Applying AI Events in Manchester

Join us at our TECH MIXER AND SOCIAL for afterwork drinks, networking with tech / IT workers in and connect with others in tech

Whether you're a seasoned tech veteran or just starting out, let's create the ideal afterwork place to meet and chill with other workers in tech - find that new job, expand your network, share ideas, and stay up-to-date on the latest trends in the industry. Let's inspire, innovate, and shape the future of technology in Manchester!

Tech, AI, Data, IT, and more ~

Event Details

💰 Cost: £3 (Online only, no tickets at door)

🍺🥃 Afterwork drinks and social

📍 The Old Wellington (Inside, or ask for Tech Social) - 4 Cathedral Gates

🕕 5:30pm onwards every Friday

Or RSVP on the website for our Discord / WhatsApp communities, and to see who else is going and what their backgrounds/seniority/interests are:

🔗 Link to Website

If you cannot find us, ask staff about Social Meetup, or find a table, snap a photo and ask in the WhatsApp community above.

Who Should Attend?

Perfect for Manchester tech professionals including:

• Software Developers & Engineers (Python, JavaScript, Java, C++, React, Node.js)
• Data Scientists & Analysts (Machine Learning, AI, Data Visualization, SQL)
• Cybersecurity Professionals (InfoSec, Ethical Hacking, Cloud Security)
• Product Managers & Tech Entrepreneurs
• Students & Tech Graduates looking to break into tech
• Career Changers entering tech industry
• Remote Workers & Digital Nomads in Manchester
• Startup Employees & Entrepreneurs
• Digital Marketing & Product Professionals
• Senior Engineers looking to mentor and network

What You'll Experience

• 🤝 Network with Manchester tech community
• 💼 Job opportunities and referrals from peers
• 🚀 Career acceleration through peer networking
• 🎯 Skill sharing and tech discussions
• 🧠 Knowledge sharing on latest tech trends
• 🎉 Social activities and games
• 🧠 Learn from peers about real-world challenges
• 🚀 Collaborate on projects and ideas
• 🎯 Mentorship connections (both ways!)
• 🍻 Fun, casual atmosphere - no matter your seniority level

Event Guidelines

• Support the venue by purchasing drinks/food (no outside items allowed)
• Maintain appropriate behavior and respect for all attendees
• Bring physical ID if required by venue (call ahead to confirm)
• Disclaimer: We are not affiliated with the venue, we just use the space. So don't call the venue asking about our events.

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Welcome to the Manchester Databricks Meetup – July 2026

Unveiling Exciting New Features and Demos!

Agenda:
17:30 – 17:45 | Arrival & Networking
Mingle with fellow data enthusiasts and professionals.

17:45 – 18:00 | Opening Remarks & Introductions
Meet your fellow attendees and the organisers.

18:00 – 18:45 | Data + AI Summit Round-Up: Unveiling Exciting New Features and Demos

19:00 – 19:45 | - From AI Idea to Production in a Day: Inside LakeFoundry's Autonomous Databricks Development Platform

Date and Location:
📅 Date: 9th July 2026
🕠 Time: 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
📍 Venue: Slalom – Floor 15, Bloc, 17 Marble Street, Manchester, M2 3AW

Join us for a fantastic evening of learning and networking at the Manchester Databricks User Group!

HER+Data MCR is a community working to connect, inspire, support and empower the NW UK’s Women in Data. Our goal is to bring together women and non-binary people who work in data or who would like to work in data - to support one another, share experiences and talk data - big or small! Whether you’re a student just embarking on a career or a seasoned data professional, this group is for you. We want to connect and inspire amazing data women with diverse expertise and experience.

This event is very generously hosted by Lloyds Banking Group in their Manchester office on the 6th floor at Westminster House, 11 Portland St, Manchester, M1 3HU. Please note that Lloyds has two entrances. While Google Maps may direct you to the back entrance, kindly use the front entrance located near Slug & Lettuce on Portland Street. A team member will be waiting to welcome you there.

✨ Please note:

• Due to venue policies, this event is for 18+ attendees only.
• If you have any allergies/special dietary requirements, please let us know in advance, and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.
• If you have any access needs, please get in touch beforehand so we can ensure you have the best experience at the event.

