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Want to feel more confident when speaking in public – in any language? Do you live in Brussels and speak Spanish, but often find yourself switching to English or French at work? **Armada Toastmasters** is the perfect place to practise expressing yourself clearly and confidently – whatever the language. We are a bilingual Toastmasters club where communication and leadership skills grow together – in a fun, supportive setting. Next meeting: 📅 Second & Fourth Monday of the month 🕗 19:30 – 21:30 📍 Elzenhof, Kroonlaan / Avenue de la Couronne 12, Elsene / Ixelles (Room 2.1) Why join Armada Toastmasters? ✔️ Practise public speaking with prepared speeches and impromptu exercises ✔️ Improve your communication and leadership skills ✔️ Receive constructive feedback in a positive environment ✔️ Meet a vibrant, multicultural community – many of us speak Spanish too! Meetings are in English – but we celebrate linguistic diversity. Whether you’re new to Toastmasters or a seasoned speaker, you’ll find space to grow at your own pace. Guests are always welcome – no pressure, just participation. 📩 Interested? RSVP on Meetup and come experience Toastmasters for yourself! **ESPAÑOL** ¿Hablas español y vives en Bruselas? ¿Te gustaría mejorar tu forma de hablar en público, también en inglés? En **Armada Toastmasters** te ayudamos a ganar confianza al hablar, ya sea para una reunión de trabajo, una entrevista o una presentación. Somos un club bilingüe donde podrás practicar habilidades de comunicación y liderazgo en un ambiente amistoso y multicultural. ¡Muchos de nosotros también hablamos español! Próxima reunión: 📅 segundo y cuarto lunes del mes 🕗 19:30 – 21:30 📍 Elzenhof, Kroonlaan / Avenue de la Couronne 12, Elsene / Ixelles ¿Por qué unirte a Armada Toastmasters? ✔️ Practica discursos preparados y ejercicios improvisados ✔️ Mejora tu expresión oral y tu capacidad de liderazgo ✔️ Recibe feedback constructivo y motivador ✔️ Conoce personas internacionales que, como tú, quieren crecer Las reuniones son en inglés, pero celebramos la diversidad lingüística. No importa si eres principiante o ya tienes experiencia: aquí puedes avanzar a tu ritmo. La entrada es gratuita para los invitados. 📩 ¿Te interesa? Apúntate en Meetup y acompáñanos en una próxima reunión.

"The best time and place to start dancing salsa or improve your level" Salsa beginner class >>>>19h00-20h00 Salsa intermediate class >>>>20h-21h30 Free practice (social) >>>>21h30 \[Where\]: Atelier Gansbeek \- Rue du grand hospice 7\, 1000 Bruxelles [Registration]: Confirm your attendance in this event or send me a message here or via email urieldances@gmail.com [Fees]\*: 10€ = 1 class 45€ = 5 classes 80€ = 10 classes \*Students get a special discount [What to expect]: Salsa lessons for beginners and intermediates Meet new people (locals and expats) Nice and cosy place Fun and friendly atmosphere Practice after the class

