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Join us for some fun, competitive, but friendly games at our 4-court sports hall. We use Yonex Mavis 600 Nylon shuttles during the 2-hour session. **PAYMENT** * **Session Fee: £9** * We are cashless, kindly pay the session fee **by midnight** on the night before the session. You are welcome to pay early! You can even pay when you book! See our About page for the full process. * If no payment is received, you will be removed and may even be liable for a late cancellation fee if your spot is not taken. * Please use **“your meetup name + date of event”** as payment reference * **Account name:** Thomas Lam * **Sort code:** 04-00-03 * **Account number:** 7478 8608 **LATE CANCELLATION OR NO-SHOW** * **All** **no-shows or late cancellations** (24 hrs or less) will be charged if your spot is not taken by someone else - you will have a title next to your name with the amount and date owed. * Members with 2 no shows/late cancellations will be removed from the group unless outstanding payment is received * **The late cancellation policy** is set up to discourage last-minute cancellations and therefore applies with or without the presence of a waitlist * **Note:** If you are on the Waitlist and a spot becomes available, you will automatically be bumped onto the On list provided the event has not yet started. It is your responsibility to **remove yourself from the waitlist** if you can no longer make it to avoid being charged a no-show if someone cancels late. **PLAYING** * Please wait to be marked off before entering the hall. * Sessions are to finish promptly on the hour by school requests. * If you finish a match with 5 minutes to go, please start packing up instead of starting a new game. **RACKET HIRE** * Please note that we won't be hiring out rackets, so kindly bring your own racket. **PARKING** * There is parking available, but it is now paid parking. Parking is opposite the entrance. Please check the signs for parking payment instructions. **TRACK & TRACE** * We will collect your phone number on-site. Your phone number will also be used in case of fire to contact you if you have not made it to the fire evacuation areas. You can see maps at the venue. We are excited to see you guys on the court! Team LSBC

**Ursula Blythe - The Philosophy of Grief: Love, loss, and the so-called human condition** ATTEND IN PERSON OR ON ZOOM Can Philosophy Inform Grief? Death is part of the human condition, yet we tend to avoid the subject in everyday conversations and philosophical discourse. Engaging with Grief reminds people of their own inevitable losses and demise during their life-cycle. However, death remains a curious mystery where our sense of loss and confusion is somehow out of our control. This phenomena generates the concept and real-life experience of Grief itself. As a starting point, it is important to understand or appreciate: Why we avoid the topic of Grief, particularly across Western cultures? Indeed, there are many social, psychological, and philosophical reasons for avoiding the discussion of Grief. As a prelude to my talk, I have signposted some significant examples of why we may avert discussions of Grief, as follows: Emotional Discomfort: Grief is an intensely painful and overwhelming emotion. Discussing it openly can make both the grieving person and others feel uncomfortable, as it forces an acknowledgment of vulnerability and mortality. Fear of Saying the Wrong Thing: Many folks are unsure of what to say or how to support someone who is grieving. They fear causing further pain or appearing insensitive which often leads them to avoid the elephant in the room! Social Norms and Stigma: Western culture often emphasises resilience and “moving on” quickly. So, open displays of intense emotions, especially prolonged sadness can be seen as a sign of weakness or an inability to cope, leading to avoidance of the subject. Lack of Personal Experience: If an individual has not experienced a significant loss themselves, they may struggle to empathise or appreciate the depth of another’s pain. Pace of Modern Life: Everyday life moves quickly, and there is often little time or space for the extended period of mourning that Grief requires. People may feel pressure to maintain normalcy and avoid “bringing down the mood” in social interactions. In Philosophical Terms: Traditional philosophy, particularly from the Stoics onward, has often focused on how to overcome or control emotions like ‘Grief’ through reason, rather than exploring its inherent value or meaning. The goal was often ataraxia (a state of freedom from emotional disturbance) which positions Grief as something to be managed, rather than discussed openly. Solomon (2007) states that the avoidance of Grief stems from a human disposition to: Shield ourselves and others from intense pain and the profound existential challenges that Grief presents. On reflection, normative definitions explain Loss as the event of losing something or someone. However, death remains a curious mystery here a sense of loss and bewilderment is out of our control known as the ‘process’ or ‘stages’ of Grief, which I will strongly argue against. For me, Grief is nether inherently rational or irrational, as it a natural emotional, mental, and physical response to the loss of a loved one. However, everyone’s experience of Grief is different, both culturally and individually. When endeavouring to “draw out meaning” from Grief. Perhaps it is very subjective in the early stages, and more objective in the later stages, which may generate a new understanding of Grief as a philosophical concept. In this talk, I will be drawing on the work of C.S. Lewis (1963), Robert C. Solomon (2007) and Michael Cholbi (2022), in order to assess if philosophy can actually inform our understanding and meaning of Grief. **Ursula Mary Blythe** is a public philosopher, essayist, researcher, and someone who has experienced profound loss and grief in recent years. This event is sponsored by the Royal institute of Philosophy. Lecture and discussion! See you there? For the full programme of events pls see [pfalondon.org](http://pfalondon.org)

