Professional Development
Meet other local people interested in personal development: gather to share experiences, inspire and encourage each other!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Check out professional development events happening today here. These are in-person gatherings where you can meet fellow enthusiasts and participate in activities right now.
Discover all the professional development events taking place this week here. Plan ahead and join exciting meetups throughout the week.
Absolutely! Find professional development events near your location here. Connect with your local community and discover events within your area.
Professional Development Events Today
Join in-person Professional Development events happening right now
HKPUG #98 - Breaking Data: Mind the Data Gap 🚇
Date: 30 May 2026 (Sat)
Time: 15:30 - 18:00 \*HKT
Coordinator: Ming Tou, Alex Au
Light Refreshments will be available!
This is a **workshop** for Python Data Cleaning. Please bring along your laptop with **Python3 installed with enough battery**! *Winners will get a small prize as an accomplishment **in the next meetup**.*
**Due to the university entrance policy, we are currently closed for new university QR code entrance registration. Please feel free to join us by registering yourself under the university entrance counter!**
***Mind the Data Gap***
**This model will be delayed due to: missing values, outliers, and delimiter congestion.**
In this hands-on HKPUG workshop, we are turning a Python data cleaning exercise into a gamified team sprint.
You will work with a **synthetic Hong Kong-inspired transport dataset**. The data is messy on purpose: missing values, weird outliers, inconsistent categories, URL-encoded station names, confusing delimiters, and fields that look useless until you extract the hidden signal.
Your mission is simple:
**Clean the data. Extract better features. Run the scorer. Beat the model.**
You do not need to tune the model.
You need to **rescue the data**.
***How the Challenge Works***
Teams will write a Python data transformation script to clean and enrich the dataset.
Our scoring pipeline will then:
1. Run your transformation on the training and test data
2. Remove any label / target leakage columns
3. Train a fixed Gradient Boosting model
4. Evaluate the model using proxy metrics such as F1 and ROC-AUC
5. Convert the result into a data cleaning score
This is not meant to be a perfect data quality metric. It is an accessible proxy: if your **cleaning** and **feature extraction** help the **model perform better**, your team gets a better score.
**Capacity:** 60 (Team of 4)
**Venue Info:**
City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong (Exact Location TBC)
**Rundown:**
**30th May**
**15:30 – 15:40** Opening Remarks, Team Formation & GitHub Setup
**15:40 – 15:55** Briefing: Data Traffic Report, Challenge Rules & Scoring Pipeline
**15:55 – 16:20** Demo: Messy Dataset, Data Cleaning Strategy & `transform.py`
**16:20 – 17:10** Team Sprint Part 1: Missing Values, Outliers & Category Cleanup
**17:10 – 18:00** Team Sprint Part 2: Feature Extraction, Hidden Signals & Scoring Iterations
**18:00 -** Networking outside City University
**13th June**
**\- 23:59** Winner Team Announcement
**Audience pre-requisite:**
* **Hardware:** **MUST** bring a laptop with Python 3 installed and a code editor (VS Code, PyCharm, etc.).
* **Skills:** Recommended having basic to intermediate-level knowledge of Python (handling JSON, using the `requests` library, and writing basic `if/else/while` loops).
**How to join?**
1. Click "Attend" on this page
Coffee and Book Swap
**Join us with your favourite books! Meet up with a bunch of curious minds. Let’s take a sip and share about what we are reading!**
**During the book sharing session, we will take turns to share about what we’ve been reading. You can also share some excerpts from the book as well. The conversation starts there. Hopefully, by learning about others' reading interests, we can expand our own original reading scope.**
**Later on, we could also reflect and share about our last month’s reading habits and methods, etc.**
**Book swap is not compulsory. If you have books to give away, feel free to bring them along, and we will be happy to take them for future events.**
食餐飯 輕鬆認識不同行業的專業人士/ 高收入人士 Dinners with professionals (Networking/ Making Friends)
食餐飯 輕鬆認識不同行業的專業人士/ 高收入人士 Make friends by having dinners with professionals and high income individuals
點解要參加神秘飯局?
· 認識朋友 / 戀愛對象: 輕鬆用1.5小時認識 3-5位新朋友 / 潛在伴侶
· 擴闊視野: 試下新餐廳,認識各行各業嘅參加者(Youtuber,空姐,放射師...真係咩人都有)
如果你都想認識新朋友但…..
· 有諗過參加speed dating 但係怕太chur/太貴
· 純粹想輕鬆傾下計 未必想同一大班陌生人玩游戲
· 玩交友app心很累 傾左一輪都都未約到出黎見面
我哋係全港首個冇主持嘅「神秘飯局」社群,主打輕鬆食餐飯去認識朋友 推出幾個月已經有500名參加者報名喇 ✨ 即刻加入了解更多
📍 持有效商業登記
睇下飯局: [官方網站](https://dine-first.com/app)
Instagram: [@dinefirst.hk](https://www.instagram.com/dinefirst.hk)
Telegram: [神秘飯局 Telegram](https://t.me/dinefirsthk)
用一餐飯的時間,認識3-5個朋友 / 戀愛對象,今日就約飯先!