EN (FR en bas): We're still accepting people in our classes. Join us!​ -step 1: Book here! -> [https://www.danceproject.be/reservations.html](https://www.danceproject.be/reservations.html) -step 2: Show up! Schedule: [Monday to Thursday](https://www.danceproject.be/classes.html#schedule) Fees : [All info on trials, packs, subscriptions here](https://www.danceproject.be/classes.html#fees) Locations: -Rue Brialmont 7, Brussels Metro/Tram: Botanique Salsa, Bachata, Lindy Hop, Forró Intro - 1: From base to the dancefloor! When you come for the first time we go over the base & rhythm with you. Then you are included in the group and everybody learns the same new steps for which you just need the base. Practice makes perfect: just relax and enjoy Salsa, Bachata, Lindy Hop and/or Forró! Our group is very welcoming and looking forward to meet new dancers! Salsa, Bachata, Lindy Hop, Forró Roots I - 2: Ready to go deeper on Salsa, Bachata, Lindy Hop &/or Forró? Let's go! [https://www.danceproject.be/classes.html#improvers](https://www.danceproject.be/classes.html#improvers) Salsa, Forró Roots II - 3: Looking for #SalsaChallenge? Already familiar with Forró Root? We've got your back! [https://www.danceproject.be/classes.html#intermediates](https://www.danceproject.be/classes.html#intermediates) More info: -Web: [https://www.danceproject.be](https://www.danceproject.be) -Whatsapp: +32 493 16 41 10 -Mail: brussels.salsa.project@gmail.com -[Facebook](https://facebook.com/brussels.salsa.project) -[Instagram](https://instagram.com/brussels.salsa.project) \-\-\-\-\- FR: Nous acceptons encore de nouvelles personnes dans nos cours. Rejoins-nous ! -1ère pas : Fait ta réservation ! -> [https://www.danceproject.be/reservation.html](https://www.danceproject.be/reservation.html) -2ème pas : Vient danser ! Horaire : [lundi à jeudi](https://www.danceproject.be/cours.html#horaire) Les prix : [Toutes les infos sur les essais, packs, abonnements ici](https://www.danceproject.be/cours.html#prix) Endroits : -Rue Brialmont 7, Bruxelles Metro/Tram: Botanique Salsa, Bachata, Lindy Hop, Forró Intro - 1 : De la base à la piste de danse ! Lorsque tu nous rejoins on voit la base et le rythme avec toi. Ensuite, tu es inclus dans le groupe et tout le monde apprend les mêmes pas pour lesquelles tu as juste besoin de la base. C'est en forgeant qu'on devient forgeron : détend-toi et profite la Salsa, de la Bachata, du Lindy Hop et/ou du Forró ! Notre groupe est très accueillant et a hâte de rencontrer de nouveaux danseurs ! Salsa, Bachata, Lindy Hop, Forró Roots I - 2 : Prêt à approfondir la Salsa, la Bachata, le Lindy Hop &/ou le Forró ? Allons-y! [https://www.danceproject.be/cours.html#inities](https://www.danceproject.be/cours.html#inities) Salsa, Forró Roots II - 3 : Tu cherches #DefiSalsa ? Tu connais déjà Forró Roots ? Nous sommes là pour toi ! [https://www.danceproject.be/cours.html#intermediaires](https://www.danceproject.be/cours.html#intermediaires) Plus d’info: -Web: [https://www.danceproject.be/fr.html](https://www.danceproject.be/fr.html) -Whatsapp: +32 493 16 41 10 -Mail: brussels.salsa.project@gmail.com -[Facebook](https://facebook.com/brussels.salsa.project) -[Instagram](https://instagram.com/brussels.salsa.project)

**Tango Classes Every Monday at Tangobar El Lunes!** Embark on a tango journey with our weekly classes guided by passionate and experienced instructors, Sandrina Dh and Daniele Galiazzo. * **Beginners Class (18:00-19:10):** Perfect for those intrigued by tango and eager to take their first steps into this beautiful dance form. * **Intermediate & Advanced Class (19:20-20:30):** Ideal for dancers seeking to perfect their movements, embellishments, and learn new sequences to enhance their dance. *Important:* Always arrive 10 minutes in advance for registration. *Pricing:* * Single lesson: €15 * 10 lessons (membership card\*): €125 (valid for 3 months), with a €10 discount on your next pass purchase (must be prior to the expiration of your current pass). Feel free to share this invitation with anyone interested in the authentic tango experience, Tango Rioplatense! See you in class on Monday night! *\*\*\*Join us at Tango Bar El Lunes, located at Dublin 13, 1050 Bruxelles.For more information, please contact us at info@detangosetrata.com or* *WhatsApp Sandrina +32 473 503405* *We look forward to seeing you at our Monday night milonga and tango classes!*