**Who this is for** If you like content by the likes of [Tim Ferriss](https://tim.blog/), [My First Million](https://www.mfmpod.com/), [Codie Sanchez](https://codiesanchez.com/), and sites such as [ideabrowser.com](http://ideabrowser.com/), [needstoexist.com](http://needstoexist.com/), [explodingtopics.com](http://explodingtopics.com/), [solarimpulse.com/solutions-explorer](http://solarimpulse.com/solutions-explorer), and [r/SomebodyMakeThis](https://www.reddit.com/r/SomebodyMakeThis/), I think you'll enjoy this! Every few weeks, half a dozen of us get together at a pub to discuss business ideas - ones we've come up with from our own experiences, ones we've discovered that piqued our intereseted, ones we've seen elsewhere working and are interested in bringing here. We share knowledge and insight, challenge assumptions behind if an idea will idea succeed or fail, connect our relevant networks, and support others on their entrepreneurial journeys. **Some questions to spur ideation** 📈 What are local/global trends and societal shifts? 💸 Where do I currently spend my money? 😤 What annoys me in life? ✨ What do I wish existed? 🔀 What if you crossed X with Y? Or gave A the business model of B? Idea sex! **Some possible themes** 👵 Aging population and decreasing birth rates 🧬 Healthspan vs lifespan ⚡ Electrification of everything 🔁 X as a service (instead of ownership) 🏘️ Third spaces / communities **Who this is *not* for...** If you're only into AI and Blockchain, this probably isn't for you. They're incredible technologies, and of course we'll discuss them, but there are already dozens groups in London obsessed with building ChatGPT wrappers to solve a problem no-one has. This is a problem-first approach. **Other info** Near Waterloo station; exact location given to attendees. Given I'm keeping numbers small, instead of first-come-first-served, please fill out this quick form: [https://forms.gle/3R2rt5AmxsFRqxJU6](https://forms.gle/3R2rt5AmxsFRqxJU6)

🌟 We love to welcome you at our Monday Classes at 4Water London! 🌟 Our class structure helps you learn and grow at your own pace! **Every Monday**, we’ll guide you on your dance journey from Absolute Beginners to Higher Intermediate, with classes tailored just for you. 💃 Schedule Overview: 🕒 6:30-7:00 PM Absolute Beginners ✨ **Free** to attend every week ✨ Perfect for those just starting. Join anytime and get a feel for the basics! 🕒 7:00-8:00 PM Beginners and Intermediate (Parallel Classes) Beginners Join our 8-week flexible program, designed so you can start at any point! We also have a great value pass—just £55 for 8 consecutive weeks! The program is built to keep your momentum high, no matter when you begin during the cycle. Intermediate Building on Beginners’ skills, this class is tailored to your progress. Grab a £80 pass for 10 classes, which can be used anytime for any level above Beginners. 🕒 8:00-9:00 PM Improvers and Higher Intermediate (Parallel Classes) Improvers Know our 6 basic moves from the Beginner and Intermediate courses? This 16-week class will take your dancing to the next level! Higher Intermediate For advanced dancers, this class hones in on deeper skills, tailored by your teacher to meet your needs. No matter where you are on your dance journey, we’ve got the perfect class for you! 🗓️ Join us this Monday and be part of a welcoming, supportive community. Learn, connect, and grow while contributing to a good cause! 🌍 Inquire with us to get your discounted pass—don’t miss this chance to take your dance skills to the next level! See you on Monday! Your 4Water Team