AI Workshop Beginners
Hi guys,
I write a free newsletter about AI, tech, entrepreneurship, and Hong Kong called *Better Read Paul* ([Paul Muller | Substack](https://substack.com/@paulmuller)).
While working on it, talking to founders, and seeing how people actually use AI day to day, I kept noticing the same thing: there’s a lot of excitement about AI, but very little practical guidance.
At the same time, AI has become a big part of my own daily work. I use it constantly to move faster, think more clearly, and save time.
And that’s what pushed me to organize these workshops.
The idea is simple: very little theory, and as much hands-on practice as possible.
This is not a class where you listen to me talk for two hours, but rather a big conversation where I’ll show you how to use these tools (Claude Code, Nano Banana, ChatGPT, etc.), what you can do with them, and how you can apply them to your own workflow depending on what you do.
We will cover:
* How to use Claude Code to build a WordPress website and a simple program to learn a language
* How to use Claude to rewrite a LinkedIn post or any other social media content
* How to use Nano Banana to create a marketing canvas for any brand
Cost: 200HKD for 1h45
Place: Unit 280, 6/F Ping lam commercial building, 280-282 Lockhart road, Wanchai
Time: 11am-1pm
What to bring: A notepad, your laptop (Only if you need help and already use some AI tools).
AI can be incredibly useful, but there are a few things people don’t always tell you. Many tools are paid.
The results don’t always live up to expectations.
Some tools crash, go down, or need maintenance right when you need them most.
And many of them magically produce perfect output without effort.
So in the end, the real questions are: what actually slows you down every day at work?
Can an AI tool help with that? Is the quality good enough? And is it worth paying for, given the time you save?
That’s why I want to run these AI workshops, to help people understand how these tools really work, and to give them the space to experiment and apply AI to their own workflows in a practical and realistic way.
Paul
Language exchange @my home cafe
Language exchange@ My home Cafe
Kindly at least pay for one drink item for the cafe owner .
Please come up stairs to 3/F .
Professional Development Events This Week
Discover what is happening in the next few days
Open Book, Open Minds
**Let’s start our conversation with books.**
Bring a work you love, whether physical or digital, and join us for an evening of shared ideas and thoughtful dialogue.
* **No preparation is required:** Your sharing can be a brief 5 to 20-minute introduction to your chosen book.
* **First-time guests:** You are very welcome to simply show up, listen, and immerse yourself in the environment at your own pace.
We are a community of readers, thinkers, and curious minds looking to connect, examine new perspectives, and grow together in a post-AI world. Whether you are local or international, your voice (or your presence) is welcomed here.
**Registration Details:**
* **Event Fee:** HKD 65
* **Payment:** FPS 53731775 (Please send a screenshot of your successful transfer to the host to confirm your spot)
We look forward to an evening of brilliant minds and inspiring conversations. See you there!
Book Sharing 讀書分享會
Reading is important because it develops your mind and gives you excessive knowledge and lessons of life.
開卷有益!大家最近有冇讀到一啲好書呢?不如出黎分享下讀書心得呀?參加呢個讀書活動,分享好書,分享喜悅。😊
有興趣參加可以WhatsApp我:95182994
Variance debunked tutorial
When learning statistics, one of the most fundamental yet usually grossed over concepts is that of **variance** (i.e. the square of the standard deviation in normal distribution).
As we know, virtually all statistical operations which measure deviations of individual values from the norm involve adding the **SQUARED differences between the two numbers**. However, very few instructors could explain why we have to use squares rather than just the absolute values of the difference (or other even powers such as 4, if the intention is to avoid the negatives). This tutorial shall cover this in a convincing manner.
Secondly, while we all know the variance of a SAMPLE is arrived by dividing (n-1) of the sum of squared differences, where n is the number of observations, few can articulate the rationale behind it. This tutorial shall also prove step by step why this is case, so after this you could appreciate the logic behind this ingenious insight instead of just reciting it like a medieval myth.
讀書會-聚會 Book club member gathering
大家好,
我們誠摯地邀請大家來參加我們的聚會。請大家各自帶一本最近閱讀的書 (中英文也可以, 我們建議文學),分享您對這本書的想法和感受。這將是一個輕鬆愉快的環境,讓我們一起交流和啟發。
費用: 免費
聚會地址是:上環文咸西街44-46號903室
Whatsapp booking: 4449 0049
Website: https://midnightbliss-studio.com/
IG: midnight_bliss_studio
期待與大家見面。
祝好,
Cultural Hub
We sincerely invite you to our book club. Please bring a book you've recently read (in Chinese or English, it's fine but we prefer literature), and share your thoughts and feelings about it. This will be a relaxed and enjoyable environment for us to exchange ideas and inspire each other.
