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Speaking in public is not easy for most people, nor is running a workshop, writing a speech, thinking on your feet, or even speaking up amongst friends. At POWERtalk you will learn how to gain the confidence to step up to speak up. We've seen it many times over. We help you with simple techniques to look confident as a speaker even when you feel like crumbling. **You'll be giving presentations before you know it and loving it!!!** **\>\>\>** We believe there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to growing as a person and can tailor a plan to help you grow as an individual. **<<<** **Join us at a meeting soon to learn how to build your confidence as a speaker, effectively communicate, get creative, and have lots of fun doing so.** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- POWERtalk Australia is a not-for-profit organisation training in public speaking and leadership skills. Guests are free of charge for the first 3 meetings. Full membership is surprisingly very affordable. Please ask if you would like more information or become a member. We look forward to meeting you for a night of POWERtalk (1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month) *PS. If you have symptoms of cough, runny nose, fever or are unwell, we wish you a speedy recovery and please ask that you stay away until you are well again. Thanks :)* We meet every 1st & 3rd Tuesday. Address: Power Neighbourhood House - 54 Power Avenue Ashwood Vic 7.45 pm start. 2-hour duration. Come along and enjoy the fun. We look forward to meeting you.

We are excited to host Pavel for our next Melb.NET event where we discuss PR Reviews and how we can reduce the bottleneck effect they have on our development velocity! **Agenda:** * 5:30pm arrival - Food and drinks provided in-person * 6pm kickoff - Welcome & Introduction and few words from our Sponsors - 10 min * 6:10pm - Session 1 * 6.45pm - Session 2 **Session 1:** Breaking the PR Review Bottleneck by [Pavel Oborin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/poborin/) Pull request reviews are often the biggest bottleneck in software delivery, especially for distributed teams. What takes minutes to write can sit for days waiting for review, killing development velocity. The open source world has solved this at scale. Major projects like Kubernetes, Rust, and React coordinate thousands of contributors with sophisticated review strategies that go far beyond traditional approaches. This session explores proven techniques from leading OSS projects and how to adapt them for your teams: early design alignment, automated reviewer assignment, merge automation, cultural process shifts, velocity metrics, and modern workflow patterns. You'll leave with practical strategies to eliminate review bottlenecks and measurably improve your team's delivery speed. **Session 2:** How to achieve PR Flow in Messy Legacy Codebases by [Alex Phomphoukhao](https://www.linkedin.com/in/aphomphoukhao/) Exploring how we improved PR flow in a complex legacy .NET codebases. Covering metrics, workshop-driven changes, and how AI tools like GitHub Copilot and CodeRabbit helped reduce review load and speed up delivery. **Hosts:** * [William Liebenberg](https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-liebenberg/) \- Microsoft \.NET MVP \| Consultant at Arinco * [Bron Thulke](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bronthulke/) \- Microsoft \.NET MVP \| CTO / Co\-Founder at YouLi * [Bill Chesnut](https://www.linkedin.com/in/billchesnut/) \- Microsoft Azure MVP \| Consultant at SixPivot * [Tama Waddell](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tama-waddell/) \- Consultant at Arinco **Sponsors:** We have some amazing sponsors that help make this event possible: * [Arinco](https://arinco.com.au/) \- Venue\, Food and Drinks **Location:** In-Person at Arinco Melbourne. Level 6 / 440 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD 🗣 Apply to speak now: [https://bit.ly/melb-dotnet-cfp](https://bit.ly/melb-dotnet-cfp)

