Network Engineering

**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/business-networking-london-consultants-entrepreneurs-iod-tickets-1991694348411?aff=meetup](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/business-networking-london-consultants-entrepreneurs-iod-tickets-1991694348411?aff=meetup)** Business Networking London for consultants, entrepreneurs & founders. Build partnerships and grow your network at IoD London. Professional Business Networking Event \| 29 June \| IoD London\, Pall Mall Looking to grow your business, expand your network, generate referrals, and meet ambitious professionals in London? Business Networking London \| Consultants\, Entrepreneurs & Founders is a premium networking event designed to bring together consultants\, entrepreneurs\, founders\, business owners\, advisors\, executives\, and professionals who are focused on business growth\, partnerships\, and meaningful professional connections\. Whether you are building a consulting practice, growing a coaching business, launching a startup, scaling an established company, or looking to connect with high-quality professionals, this event offers an excellent opportunity to meet decision-makers, exchange ideas, and create valuable business relationships. Hosted at the prestigious IoD London in Pall Mall, this event provides a professional environment for networking, collaboration, referrals, partnerships, and business development. 🤝 Why Attend? ✔ Meet consultants, entrepreneurs, founders, and business leaders in London ✔ Expand your professional network with ambitious, growth-focused professionals ✔ Generate referrals and build strategic business partnerships ✔ Connect with potential clients, collaborators, and service providers ✔ Exchange business insights, expertise, and growth strategies ✔ Discover new opportunities for business development and expansion ✔ Build meaningful relationships that extend beyond the event ✔ Network in one of London's most prestigious business venues 👥 Who Should Attend? Entrepreneurs • Founders • Startup Founders • Business Owners • Business Consultants • Management Consultants • Executive Coaches • Leadership Coaches • Business Coaches • Career Coaches • Trainers • Advisors • Mentors • Marketing Consultants • Sales Professionals • HR Professionals • Recruitment Consultants • Accountants • Legal Professionals • Agency Owners • Directors • Executives • Investors • Business Development Professionals 🌍 Topics Covered Business Growth • Entrepreneurship • Startup Growth • Business Development • Client Acquisition • Referral Marketing • Strategic Partnerships • Personal Branding • Leadership Development • Sales & Marketing • Professional Services • Consulting • Coaching • Business Strategy • Networking & Relationship Building • Innovation • Business Expansion 📍 Event Information Date: 29 June Venue: IoD London, Pall Mall Format: Professional Business Networking Event Focus: Business Growth, Referrals, Partnerships & Professional Networking Bonus networking: Attendees are welcome to stay for the broader London Connector® networking event after the meetup. 👔 Dress Code Business Attire or Smart Casual. To maintain the professional atmosphere of the event, T-shirts and trainers are not permitted for men or women. Shorts are not permitted for men. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in helping us preserve the quality of the London Connector® experience. 🌟 About London Connector® London Connector® hosts premium networking events in London, bringing together entrepreneurs, founders, investors, consultants, executives, coaches, and professionals from diverse industries. Our events are designed to facilitate meaningful introductions, professional relationships, business partnerships, referrals, collaboration opportunities, and long-term business growth. Connect. Collaborate. Grow. 📲 Private WhatsApp Networking Group All attendees receive access to an exclusive WhatsApp networking group on the day of the event, allowing members to introduce themselves, connect before the event, and coordinate meetings with other attendees. 📸 Event Disclaimer Photos and videos may be taken during the event and used for promotional and marketing purposes. * [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)

⚠️ **Date Change to Monday 29th June** ⚠️ ℹ️ **Due to strong interest, we have activated the waitlist for this meetup, to prioritise Databricks customers. Please join the waitlist and we will release a ticket to you ASAP.** We're back with a post-Data + AI Summit special, hosted by our friends at **Sigma** in the City of London. **Please note that we are asking everyone to join the waitlist upfront - we will be in touch to confirm attendance.** We'll have a talk from Simon Whiteley on all of the key announcements from Data + AI Summit, followed by a demo from Sigma, who are won Databricks BI Partner of the year for the second year and provide an analytics, AI and apps layer for business users on Databricks. They are also our hosts for the evening, and have an incredible space on the 21st floor of Broadgate Tower. **17:00 - 17:45:** Arrival & Networking **17:45 - 18:00:** Opening Remarks & Introductions **18:00 - 18:45** Key DAIS announcements - Simon Whiteley **18:45 - 19:10** Sigma Talk & Demo - Chris Goodman **19:10 - 19:20** Q&A **19:20 onwards:** Pizza, Drinks & Networking *Join us for a fantastic evening of learning and networking at the London Databricks meetup, hosted this month by Sigma,*

**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/medical-connector-london-healthcare-wellness-networking-event-tickets-1990682570155?aff=meetup](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/medical-connector-london-healthcare-wellness-networking-event-tickets-1990682570155?aff=meetup)** Healthcare, wellness & longevity networking in London. Connect with professionals, founders, innovators & investors at the IoD. 🎯 **What Is Medical Connector?** Medical Connector®, part of the London Connector® event series, is a healthcare and wellness networking experience designed to bring together professionals, innovators, and organizations across the medical, wellness, and longevity sectors 🤝. Built on the relationship-led Connector model, the event focuses on meaningful conversations, strategic connections, and cross-sector collaboration through carefully curated networking experiences. The event creates an environment where healthcare leaders, founders, practitioners, and wellness professionals can exchange ideas, build trusted relationships, and explore new opportunities for collaboration 🌍 Each event encourages: * Authentic conversations 💬 * Professional connections 🔗 * Cross-sector collaboration 🌍 * Community building 🧩 Medical Connector brings together professionals, founders, innovators, investors, and individuals interested in healthcare, well-being, performance, and longevity. **👥 Who Is Medical Connector For?** Medical Connector welcomes: * Healthcare and medical professionals 🩺 * Healthcare leaders and consultants * Founders and operators in healthcare and wellness * Researchers and health innovators 🔬 * Investors and professionals in health-related sectors 💼 * Individuals passionate about well-being and longevity 🌱 The event is designed to encourage valuable conversations, new connections, and long-term professional relationships. **💡 Core Values** ## **Inspired by the London Connector® Model** Medical Connector events are guided by the following principles: * Connection 🤝 – Authentic, meaningful professional relationships * Quality ✨ – Thoughtfully selected guests, venues, and conversations * Integrity 🛡️ – Respectful dialogue and professional standards * Inclusivity 🌍 – Diverse perspectives within a professional framework All Medical Connector events consistently reflect these values. **🏛️ Event Format** * Professionally hosted networking experience * Networking-led structure with light facilitation * Informal, conversation-driven environment * Neutral, professional, and brand-appropriate venue * Thoughtfully designed guest experience focused on meaningful interactions **📅 Event Details** **Location:** Institute of Directors (IoD), London **Format:** Professional Healthcare & Wellness Networking Experience **Hosted by:** London Connector® The event will take place at the prestigious Institute of Directors (IoD), providing an elegant and professional setting for meaningful networking and relationship building. Medical Connector attendees also receive complimentary access to stay on for **Director Connector®**, expanding their networking opportunities across both events. **🌐 About London Connector®** London Connector® is a curated networking platform creating meaningful business and professional networking experiences across London. Through industry-focused and cross-sector events, London Connector® brings together founders, professionals, investors, executives, creatives, and innovators in professional environments designed to encourage genuine human connection and long-term professional value. ## **📲 Exclusive WhatsApp Networking Group** All attendees receive access to a **private WhatsApp group** on the day of the event — allowing you to connect, introduce yourself, and schedule meetings in advance. **📝 Disclaimer** Medical Connector events are intended for informational and professional networking purposes only. No medical, legal, or professional advice is provided. Attendance does not constitute endorsement of any individual, organization, or service. Participation is voluntary. Please note that photography and videography may take place during the event for internal and promotional purposes. * [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)

The Data Science Speakers Club is a Toastmasters International club enabling the current and next generation of Data Scientists to improve their Public Speaking Skills. This is a HYBRID Meeting! So join us Online via ZOOM or In-Person. Joining the Data Science Speakers Club means joining a supportive environment to build your confidence in public speaking and to practice speaking in front of an audience. You will also gain the opportunity to receive feedback on your speeches in a friendly environment, including what you have done well and guidance on the areas you can improve upon. We also run a mentorship program where an experienced mentor supports you on your public speaking journey. Meeting Theme: **TBC** Tentative Schedule: 18:30 - President's welcome 18:40 - Prepared Speeches (3 prepared speeches with evaluation) 19:25 - Guest introduction 19:30 - Break 19:40 - Table Topic 20:30 - Wrap up, awards, announcements End of Meeting The theme is to do with exploring various aspects of power, including how it is distributed, challenged, and transformed in different contexts. In the first part, there will be speeches. In the second half, we will have impromptu speeches preparation in groups called Table topics where guests can participate. We meet on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Mondays of each month from 6:30 pm online. Each meeting is a mixture of prepared speeches by our members, speaking roles, and impromptu speaking challenges by members and guests. Our meetings are free to attend and you only have to speak if you want to. For in-person attendance, snacks will be provided. Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Mathematical and Logical Thinkers aiming to focus on their communication and leadership development are always welcome to attend our meetings, to increase their self-confidence, become better speakers, and become better leaders. TEAMS LINK: [https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/352477918221829?p=LtDExmS9LMipykYWTZ](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/352477918221829?p%3DLtDExmS9LMipykYWTZ&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw28YzznzuunWRGwzVhie0-x) FACEBOOK: [https://www.facebook.com/datasciencespk/](https://www.facebook.com/datasciencespk/) LINKEDIN: [https://www.linkedin.com/company/data-science-speakers-club](https://www.linkedin.com/company/data-science-speakers-club) TWITTER: [https://twitter.com/datasciencespk](https://twitter.com/datasciencespk) INSTAGRAM: [https://www.instagram.com/datasciencespk/](https://www.instagram.com/datasciencespk/)

