Telecommunications Pros

Our first gathering for 2026. Hosted by Jay Patel **Headline Presentation** **Dr Sol Rogers – Founder, Magnopus** [https://www.linkedin.com/in/solrogers/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/solrogers/) *\( MAGNOPUS \- Global Director of Innovation \(Founder REWIND\) \| OECD Advisor\, Chair BAFTA Immersive Entertainment\, Chair IMMERSE UK\. PhD in CreaTech\, Keynote Speaker\, Forbes Writer & Creative Director\.\. Proud father of TWINS \)* Sol will talk on Magnopus recent projects for Fortnite - Daft Punk, The Wizard of Oz at the Sphere Las Vegas, alongside some future gazing for what 2026 might bring for all of us. [https://www.magnopus.com/](https://www.magnopus.com/) **First-time presenters** If you wish to give a short 5 min introduction presentation, then feel free to get in touch to discuss, or bring an offline presentation on a flashdrive on the night. **Sponsors** Thank you to our 2026 sponsors. [SiNi Software,](https://www.sinisoftware.com/) [Chaos](https://www.chaos.com/), [Itoosoft](https://www.itoosoft.com/), [Heata](https://www.heata.co/), [NTI](https://www.nti-group.com/uk/)

**How To Communicate Like A Pro – Workshop** Whether it’s pitching your business, nailing an interview, or simply making a lasting impression in everyday conversations—communication is the skill that opens doors. In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn proven techniques to: ✨ Speak with clarity and confidence ✨ Keep your audience engaged (without boring them) ✨ Overcome nerves and think on your feet ✨ Build trust and influence through your words This isn’t about memorizing scripts—it’s about learning how to adapt, connect, and communicate with impact in any situation. Expect practical exercises, real-time feedback, and strategies you can use straight away. Perfect for entrepreneurs, professionals, or anyone who wants to level up their communication game.

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

Join a uplifting 60-minute in-person session designed to help you refocus and reconnect to yourself. Led by a certified yoga teacher this event is open for all (even if you've never practiced yoga before) and will combine gentle movement, mindfulness, and nervous system regulation ✨ **Agenda Highlights:** * **Gentle Breathwork:** Start with calming exercises to ground your mind and body. * **Connect & Share:** Meet like-minded individuals in a supportive environment. * **Explorative Yoga Flow:** A gentle sequence to tune in, connect to and centre yourself 🌟 **Bonus:** Attendees will have the chance to book a complimentary 1-on-1 health coaching session after the event Leave feeling restored, centred, and ready to take inner stillness into your everyday live 📅[ RSVP now to secure your spot](https://momence.com/BYL---London-Bridge/Somatic-Recovery%3A-Yin-Yoga-Class/130005046)

We’re pleased to share a community partnership opportunity for our AI professionals, business owners, consultants, and tech leaders. We’ve secured a limited number of **complimentary Gold Passes** (normally £849) for members of our community to attend **AI & Big Data Expo** at **TechEx Global London**, one of Europe’s leading enterprise technology events. **Registration links are in our [AI Professionals membership area.](https://members.aiprofessionals.network/communities/groups/ai-professionals-network/home?invite=695d13203289ed25c01a2e0f)** **AI & Big Data Expo** is one of several innovation & technology tracks at TechEx Global in London. This is an extensive and high profile event with powerhouse speakers from Nvidia, Airbus, PepsiCo, Visa and many more, with many networking opportunities. Your complimentary gold pass gets you access to the paid sessions and more for the whole TechEx event. *AND* **an opportunity to meet up with us for an in-person networking session in the Meetup Zone (10.30-11am 4th Feb).** **For more details on the event:** [AI & Big Data Expo](https://www.ai-expo.net/global/?_gl=1%2A1aqrkgt%2A_gcl_au%2ANTU0ODUxNDI0LjE3Njc3MDM0Njg.) [TechEx Global](https://techexevent.com/global/) **IMPORTANT: For your complimentary Gold Pass, you *need* to be a member of our [AI Professionals Network](https://members.aiprofessionals.network/communities/groups/ai-professionals-network/home?invite=695d13203289ed25c01a2e0f) \- free to join\. The links to register for these complimentary passes are inside our membership area\.**