Please take a moment to read the information and rules for the sessions. **Overview:** Improv sessions in English accepting all levels. We play short and long-form improv comedy, which includes theater-style scenes, guessing, and group games. **Topics:** * Timing * Location * Participation (Attendees list) * RSVP rules * Improv session format * Who is it for? (Participation requirement) *** * **Timing** Being on time will help you and everyone. **18h15** \- Doors open *Please take this time to order your drinks/food and settle in.* **18h30** \- Start of the session **Are you late?** Please inform the event host, or comment on the event page. If you arrive late and the session is already in progress, please wait on the side till the game/scene is finished. Wait for the session moderator to indicate when you can start participating. * **Location** The session takes place on the first floor of The Sister Cafe. Stairs next to the bar. It's the room with a curtain at the door. * **Participation (Attendee list)** The session is limited to **12 attendees**. This is to ensure that the session is manageable and everybody gets enough chances to participate. Therefore, only the people on the "attendee list" are allowed to be present at the session and participate. **Waiting list**: People on the waiting list should keep an eye on the updates, in case someone from the attendees' list drops and you get their spot. **Just want to observe?** Usually, we don't allow any extra audience during these sessions. We invite you to come to any of our shows. But if for some reason you are only interested in observing and not participating, please contact the event host on meetup, or talk with them personally at the session and explain your reasons. Admission for this is not guaranteed. *People on the attendee list are expected to take part.* * **RSVP Rules** * Please update your RSVP status in a timely manner, if you can't make it to the session. This applies to people on the **attendee list AND waiting list.** * If you are on the waiting list, and already know that you won't be able to join in case someone from the main list drops, please update your RSVP to "not going". This will give the chance to the next person on the waiting list. * Emergencies aside, please update your rsvp status on time. Canceling last minute or just 1 hour before isn't helpful. * If we see a pattern from someone not showing up after confirming, or last-minute cancellations, we reserve the right to prohibit access to the sessions. * Please write a comment if you cancel and your spot becomes available. With this others will get an extra notification. **Improv Session Format** The session is held in English. The session is divided into three sections: Warm up, Scene games, and Cool down. **Warmup:** Quick group games are played to break the ice and get the creative juices flowing. **Scenes:** Then we move on to scene games. These are mostly from short-form improv, which can include different games with various gimmicks, like story building, character work, guessing, etc **Cool down:** One or two short group games to end the session. The rules are explained by the moderator before each game. There is no obligation to take part in games that you are not comfortable with. There can be feedback after a game is played. This is so that we learn from each other and gain skills and insights. **Tip**: If you are new, pay attention to the regular players when they are performing and notice small details, like how a stage is cleared before a scene, how to enter a scene, and how to collaborate with each other. * **Who is it for?** Anyone who is interested in improv! We accept all levels, beginners, and advanced participants This is a great place to start if you are new to improv. The basics will be explained. We only require the "Yes, and...!" spirit! If you are an advanced player and have ideas and games to share and work on, please do let us know. We look forward to welcoming you and doing improv!

**Cinema RITCS : Enter the Void** 23/02 @ 19h00 It has been eight years now since Gaspar Noé released his notorious rape-revenge film Irréversible, an ultra-violent, ultra-extreme movie that effortlessly exceeded in shock value anything, by anyone, at any time. I myself, having admired his previous feature, Seul Contre Tous, reacted fiercely against it as a piece of macho provocation. Rereading my review now, I find none of its points wrong exactly, but I have to concede the possibility that I was just freaked out in precisely the way Noé intended. Having staggered out of the auditorium, my eyeballs still vibrating from the director's trademark sado-stroboscopic white light display, I may well have succumbed to a convulsion of disapproval. Enter the Void is, in its way, just as provocative, just as extreme, just as mad, just as much of an outrageous ordeal: it arrives here slightly re-edited from the version first shown at Cannes. But despite its querulous melodrama and crazed Freudian pedantries, it has a human purpose the previous film lacked, and its sheer deranged brilliance is magnificent. This is a grandiose hallucinatory journey into, and out of, hell: drugged, neon-lit and with a fully realised nightmare-porn aesthetic that has to be seen to be believed. Love him or loathe him – and I've done both in my time – Gaspar Noé is one of the very few directors who is actually trying to do something new with the medium, battling at the boundaries of the possible. It has obvious debts, but Enter the Void is utterly original film-making, and Noé is a virtuoso of camera movement. [...] Some may find Enter the Void detestable and objectionable, though if they affect to find it "boring" I will not believe them. For all its hysterical excess, this beautiful, delirious, shocking film is the one offering us that lightning bolt of terror or inspiration that we hope for at the cinema. [Cinema RITCS](https://www.cinemaritcs.be/production/enterthevoid/) [Peter Bradshaw for The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/sep/23/enter-the-void-review) **For Dreamers, Coffee shots, Orezza, eau de Saint-Georges !**

