Tech Events in Newcastle upon Tyne

Welcome to the most electrifying and ground-breaking AI Meetup in Newcastle!

Join us once a month as we delve into the world of artificial intelligence, explore its cutting-edge practical applications, and marvel at the astonishing projects that are shaping our future.

Why should you attend?
• Get up close and personal with the AI projects that are redefining the boundaries of technology and human potential.
• Learn from the brightest minds in the field and gain valuable insights into the ever-evolving AI landscape.
• Unleash your curiosity, fuel your creativity, and expand your network as you connect with fellow AI aficionados and pioneers.

What you can expect?
Mindstone events consist of three talks covering different aspects:

• Can You Trust What AI Builds? by Peter Timson: A technical demo breaking down the process for building a product using AI with real-life learnings and insights.
• Stop Searching, Start Scheduling: Build a Competitor Watch with AI tools by Kaye Nicholson: A practical demo and step-by-step guide on how to use AI to speed up and improve tasks.
• What Does The Future Look Like With AI?: A theoretical talk on the impact of AI on work, life and society.
• What actually breaks: a year of running AI agents in production by Chris Davison

After the talks we'll have pizza, drinks, and networking.

Don't miss out on this extraordinary opportunity to witness the AI revolution in action. It's time to embark on a thrilling journey into the future and discover the endless possibilities that lie within the realm of artificial intelligence.

Reserve your spot today for the ultimate AI experience! 💡✨ (https://community.mindstone.com/events/mindstone-newcastle-september-ai-meetup-2026)

Want a quicker check-in on the day? Set up your Mindstone profile in advance at https://identity.mindstone.com/signup and keep your login details handy when you arrive.

We’re excited to announce the second North AI Hub event, taking place on 2 October at TusPark Newcastle.

Following the success of our first session, we’ll once again bring together businesses, practitioners, innovators, and regional experts to explore how AI is shaping the way organisations work, innovate, and grow.

Arrival from 9:30–10:00
10:00 – 10:05 | Welcome & Opening Remarks
North AI Hub
A short introduction to the North AI Hub, the purpose of the session, and what attendees can expect from the morning.

Morning Sessions – Part 1

10:05 – 10:25 | A Team of Experts for Everyone: Scaling Sales & Account Management with AI Agents
Michael Stephenson – Microsoft MVP, AI Agents & Customer Insights
Michael shares a real-world look at how AI agents can give every member of a sales and account management team their own team of experts on demand. Drawing on his work as a Microsoft MVP in AI Agents and Customer Insights, he'll show how agentic AI surfaces the right knowledge, insight and support at the right moment — freeing people to focus on relationships and results rather than admin and information-hunting.

10:25 – 10:45 | More Human, Not Less: Thriving in the 'Age of AI'
Ron Wilcox
As AI reshapes how we work, the human skills that set us apart matter more than ever. Rob explores the key personal and team behaviours that help individuals and organisations thrive in the age of AI — and why staying more human, not less, is the real advantage.

10:45 – 11:00 | Refreshment Break
☕ Tea, coffee, and informal networking.

Morning Sessions – Part 2

11:00 – 11:20 | From Second Brain to Business Outcomes: Agentic AI at Work
Jim Moyle – Principal Program Manager, Microsoft (Windows 365 for Agents)
Agentic AI is starting to change how we think about work, and Jim's session gets past the hype to the practical side of it. He'll look at why a "second brain" of knowledge, decisions and working context gives AI agents the foundation they need to deliver, and how Windows 365 for Agents helps organisations put that into practice. You'll come away with a clear view of where agentic AI can genuinely add value for your business.

11:20 – 11:40 | Agentic Workspaces: Applied AI in Action with AWS
Andrew Wood – Senior Customer Success Specialist, Applied AI Solutions, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Andrew brings an AWS perspective on putting agentic AI to work. As a Senior Customer Success Specialist in Applied AI Solutions, he'll explore how agentic workspaces are helping organisations move from experimentation to real-world impact — and what it takes to build AI solutions that deliver value reliably and at scale.

11:40 – 12:30 | Refreshments & Networking
☕ Tea, coffee, and networking
An opportunity to connect with speakers, peers, and the wider North AI Hub community.

We look forward to welcoming you for another morning of AI, insight, collaboration, and conversation.

AGENDA:
17:55 - Introductions
18:00 - Craig Porteous: Centralise or Federate - How to Scale your Lakehouse
18:45 - Isi Turner: Crafting a Personal Brand: Your Career Deserves More Than Just a CV
19:30 - Refreshments & networking
20:00 - Finish

CRAIG PORTEOUS BIO:
Data Platform MVP | Technology Director @ Analytics Masterminds | DATA:Scotland event founder | He/Him.

I'm a lifelong learner with a passion for creative problem-solving. I share my expertise and insights with the data community through talks, video content, and bringing people together with the DATA:Scotland event.

SESSION 1 DESCRIPTION:
As organisations modernise their data platforms, one key question always surfaces: How do we scale this to serve the business?

Should you maintain a central Data Lakehouse for consistency and control, or federate it to empower teams and scale with agility?

In this session, I’ll explore the trade-offs between centralised and federated Lakehouse architectures, how to decide what fits your organisation, and why the best solutions often blend both approaches. You’ll learn how governance, data ownership, training, and tooling choices can make or break your strategy. Attendees will walk away with an understanding of the benefits of federation, and a practical roadmap for balancing autonomy with standardisation in a real-world Data Lakehouse.

ISI TURNER BIO:
They/Them | Senior Marketing Executive at Advancing Analytics

Isi is a Senior Marketing Executive at Advancing Analytics, and a freelance Brand Consultant and Digital Marketer. They've worked in marketing in the data space for over 5 years, with a keen interest in social media and branding. They're an advocate for neurodivergent and queer voices in the industry.

SESSION 2 DESCRIPTION:
Personal branding isn’t just for “influencers” - it helps set you apart from the crowd and opens the door to new opportunities. In such a heavily saturated industry, personal branding is becoming more important, but it can be daunting to start and tricky to stay consistent.

Drawing on my experience in marketing and community storytelling, I’ll guide you through what personal branding actually means and how it can benefit you, before covering 3 high-level strategies based on where you are in your journey:

- Entry level: you've never made a social media post, you're totally new to it all. Where do you start?
- Mid-level: you've made a few posts, but nothing too consistent. How do you keep momentum?
- Expert level: you consistently make posts that perform well. How can you increase reach and impact?

We'll cover how to use AI in personal branding, and some overarching tips and best practises regardless of the stage you're in.

You'll leave with a tangible strategy and tips to improve your personal branding - and hopefully the motivation to hit 'post' too!
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This event is kindly sponsored by Waterston's consultancy. You can check them out via the links below:
https://www.waterstons.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/waterstons/

Welcome to our October meetup! Pizza and soft drinks will be provided on a first-come-first-served basis from 6pm as usual. We have two excellent talks to look forward to. Full details below :)

Schedule

1800--1830h: Refreshments

1830--18:35h: Welcome

1835--1905h: Speaker 1
Talk 1

1905--1915h: Intermission

1915--1945h: Speaker 2
Talk 2

1945--2000h: News & Announcements

Talks

Speaker 1
Talk 1

Abstract 1

Speaker 2
Talk 2

Abstract 2

News and Announcements

Have a news item or announcement you'd like to make about upcoming data events or job opportunities in the North East? Comment below or email us at neds@jumpingrivers.com and we'll do our best to circulate this information during the session.

Please also get in touch if you'd like to volunteer yourself for a talk at a future meetup!

Artificial Intelligence (AI) conference in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom