Virtual Reality (VR)

Welcome back for 2026. We're kicking off with a talk by [Caitlin Blackwell](https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlin-blackwell-8328a623/), Head of Product from Seek who'll share real life stories of getting a product live with AI and the learnings along the way. Caitlin Blackwell is a Head of Product for SEEK across APAC where she leads a team of PM across the homepage feed, search and job pages to help candidates get great jobs and drive high quality placements for hirers. She has worked in a range of ecommerce and SaaS companies as well as being at SEEK for a long time. She resides on a farm on the famous Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia where a large garden, a dog and 100 acres of bush keep her busy. **Our amazing sponsors are Easygo** Bio: [Easygo](https://www.linkedin.com/company/easygo-au/?originalSubdomain=au) is the Australian powerhouse behind the world’s biggest online casino, as well as pioneering a creator-first online streaming platform with over 50 million users. Fuelled by an ambitious mission, our culture of collaboration invites industry visionaries, innovators, and disrupters to drive the future of entertainment forward.

**Attention attendees!** **To register, use** [Luma](https://luma.com/ku860ekb) Warning: The meetup is not a platform for RSVP registration; for this, you need to follow [thisLink ](https://luma.com/ku860ekb)to purchase a registration ticket. The meetup is one of the platforms through which we offer participation in our events. **Startup Valley — Melbourne** A curated pitch night for startup founders, operators, angels and VC partners. We design these sessions to help founders sharpen their thinking through direct, candid feedback — and to give strong investors access to serious teams. **What happens:** • 4-8 startups pitch live and receive feedback from angels and VC partners • Feedback focuses on real decisions and next steps — not surface-level opinions • Investors stay in the room before and after pitches • The format leaves space for real conversations, not rushed networking • Attendance is limited to keep the room focused Designed for clear thinking, not noise. **Who you’ll meet:** * Startup founders * Angel investors and VC partners * Operators in marketing, sales, and tech * AI engineers * Local and international founders * AI Experts * Founders from Europe, Asia, and the United Kingdom **Practical details** **For investors:** We invite angel investors and VC partners to participate as judges and contributors. **To become a judge,** and get early access to our startups database, please fill out th[ the form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8CVqvhQJu-AcclIF6PCuwjL4YpQt4w0FchGSoutRkt58v4g/viewform). Join the judge table, meet other investors, and see what teams are building early. Founders need your experienced view. **For pitching startups:** Startups selected to pitch will present live on stage and receive feedback from investors. **After purchasing a ticket:** Please[ submit your pitch deck](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchcZr9gCNJh0RLiKBgbdbDBKEOc-92LNySkzHf8qGPHg5Wpg/viewform) and ensure it is open for viewers. **Agenda** **18:00 – 18:30** **Registration** Guests register, receive badges, and event programs. This is an opportunity for casual networking, making first connections, and preparing for the event. **18:30 – 19:30** **Event Kickoff & Interactive Networking** Official welcome from the organizers with a brief overview of the event goals and schedule. Interactive networking helps participants set their objectives and connect with key contacts. **19:40 – 20:20** **Startup Pitch Session** Startups present their projects to investors and experts. Each team has 5 minutes to pitch, covering the project's core idea, business model, and target market. **20:20 – 21:00** **Chill & Networking** Participants enjoy casual conversations with investors, discuss collaborations, and exchange ideas over refreshments.

The discussion topic for this meetup will be identity and whether or not history is a necessary condition for consciousness as Dretske proposed. James

Come along to The Espy in St Kilda for after work chats and drinks. 😊 Hotel Esplanade is Melbourne's iconic seaside pub and has historically been one of the most popular bars in St Kilda. The hotel was built in 1878 and remains one of the earliest, largest and most prominent 19th-century resort hotels in Victoria. 📍 Location: Espy sunroom, Hotel Esplanade, 11 The Esplanade, St Kilda VIC 3182 Most people come along by themselves so don't worry if you don't know any of the other members. Come along for relaxed socialising and making new friends in a change of scenery. New people are always welcome. We have all been the new person at some point in time Join us to meet new people and see the familiar faces of the regular members. This is a regular weekly group for socialising and unwinding for the weekend Events are also on: Raiders of the Lost Bars [https://www.meetup.com/barraiders/](https://www.meetup.com/barraiders/) Bartopia [https://www.meetup.com/bartopia/](https://www.meetup.com/bartopia/) Bartopia [https://www.facebook.com/groups/bartopia/](https://www.facebook.com/groups/bartopia/) Follow us on Instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/bartopia.melbourne/](https://www.instagram.com/bartopia.melbourne/)

Hey friends, please join us for our Meet and Geek at Pixel! We run this event every four weeks and it's a great opportunity to meet new people, play some games, and have some fun. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. Looking forward to seeing you all there! * **About the event:** Perfect if you're a solo gamer looking to make friends, or if you've never been to a Meet Up before! It's a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere where you can comfortably meet people and play games socially. There's a variety of games and player experience at all levels. * **Bring your own favourite game(s)!** There is a great selection of games provided by Pixel, but we encourage people to bring their own as well! If you don't have any, no dramas! Just join a table and learn a new game with help from our friendly community. * **Starting at 7pm and ending about 10pm** at Pixel Bar and Cafe. They have kindly let us use their space, so please show your support to this great venue by buying a drink or two (non-alcoholic options available!). If you're in need of a bite, you can order food to the venue too! * **Getting there:** Pixel Bar is opposite Huntingdale station, so there's trains, buses, and plenty of car parks! * **Regarding the Waitlist:** Please remove yourself from attending if you are unable to make the event. This allows others who are next in line on the waitlist to get a notification and be able to attend. We want the event as full as possible! * Dave, Hayley, and Laura

Toastmasters is a worldwide organisation which empowers its members to conquer their fear of public speaking and become better communicators. There is no need to formally register for the event, just RSVP to this meetup event if you can, then simply show up in person on the evening. If there is no one at the entrance, please message one of the organisers on this app For more information, check out the City Centre Toastmasters website [here](https://citycentretoastmastersmelbourne.toastmastersclubs.org/). What we'll do at the meeting: \- Impromptu speaking \(Table Topics\): Everyone can take part in this\! \- Prepared Speeches: Please note that only Toastmasters members can give prepared speeches\. \- Get friendly and constructive feedback on your speaking\. \- Get to know each other during the break\, before\, and after the meeting\. Important to know * Members of this Meetup are not automatically members of the club. Meetup refers to people who belong to the City Centre Toastmasters Meetup group as 'members,' but from a Toastmasters' point of view, people are only members if they've paid their club dues.

Welcome to 2026!! We need a second speaker please - if you are doing anything cool let us know Melbourne(at)serverless.org.au and we can get you on the agenda! Even for a future month if you are not quite ready yet. THANKS TO MANTEL GROUP for sponsoring the location & refreshments again! Thanks also to PROGRAMMABLE - we have tickets to give away for people who attend the meetup this month! Please get in touch ASAP if you would like to talk at a future event, send us an email at Melbourne(at)serverless.org.au for more info! First time speakers are more than welcome and we can provide you assistance if you need with your presentation beforehand. Please reach out Melbourne(at)serverless.org.au. It can be a regular talk, lightning talk, demo, workshop, whatever is your thing our community will love it - as long as it is serverless related! Venue: MANTEL GROUP, Level 2, 452 Flinders St. Melbourne Look for the signs! 📅 Agenda 📅 5:30 PM - Doors Open! 6:00 PM - Welcome from the organizers / housekeeping 6:05 PM - **"Build vs Buy - how LLMs are shifting the scales" - By Liam Johnston, Lead Consultant, V2 AI** This talk examines how LLMs are fundamentally changing the build vs buy calculus. Through a real project - a crossword generator using AI for clues and algorithms for word-fitting across 300k words - we'll explore why projects that were impossible side quests two years ago are now weekend builds. 6:35 PM - Pizza & Networking 7:00 PM - **"Middle age serverless – Step Function maturation" by Warwick Wilson from the Department of Transport and Planning.** Warwick will share some updates on his AWS Step Functions in spatial data distribution systems which he presented a couple of years back. It looks very interesting! 7:30 PM - Networking and finish the Pizza! 8:00 PM - Door Close, see you next time!