**PLEASE READ THE ATTENDANCE POLICY (below) IF IT'S YOUR FIRST TIME** **SUNDAY COFFEE & JAPANESE CONVERSATION** 日曜日のコーヒー＆日本語会話 Our "Japanese/English Conversation Exchange" offers you a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of Japanese culture and language, all while helping native Japanese members to learn their target language. 私たちの「日本語/英語会話交流」は、日本の文化と言語の世界に没頭しながら、ネイティブの日本人メンバーが英語、フランス語、またはオランダ語を学ぶのを手助けするユニークな機会を提供します。 **Date: /** 日付：**(almost) every Sunday** **Time: /** 時間：**from 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm** **Location: /** 場所：**Cafe Caberdouche - Place de la Liberté 8, 1000 Bruxelles** **Venue Note: /** 会場の注意：**The manager of the cafe kindly accepted us to book a table on a regular basis. To thank him for his kindness, please order AT LEAST ONE DRINK**. カフェのマネージャーが親切にも私たちに定期的にテーブルを予約することを承諾してくださいました。その親切に感謝の意を示すために、少なくとも1杯のドリンクを注文してください。 **Location Assistance: /** 場所の案内：**If you can't find us, ask one of the waiters. They know where we are :) You can also send us a message.** 私たちを見つけられない場合は、ウェイターの一人に尋ねてください。彼らは私たちがどこにいるか知っています :) メッセージも送っていただけます。 **Event Agenda: /** イベントのアジェンダ： * **4:00 PM - 6:00 PM: JAPANESE CONVERSATION** \- Join us for the Japanese conversation and cultural exploration\. Beginners are welcome / 日本語会話 \- 最初の30分は日本語の会話と文化探求に充てられています。初心者も聞くだけでも歓迎です。30分後に参加しても構いません。多言語交換 \- ベルギーの多様性を体験し、ネイティブの日本人メンバーが英語、フランス語、またはオランダ語を学びたいと熱心に待っています。さまざまな言語で異文化交流の会話に参加しましょう。私たちの日本の友人にベルギーの文化、伝統、生活を紹介しましょう。 * **6:00 PM: EVENT CONCLUSION** \- Please respect the event's start and end times to maximize your language exchange opportunities\. Your participation and enthusiasm are appreciated\! イベントの終了 \- イベントの開始時間と終了時間を尊重して、言語交換の機会を最大限に活用してください。参加と熱意に感謝します！ **Attendance Policy: --->** 以下の日本語 * We're excited to have you join our events and appreciate your commitment to learning and growing together. To ensure a productive and enjoyable experience for all participants, please take note of our attendance policy: 1. **Punctuality:** Please arrive on time for scheduled events. Late arrivals can disrupt the flow of the event and may miss important information. 2. **Language Commitment:** If you sign up for language-specific sessions, such as Japanese conversation or language exchange, we kindly request your commitment to actively participate in that language for the designated duration. 3. **Respect:** Treat fellow participants, organizers, and cafe staff with respect and courtesy. Harassment or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. 4. **Removal Policy:** A participant who is not respectful towards other members will be removed from the group and blocked, with no warning. This point is not negotiable. 5. **Cancellation:** If you are unable to attend an event you've registered for, please let us know as soon as possible. This helps us plan accordingly and allows others to take your place if there's a waitlist. 6. **No-Show Policy:** Three no-shows (failing to attend without prior notice) may result in restrictions on event registration to ensure fairness to other participants. By attending our events, you agree to adhere to these guidelines. We aim to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone can learn and connect. Thank you for being part of our community! **出席ポリシー：** 私たちは、イベントに参加していただけることを楽しみにしており、皆さんが一緒に学び成長することに取り組んでいただけることを感謝しています。すべての参加者が生産的で楽しい経験をするために、出席ポリシーにご留意ください： 1. 時間厳守：予定されたイベントには時間通りにお越しください。遅刻はイベントの流れを乱し、重要な情報を見逃す可能性があります。日本語のみのセッションは午後4時、全言語のセッションは午後4時30分開始です。 2. 言語へのコミットメント：日本語会話や言語交換など、特定の言語のセッションに登録された場合は、その言語での積極的な参加をお願いします。 3. 尊重：他の参加者、主催者、カフェのスタッフには敬意と礼儀をもって接してください。嫌がらせや迷惑行為は許容されません。 4. 退場ポリシー：他のメンバーに対して敬意を持たない参加者は、警告なしにグループから削除され、ブロックされます。このポイントは交渉の余地がありません。 5. キャンセル：登録したイベントに参加できない場合は、できるだけ早くお知らせください。これにより、他の人があなたの代わりを取ることができます。 6. ノーショーポリシー：事前の通知なしに3回のノーショー（欠席）がある場合は、他の参加者に公平になるようイベントの登録に制限がかかる場合があります。 私たちのイベントに参加することで、これらのガイドラインに従うことに同意するものとします。私たちはみなさんが学び、つながることができるように歓迎される包括的な環境を作り出すことを目指しています。コミュニティの一部としてご参加いただき、ありがとうございます！ **Note: Please stay tuned to our event page for updates and schedule changes. We can't wait to see you there and exchange languages, cultures, and stories!** 備考：更新やスケジュールの変更については、イベントページをご覧ください。そこで皆さんにお会いして、言語や文化、物語を交換できるのを楽しみにしています！