**Welcome to 'GENESIS' - The Generative AI Filmmaking Networking Event!** ***THIS MAY BE A LIMITED EVENT - PLEASE MAKE SURE TO RSVP.*** This group is for individuals interested in exploring the intersection of generative AI technology and movie making. Whether you're a filmmaker eager to discuss movie production, a technician looking to collaborate, or simply wishing to learn more and discuss AI in film, this group is for you! Join us at the Emporium food court (located behind Grill’d Burger Restaurant in the CBD, not near Melbourne Station) to discuss AI technologies, workflows, productions, AI ethics, government responsibility and more. After 7pm, we continue the evening with Happy Hour drinks at a nearby bar and a chance to grab dinner together. Feel free to bring friends interested in AI filmmaking; it’s a great way to introduce new faces to our expanding network. RSVP to help us gauge attendance and become part of a growing network of film professionals and enthusiasts. Though the event begins in the afternoon, the relationships you build here can last well into the night and beyond. At 7 PM, we move to The Carlton Club, a five-minute walk away, where we continue networking in a more formal rooftop setting over drinks and food. This change of venue offers an ideal environment to keep conversations flowing. We want to foster a supportive network for creativity, film and television production, and collaboration between the world of cinema and AI. Connect with like-minded individuals and explore the exciting world of generative AI filmmaking together at GENESIS.

We are a multi-disciplinary group of PhDs and academic staff who write together regularly and help one another to achieve our writing goals through supportive community, focus and a structure that works. We welcome anyone who wants to get some writing done in a collegial, supportive, encouraging environment. You don’t have to be from University of Melbourne (you don’t have to be from university at all!). We use the Pomodoro method, which means we write in timed intervals of silence, then chat and catch up for 5 mins and repeat the cycle. Arrive when you like, leave when you like. The goal is to keep our writing projects progressing and reduce the isolation that can be part of the academic and/or writing life. **Session Outline:** Welcome: 9.00-9.05 (5 mins) Pomodoro 1: 9.05-9.30 (25 mins). Break: 9.30-9.35 (5 mins) Pomodoro 2: 9.35-10.00 (25 mins) Break: 10.00-10.05 (25 mins) Pomodoro 3: 10.05-10.55 (50 mins) Break: 10.55-11.05 (10 mins) Pomodoro 4: 11.05-11.30 (25 mins) **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: There is free public wifi available at the Melbourne Connect Superfloor (speak to the concierge for details). University of Melbourne staff and students can connect to the university wifi; staff and students from other universities can join Eduroam using their home institution's log in credentials. Travel / Parking info: Public bike parking along Swanston and Grattan Streets. Tram routes 1, 3, 3a, 5, 16. 16, 64, 67, 72 along Swanston Street (Stop 1) and 19 along Royal Parade (Stop 10). The nearest train station is Parkville Metro Station. Bus routes include 200, 207, 250, 251, 401, 402, 403, 505, 546. There is no public parking available at Melbourne Connect, however the area is well serviced by nearby public carparks, including Cardigan House Parking at 96 Grattan Street and the University of Melbourne Eastern Precinct Car Park at 375 Grattan Street. A taxi rank is located on Grattan Street.

*🎮 Play games. Make friends 🎲* Make new mates every Tuesday night at Team Up Tuesdays: A fun, social gaming night at Fortress. Hosted in our Tavern, you can enjoy friendly team-based games in a welcoming, social environment. **The Games 🕹️** After checking in with our host, you'll be sorted into one of two teams. These two teams will go head-to-head across 3 rounds of casual games every week! **The Prizes 🏆** \- Fun prizes for everyone on the winning team \- Spot prizes throughout the night \- Best of all\, spending $15 on food or drinks gets you a spin on **The Wheel**: Your chance to win from a random selection of vouchers, merch and other fun prizes **The Venue 🍻** Held in our Tavern, you can enjoy hot food and cold drinks in a fun fantasy setting. *See you next Tuesday!* **TERMS & CONDITIONS** * *Fortress Melbourne is a licensed venue, and as such, a valid ID is required and checked upon entrance to the premises.* * *Unaccompanied minors are not permitted in the venue at any time. Please make sure any guests under 18 are accompanied by a responsible adult at all times.* * *Minors are not allowed in the venue past 8:00 pm* * *No outside food or drinks.* *More information on valid forms of identification and Fortress' minors policy can be found here: [www.fortress.games/minors/](https://www.fortress.games/minors/)*