SAFO Music Group hosts monthly Networking Evenings on the first Monday of every month. This is an amazing opportunity for artists and music industry professionals to build their network of contacts as well as learn invaluable industry advice. SAFO Music Group HQ is based in Crouch Hill, London and our team have worked with the likes of Sam Smith, Pixie Lott, The 1975, Becky Hill, Samantha Harvey, Ella Eyre and many more. Our meet up groups run from 18:00 - 21:00 and entry is completely free. Part of the evening includes speed listening sessions where artists and producers will have the opportunity to play one song (USB, Phone or Weblinks) to gain some valuable feedback. Do check out our video so you get a little taste of the evening: https://youtu.be/1CzfgY78CXQ We'll look forward to meeting you soon! The SAFO Music Group www.safomusicgroup.com 0207 683 3333

People bring the games they want to play (although they often have to teach others how to play!). Will you find the one you like? **Newcomers and veterans alike are all welcome- when it's a new game we're all fresh faced!** If you're new to the club then just turn up, say hello and the host will help introduce you and set you up with a game. If you have any questions, our Facebook Group is the best place to ask! 🕖 7pm-11pm 👛 £4 per person 📦 Bring your own game or play somebody else’s 🥛 Club tuckshop with cans and snacks usually available You can also post in our Facebook group to arrange games and/or lifts: [https://www.facebook.com/groups/StABoardgamesclub](https://www.facebook.com/groups/StABoardgamesclub) *Use Discord? BGA (Board Game Arena)? You can find us there and even on Instagram- for details have a look at: [https://www.stalbansgames.co.uk/](https://www.stalbansgames.co.uk/)* See you soon! 🙂

**Kindly note that this is a paid event and the average number of attendees for our events is 60-70 people. You can register on [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/london-business-networking-at-mayfair-hay-hill-for-directors-entrepreneurs-tickets-1980192285431?aff=meetup](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/london-business-networking-at-mayfair-hay-hill-for-directors-entrepreneurs-tickets-1980192285431?aff=meetup)** Join an in‑person business networking evening at 12 Hay Hill in Mayfair, London Join leading **entrepreneurs, investors, company directors, and business professionals** for an exclusive networking experience in Mayfair. Hosted at the prestigious Hay Hill private members club, this London Connector event brings together high-level decision-makers to build meaningful relationships, explore new opportunities, and grow their network in a premium setting. Connect with like-minded leaders, spark collaborations, and enjoy a powerful evening designed to elevate your business. ## **Our unique venue is:** Set in a stunning six-story building at **Berkeley Square, Hay Hill** is unique as it combines the luxury of a private members club with the business focus of a co-working environment, pioneering the concept of the club working, all in the heart of Mayfair. For our event, we have reserved an area of the venue with a cash bar, so that we can mix and mingle and meet old and new friends, new contacts, and, why not, new clients too! ## **Program** The format of the evening is 'mix and mingle', meet like-minded business leaders and entrepreneurs and investors in a relaxed environment. Our team is onsite to facilitate meaningful introductions. We connect at a human-to-human level, and prefer building relationships. ## **How many people are attending?** We have a **maximum capacity of 80 guests** for this venue and given the popularity of our events and the nature of the venue that hosts us, **this one is predicted to be sold out in advance also because on average for each event we run 30-40 places are booked by our members who have joined the yearly membership. Early booking is truly and highly recommended.** The reason the events we organize are so successful is that we follow a very simple, but effective formula. A couple of days before the event **we create a WhatsApp group with those attendees who wish to start getting to know each other**. This allows each participant to set up meetings with those they wish to meet during (or even before) the event. On the day of the event, you will find a relaxed environment, and a welcoming and supportive crowd. **Our team will be at the venue to introduce you to anybody specific you'd like to talk to.** Guests will have access to the part of the Club reserved for our event, but not to other private areas of Hay Hill Club. You can book a private tour though. **Dress code: business casual (no trainers, no jeans)** **Refund policy. Tickets bought in advance are generally cheaper than those bought on the day of the event and for this reason cannot be refunded. They can be reassigned to another person of your choice.** **Event Disclaimer** Please note that photos and videos may be taken during this event. These may be used on our social media channels and promotional materials to showcase our events. If you prefer not to appear in any photos or videos, please inform the event host upon arrival, and we will ensure your preference is respected. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.#Business #Businessevent #businessnetworking #Businessprofessional #Londonevent #Networking * [United Kingdom Events](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom/events/) * [Greater London Events](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--greater-london/events/) * [Things to do in London](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/ttd/united-kingdom--london/) * [London Networking](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/networking/) * [London Business Networking](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/business--networking/) * [#business](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/%23business/) * [#networking](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/%23networking/) * [#investment](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/%23investment/) * [#startup](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/%23startup/) * [#networkingevent](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/%23networkingevent/) * [#london](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/%23london/) * [#businessnetworking](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/%23businessnetworking/) * [#january](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/%23january/) * [#networkingmeeting](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/%23networkingmeeting/) * [#business_professional](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/united-kingdom--london/%23business_professional/)