📣 Our fantastic speakers for this month: * **Glenn Versweyveld** * **Bramus Van Damme** 📍 Location: **Spilberg, Part of Vibe Group** Leopoldplaats 8, 2000 Antwperen Nationale Bank (etage 1) 🍽️ Come hungry, **[Spilberg](https://spilberg.com/)** will be providing food and drinks **SCHEDULE** 19:00 Doors Open 20:00 **Harnessing the Power of Observability with OpenTelemetry and Grafana** *by Glenn Versweyveld* 20:45 Pit stop (short break) 21:00 **Anchors aweigh! Tethering Elements in Pure CSS with Anchor Positioning** *by Bramus Van Damme* 21:30 Socialising & networking 22:?? That's all folks **Harnessing the Power of Observability with OpenTelemetry and Grafana** *by Glenn Versweyveld* Let's take a guided journey into distributed tracing and logging, following a single user action as it travels through a modern backend made up of multiple services and technology stacks. We’ll start by exploring the challenge: how do you truly understand what happens when a customer clicks a button on your website and that request fans out across microservices? From there, we’ll introduce observability as the lens that makes these hidden interactions visible, using logging, metrics, and tracing to connect the dots. You’ll see how OpenTelemetry acts as the backbone for capturing these signals in a vendor-neutral way, allowing you to remain product-independent. We’ll then bring the data to life with Grafana, visualising logs and traces to uncover service dependencies, latency issues, and failure points. About Glenn Versweyveld I'm interested in everything surrounding Microsoft and .NET in particular, for the moment working as a System Expert at Baliose Insurances. Still loves Windows Phone, but don't judge him for it :) Currently Microsoft MVP in Developer Technologies and Pluralsight author. **Anchors aweigh! Tethering Elements in Pure CSS with Anchor Positioning** *by Bramus Van Damme* We've all been there. You need a popover to attach to a button, but they aren't parent/child. You end up reaching for JavaScript, calculating coordinates, and wrestling with viewport edges. CSS Anchor Positioning is a recent API designed to solve exactly this. This talk is a practical, down-to-earth look at how it works. We'll explore the anchor() function, the position-anchor and position-area properties, and @position-fallback to build UIs that are truly context-aware and robust, all without the JS hacks. About Bramus Bramus is a web developer from Belgium. He’s part of the Chrome Developer Relations team at Google, focusing on CSS, Web UI, and DevTools. From the moment he discovered view-source at the age of 14 *(way back in 1997)*, he fell in love with the web and has been tinkering with it ever since. Before joining Google, Bramus worked as a freelance developer in various frontend and backend roles. For seven years he also was a College Lecturer Web & Mobile, educating undergrad students all about HTML, CSS, and JavaScript — [in that order](https://www.bram.us/2023/12/12/embrace-the-platform-article/). If you'd like to host or speak at one of the meetups, make sure to contact us at [hello@phpantwerp.be.](http://hello@phpantwerp.be./) **Our meetups are sponsored by Take The Lead** **Take The Lead** is a Belgian e-commerce agency that helps companies launch, optimize, and scale their online business. We combine strategic consulting with deep technical expertise to build powerful webshops and composable commerce architectures — always providing the right guidance and support along the way. [www.takethelead.be](https://www.takethelead.be/?utm_source=phpantwerp&utm_medium=meetup-com&utm_campaign=php-antwerp-sponsorship)