Ever wondered how humanity would respond to an asteroid heading for Earth? Or how the world might react to first contact with aliens? Welcome to **The Thought Experiment** — a new kind of meetup where we explore big *“What if…?”* scenarios in a fun but thoughtful way. Each session, we’ll pick one scenario (from global crises to wild sci-fi situations) and work together to imagine solutions, strategies, and possibilities. This is for **curious minds of all kinds** — students, professionals, creatives, or anyone who enjoys thinking differently. Some people might bring research, others just bring imagination. Either way, we’ll brainstorm together and see where the discussion takes us. [Thought Experiment Site](https://thoughtexperiment.au/) **We ask everyone to Buy a drink at the venue** **You Need to have Conversational English.** **This is a 3PM start event.** **Format:** * Quick intro to the scenario * Small-group discussions * Share back with the group * Wrap up + (optional) post-discussion drinks For our first meetup, we’ll introduce the format, get to know each other, and jump into a scenario together. ***Story Arc: Cosmic Dread*** Keywords: *Generational Ship, Nature* **Scenario: Remember Me** The launch was flawless. The systems are stable. The mission is progressing. The crew remains calm. All readings align with the original departure data. After months in deep space, nothing appears out of place. Except for one detail. Every star we pass looks strangely familiar. Saturday 3–5 PM Oxford Scholar. A small group. Big imagination. No right answers. Just curiosity, debate and fun.

This is a relaxed, social meetup for anyone interested in practicing Korean or English — no teachers, no lessons, no pressure! We’ll just hang out, chat, and get to know each other while switching between Korean and English as much (or as little) as you like. Whether you’re a fluent speaker or just learning “안녕,” you’re welcome here. Bring good vibes, maybe a drink or snack, and let’s have some fun conversations together! Last attendees must arrive by 8:30pm!

**The Harm and Value of Religion** We are looking at religion and what harm it does or what value it has for society if any. And why the recent increase in interest by intellectuals and atheists despite thinking it's obsolete. **VIDEOS** [We DON'T need RELIGION - Sam Harris vs Jordan Peterson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fpIUjbWd5k) [Why Religion Does more Harm than Good in the World](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp3pW_2E2BM) [Eric Weinstein - Why Nobody Believes In Anything Anymore](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwylZPb-HWs) **Discussion Outline** 1\. Can we perceive the world without a structure? 2\. Is religion harmful? 3\. Atheist: "Religion is interested in you whether or not you give a shit"

Ever wondered how humanity would respond to an asteroid heading for Earth? Or how the world might react to first contact with aliens? Welcome to **The Thought Experiment** — a new kind of meetup where we explore big *“What if…?”* scenarios in a fun but thoughtful way. Each session, we’ll pick one scenario (from global crises to wild sci-fi situations) and work together to imagine solutions, strategies, and possibilities. This is for **curious minds of all kinds** — students, professionals, creatives, or anyone who enjoys thinking differently. Some people might bring research, others just bring imagination. Either way, we’ll brainstorm together and see where the discussion takes us. [Thought Experiment Site](https://thoughtexperiment.au/) **We ask everyone to Buy a drink at the venue** **You Need to have Conversational English.** **This is a 3PM start event.** **Format:** * Quick intro to the scenario * Small-group discussions * Share back with the group * Wrap up + (optional) post-discussion drinks For our first meetup, we’ll introduce the format, get to know each other, and jump into a scenario together. ***Story Arc: Cosmic Dread*** Keywords: *Generational Ship, Nature* **Scenario: Remember Me** The launch was flawless. The systems are stable. The mission is progressing. The crew remains calm. All readings align with the original departure data. After months in deep space, nothing appears out of place. Except for one detail. Every star we pass looks strangely familiar. Saturday 3–5 PM Oxford Scholar. A small group. Big imagination. No right answers. Just curiosity, debate and fun.