Join us for an exciting deep dive into the future of Kafka architecture and the intersection of AI with data streaming! Learn how diskless Kafka is revolutionising cloud-native deployments and discover how to interact with your Kafka data using natural language. **Date and Time: 🗓️** Wednesday 4th February, ⏰ 18:00 - 20:30 PM 🕘 **Venue:** Lacon House, London WC1X 8NL, United Kingdom **Attending Brands**: OSO, Aiven, Lenses **Schedule:** 18:00: Doors Open 18:00 - 18:30: Food, drinks, networking 18:30 - 19:00: "Diskless Kafka" - Hugh Evans, Aiven 19:00 \- 19:30: “How Lenses MCP Brings AI to Kafka \| Talk to Your Data with Claude & MCP" \- Tun Shew\, Lenses\.io 19:30- 20:30pm: Additional Q&A, Networking **🎙️ \~Talk 1\~** **Talk Title:** Diskless Kafka **Summary:** Summary: Deep dive into KIP-1150 and the future of diskless Kafka, why diskless matters in cloud-native deployments, rerouting replication to object storage, and how diskless and traditional topics can coexist in one cluster. This talk explores the fundamental architectural shift that allows Kafka to leverage cloud object storage for data persistence, reducing operational complexity and costs while maintaining the performance characteristics that make Kafka the backbone of modern data infrastructure. **🗣️ Speaker 1:** Hugh Evans is at Aiven **🎙️ \~Talk 2\~** **Talk Title:** Go Faster on Kafka with AI-Assisted Engineering (Without Summoning Consumer Lag Demons) **Summary:** Are you spending more time wrestling with Kafka configurations and debugging consumer lag than shipping real-time products? The era of AI-assisted engineering is here to change that. This talk takes you on a journey through the evolution of developer tools, moving from the editor wars of the past to a seamless AI-integrated future. We will demonstrate how next-generation tools like Cursor and Claude Code, paired with the Lenses MCP server, allow you to explore, manage and debug your Kafka environment simply using natural language. Through practical demos, you will see how to design robust topic strategies, apply governance best practices and deploy streaming data pipelines using any framework of your choice in seconds. We'll explore the best ways to shift your mindset towards leveraging an AI copilot and you'll leave with a list of actionable tips to enhance your daily routine and increase your productivity with AI today. **🗣️ Speaker 1:** Tun Shwe, Lenses.io