¡Ey, qué tal! 👋 ¿Crees que podrías sobrevivir solo con tu español? 😂 Vamos a ponerlo a prueba con un cafecito☕️ (o con lo que te dé la gana en el momento, ya sea una bebida 🍵 o un snack 🍪🍰🥐) 📍 Dónde: Leopold PDN. Este café puede ser algo difícil de encontrar, especialmente cuando llueve 🌧️☔️, pero así empieza la aventura, ¿no? 😂 No esperes hasta estar completamente perdido—mándame un mensaje antes de empezar a maldecir Google Maps 🗺️. ‼️🌤️Si el clima se porta, picnic en el parque 🌳 (Cinquantenaire), obvio. 🧺 🎯 La idea: Pides algo (¡obligatorio! ☝️) y te unes a la mesa. Empezamos con una mini intro y luego hablamos de todo: actividades, viajes, música… Y si tienes ganas, ¡jugamos a algo! Todo en español, así que ¡prepárate para la inmersión! Dependiendo de cuántos seamos, podemos dividirnos por niveles para que todos disfruten al máximo. 🎲 Juegos: Nada de tableros gigantes que acaben tirando los cafés por toda la mesa. Solo juegos rápidos y divertidos (tipo UNO o Exploding Kittens 💥🐱). Yo llevaré unos, pero si tienes alguno que te guste, tráelo sin miedo. Eso sí, los juegos con texto, ¡en español! ⏱ Horarios: Empezamos a las 15:00, pero si llegas más tarde, no pasa nada, te unes cuando quieras y te quedas el rato que quieras. ¿Vas a llegar después de las 15:30? Dímelo en el chat para guardarte un lugar. 😊 🚦 Lista de espera Si estás en la lista de espera pero realmente quieres venir, o si tienes cualquier duda, mándame un mensaje directo... 📢 Más info se puede compartir en el chat o por DM 💬—asegúrate de revisar tus mensajes 👀 el día antes para no perderte nada crítico 🙄. 🐈‍⬛ El Código de los Amigos: 👉 Nada de formalidades – aquí venimos a divertirnos 😎 👉 Respeto y buena onda – si no, 💥🥊 👉 ¡¿Los errores?! ¡Nos dan igual! Y si nos cuesta, cambiamos al inglés o mejor: 🎭💃🎶🎸🤹🏿‍♂️ 👉 ¿No puedes venir? Cancela para que alguien en la lista de espera pueda tomar tu lugar 🙏 👉 Si estás en la lista de espera, no te presentes sin confirmación. ¡Hasta luego!😉

Dear Folks, Let’s grab a coffee at **Tich at 14h00**, have a little chit-chat, get to know each other, and then head to **BOZAR at 15h00** to enjoy some art together ☕🎨 You can find the exhibition info here: (make sure you have tickets) https://www.bozar.be/en/calendar/bellezza-e-bruttezza **Contribution to Our Events:** Starting this year, we kindly ask participants to contribute in one of the following ways: **€5** per event, or **€40** annual membership fee If you feel like supporting us beyond this, to help people who can’t afford it, you are very welcome to do so 💛 If the contribution is a concern for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us directly 😉 * These contributions will help us: Cover the annual Meetup platform fee Encourage everyone to respect RSVPs (Last year, we experienced a significant number of no-shows at several events, which made planning and logistics considerably more challenging.) **P.S. We will donate 10% collected fees to support Queer oriented organisations in the end of the year. Your contribution means a lot to our commnutity.** *Yifei Yang BE 1236 3234 512 492* *Communication: your name+ event name/membership* Thank you very much for your understanding and cooperation. **Cheers!** 🍻 Yifei