Smashing! Try something new Thursday Interactive workshop - Learn and practice secrets to improving your voice. Serious about improving your leadership - **Why mess, come to the best** Why is Smashing different to other speaking clubs? Just one member's thoughts, "The fun/laughs factor is definitely a point of difference. We keep it moving with high standards so it’s a nice balance. Too strict makes it tense and boring, too loose and we can lose the energy/commercial feel. SmashSpeak's vibe's in the sweet spot." **Free parking** close: O'Connell and Cobden streets **IMPORTANT: Be on time, as doors close when the show starts** “Proudly Australian" – Free-flowing teamwork, greater good focus, sharing the stage, etc Multicultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth St (Opposite Queen Vic Market) Level 1, Purple Room (End of corridor) More to come...

**At Happy Hour Toastmasters - We make public speaking** **FUN!** **Do you want to get better at speaking in front of people?** Maybe for that important presentation at work, or that big wedding speech you've been asked to give? Do you want to have fun and make a bunch of great new friends while doing it? Then **our club is the place for you!** Our club is a diverse and supportive group of people, from beginners to world championship finalist-level speakers, who meet regularly to practice and improve our public speaking skills. **You'll also** **learn:** * **leadership skills** * **networking and 'soft skills'** * **how to provide constructive feedback** * **how to control your 'ums' and 'ahs'** * **how to think quickly and creatively while speaking on your feet** * **and much more!** **Guests are welcome** to come to any of our meetings, and we are also to chat with you about questions you might have, so please get in touch! **Please note - Bookings are essential**, as we need to let you into the building when you arrive!

Join us at Preston Library and boost your public speaking skills! ## Speak with Confidence at Northern Exposure Toastmasters Join us in person at Preston Library for a fun and friendly Toastmasters meeting! Whether you're looking to sharpen your public speaking skills or just want to meet like-minded folks, this is the place to be. Share your stories, get useful feedback, and boost your confidence in a supportive atmosphere. ### **Set Your 2026 Challenge** Maybe this is the year you want to: * Improve your public speaking and presentation skills * Build confidence in meetings or high-pressure situations * Become a more influential leader * Sharpen your thinking on your feet * Strengthen your communication for career advancement * Expand your personal and professional network Whatever your 2026 challenge looks like, Toastmasters meets you where you are, and helps you grow from there. There is so much to learn from presenting speeches to become a Leader in the Club. * 1\. Personal & professional development * 2\. Improved communication & listening skills * 3\. Increased confidence * 4\. Develop & enhance leadership skills * 5\. Affiliation with an internationally renowned organisation Don't miss out on this chance to speak up and stand out!

Manningham Toastmasters is a public speaking group that helps people improve their confidence, communication, and leadership skills Join us at Manningham Toastmasters for an engaging and supportive meeting designed to help you grow your public speaking and leadership skills in a friendly, encouraging environment. Whether you’re looking to build confidence, improve presentation skills, enhance communication at work, or simply challenge yourself in a safe space, our meetings provide practical, hands-on experience. ### What to Expect When You Attend 🔹 **Prepared Speeches** Members deliver speeches they’ve been working on as part of the Toastmasters educational program. These range from icebreaker introductions to persuasive speeches, storytelling, leadership presentations, and more. 🔹 **Impromptu Speaking (Table Topics)** Guests and members are invited to participate in short, fun, impromptu speaking exercises. You’ll be given a surprise topic and 1–2 minutes to respond a great way to think on your feet in a low-pressure setting. 🔹 **Constructive Feedback** Every speaker receives supportive and structured feedback. Our evaluation process highlights strengths and provides practical suggestions for improvement, helping members grow with each speech. 🔹 **Leadership Opportunities** Meetings are run by members, giving everyone the chance to develop leadership, organization, and facilitation skills in real time. 🔹 **Welcoming Environment** We pride ourselves on being warm, inclusive, and encouraging. Guests are never pressured to speak, though you’re welcome to participate as much as you feel comfortable. ### Who Should Attend? * Professionals wanting to sharpen presentation skills * Students preparing for interviews or academic presentations * Business owners and leaders developing communication confidence * Anyone looking to overcome fear of public speaking * Individuals wanting personal growth in a supportive community ### Why Attend? By attending Manningham Toastmasters, you’ll gain: * Greater confidence when speaking in front of groups * Improved clarity and structure in your communication * Enhanced listening and feedback skills * A network of motivated, growth-focused individuals Guests are always welcome to attend and observe a meeting before deciding to join. We’d love to see you and support you on your communication journey.