**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/networking-for-entrepreneurs-directors-business-leadersiod-london-tickets-1989395963881?aff=meetup](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/networking-for-entrepreneurs-directors-business-leadersiod-london-tickets-1989395963881?aff=meetup)** Premium business networking for entrepreneurs, directors & investors at the iconic Institute of Directors Champagne Bar, 116 Pall Mall **What is London Connector® at the Institute of Directors?** London Connector® at the Institute of Directors (IoD), 116 Pall Mall, is a premium, fully hosted business networking event held inside the exclusive Champagne Bar of one of London's most prestigious and historically significant venues. The event brings together entrepreneurs, investors, company directors, CEOs, and senior professionals for high-level connections, strategic partnerships, and meaningful business conversations in an elegant, refined setting. **Where is the event held?** The event takes place at the **Champagne Bar, Institute of Directors, 116 Pall Mall, London** — a landmark venue in the heart of London's business world, historically reserved for members only. Attending London Connector® gives you rare access to this iconic space, surrounded by refined British interiors and an atmosphere of professional prestige. **Who attends London Connector® at the IoD?** London Connector® events are carefully curated to ensure high-quality conversations and valuable connections. Attendees include: * **Entrepreneurs & Startup Founders** seeking investors, collaborators, and strategic partners * **Company Directors, CEOs & Executives** exploring growth opportunities and alliances * **Investors & Advisors** scouting new ventures, talent, and partnerships * **Professionals across industries** including tech, finance, law, media, sustainability, marketing, and healthcare * **Business Owners & Consultants** expanding their client base and building trusted relationships **Why attend London Connector® at the Institute of Directors?** ✅ **Prestigious Venue Access** — Network inside the Champagne Bar at the IoD, a landmark rarely open to non-members, offering an unmatched setting for serious business networking in London. ✅ **High-Calibre Attendees** — Connect with decision-makers, innovators, and entrepreneurs who are actively shaping the future of business. ✅ **Limited Capacity of 60 Guests** — Intentionally small to ensure quality interactions over crowded, impersonal networking. ✅ **Fully Hosted & Structured** — Facilitated introductions and a relaxed yet professional format ensure every attendee feels included and leaves with meaningful connections. ✅ **Exclusive Pre-Event WhatsApp Group** — Begin networking before the evening starts by connecting with fellow attendees in a private group, allowing introductions, meeting arrangements, and early relationship-building. **What makes London Connector® different from other London networking events?** London Connector® prioritises quality over quantity. Unlike traditional networking events that feel rushed or overcrowded, every London Connector® event is designed to create genuine conversations and lasting professional relationships. With a curated guest list, facilitated introductions, a limited guest capacity, and access to some of London's most exclusive venues, London Connector® consistently delivers a networking experience that converts connections into real opportunities. **London Connector®'s track record includes:** * Consistently sold-out events at London's most prestigious venues * A curated guest list of entrepreneurs, investors, and senior decision-makers * A welcoming, inclusive atmosphere where no attendee is left without introductions * Ongoing post-event connections supported through exclusive WhatsApp networking groups **Is this event suitable for first-time networkers?** Yes. The fully hosted and structured format means introductions are facilitated throughout the evening, making the experience comfortable and productive for both seasoned professionals and those attending their first high-level networking event in London. **How do I secure my place at London Connector® IoD?** Tickets are strictly limited to 60 guests and this event has sold out on multiple previous occasions. Early booking is strongly advised. Tickets are non-refundable, so prompt registration is recommended to avoid disappointment. **WhatsApp Networking Group** On the day of the event, confirmed attendees receive an email invitation to join the exclusive event WhatsApp group — enabling introductions, pre-event conversations, and ongoing connections before and after the evening. **Event Media Policy** Photos and videos may be captured during the event for use across London Connector®'s social media channels and promotional materials. Attendance implies agreement to this media policy. 🎟️ **Tickets are limited to 60 guests. This event has sold out before — book now to secure your place at one of London's most exclusive business networking evenings.** * [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)

**Join the Inaugural (GB)NUG Connect Event** *The Soho Hotel\, London \| 2nd July \| 6pm\-8\.30pm* Talks · Open Discussion · Drinks · Light Bites (GB)NUG's first event brings together two practitioners ready to share their experiences and opinions on enterprise networking. Grab a drink, connect with your peers, hear from fellow practitioners and join the conversation. **Madoc Batters, Head of Cloud & Cybersecurity at Warner Hotels**. With 25+ years building cloud, network and hybrid platforms across hospitality, telecom and finance. Madoc will be sharing his experiences driving multi-cloud migrations and applying GenAI to real-world security and cost operations. **AI Enabled networking – isn’t this what Skynet wanted in Terminator?** There is lots of talk about AI changing everything, but in this day and age what should an AI enabled network look like? What is the good and bad of this approach and when things go wrong, how can we fix them? **Duncan Bates, Solutions Architect, Fortinet** **Agenda:** 6pm: Meet for drinks and networking in the Crimson Bar 6.30pm: Hear from our speakers in Screen Room 2 7.15pm: Connect with your peers over drinks and light bites 8.30pm: Event Closes (GB)NUG is a practitioner-led, open, collaborative community for enterprise network architects, engineers, operational leaders and innovators across Great Britain. The group is independent, open and built around peer knowledge. **First event - no playbook - come and help shape what this becomes.** [Follow GB(NUG) on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/gb-nug) Supported by Alkira and Megaport.