**Welcome to our February UX Beers in Antwerp!** This time, we will host our event on Tuesday the 24th of February with [Ariad](https://www.ariadgroup.com/en) at [Plein Magazijn](https://www.pleinmagazijn.be) in Antwerp. [Ariad](https://www.ariadgroup.com/) and [Creative Skills](https://www.creativeskills.be/) sponsor our events. 📺 Follow the event online? We stream live via [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBqyTDAyQBw) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# UX TALKS **Talk 1: Align or Fail: When Brand Meets UX** [Mario Restrepo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mario-restrepo/), Creative Director Every interaction shape perception and tells a brand story, whether intended or not. In this talk, we explore why UX is the space where brand promises are either proven or broken, and why, in the age of AI, alignment between brand and user experience has become a strategic imperative. Drawing on real-world examples, this talk reframes UX designers as brand storytellers, and UX deciders and stakeholders as guardians of trust. It also introduces an **AI-driven Brand Sentiment Analysis workflow**, showing how teams can translate user signals into actionable insights, and design experiences that don’t just function, but reinforce how a brand is felt, remembered, and believed. **Talk 2: The UX evolution: thriving in the age of intelligent systems** [David Grunewald](https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidgrunewald/), Founder of Pluginto.ai , AI-Strategist AI is fundamentally changing how UX professionals work, but it's amplifying our capabilities, not replacing them. This 45-minute session explores what's actually happening in 2026. You'll see real implementations from banking, healthcare, and other sectors: proactive systems that anticipate needs, conversational interfaces that adapt to individual patterns, and hyper-personalisation at scale. We'll examine **four trends reshaping UX practice and, more importantly, what they mean for your daily work**. What's being automated? What's gaining value? And what are the five essential skills that set you apart in an AI-augmented world? You'll leave with clarity on how to evolve your practice and confidence that your human expertise remains your competitive advantage. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# SCHEDULE 18:00 - Doors open. Drinks & snacks 19.00 - 19.15 - Introduction to UX Belgium Meetup, announcements 19.15 - 19:45 - Talk #1 19:45 -20:15 - BREAK 20:15 - 20:45 - Talk #2 20:45 - 21:30 - Socialize \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# SLACK CHANNEL We have our own UX Belgium slack channel. [Come join us and say hi!](https://join.slack.com/t/ux-belgium/shared_invite/zt-1bjpnuiog-T4Di4flXYPWgbT9KrZ53CA) \*\*\* \#\#\# YOUTUBE CHANNEL All our livestreams and talks are recorded and available on our [UX Belgium youtube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCno7V18T-EglYXprgrUZQ7A). \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# ABOUT UX BELGIUM UX Belgium is a growing community of User Experience (UX) professionals in and around Belgium. Look for these types of events: UX Beers Periodically, we gather at a different agency or venue to drink beers, network and listen to speakers on various themes in the world of UX and digital design. UX Antwerp: Each last Tuesday of the month UX Brussels: Each second Tuesday of the month, 4x per year UX Hasselt: 4x per year UX Workshops Now and then we organize events to dive deeper into specific skills and techniques in UX. These are smaller, hands-on workshops designed to boost your UX toolbox. \*\*\* The UX Belgium Meetup Team

Welcome to our weekly event in the upstairs room of The Sister Café, rue Chair et Pain 3, one block from the Grand Place. Please get there early enough to order your drink at the bar first. Thank you! After introductions we will collect questions from the group participants, choose one by voting then discuss it for an hour. Then most of us stay for drinks and bizarre conversations. Past questions have been wide and not confined to academic philosophy: What is a genuine friend? Is social media turning us into emotional zombies? Do we lose some of the experience of things by defining them? Are we driven by sex? Is loneliness a personal failure? Is morality relative? **Crucially, be kind and respectful and generous** in your disagreements; remember how much you personally enjoy someone else proving you wrong before celebrating your cutting counterexamples.

Hi everyone, This coffee morning event is @ **Château Moderne**, on Saturday, is 28 February 2025, from 10:00 - 13:00. **Château Moderne will be changing its name to Radio Moderne!** 1. The **prime time** of the event is **10:30 - 12:30**. That's when most people will be there. 2. When you enter the place, you will see a long table that is set up for the event. 3. If you intend **to join past 12:00** (high noon), then there is no need to register. Just come and join! 4. **DON'T forget to cancel** if you can't join! 5. **Please, be respectful towards each other during the event. (And after ;))** **As always, feel free to follow us on INSTAGRAM!** https://instagram.com/weekendmorningcoffee?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA== *** **THE STRUCTURE of THE EVENT:** * I post the event on Saturday/Sunday for the following Saturday. * I send out a reminder as an email or a comment on the event page on Thursday/Friday. * There is sometimes a waiting list. * **For everyone on the waiting,** please check your status and messages on Friday evening the latest. I message everyone on the waiting list on Friday. * **Please, move to "not going" AS SOON AS you know that you can't come anymore, that includes everyone who is on the waiting list.** **IMPORTANT:** * When you register yourself, be careful not to register accidentally a +1 guest (unless you bring a guest). It happens very often. * If you have any questions then, message me. *** **A MESSAGE FOR NEWCOMERS:** *In the three years of hosting this coffee group, I have met many people who struggle with anxieties when coming to an event for the first time. Sometimes, it took them more than one attempt before being able to join.* *Occasionally, people reach out to me before the event, and I have always been grateful for that as it offers the opportunity to communicate with each other and to find the best and most gentle way for that person to join the group.* *I would like to encourage everyone who struggles with this to contact me before. It would really be too bad if you can't join us, as it mostly gets better the second or third time you come.* *In addition to that, if you arrive and notice any signs of nervousness or fear, you can always let me know right then.* **THANK YOU AND SEE YOU ALL ON SATURDAY!** **LOCATION:** Château Moderne Mont des Arts 1 1000 Bruxelles