Book your specific time here! www.betheband.org/book-online You'll receive the exact location after booking your slot. 🎸 **Join a Band – Meet & Greet for BetheBand** 🎤 Ready to stop playing solo and start gigging with a real band? BetheBand is a London-based music programme for amateur to intermediate musicians who want to rehearse weekly, improve with a professional music director, and perform live on stage — *without all the hassle of organising it yourself*. 📝 **What’s the audition?** We’ll ask you to prepare 1 song from a short list. You’ll play it with a backing track alongside one of our band directors. It’s relaxed, fun, and a chance for us to get to know your level, preferences, and goals. ✅ We match you with musicians at your level ✅ You rehearse weekly in a central London studio ✅ You’re guided by a professional musician as your band director ✅ You perform a full set live in front of friends and family at the end of each 8-week term 🎶 We’re currently welcoming guitarists, bassists, vocalists, drummers, and keyboard players. 🗓️ **Audition slots available:** Choose a time when you RSVP and we’ll send you details + the song list. 📍**Location:** Central London (address sent after sign-up) 💷 **Audition fee:** £15 (non-refundable) 🎟️ Spaces are limited — sign up now to start your journey from bedroom player to band member!

**Never tried Grafana before? This workshop is for you!** APIs are the backbone of modern software development. They power everything from mobile apps to internal tools, but let’s be honest, reading through raw JSON or API responses isn’t the most exciting way to work with data. What if you could turn that data into clean, interactive graphs without writing a ton of custom code or spinning up a backend server? That’s where Grafana comes in! **Grafana** is an open-source data visualisation and observability platform that lets you create interactive, real-time dashboards from various data sources. It’s best known for visualising metrics from systems like Prometheus or InfluxDB, but thanks to its plugin ecosystem, it can do much more. **In this fun, beginner-friendly workshop, we’ll:** * Explore what Grafana is all about * Connect to an API using the Grafana Infinity plugin * Configure a simple query and pull the data into Grafana * Turn that data into a beautiful dashboard with different panel types **No prior knowledge of Grafana** is required as this session is beginner-friendly, but bring your **(well charged) laptops** as this will be a hands-on session!

***Slow down and use intuition to navigate urban spaces to uncover the hidden treasures which lurk just out of sight.*** Many of us live disconnected from the flow of the world around us. By quieting the mind and focusing on the liminal space between thought you may find a more spontaneous way to navigate your life leading you to the hidden treasures which lurk just beyond sight. Join me, and I will ease you into the art of listening and hunting with discernment, not hunger.

Share, learn and network with fellow Product People at **The Product Group London** on **Thu 5th February**! **Topic of the Night: Customer Research** Customers are at the heart of product management, so on the night we’ll get into how do you learn about and stay up to date with your customer’s needs? Which tools and techniques do you use to understand customer problems? How do you convert customer insights into product features? What’s the best way for product manages and product designers to work together? How is AI reshaping customer research? And much more. **Featured Guest: Rose Tighe, Product & Innovation Leader** Rose Tighe is a long-time product and innovation leader. She’s worked at Sky, Amazon, LOVEFilLM and Trustpilot, and has consulted for a number of household names, startups, and scale-ups. A founding member of Sky’s Innovation Lab, she’s no stranger to navigating the messy middle between bold ideas and business reality. Today, Rose works with exec teams, founders, and incubators to unlock growth through product innovation, AI and no-code — and co-chairs Brighton AI, a grassroots community exploring how we all benefit from this tech shift. She’s an AI mentor for companies looking to meaningfully leverage the technology. And, runs “No Code + Brews” to help people get hands-on with AI, and is mildly obsessed with making tech more equitable, playful and less intimidating. **About The Product Group London** The Product Group London is a monthly meetup designed to bring product people of all levels together for topical discussions, as a group and with our guest speakers. With attendees from startups to large enterprises, there is no shortage of opportunities to network and make new connections. And whilst the focus is on product management, we welcome product designers and engineers to join for some friendly and lively discussions. **A word about our sponsor and host, Balderton** [Balderton Capital](https://www.balderton.com/) is a multistage venture firm with more than 25 years of experience supporting Europe’s best founders from Seed to IPO. We have both early and growth funds and invest across the technology sector, with a proven track record backing AI, fintech, B2B SaaS, digital health, mobility, gaming and marketplace companies. Balderton’s current portfolio includes: Aircall, Contentful, Cleo, Fuse, GoCardless, Lendable, Matillion, Photoroom, Primer, Proxima Fusion, Quantum Systems, Revolut, The Exploration Company, Tibber, Wayve, Writer and ZOE.

