of web development with Bricks Builder: * **Introduction to Bricks Builder Interface:** * Familiarization with the builder's layout, including the toolbar, panel, and canvas, and understanding how to navigate and interact with its various components. * **Visual Site Building:** * Techniques for creating layouts using Bricks' drag-and-drop interface, incorporating sections, rows, columns, and elements to build page structures. * **Styling and Design:** * Utilizing Bricks' styling options to customize elements, apply global CSS classes for consistent design, and leverage features like Flexbox and CSS Grid for responsive layouts. * **Dynamic Content and Custom Fields:** * Integrating dynamic content from custom post types and custom field plugins (like ACF, Meta Box) to build data-driven websites. * **Template Building:** * Creating and managing reusable templates for headers, footers, post type layouts, and other site-wide elements. * **Performance Optimization:** * Understanding how Bricks Builder contributes to fast-loading websites and implementing performance best practices. * **Advanced Features:** * Depending on the class level, it might delve into advanced topics such as conditional logic, interactions, and custom code integration to enable more complex functionality. The series aims to equip participants with the skills to efficiently build, customize, and maintain WordPress websites using Bricks Builder, catering to both beginners and experienced web developers.