Join us for Data Bristol’s February Meetup, where we’ll be exploring Data and AI.

Event Details

• Date: Wednesday 26 February
• Time: 18:00 – 21:00
• Location: iO Associates, St. Bartholomew’s House, Lewins Mead, Bristol, BS1 2NH
• Registration: Sign up via Meetup.com to secure your free spot

The Talks

Unlocking the Potential of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) with Advanced Patterns by Tori Tompkins

Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) is revolutionizing the capabilities of Generative AI by addressing critical limitations such as knowledge cut-offs, hallucinations, and lack of domain specificity. By integrating external knowledge sources with LLMs, RAG ensures outputs are more accurate, dynamic, and contextually relevant than ever before.

In this session, we’ll begin with why RAG is essential for building scalable, trustworthy AI systems and before diving into advanced patterns like Modular RAG for adaptable designs, Graph RAG for structured data handling, and Voice RAG for audio-driven retrieval. Additionally, we’ll explore Corrective RAG, Branched RAG, and RAG-Fusion to tackle complex, multi-modal challenges. Whether you’re new to RAG or looking to refine your approach, this session will equip you with the tools and strategies to harness the full power of RAG workflows.

Turning RAG into something production worthy by Chris Durow

In this session, we will explore how to seamlessly integrate Azure OpenAI, AI Search, and Cosmos DB into a single, efficient Azure Function. Azure OpenAI provides cutting-edge language models that can be utilized for a wide range of AI-driven tasks. AI Search enhances search capabilities with AI-powered indexing and querying. Cosmos DB offers a globally distributed, highly scalable database service. By wrapping these powerful Azure services into an Azure Function, we can create a robust, serverless solution that leverages the strengths of each component.

Attendees will gain insights into the architectural design and implementation strategies necessary for integrating these services. We will delve into practical examples and use cases, showcasing how to build and deploy an Azure Function that harnesses the combined power of Azure OpenAI, AI Search, and Cosmos DB. This session aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how to create scalable, efficient, and intelligent applications using Azure’s advanced cloud services.

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Join us for South West Founders!

We are excited to be partnering with techSPARK for South West Founders – a monthly meet-up for people based in the South West who have been, are, or want to be tech start-up founders. The group aims to connect local entrepreneurs with co-founders and other like-minded people as well as tech investors to create an informal support network.

The Details

• Date: Wednesday 5 March
• Time: 18:00 – 20:00
• Location: Runway East, 1 Victoria Street Bristol BS1 6AA
• Registration: Sign up via Eventbrite to secure your free spot

The Discussion

For over two decades, Rich Lloyd has been at the forefront of software development, creating interactive content and games across various platforms, including PC, web, mobile, and mixed reality.

As a Director and Programmer at Blueflame Digital, Rich brings a wealth of experience in business, serious games and entertainment software solutions.

At this month’s South West Founders event, Rich will sit down with techSPARK’s Lucy Paine to discuss:

• The Evolution of Interactive Media: Insights into how the industry has transformed over the past 25 years and what the future holds.
• Entrepreneurial Journey: Lessons learned from establishing and growing Blueflame Digital since its inception in 1999.
• Innovations in Software Development: Exploring the latest trends in game development, virtual reality, and augmented reality.
• Collaborative Development: The importance of working closely with clients to deliver bespoke serious games and software solutions that integrate seamlessly with existing systems.

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Unlock the full potential of Google Analytics 4 (GA4) in this comprehensive, free 1-hour session designed specifically for developers. Whether you’re new to GA4 or looking to deepen your understanding, this event is perfect for you!

This is our latest event in series of training courses designed to fuel your career growth, brought to you by Fresh Egg in partnership with iO Associates.

Event Details

• Date: Wednesday 2nd April
• Time: 11:00 – 12:00
• Location: Zoom (link will be shared once you have registered)
• Who: Whether you’re a developer, team lead, or tech enthusiast, this one-hour session offers actionable insights to help you unlock GA4’s full potential.
• Register: Complete the sign-up form to secure your free spot.

The Talk

In this one-hour session, we’ll cover:

Intro to GA4

• Data collection (clientside, serverside)
• Data Structures (events and parameters)

GA4 API

• Reporting API
• Measurement Protocol
• Make an app to check on setups

GA4 – BigQuery

• Setting up BigQuery Export
• Data Structures
• Creating Reporting Tables
• Unlocking the full potential of your data with Python

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Spaces are limited, so make sure to register today to secure your spot!