Agenda
(All times in BST)
18:00 - 18:30 Networking with food and drinks
18:30 - 18:40 Welcome and announcements
18:40 Lightning talks and Q&A
20:30 Close

In July, we'll do something different. This time we will have a fireside chat - an informal conversation where our panellists will share their personal journeys into technology, data and AI.

With graduation season upon us and AI rapidly reshaping the industry, we'll explore the many different pathways into tech and data, from graduate schemes and apprenticeships to career changes. We'll discuss the opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned along the way.

Speakers
Tilly Spencer is a graduate software engineer on the Lloyds Banking Group Technology Engineering Scheme, gaining experience in quality and software engineering, as well as DevOps. This is Tilly's third career, having started out as an interpreter and translator, then moving to work in programme management at an international charity, before completing the Code First Girls Degree to switch into a tech role. She is a regional Deputy Lead for LBG's Women ConnecTech staff network, and has helped to establish a mentorship project for women joining the graduate scheme as career switchers. She is dedicated to improving the recruitment and retention of women in the tech and data sector.

Noushin Islam is a Technology Engineering Graduate at Lloyds Banking Group. After transitioning from a business background into tech, she is passionate about helping others navigate careers in technology and AI. She will share her journey into the industry and reflect on what it means to build a career during the rapid rise of AI, exploring career pivots, early-career challenges and the opportunities emerging for the next generation of data and technology professionals.

Olivia Matthews is a Data Science & AI Graduate at Lloyds Banking Group who transitioned into tech from a background in Sport & Exercise Medical Science. Determined to find the right path for her, she declined her Masters offer and took a chance on the Code First Girls programme, despite no guarantee of securing a place. She is passionate about helping others feel confident exploring careers in data and increasing awareness of the different pathways available. Olivia will share her journey into tech, offering her perspective on breaking into the industry through Code First Girls, building confidence, and cutting through the noise in an ever-evolving AI landscape.

Danielle Linford is a Software Engineer at Lloyds Banking Group, having transitioned into tech after a career change and completing a software engineering apprenticeship. Without a traditional computer science background, she built her skills on the job and developed a strong foundation in front-end development.
Danielle is passionate about making technology more accessible to others, particularly those without a technical background. She actively supports early careers and contributes to workshops and initiatives that help people take their first steps into coding. Through her journey, she highlights that there isn’t one fixed route into tech — combining hands-on experience, curiosity, and support from others can be just as powerful as a traditional path.

By registering for this event, you agree to abide by our Code of Conduct.
Follow us on LinkedIn for updates!

Our Meetup page is very generously sponsored by KrakenFlex!

Pull requests have become the default way teams collaborate, review code, and catch problems before they ship. But when AI can review a change in seconds, it's worth asking what we actually expect a PR to do.

Is it a quality gate? A knowledge-sharing moment An audit trail of how the codebase evolves?

This talk explores what happens to the PR when AI enters the process. We will look at what humans still uniquely contribute when AI is doing more of the reviewing, why the work that happens before the PR opens matters more than ever, and how to think about ownership and accountability in a pipeline where AI is making more of the decisions.

Venue

This meeting is at Betfred in Steam Packet House, 72 - 76 Cross St, Manchester M2 4JG.

There will be signs at the street door or someone in the lobby to tell you how to get to the right floor.

This is a free event - there is no charge for a ticket.
We often get enough RSVP's for there to be a waiting list; the list has always cleared by the early part of the week of the talk, but this relies on you releasing your ticket if you can no longer attend. Please remember to do this if your plans change.

Please ensure we have an email address that you do look at, so we can let you know of any last minute changes; and please use your full name on the site as it's the only way we, or the fire service, can account for you in the case of an evacuation/emergency/fire etc.

Catering will be provided, courtesy of our hosts. If you have any special dietary requirements please let us know via the event chat.

If you would need assistance to leave the building in the event of an evacuation then please let us know via the event chat.

Note for recruitment professionals - we don't exclude recruiters from our meetings but we would ask you to contact Rick Garner for a brief chat before you start attending.

Schedule
Doors open from 18:00
Intro and welcome 18:40
Speaker 18:50 (with a break at some point )
Wrap-up & prize raffle 20.45
Close ~21:00
(Don't feel bad if you have to leave early for a train/bus/lift home - no one will be offended)

We then adjourn to a local bar for a drink and a natter - everyone is welcome to join us!