Who Sang What is a new type of game where teams are presented with a list of twenty well known bands/singers and then match them from another list of twenty songs they were associated with during their career. Two lists - twenty bands/singers and twenty songs. **Songs and tunes (but not album names) from the 50’s to the 80’s.** Four players max per team, but the lower number teams get a point per player start from the biggest team. For example, four teams of one, two, three and four. Four player team, no advantage, (the biggest and theoretically the more knowledge between them, except it doesn't always work like that). Three player team. one point start. Two player team. two point start. One player team. three point start. Prizes of interesting flavour chocolate and also for the funniest team name chosen by Sue, my glamorous assistant. Hosted in future every Monday at various central London Wetherspoons. Event time is from 2-4pm, which allows plenty of time to get away for transport. Twenty five minutes for the quiz, five for marking up, and socialising time for the remainder period. There is a small charge of £5 cash/card to cover prize and Meetup costs. This is a great way to make new friends or catch up with old ones. See you there! Contact number on the day is 07422334411 if your transport is delayed. Please leave your name if texting. **Don’t forget to cancel via the “Edit RSVP” button if you can’t make it. Please do this well in advance when you know, so it allows good notice for someone else to take your place, and minimizes waiting time for non-attendees.** **Your consideration is greatly appreciated.**

🚀 From Idea to Working App. Agenda: \* 18:30 \- Welcome drinks / meet and greet \| \* 19:00 \- presentation\, workshop \| \* 20:00 \- Share Demos and Wrap up and Q & A \| \* 21:00 - Social in the bar Join us for an informal evening exploring how AI is revolutionising the way we build applications. Whether you're a developer, product manager, or business leader curious about accelerating delivery, this meetup will show you practical approaches to go from concept to working software in record time. We'll introduce the spec-driven development approach that leverages AI to dramatically compress traditional timelines. You'll see firsthand how modern AI tools can transform requirements into functional applications, handling everything from architecture decisions to code generation. This isn't about replacing developers—it's about amplifying what teams can achieve and focusing human creativity where it matters most. **What to expect:** * Live demonstrations of AI-powered application development * Real-world examples of projects delivered in days instead of months * Interactive discussions about when and how to apply these approaches * Practical tips for getting started with your own projects * Time to experiment and ask questions **What to bring:** We encourage you to bring your laptop and have accounts set up with AI tools like Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT, or similar platforms. If you have a business problem or app idea you're thinking about, even better—we might tackle it together! This is a relaxed, collaborative environment perfect for learning, sharing experiences, and connecting with others who are excited about the future of software delivery. All experience levels welcome—curiosity is the only prerequisite.

Join members of the local UX and Digital Design community for a casual monthly breakfast. There _might_ be a little snow, but there _will_ be effectively infinite serve-yourself coffee, so it evens out if you ask me. Just a reminder, while the other locations are great too, we’re at the Lane Ave one this time.

Hike approx 4.0 miles at approx. 18 minute mile pace. Meet in front of the Nature Center.

### Tools in your AI's Toolbox : An introduction to MCP Servers The generative AI revolution has unlocked unprecedented capabilities, but the next frontier is agency: empowering models to interact with, query, and act upon the world. The current challenge is the “N x M integration problem,” where every AI model requires a custom, brittle integration for each external tool or data source. This approach simply doesn’t scale. How can we give an AI access to our sales leads, code repositories, or IoT devices in a standardized, secure, and reusable way? This session introduces Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP), the open-source framework designed to solve this challenge and become the universal connector—the USB-C port—for AI. MCP standardizes how AI models discover and use external tools, moving beyond simple function-calling to a robust, client-server architecture. We will dive into how this open protocol is creating a new ecosystem for building powerful, context-aware AI agents. Join this session for a developer-focused introduction where you will learn how to: Understand the core concepts of the open-source Model Context Protocol and its architecture. Utilize pre-built, open-source MCP servers to instantly connect AI to tools like Git, Slack, and databases. Build a custom MCP server to securely expose your own proprietary data and APIs as tools for any compliant AI. Move beyond bespoke integrations and contribute to a standardized, collaborative, and open ecosystem. Stop building one-off connectors and start building intelligent agents. This session will give you the practical knowledge to leverage MCP and create the next generation of AI that doesn’t just talk, but does. Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! [https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/](https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/)