Hello and welcome to our special joint meetup between **Cloud Platform Engineering London**, **Cloud Platform Engineering Leaders**, **Data & AI Leaders**, **AWS AI UG**, **Azure AI UG**, and **GCP London**. This crossover event brings together platform engineers, cloud architects, data and AI leaders, SREs, engineering managers, technology executives, and practitioners exploring how AI is reshaping modern cloud platforms, developer workflows, business transformation, and enterprise engineering. This is a special **Community Stack ecosystem event**, bringing together several of our cloud, platform, and data-focused communities for an evening of practical talks, senior technical discussion, and cross-community networking. A huge thank you to **[Arrows](https://www.arrowsgroup.com/)** for hosting and sponsoring this event, and for supporting the growth of the cloud, platform engineering, data, and AI community in London. Speakers and sessions: **Get a High Return-on-Investment from AI Business Transformation** **Nora Balla, Founder and AI Business Transformation Lead, Add Velocity** Nora Balla is the founder of Add Velocity, an AI-native business transformation and implementation consultancy. Nora has gained extensive experience across investment products, business transformation, finance operations, and regulated asset and wealth management environments. Previously a freelancer, she now operates in a collaborative delivery model, helping organisations scale AI and automation solutions in complex business settings. Her experience includes finance transformation at Harley-Davidson, reporting process improvements in commercial real estate funds, and supporting the Aladdin implementation at Royal London Asset Management. In this session, Nora will explore how organisations can achieve a stronger return on investment from AI business transformation. The talk will cover the opportunities and high-value use cases, the real risks organisations need to manage, the skills required for the agentic era, how to define and measure success, and practical tips for improving efficiency when working with AI systems. **Agents in the Fastlane** **Ryan Cormack, Principal Engineer, Motorway** **Luke Marrai, Engineering Manager, Motorway** Motorway has used traditional AI and machine learning for years to enhance and improve its systems. But how can those years of learning be applied to build the next generation of agentic systems for users? In this session, Ryan Cormack and Luke Marrai from Motorway will explore how they are enhancing the functionality of Motorway’s platform to provide more accurate search results for dealers looking to acquire stock through the online marketplace. The talk will cover how Motorway is using **AWS AgentCore** to run its agentic systems, and how evals are being used to ensure the system performs as expected. Ryan Cormack is a Principal Engineer at Motorway, the UK’s leading used car marketplace, where he leads technical strategy and drives AI-powered transformation across the engineering organisation. With over 14 years of experience building and scaling systems on AWS, Ryan specialises in turning architectural best practices into practical engineering outcomes, from cloud modernisation programmes to the adoption of agentic workflows and AI-native developer tooling. Luke Marrai is an Engineering Manager at Motorway, supporting engineering delivery and helping teams build effective, scalable technology for one of the UK’s leading automotive technology platforms. Agenda: **18:00** — Arrival, refreshments and networking **18:30** — Welcome and introduction **18:35** — Get a High Return-on-Investment from AI Business Transformation — Nora Balla **19:00** — Break and networking **19:20** — Agents in the Fastlane — Ryan Cormack and Luke Marrai **20:00** — Networking **20:45** — Close **Join us on June 11th:** We are also hosting the **Cloud Native & Open Source AI Conference** on **June 11th in London**, bringing together a fantastic line-up of speakers across AI, cloud-native, open-source, platform engineering, leadership, and modern infrastructure. You can view the full speaker line-up and event details **[here](https://www.communitystack.io/conferences/cloud-native-london)** **About the communities:** This event is jointly hosted across **Cloud Platform Engineering London**, **Cloud Platform Engineering Leaders**, **Data & AI Leaders**, **AWS AI UG**, **Azure AI UG**, and **GCP London**. Together, these communities form part of the **[Community Stack ecosystem](https://www.meetup.com/pro/generative-ai-uk-community/)**, bringing together technical practitioners, leaders, partners, and organisations across cloud, platform engineering, data, AI, and open technology. We are always keen to hear from speakers, hosts, sponsors, and community partners. If you would like to speak, sponsor, or host a future event, please reach out to **[Ethan Sumner](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethansumner404/)** via LinkedIn. This event follows the **[Community Stack Code of Conduct](https://www.communitystack.io/code-of-conduct)** and **[Privacy Policy](https://www.communitystack.io/privacy-policy)**, ensuring a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all attendees.