Please join us this Sunday as we discuss work, labour, machines and the good life. Ilya will be leading this session. It's a big topic and we are likely to continue talking about it next Sunday. **We will meet at the Queensberry Hotel, 593 Swanston Street, Carlton (100m north of previous location) at 2pm for a 2:15pm start sharp.** **We kindly ask attendees to pay $5 to attend to help with MeetUp costs & venue costs. This is not mandatory, but if you are a regular member it would be appreciated. Any extra moneys will go towards buying food and drinks for the table. The venue also expects us to spend money as a group, so grateful if everyone could buy a drink from the venue.** There is no pre-requisite preparation necessary, nor a philosophical background, all that is required is a curious mind. These discussions are both a Socrates Cafe style discussion and lively metaphysical dojo, in the spirit of learning and friendly debate, so please feel free to challenge assumptions and be prepared to have your own assumptions challenged. Find below some questions to consider, however these are free-ranging events and the below serve as a springboard for the discussion: **Why we work** 1\. If there was no economic necessity – would you still choose to work? 2\. Would you do similar work to what you currently do or something else? 3\. What is “work” as opposed to leisure or other activity? 4\. Is doing work essential to living a ‘Good Life’? 5\. Do you feel guilty when not working? 6\. Is becoming competent at a profession important for identity formation? **Paradox of productivity** 7\. Why is it that no matter how much the economy is industrialised and automated\, there have always been enough new jobs created to keep unemployment low? 8\. In 1930\, the prominent economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that within 100 years technological improvements would result in a 15\-hour work week\. Why hasn’t this happened? 9\. We live in a society where much has been simplified to ‘a click of a button’\, yet why do we feel busier than ever? 10\. Has the removal of bottlenecks caused us to live at a more frenetic pace? 11\. Does difficulty and friction create meaning? Do resistance and constraint force us to slow down and better appreciate life? **Work in my backyard** 12\. To what degree does work \(and associated competition\) function as a necessary ‘sorting mechanism’ for status and resources? 13\. Competition for many jobs – especially those that are prestigious \- is increasingly global\. Has it become harder for people who want a ‘normal’ job \(and the good life\)? 14\. How does the globalisation of work affect how we see the ‘relevant moral community’\, such as between Australia and developing nations? 15\. Is globalised work a trend towards greater justice or injustice? **Augmented Indolence?** 16\. While the advent of every technology introduced thus far has not reduced human labour in aggregate\, with AI will it finally be different this time? 17\. If AI replaces numerous types of jobs wholesale\, what new work may be created \(or greatly expanded\) for humans to do? 18\. If aggregate human labour was drastically reduced\, is it more likely that people will feel liberated from economic necessity\, or beset by a crisis of meaning? 19\. What is worse – a life of constant work\, or no work at all? Hope to see you there!

Beloved Friends , You are warmly invited to join **Osho Dynamic Meditation** — a powerful space to release stress, let go of built-up tension, and breathe freely again. Through movement, breath, and silence, allow the mind to unwind and the body to relax. No experience is needed — just come as you are and reconnect with your true nature, with awareness, aliveness, and inner peace. We would love to share this meditative journey with you. http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/e/e/0/600_453663808.jpeg When : Every Saturday , 7:30am to 8:30am Where : Elwood Angling Club, Foreshore, Elwood Contribution : $15 "Just to be is such a great celebration if you know how to take the conditioning off. This 'taking off' you will learn through Dynamic Meditation. it will not be caused; it will come to you uncaused. Meditation will create a situation in which you will come to the unknown; by and by you will be pushed from your habitual , mechanical, robot-like personality. be courageous: practise Dynamic Meditation vigorously and all else will follow. it will not be you doing, it will be a happening" OSHO - Meditation the art of ecstasy With Love and Hugs, Bodhiprem * If you are coming along for the first time, please arrive 10 minutes early for instructions, Please see below a link for the Dynamic Meditation Instructions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjxr9MySioc&feature=youtu.be