Let's have fun while watching the night view with our friends! 🏃‍♂️Training menu🏃‍♂️ Every Wednesday 6:00p.m~ Fed Square Assembly 【https://maps.app.goo.gl/zmPQ6U533pUDcNSA9?g_st=ic】 If you have luggage, please consider using the lockers at the station. 💥40~60 min Jog+Walk Pace: Easy pace, suitable for beginners. If you got tired, let's walk together. 【schedule】 6:00 p.m Gathering 6:10 p.m Start 7:00 p.m End of training Challengers we are waiting for you 😊

🌟 **Unlock Your Full Potential with CPA Toastmasters!** 🌟 Are you ready to become a more confident speaker and a stronger leader? CPA Toastmasters is here to help you *grow* both personally and professionally! Whether you're looking to improve your public speaking skills, enhance your leadership abilities, or build self-confidence, Toastmasters provides a supportive and encouraging environment for you to thrive. 🚀 **Why CPA Toastmasters?** * **Improve Public Speaking**: Learn how to communicate clearly and confidently in front of any audience. * **Build Leadership Skills**: Develop the tools and techniques to become a stronger leader in your personal and professional life. * **Friendly, Supportive Community**: Join a group of like-minded individuals who are all working toward their personal growth and success. * **Real-Time Feedback**: Get constructive feedback in every meeting to help you continually improve. * **CPD Hours**: As our member, you are eligible to claim CPD hours under CPA for attending our meetings! 📈 **What to Expect at a Toastmasters Meeting:** * **Prepared Speeches**: Deliver speeches on topics you’re passionate about (Members only) * **Impromptu Speaking**: Practice thinking on your feet with quick, fun exercises. * **Constructive Feedback**: Receive valuable tips to help you improve, delivered in a positive, encouraging way. * **Leadership Roles**: Take turns leading the meeting, which helps you refine your organizational and leadership abilities. Come visit us in our next meeting and learn how our club can support your public speaking journey!

Welcome to Elixir Melbourne's monthly meetup. Where we go over Elixir ecosystem news, listen to great talks, and socialise with other Elixir developers of all levels. We’re rebooting the meetup after a hiatus with new (and old) organisers, a new venue and emphasis on more time to socialise. There are still speaking spots open. If you want to talk about anything Elixir related, get in touch. **Agenda** * 6:00pm - Arrive, socialise * 6:30pm - Welcome; introduction; “who’s hiring” pitches. * 6:45pm - Talk 1 (speaking spot open!) * 7:15pm - Food, socialise * 7:45pm - Maybe another talk (speaking spot open!) * 8:15pm - Finish up and head to Saint & Rogue (down the street from SuperAPI at 582 Little Collins St, Melbourne) **Sponsor** Huge thanks to [SuperAPI](https://superapi.com.au/) for catering and venue.

We will show how to build custom agents with Microsoft Agent Framework. Attendees will learn how to build and custom host agents when Microsoft Foundry is not a viable option.

Practical AI for Power BI Developers A year ago, “agentic AI” was mostly hype for Power BI teams. Today, it deserves your undivided attention. For Power BI pros, there is now a real opportunity to reduce repetitive development work, accelerate delivery, and help developers do more, but only when strong DataOps practices are in place to make AI workflows effective. This session is a no-nonsense introduction to effective AI patterns for Power BI and Fabric development. Along the way, we will make sense of the growing pile of terminology, including skills, plugins, hooks, and MCP. You will see examples of how modern AI tooling can help with development tasks across Power BI and Fabric, along with the prerequisites, guardrails, and DataOps principles needed to use it responsibly. Whether you're burned out on AI hype or already using Copilot CLI daily, this session will show you the foundations that are finally making AI-assisted development genuinely useful.