Join us at the next monthly London Security Engineering meetup! **🍕 6:00pm: Arrive** \- Kick off the evening with light refreshments and networking \(30 mins\) 🎤 **6:30pm:** **Main Talk** \- Kat Traxler\, who will be speaking on: "Azure's Unnamed Operators \- Threat Modelling Platform\-Level Identities\." **☕ 7:15pm: Q&A -** Questions and discussion **🍻 7:45pm: Pub** \- We usually go to a neighbouring pub for a drink after\! This event is a good opportunity to gain practical insights, meet fellow security professionals and discuss the latest trends in the industry. 📅 **When:** Wednesday 1st July 2026 *This event is made possible by the teams at Maze, MMC and Tracebit.*

AI assistants are getting more capable. The question is how we build effective workflows around them. At DevDay London, [Lucy Joyce](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-joyce-597485166/), [Ash Shakrani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ash-shakrani/) and [Arun Kurian](https://www.linkedin.com/in/arun-mathew-kurian-39b8aa5a/) will explore harness engineering through the lens of a payment integration. From requirements and design through to implementation, they’ll demonstrate why context alone isn’t enough for successful AI-assisted development. Drawing on real-world experience, they’ll show how engineering harnesses, reusable context, standards, and validation workflows help teams move beyond experimentation and build reliable, scalable AI-assisted development practices. **This session will unpack:** 🎯 Why “more context” isn’t the answer on its own 🎯 What engineering harnesses are and how they create reliable feedback loops 🎯 How standards, workflows, and validation reduce AI-generated rework and technical debt 🎯 Practical techniques teams can adopt immediately to improve AI outcomes 🗓️ **Save the Date:** 2nd July, 2026 📍 **Location:** Sahaj Software, 1 Quality Court, London, WC2A 1HR 🕕 **Time:** 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (BST) The evening will feature: 🎤 **One engaging talk** with Q&A 🤝 **Plenty of time for networking** over free pizza and non-alcoholic drinks Don’t miss this chance to learn, connect, and share with fellow tech enthusiasts. 👉 Please click the link below to register. https://sahaj.ai/events/harness-engineering-in-practice-from-requirements-to-implementation/