Fee: Free
RSVP Whatsapp booking: 4449 0049
Location: Suite 903, 44-46 Bonham Strand West, Sheung Wan
Yoga & Pilates session
Yoga and Pilates are the good exercises to let you to keep fit, enhance the ability of core muscle to perform well in sports and reduce the risk of getting injury. Finally, we'll do the full body stretching after the exercises to relax.
Breaking Habits, Building Future - Change Your Patterns, Change Your Life
🔗 What's the one habit holding you back from the future you want?
This month at Tung Chung Toastmasters Club, we're exploring one of the most powerful ideas in personal growth - that transformation doesn't begin with grand gestures, but with the quiet decision to stop doing what no longer serves you.
🗓️ Join us on May 31 as our speakers and table topics put the spotlight on Breaking Habits and Building Futures.
Whether you're working on breaking a professional pattern, a mindset loop, or a daily routine that's keeping you stuck - this session is for you.
✨ Expect thought-provoking speeches, candid stories, and a room full of people committed to growth.
📍 NAAC Touch Centre, G/F, Left Wing, 15 Tung Chung Waterfront Rd, Tung Chung
🕕 2:45pm - 4:45pm
RSVP & Zoom: https://linktr.ee/tungchungtmc
All are welcome! Members, guests, and curious minds alike. See you there! 👋
Philippines workers - Diversity and Inclusion, learn how to speak Chinese (Free)
Phılıppınes workers - Diversity and Inclusion meetup group
Any topics below:
Diversity
* **What it is**: The presence of people with different backgrounds, experiences, identities, and perspectives (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, culture).
* **Analogy**: A diverse team has members from different places, with different skills.
Inclusion
* **What it is**: Actively creating an environment where everyone feels welcome, respected, supported, and empowered to participate and succeed.
* **Analogy**: In an inclusive team, everyone feels comfortable sharing ideas and is heard, not just present.
shop 4, Sunday Gardens, Quarry Bay
\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*
Professional Development Events Near You
Connect with your local Professional Development community
Game Dev Meetup (@Improving In-Person)
PLEASE NOTE!!!
This event will be In-Person for our very 1st Improving collab! If you know the [Columbus Unity group](https://www.meetup.com/columbus-unity-user-group/) location, we'll be at the same place. This is our 1st event and are doing a soft launch with limited attendance. 1st come 1st serve. If you want to be there and we fill up, please email me at [info@thecogg.com](mailto:info@thecogg.com) and I'll be in touch.
All street parking is free on Sundays but you can also pay to park in any of the local garages. See image of [parking map here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mr9_LFIggbs-0_Zd3AJTGNqEhgMf2TzQ/view?usp=sharing).
\-\-\-
On the last Sunday of the month, we're having our usual end-of-the-month social gathering with our GameDev Meetup meeting. There will be announcements and presentations followed by some social networking Let's continue the conversations with good vibes and friends.
All are welcomed from all ages and backgrounds to this public event. If we can, we'll be streaming or uploading the video later via our COGG YouTube channel here:
[https://www.youtube.com/@TheCOGG/streams](https://www.youtube.com/@TheCOGG/streams)
(Also please do subscribe if you have not done so!)
No game development experience required!
If you are interested in doing a 20 minute game development related presentation, please fill out our form online here:
[https://goo.gl/forms/lVdTJZiNJewlPJuj1](https://goo.gl/forms/lVdTJZiNJewlPJuj1)
Or e-mail us at info@thecogg.com
with the following:
Your Name, Company/Affiliation, Name of Your Game/Topic, Description, Tech Needs, and Your Contact.
Be sure to check out our Discord for real time news updates:
[https://discord.gg/NrBhuNQ](https://discord.gg/NrBhuNQ)
Data & Analytics Wednesday - Finding Product Insights
**The Behavior Gap: Where Products Win or Lose**
Teams today have more data than ever, and yet many still struggle to understand why customers adopt, engage with, or abandon their products. Teams sprint, ship faster, and chase more signals… all while metrics stall and confidence drops. The missing piece isn’t more data. It’s often the behavioral insight between the metrics, explaining why the numbers move in the first place. Dashboards can tell you what customers did, but understanding why they did it (and how to influence what they do next) requires a deeper blend of insights. This session is about closing that gap.