Columbus Code & Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. People of all skill levels attend, and we love it that way. Many people (optionally) bring projects to work on, and many other people (optionally) socialize the entire time. It's entirely up to you! **What to Expect at the Intro Circle** \~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~ Near the beginning of the event (1:30 pm), we do a standup: * Organizer announcements, updates, and logistics Round 1 - (7 secs max): * Your name * What you're working on * What you can help others with Round 2: * Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. Round 3: * Job opportunities you're hiring for OR announce that you are looking for one. If none, that's cool. After the introduction circle, everything is self-organized! Feel free to work alone, pair up, attend one of our workshops/presentations, or mingle!

Join us for a practical, beginner-friendly guide to choosing the right large language model. We’ll compare major models like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Llama, talk about when to use hosted APIs versus local models, and break down the tradeoffs around cost, speed, quality, privacy, context windows, coding ability, and reliability. You’ll leave with a clearer mental model for picking an LLM based on your actual use case instead of hype, benchmarks, or brand names. No deep AI background required. 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 BUY TICKETS THROUGH EVENTBRITE. RSVP THROUGH MEETUP IS NOT A TICKET PURCHASE CONFIRMATION.** Strive welcomes you to 'General Business Networking', Columbus' hottest networking event! We are set in the perfect central location in Downtown for all to join. Are you interested in business? Want to elevate your career? Meet Consultants, Analysts of all types, Bankers, Software Engineers, Entrepreneurs, and more who are active in the space or are eager to get started. **\*\*This will be a multi-vertical event\*\*** **There will be professionals with backgrounds in the arts, finance, tech, real estate, healthcare, and more. Come with an open mind, and leave with connections that wouldn't be possible otherwise!** Pack some business cards and come with an open mind! Meet your future business partners, employers, coworkers, investors, and friends. You don't want to miss this opportunity to expand your network and create a brighter future. We will have a space for our event to check-in. The event will go from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM (feel free to come at any point in this timeframe). Name tags will be provided. Business casual dress code. Job fair attire. **Remember, it's not who you know, it's who you meet tomorrow!** We look forward to meeting you at the event! Sincerely, Strive Networking Team *Refund requests are permitted up to 24 hours after purchase, so long as we are not within 48 hours before the event start time. Refunds will be made in full and repaid to your method of payment. Note that we are unable to reimburse PayPal fees.* *Disclaimer: By attending Strive Networking events you agree to photos/videos taken during the event being used to promote future events.*

At Evolve Synergy Sessions, you'll be part of a supportive mastermind where we share challenges, brainstorm solutions, and inspire one another to take bold steps in our businesses. Grow your network, gain fresh perspectives, and build meaningful relationships with like-minded women who are committed to success. Whether you’re looking to move the needle in your business or simply need a space to connect and recharge, this is the perfect place to fuel your entrepreneurial journey. [Add Event to Calendar](https://evolvecolumbus.eventcalendarapp.com/) \*\* Please note, we will be arriving around 8:15a for open networking! Get there early and get connected! Contact Alexis Morley at [alexis.morley@edwardjones.com](mailto:alexis.morley@edwardjones.com) or Terri Lawson at [terri.lawson@e-merge.com](mailto:terri.lawson@e-merge.com) for more information.

**Improving Office in Franklinton** Physical location: Improving Office 330 Rush Alley Suite #150 Columbus, OH 43215 Schedule: 6:00 p.m.: Socialize, eat, and drink. Improving will be providing pizza and beverages. 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Main meeting and presentation(s). Topic: This month John Lairson will share a notebook describing the Alpaca (Paper) Trading API and discuss different algorithms for evaluating stock trades. We meet on the last Monday of each Month. Presentations are given by members and friends of this group. If you would like to do a presentation (small or large) on a python topic, please contact Central OH Python at centralohpython@gmail.com