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

**NEW LOCATION: 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). See the handy Parking Map - we recommend street parking. [Street Parking Map](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1u2A4fLNlxwLJn0KA_hKc8bnFlFHLvsHBDh-_8wzX_tk/edit?usp=sharing) 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 centralohpython@gmail.com

Bring your work or your hobby, hang out, and code with us. Follow @buckeyecocoa for more information.

Come out to Improving for our monthly iOS and Mac meetings. This Month's Presentation: Nothing yet. (You should volunteer). What is Cocoaheads (http://cocoaheads.org/)? CocoaHeads is a group devoted to discussion of Apple Computer's Cocoa Framework for programming on MacOS X and iOS (including the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch). During monthly meetings, members present on their projects and offer tutorials on various programming topics. What is BuckeyeCocoa (http://buckeyecocoa.org/)? BuckeyeCocoa is a group of Objective-C/Swift developers/enthusiasts. We host monthly Cocoaheads and near-weekly NSCoder meetings in Columbus, Ohio. The meetings are free to attend. Presentations! Presenters welcome! We are always in need of people willing to present material. Any Swift and/or Objective-C related topic is welcome. Times can be 5 minutes (i.e. lightning talks) to a maximum of 2 hours. Interested? Contact info is on the BuckeyeCocoa website. To volunteer for a presentation contact us at @BuckeyeCocoa on Twitter. Follow us on Twitter! @BuckeyeCocoa (https://twitter.com/#!/Buckeyecocoa/) For more information: http://buckeyecocoa.org/

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge. **Abstract** *Spec-Driven Development with GitHub Spec-Kit: From Intent to Implementation* Spec-driven development flips the traditional workflow on its head: instead of code being the source of truth, the specification becomes the backbone of design, collaboration, and delivery. In this session, we’ll explore how GitHub Spec-Kit enables teams to treat specifications as first-class artifacts—living documents that drive architecture, implementation, and verification. You’ll learn how Spec-Kit helps teams clearly express intent using structured, version-controlled specs that live alongside code. We’ll walk through a practical workflow that starts with defining system behavior and constraints, then progressively refines those specs into testable, automatable outcomes. Along the way, we’ll show how specs can reduce ambiguity, improve cross-functional collaboration, and make design decisions explicit before a single line of production code is written. This talk will cover: --What spec-driven development is (and what it isn’t) --How GitHub Spec-Kit fits into modern developer workflows --Using specs to align product, engineering, and AI-assisted development --Real-world examples of turning specs into implementations with confidence Whether you’re building greenfield systems, integrating AI into your stack, or trying to reduce costly rework, spec-driven development offers a scalable way to move faster without sacrificing clarity. Attendees will leave with concrete patterns and a clear mental model for adopting GitHub Spec-Kit in their own projects. **YouTube Link** TBA

**New Dojo Location!** **Draft Day Columbus** 1130 Dublin Road Columbus, OH 43215 We're going to try a new dojo location for a few weeks and see how it works Dojos are informal Python group study sessions where everyone interested in Python gathers to learn about Python, help others with Python, or just hang out. Everyone is welcome from Python beginners to experts. Bringing a laptop is encouraged (we'll have extension cords and power strips). If there's something you want to learn leave a comment on this invite so we can plan ahead. We're looking for topic suggestions and people interested in presenting at our monthly meetings. To this end we've set up a survey form at [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15eBKF1nQQ2XS5gzD4rvhVRHMBEj7lJtHuA9wXupS3Uc](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15eBKF1nQQ2XS5gzD4rvhVRHMBEj7lJtHuA9wXupS3Uc)

Meeting @ Improving's office in Downtown Columbus, near Cosi. Parking is paid, food & drink are free! This time we're hanging out after the long winter break. We are going to look at a group-member's project used to help learn the fundamentals of Go, and if time allows, we can take a look at how we like to build Go projects using AI.