Drawing from real-world experience designing and scaling products as [ZoCo Design](https://zocodesign.com/)’s CEO, [Lacey](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laceypicazo/) will share how to cut through the noise and identify the insights that actually change behavior—moving people, and moving metrics. You’ll learn:
* Why understanding customer behavior is a quant and qual challenge
* How to spot the signals that actually predict behavior change
* Where AI accelerates insight, and where it creates distraction
* How to get meaningfully closer to customers, without adding more tools
This talk reframes how to evaluate performance and identify what levers actually improve it, helping your team to make smarter bets with greater confidence. Every meaningful outcome is driven by behavior change. And when you know how to design for behavior, you stop guessing, and start building things that work.
**About Our Speaker**
[Lacey Picazo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laceypicazo/) is the Founder and CEO of ZoCo, a healthcare product studio that turns complex, high-stakes ideas into products that drive real-world adoption. She partners with healthcare organizations to uncover critical care delivery insights, focus product strategy through behavior design, and build solutions that patients and providers actually use.
Thanks to our 2026 sponsors:
[Clarivoy](https://www.clarivoy.com), [What Box Consulting Group](https://www.whatboxconsultinggroup.com), [Conductrics](https://www.conductrics.com), and [Piwik PRO](https://piwik.pro)
More info at [cbusdaw.com](https://cbusdaw.com)
Building a Voice Over Business
Join Voice Over Pros Of Ohio for an exciting morning of networking, and exploring opportunities in the world of voice acting. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, this event is perfect for expanding your network, learning how to start a VO business, and for honing your skills. Connect with fellow voice actors and VO experts, that will help you succeed in your voice over business.
This event will feature discussions on professional development, entrepreneurship in the voice over industry, with tips for navigating the world of voice acting. Don't miss this unique opportunity to learn from others, collaborate with like-minded individuals, and take your voice over career to the next level. Join us Saturday, May 30, from 10am - 12pm and learn how to start or grow your voice over business. Let your voice be heard! The $10 fee covers refreshments and door prizes.
QA or The Highway 2026
QA or the Highway is a one-day, affordable, regional, professional conference featuring real-world experience and thought leadership in the QA and testing industry.
This is a ticketed event please register here:
https://www.qaorthehwy.com/
Featured Keynote Speakers:
**Matthew-Hope Eland** **(Wizard at Leading EDJE)** \- An AI Specialist and Wizard at Leading EDJE who is known to teach software engineering\, AI\, and data science concepts in the most ridiculous ways possible\. Matt has used machine learning to settle debates over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie\, reinforcement learning to drive the behavior of digital squirrels\, data analytics to suggest improvements to his favorite TV show\, and AI agents to play board games and create an AI agent with the personality of a dog\. Matt is the author of "Data Science in \.NET with Polyglot Notebooks" and "Refactoring with C\#" as well as several LinkedIn Learning courses\. Matt helps organize the Central Ohio \.NET Developer Group\, runs several blogs and a YouTube channel\, has a Master’s of Science in Data Analytics\, and is a current Microsoft MVP in AI and \.NET\.
**Tatyana Arbouzova** **(CEO at Innovate QA)** \- Tatyana Arbouzova is an engineering and business leader with a strong background in Quality Engineering across multiple industries\, including Big Tech\, Healthcare\, and Entertainment\. She has held leadership roles at world\-class companies such as Microsoft\, VMware\, Disney\, and The Pokémon Company International\, where she focused on building quality\-driven cultures and scaling teams to deliver high\-impact products\. With decades of experience\, Tatyana has helped organizations transform their quality practices so teams can deliver software efficiently\, confidently\, and with measurable business outcomes\. Today\, Tatyana advises software companies on adopting AI to optimize quality practices and improve how software is delivered at scale\. She is also a passionate community builder and the founder of Innovate QA\, a thriving Seattle\-based community and conference for quality professionals\.
Level One Tuesdays (Bachata & Salsa Dance Lessons)
Click Here For More Videos:
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17bwkttXhV/
***********************************
Salsamante Dance Academy will be at Swerve Every Tuesday Night to share the Rhythm & Energy of Bachata & Salsa.
These are Beginner Level lessons to get you comfortable and understand the two dances. Spread the Good News to all.
Swerve Dance & Fitness Complex
640 Lakeview Plaza Blvd A, Worthington, OH 43085
Bachata 7pm-8pm
Salsa 8pm-9pm
$15 - One Lesson
$20 - Both Lessons
Investing & Personal Finance Meeting
If you are interested in selecting investment choices for your 401(k) or other workplace savings plan, minimizing your income tax liability, or identifying the most effective investments for your brokerage account, we are the group for you.
We are a local chapter of Bogleheads, whose investment strategy can be found here:
https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Bogleheads%C2%AE_investment_philosophy
Or you can peruse the Boglehead forum here:
https://www.bogleheads.org/index.php
I look forward to seeing you there.
Mark Vonder Haar




