**Real-Time. Real Challenges. Real Conversations.** ​📅 *Jun 30th, London, 6:30 -8:30 PM* 180 Borough High St London SE1 1AP, UK ​**About this event** ​Join us for an evening dedicated to real-time data and Apache Flink®. Whether you're already running streaming pipelines in production or just starting to explore stateful stream processing, this is a chance to learn from practitioners, swap war stories, and connect with the London data community. ​Expect talks on building and scaling stream processing systems, lessons from production deployments, and where real-time architectures are heading, followed by drinks, food, and plenty of time to network. ​**What to expect** * ​Technical talks from engineers running Flink and streaming systems at scale * ​Real-world use cases: exactly-once processing, CDC, event-driven architectures * ​Q&A with speakers * ​Food, drinks, and networking with the London data engineering community ​**Who should come** Data engineers, platform engineers, architects, and anyone curious about Apache Flink and real-time data processing. All experience levels welcome. ​**Agenda** * ​6:00 PM — Doors open, drinks & networking * ​6:30 PM — Talks begin * ​8:00 PM — Open networking * ​9:00 PM — Wrap up ​**Save your spot** If you'd like to join the meetup, please make sure to register using the link below: [https://luma.com/y9gskuu4](https://luma.com/y9gskuu4) Your registration helps us plan seating, catering, and event logistics. Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Hi folks! Welcome to our July Cloud Native London meetup! Join us to hear from our two speakers and network with your fellow techies over pizza and drinks, or alternatively chat and following along on Youtube or LinkedIn! 6:00 Pizza and drinks 6:30 Welcome 6:45 Hossein Kakavand, Luther Systems (Talk TBC) 7:15 Putting Open GitOps to the test (Steve Fenton, Octopus Deploy) 7:45 Wrap up See you there! Cheryl (@oicheryl) **Putting Open GitOps to the test (Steve Fenton, Octopus Deploy)** The Open GitOps principles sound plausible, but the world is full of surprising realities. Join Steve Fenton and explore the GitOps research to see whether GitOps delivers on its promises, based on an analysis of over 600 perspectives from roles like DevOps engineers, developers, platform engineers, and cloud infrastructure engineers. *Steve Fenton researches the socio-technical systems behind software delivery; how organizations, people, and technology actually work together (or don’t). At Octopus Deploy, he explores GitOps, Platform Engineering, Continuous Delivery, and compliance through a lens shaped by punk history, psychology, and the kind of genre fiction that asks uncomfortable questions about systems and society.* *He’s an eight-time Microsoft MVP (DevOps), a DORA Community Guide, a CD Foundation Governing Board member, and a contributor to the CNCF Platform Engineering Community Group. He’s written books on TypeScript, Octopus Deploy, and Web Operations Monitoring, and occasionally writes horror fiction.* *https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefenton/* *https://mastodon.social/@stevefenton* *https://bsky.app/profile/stevefenton.co.uk* *Check out [https://www.oicheryl.com/cloudnativelondon](https://www.oicheryl.com/cloudnativelondon) if you're interested in speaking or sponsoring.*

Monthly working lunch for Columbus business owners. One specific topic, one to three actions you can run this week. You can be the best at what you do and still be invisible. If local buyers cannot find you, the phone does not ring. Marketing Monday Lunch + Learn is a monthly working lunch for Columbus business owners focused on building relationships, local networking, and local marketing. Every kind of local business welcome. No pitch round, no pressure, no upsell. **This month** Most local businesses pick one or two places to be visible and call it good. The result is inconsistent calls and a feeling that marketing is not working. We will walk through the three places every local business needs to show up, plus the fourth place most owners ignore that quietly produces the warmest leads. **What to expect** Doors open at noon. Order lunch and drinks at the cafe counter or bring your own. You get real conversation with other local owners and a focused marketing lesson. You leave knowing people and with one to three actions to run that week. The room is reserved through 1:30 PM. **Who this is for** Any local business owner who wants clearer marketing direction and real local relationships. Service businesses, retail, home services, professional services, online owners building local presence, anyone serious about being part of the Columbus business community. **Not the right fit if** You are here to pitch the room or recruit for an MLM. **Details** * Second Monday of every month * 12:00 to 1:30 PM * Good Cafe Easton, 4400 Easton Commons, Ste 150, Columbus, OH 43219 * Order lunch and drinks at the counter when you arrive * Free to attend, RSVP required, space is limited **About the host** Rita Suzanne is a local marketing strategist and the founder of Local Marketing Method. She runs Visibility is Profitability, the membership where local business owners build the system that keeps their phone ringing. Learn more at learnlocalmarketing.com. Register here: [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1989964540509?aff=oddtdtcreator](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1989964540509?aff=oddtdtcreator)

Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/

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.

CONNECTED – Grove City A casual, people-first networking gathering. CONNECTED – Grove City is a casual, people-first networking gathering. Join us for a relaxed, low-pressure space to meet new people, build real relationships, and have meaningful conversations — no sales pitches required. From 7:30–8:30 AM every 3rd Wednesday of the month at the Grove City Business Center. Coffee & baked goods available for purchase at Pick ’Em Up Joe's. Free street & public lot parking behind the building. Free to attend & open to all!

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.

Our monthly PHP meetup. A virtual shindig courtesy of Zoom. Check back here for the details around 6:15 pm