**\*\* NEW VENUE \*\*** Room 080.02.002 at RMIT (Building 80) - 445 Swanston St, Melbourne **\*\* NEW VENUE \*\*** **Glitter nail polish vs the Evil Maid, the Story - @hoodiePony** The Evil Maid attack vs the Glitter nail polish tamper evident seal; recommended by many as one of the best defences in detecting tampering. But, what if it isn’t as infallible as we think it is? What if, a real maid could learn and do it without any lengthy specialised training? In this story, we’ll do a speedrun of the techniques used to bypass tamper evident seals and how the previously impossible to bypass Glitter Nail Polish seal was bypassed. It's an introduction to the field of tamper evident seals bypass. **I heard you like CVEs, so I put CVE in your CVE! Speaker: @Snyff (Pentesterlab.com)** Too many people read a CVE to populate a risk register and decide when, or if, they should patch. What’s the fun in that? In this talk, we will do the opposite. We will take the patch diff, understand what it tries to block, then try to bypass it. **Streaming** If you can't attend the event in person the talks will be streamed in the "ruxmon-stream" voice channel in the Ruxcon Discord in the day of the event! (join now by clicking here: [https://discord.gg/g2CpEbkXmM](https://discord.gg/g2CpEbkXmM)

We will have our certified mediums available and you can receive 3 10-minute readings for $20. To keep you safe, we will be following all CDC and Health Dept. guidelines at our psychic fair today. Sitters and readers required to wear a mask. We will maintain a minimum of 6 foot physical distance during readings. Please, if you can, bring your own portable chair to use during your readings. Please note that we are at our wonderful new home at Unity of Columbus, 4211 Maize Road, Columbus, OH

Join us and work remotely together with like-minded UX folks. This is a last minute opportunity to get out at one of our favorites, [Junto](https://thejuntohotel.com/)! Plenty of seating is available in addition to a connected coffee shop and restaurant. I will be there 10-12 for sure, maybe longer. Feel free to come and go anytime during the day, and don't forget your charger and headphones!

Rev. Steven Clevenger is an ordained spiritualist minister with over 40 years experience as a Spiritual Healer, Clairvoyant and Spiritual Teacher, educated and trained at the White Lily Chapel. Rev. Siobhan Wolf Shaffer is an ordained spiritualist minister and certified medium and healer with over 20 years experience. She began her development in 1988 in Pennsylvania and continued when she moved to Ohio in 1998 where she studied at Rays of Lights Church with Rev. Steven Clevenger. Our full worship services consist of an inspirational lecture, healing meditation, and messages from the spirit world that serve to demonstrate evidence of eternal life. Please visit our Official Church Website (http://raysoflightchurch.com) for more information.

Join other experienced and aspiring agile coaches and professionals to: * develop and practice your coaching skills in a peer-to-peer environment * share current successes and challenges in your work environment and get support from each other * learn from each other, build better relationships and experiment with new ideas

We will show a variety of methods for building agents that run in Microsoft Foundry. This covers the different types of agents: Prompt, Multi, and Hosted, as well as the development lifecycle using evals and traces.

Welcome to Casual Boardgames, where we enjoy classic tabletop games and social deduction games while bonding over good food, drinks, and great conversations. 
We started this group to meet new people and make new friends, and bonding over games in a relaxed atmosphere is a great way to do that. We currently meet near route 23 and Polaris Parkway, and this is close to areas like Powell, Lewis Center, Worthington, and parts of Westerville and Columbus. 
Feel free to bring your own games or play one of the many games our members bring. If you are inexperienced, we will help you learn. 
Here are just a few examples of the kind of games we play. 
Tabletop/board games: Splendor, Catan, Azul, Dominion, 7 Wonders… 
Social deduction games: Code Names, Chameleon, Werewords… 
IMPORTANT: 
1. While we love playing a variety of games and competing, we are not just about the games. We interact and talk while playing, and this leads to a lot of laughter and fun. If you just want to compete and focus solely on the game, then this is probably not the group you are looking for. 
2. Many people join groups like this and never (or rarely) show up after weeks or months. If you join and never really come, we will eventually remove you from the group as a courtesy to our members. Why? Because limiting group conversations (on the app) to regular members makes communication and planning much easier. Also, while it may be rare, it protects members from people who join because they are interested in following a person instead of having a real interest in our group. If you get removed, it is just because you haven’t come, and we follow this protocol as a courtesy to our regular game players.