**On Wednesday 4th February, we're excited to be hosting our latest FREE Board Games Night, exclusively for 20s and 30s.** Yep that's right - for one-night only, we'll be transforming Costa from a regular cafe into a Board Games Cafe. We've booked out the whole venue near Southwark and bringing our usual fantastic collection of some of the most popular games that you’ll be able to choose from. From classics like Exploding Kittens and Codenames, social deduction games like Werewolf and Chameleon, to party games like Dixit and Scrawl, you’re sure to find something you’ll love. On top of this, you're also welcome to bring your own games that you love or have been excited to play with a group, providing they are short, easy to learn and accessible games. Best of all, over the course of the evening, you'll be able to mix around, meet lots of friendly 20s and 30s - whilst playing a range of different games. So if you're looking to play some games, meet new people, and have a laugh then we'd love to have you join us for this. **\- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \-** **WHERE/WHEN** Venue - Costa Coffee, 42-48 The Cut, London SE1 8LP Closest Tube stations: Southwark (5 min walk), Waterloo (10 mins walk) Start Time - 7:00pm Finish time: 10:00pm \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- **JOIN THE COMMUNITY** Set up in November 2021, the project was set up to help those in their 20s and 30s meet, connect and hopefully build life-long friendships. To help make this happen, we also host all kinds of events from free social walks, games evenings, day trips, social events, activity nights to picnics. To learn more about our community, follow us on social media or buy us a coffee, please follow one of the links below. **Website - [https://friendship-project.co.uk](https://friendship-project.co.uk/)** **Instagram - [https://www.instagram.com/great.friendship/](https://www.instagram.com/great.friendship/)**

Join us in person for a **networking session at the AI & Big Data Expo (4 Feb, Meetup Zone @ 10.30-11am) at Olympia, London**. **AND,** as a member of our **free [AI Professionals community](https://members.aiprofessionals.network/communities/groups/ai-professionals-network/home?invite=696635b94091c44ebebf712f),** you can get a **complimentary Gold Pass to the entire TechEx event**, giving you access to the paid sessions and wider networking opportunities (worth £849). Meet and connect with like minded AI & Business Professionals at this informal drop-in networking session at one of the biggest AI & Big Data/Technology events in London. Hope to see you there!

**Join us for an evening of Voice AI, APIs, and good conversation.** Deepgram and Vonage are teaming up to host a **Voice AI meetup for developers and solution architects** who are building (or want to build) real-time voice experiences at scale. Over drinks and appetizers, you’ll hear lightning talks from Deepgram and Vonage on: * How to connect **Vonage Voice and Contact Center APIs** with Deepgram’s **real-time speech recognition and synthesis** * Architectures for **low-latency voice agents**, call analytics, and real-time translation * Practical patterns, demos, and lessons learned from real customer deployments You’ll walk away with: * A clearer mental model of the **end-to-end Voice AI stack** (telecom, orchestration, STT/TTS, and LLMs) * Concrete ideas for how to **modernize existing voice workflows** or launch new AI-powered experiences * New connections with peers building in **voice AI, contact centers, and conversational AI**

**How To Communicate Like A Pro – Workshop** Whether it’s pitching your business, nailing an interview, or simply making a lasting impression in everyday conversations—communication is the skill that opens doors. In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn proven techniques to: ✨ Speak with clarity and confidence ✨ Keep your audience engaged (without boring them) ✨ Overcome nerves and think on your feet ✨ Build trust and influence through your words This isn’t about memorizing scripts—it’s about learning how to adapt, connect, and communicate with impact in any situation. Expect practical exercises, real-time feedback, and strategies you can use straight away. Perfect for entrepreneurs, professionals, or anyone who wants to level up their communication game.

Welcome to our **Free Event - Master the Art of Communication**! Join us at the Church of Scientology **Life Improvement Centre** to learn valuable basics of communication and skills that will help you in both your personal and professional life. During this event, you will learn some fundamentals of communication - what is it, what are the vital parts of the communication formula.... and have the opportunity to participate in these new skills. Hear from trained and experienced communicators, and practice communication techniques in a supportive environment. Whether you struggle with public speaking, conflict resolution, or simply want to improve your relationships, this is for you! Come and discover the power of knowledge and how to achieve effective communication. Find out how you could guide and control communication in your life! Don't miss out on this opportunity to enhance your communication abilities and connect with like-minded individuals. We look forward to seeing you here!