We will meet next to the restrooms at the [Big Meadows Picnic Area](https://www.metroparks.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/HBK_Web_1980.png). They're all the way at the back of the park, and they can be found at coordinates [40°09'06.6"N 83°02'30.2"W](https://www.google.com/maps/place/40%C2%B009'06.6%22N+83%C2%B002'30.2%22W/@40.151828,-83.0423587,214m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m10!1m5!3m4!2zNDDCsDA5JzA4LjAiTiA4M8KwMDEnNDUuMSJX!8m2!3d40.1522222!4d-83.0291944!3m3!8m2!3d40.151827!4d-83.041715?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTIwNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D) (near the playground and the zip line). We'll hike about 5 miles at [Highbanks Metro Park](https://www.metroparks.net/parks-and-trails/highbanks/) on the Dripping Rock and Overlook Trails. Afterward, we'll head over to [Olentangy River Brewing](https://www.olentangybrew.com/) for drinks, coffee, or food (their Sunday [food truck](https://www.olentangybrew.com/eventsandfood) is Venezuelan and always gets good reviews). The actual address of the brewery is [303 Green Meadows Dr S, 43035](https://www.google.com/maps/place/303+Green+Meadows+Dr+S,+Lewis+Center,+OH+43035/@40.1551938,-83.0144045,17.25z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x8838f395cef06c97:0xe407de61b3e30069!8m2!3d40.1551765!4d-83.0124352!16s%2Fg%2F11c26jc7j9?entry=ttu). If you can't make the hike, we should be there by noon. **How to find our starting point in Big Meadows:** If you are new to Highbanks, the Big Meadows picnic area is 1.5 miles into the park just after you turn into the park off of U.S. Route 23. That is, after you enter the park, drive a mile and a half into the park. You will come to a crosswalk with a yield sign in the middle of it (this is not to be confused with the first such crosswalk you come to just in front of the Nature Center, which you arrive at maybe a quarter of a mile into the park). Just after this second crosswalk, make a left. Then make another almost immediate left into the parking lot on your left. There you will see the jungle gym and the kiddie zip line to your left. I will be just in front of the restrooms just a bit further down from the jungle gym and picnic shelter; the restroom building will also be on your left.

**People Analytics 101: Making Sense of Compensation Data** Compensation data is one of the most widely used and widely misunderstood forms of people analytics. The session will cover where compensation data comes from, including market pricing data, internal payroll data, and benchmarking sources, and how companies think about structuring and analyzing that information. We will explore how compensation data is leveraged to set salary ranges, manage internal equity, support hiring and retention, and align pay with business strategy. A portion of the session will address common data challenges and limitations, such as market noise, inconsistent job matching, and incomplete datasets, while keeping the primary focus on practical use rather than technical depth. The session will also look ahead at where the space is going, including the growing impact of pay transparency laws, expanding pay equity requirements, and emerging regulations in the US and Europe that require organizations to report on gender and pay gaps. The goal is to give attendees a clear mental model for how compensation analytics works today and why getting it right is becoming increasingly critical. (note: we are back at Rev1 this month!) **About Our Speaker** [Alex Moore](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexscottmoore/) is the founder of [Moore Cooperative](https://moorecooperative.com/), where he advises organizations on compensation strategy, pay equity, and people analytics. His work focuses on helping organizations like the Ohio Supreme Court design, analyze, and communicate compensation systems that are data-informed, defensible, and aligned with organizational goals. Alex lives in Granville, Ohio and has three little kiddos. More info at [cbusdaw.com](https://cbusdaw.com)

I love my job and one of the main things I do is help customers get going with any of the data technologies at Microsoft. Right now there are a lot of my customers asking about Microsoft Fabric. It's hard to weave across all the shiny new options across the Fabric landscape, let alone figure out where it fits into your organization. In this session we'll focus on answering one question - how can I get data into Fabric? We'll talk through the "it depends" options and see some of the options in live demos.