DETAILS The session is Thursday 6.45PM till 9.55PM All 3 courts will be available for games. Players are requested to finish the games by 9.50PM and leave the premises by 9.55PM. This session was previously for higher intermediate levels however we have now changed to a lower intermediate level. Strictly a non beginner session. We pride our sessions that everyone plays with everyone to keep it a friendly and fun session. We also understand that there is a need for being competitive and we welcome that also. Payment: £14 per session. We are accepting bank transfers rather than cash payments. Bank details: Name: The Badminton Collective Ltd Sort Code: 60-83-71 Account Number:69874292 Reference must be your Full Name to match you to the list of attendees. RSVP Rules: 2 Day Policy We shall be adhering to the 2 day rule which consists of confirming your spot by paying for the session 2 days in advance. If you do not pay before the 2 day deadline you will be moved to the Not Going session and the next person on the waiting list will have 1 day to confirm and pay for the session or they will be moved to the Not Going list and so on. Cancellation If you have to cancel on the day please note there won’t be a refund for the session so try and get someone to cover your RSVP and please message to inform us so we are aware. Important information: Notes to be aware of that when warming up please don't use the game shuttle and please return the old shuttle for the new shuttle. Parking is available for free onsite There is a water fountain so please bring a bottle to fill up. If you have any questions please contact us. Also we love to hear your views, so please drop us a line with your thoughts and suggestions in messages. Photographs / Videos As a club from time to time we post clips, pictures on social media to promote the club. We are also aware that players would like to video themselves to analyse their games. So if you have any concerns over that, please bring it to the host's attention, so that appropriate action can be taken. Disclaimer The Badminton Collective and Royal Docks Academy are not responsible for any injuries or loss of items.

**How can AI help incident responders?** AI is transforming industries at pace, and Incident Response is no exception. We’ll explore how AI is reshaping skill requirements and the roles of engineers and incident managers during live incident response The first OOPS of 2026, this meetup is all about incident response, designed to foster a community where we can discuss challenges, share insights, and offer practical recommendations to improve organisational response strategies. Expect a mix of war stories, real-world examples, and actionable takeaways you can bring back to your own organisation. The event will be split into 3 parts: **Part 1: Arrivals & Networking** Grab a slice and a drink and connect with others interested in incident response and operations. This is an informal space to swap stories, share experiences, and get to know the local community. **Part 2: Panel Session** Our panellists will explore the role of AI in incident response - expect candid discussion, practical examples and lessons learned, including a Q&A session. The panellists include: * Andrew White (Technology Director, checkout.com) * Suraj Singh Dadwal (Team Lead, Incident & Problem Management at IG) * James Pickles (Senior Solutions Consultant, PagerDuty) * Sarah Wells (Independent Consultant, former Technology Director at FT) & moderated by Hamed Silatani, CEO of Uptime Labs. **Part 3: Networking & Close** Continue the conversation with fellow attendees and panellists over refreshments. **Agenda** 5-6pm: Arrivals & networking 6-7pm: Panel Session 7-8pm: Networking & Close You can register for this event on Luma at: [https://luma.com/8aqe13r4](https://luma.com/8aqe13r4)

📚 **In our next Book Club, we ask: Is there a King (or Queen) inside all of us?** We are discussing the concepts of **Archetypal Energy**—universal personality patterns found in Jungian psychology. Our guide for the discussion is “King, Warrior, Magician, Lover” by Moore and Gillette. Don't let the title fool you; while the book focuses on men, we will be debating whether these structures (and their feminine counterparts) are universal to everyone. **Are archetypes a biological reality for both genders?** **POTENTIAL DISCUSSION POINTS:** * **Are personalities hard-wired?** Jung suggests we are born with deep-seated instincts like the "King" (Order) or "Lover" (Connection). Do you feel these forces exist inside you, or are they just made-up metaphors? * **Are these energies gender-specific?** While the book focuses on men, many argue there is a mirrored "feminine" quadrant: **Queen, Mother, Wise Woman, and Lover**. Is this symmetry real, or does the female psyche require a totally different map (like Toni Wolff's Mother, Amazon, Medium, & Hetaira)? * **Is "Boy Psychology" to blame for toxic behavior?** The authors argue society is full of adults acting like children because we lack "initiation" into adulthood. Does this explain modern "toxic masculinity," and is there a roadmap to fix it? * **Have you met the "Shadow" forms?** The book argues that when these energies are unbalanced, they turn dark (e.g., the King becomes a Tyrant). Have you seen these shadow behaviors in your boss, your partner, or even yourself? \-\-\-\-\- **Prior to meeting, please read/engage in the summaries of the book to ensure a fruitful discussion:** **Buy the book** “King, Warrior, Magician, Lover” by Moore and Gillette - https://www.amazon.co.uk/King-Warrior-Magician-Lover-Rediscovering/dp/0062506064 **Read or Listen for Free:** * **Download the PDF:** https://pdfroom.com/books/king-warrior-magician-lover-rediscovering-the-archetypes-of-the-mature-masculine/Y6R2XwP2gZ3 * **Listen to the Audiobook (YouTube):** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKwwHPV9IyA **Watch some of the online content about the books:** There are several great video summaries on YouTube to get up to speed quickly: * **The 4 Archetypes of the Mature Masculine (Animated Summary):** * **King, Warrior, Magician, Lover (Deep Dive):** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmS4bGb3bAE **GROUND RULES:** This is a nice gentle, but thought-provoking, discussion. It's a judgement-free zone where people can air their thoughts on particular issues, and find out about other people's similar and different perspectives. So bring your best opinions and ideas. Everyone is welcome. **LOCATION:** We will meet in the 1st floor area of Coffee Island Edgware Road. There's plenty of space 🛋️, and coffee ☕, tea ☕ cold drinks, and snacks are available. **NEAREST STATIONS:** Edgware Road [Circle, Hammersmith City, District Line] (1 min walk) Edgware Road [Bakerloo Line] (1 min walk) Paddington [Bakerloo, Hammersmith, Circle and Elizabeth Line] (7 mins walk) *** **FOOD AND SOCIAL AFTERWARDS:** Most of us usually go for food afterwards, so feel free to factor in time after for dinner 🍛🍟🍝🍣🍜🍗🍔[[1](https://www.google.com/url?sa=E&q=https%3A%2F%2Fvertexaisearch.cloud.google.com%2Fgrounding-api-redirect%2FAUZIYQHptkYz2sFtCRSYgOMBKW_B4xcdg0X0p6-LNHkTAcyIXKifChRlbPQzLVYJqgskrwyP0ekRXF89O9H8TBlis0p-nKruBtC7qK3w_Yq_x8xTSO9KcpzcNs-K0zDb5KDYH6BjdzjLLx4%3D)]

This event is open to anyone who works in or is interested in the tech industry, whether you are a developer, designer, engineer, entrepreneur, student, or hobbyist. You will be able to meet new people, share your experiences, learn from others, and find potential collaborators or mentors. Attending our events earns you [Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points](https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/how-to-get-cpd-points). CPD offers numerous benefits, including skill enhancement, career progression, and up-to-date knowledge. It helps professionals stay competent, advance in their careers, and maintain professional credibility. We usually start around 2 p.m. at The Crown pub, following the earlier Brunch event. The Crown offers a wide range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to suit all tastes and burgers for those who missed the brunch. The pub offers a Lunch Special between 12 and 4pm for a Cheeseburger with fries for £9 & schooners for £4. It is worth noting that whilst the event is free, the food and drinks aren't. Come thirsty, curious, and ready to have a great time!

Bring your business cards and network in person with other business professionals! Gold Star Referral Clubs is one of the most established professional networking organizations in the country, with multiple groups in central Ohio. Join us!

Whether you've never done improv before, or you've done it for so long you knew Del Close on a personal level, or anywhere in between, come join us! Swing by *Gresso's* for the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup** for some fun and games! The idea behind improv is to create entire scenes from scratch based on a suggestion from the audience. This can be done in game form, like *Whose Line Is It Anyway*, *ComedySportz*, or *Wild 'n Out*; it could also be done to tell stories, like *Middleditch and Schwartz*. Our meetup, which is central Ohio's longest running (and free!) weekly comedy event, brings the games (and occasionally different forms) for you to play in a safe, supportive, and compassionate environment. Not only is it a lot of fun, but you get to work on thinking faster on your feet, plus it's an excellent way to meet new people and make friendships that'll last a lifetime! Ask yourself if you want to join the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup**, and say "Yes, And" that you'll have fun!

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

**How to take control of your subconscious and harness its power!** Join us for an eye-opening lecture where the speaker will break down complex ideas in a clear and practical way. You’ll gain insights into: ✅ The true definition of the subconscious ✅ How it generates unwanted emotions ✅ Its real purpose and function ✅ What determines the pressure it exerts on you And the most important topic: **How do you take control of your subconscious!** But this isn’t just another lecture where you sit and listen passively. It’s interactive and engaging—you can ask questions at any time. 📅 Reserve your spot now! Seats are limited, so don’t wait too long to sign up. Location: 1266 Dublin Rd, Columbus, OH 43215 Hosted by the Hubbard Dianetics Foundation

Come attend a free in-person seminar where you will find out why you: -Feel isolated -Can't express yourself openly -Get nervous or anxious in front of people -Run out of things to say or feel tongue-tied -Feel introverted -Don't feel comfortable in any social setting -Can't make more friends -Are shy and miss opportunities to connect in a meaningful way And we cover what you can do about any one, some or all of the above. This seminar is the weapon against loneliness, isolation and boredom, come join us! COME TO THIS SEMINAR AND LEARN THE SECRETS TODAY This seminar is brought to you by the Dianetics & Scientology Life Improvement Center. 1266 Dublin Road, Columbus, Ohio 43215

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