Join us for South West Founders!

We are excited to be partnering with techSPARK for South West Founders – a monthly meet-up for people based in the South West who have been, are, or want to be tech start-up founders. The group aims to connect local entrepreneurs with co-founders and other like-minded people as well as tech investors to create an informal support network.

The Details

• Date: Wednesday 5 February
• Time: 18:00 – 20:00
• Location: Runway East, 1 Victoria Street Bristol BS1 6AA
• Registration: Sign up via Eventbrite to secure your free spot

The Discussion

We’re talking about brand – your personal brand as a founder, and the brand of your organisation – are they connected, how do you define what you stand for, then prove it?

Brand – is all about how you make someone feel? It’s not your logo, your product or your website.

It’s the foundation of your organisation, and yet too often skipped over as you drive to get audience traction, investment or build your team

There’s a lot to unpack, and to help lead the conversation we’ll be joined by Emma Milington is CEO and co-owner of Modular.

The Speaker

Modular is an independent design and development company, based in Bristol. Modular combines strategic thinking and innovative technology with hearts and minds design, to create engaging brands, sustainable websites, apps and animations for diverse global audiences.

At Modular, Emma is passionate about bridging the gap between humans and technology. She loudly bangs the drum for customer centred, human first brands and products that build kinetic digital relationships and brand loyalty.

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Agentic AI introduces intelligent, goal-oriented systems capable of dynamic collaboration, decision-making, and problem-solving—unlocking unparalleled efficiency and agility in highly secure, mission-critical environments.

From enhancing operational resilience to enabling real-time adaptability, Agentic AI empowers Defence and National Security organisations to navigate complex challenges with precision and speed.

In this online Meetup, Futuria and Whitespace share their experiences, challenges, and successes with the integration of Agentic AI.

The Talks

‘Agentic AI in Highly Secure, High Assurance Organisations’ (Rob Price, Futuria)

Futuria was set up 18 months ago by a group of founders with a background in Defence and National Security. We have developed an Agentic AI architecture pattern that is designed for highly secure, high assurance organisations such as those and the wider Critical National Infrastructure. We are one of the few organisations in the world with live operational examples of multi-AI Agent teams working in dynamic, goal oriented manner. This is a brief introduction to a new way of augmented, accelerated working.

‘The Power of Human-in-the-Loop AI Agents’ (Paul Jenkinson, White.Space)

Paul will talk about the power of human-in-the-loop AI Agents and how AI Agents need to be given Contextual Intelligence to really unlock their power.

The Speakers

Rob Price, Co-Founder at Futuria

Rob is co-founder of Futuria, an Agentic AI platform that enables massive acceleration of core activities at the heart of the operating model of secure and highly regulated organisations. He is also host of the Futurise podcast, talking to CEOs of AI companies.

Previously Rob has fulfilled senior roles in global organisations ranging from COO, CDO, Managing Partner and Executive Director. He is one of the founders of the Corporate Digital Responsibility movement, hosting the CDR Manifesto on his website, supporting the EU funded CDR-Europe programme, co-author of the recent IEEE CDR paper and co-author of a highly cited 2021 academic paper ‘Towards an Equitable Digital Society’.

Paul Jenkinson, CEO and Co-Founder at White.Space

Paul is the Co-founder of Whitespace, a fast-growing UK technology company at the forefront of AI innovation. Whitespace empowers large regulated organisations to harness the power of AI safely through its cutting-edge Collective AI platform. The company operates across multiple sectors, including Defence & National Security, Healthcare, Financial Services, and Government.

With a career dedicated to scaling technology companies, Paul has played a pivotal role as an executive, adviser, investor, and founder. Over the years, he has advised more than 200 tech companies on growth strategies, including spin-outs, M&A, and IPOs. As CEO or CFO, they have led two publicly listed tech companies and seven VC-backed start-ups.

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In today’s fast-paced tech landscape, the importance of diversity in building high-performing teams cannot be overstated. Diverse teams bring together a wide range of perspectives, experiences, and skills, building innovation and creativity. When team members come from varied backgrounds, they challenge each other’s assumptions and approach problems from different angles, leading to more robust and effective solutions.

Connect with fellow Tech Leaders over a breakfast of pastries and tea/coffee before our roundtable chaired by Arron Edwards on this very topic: ‘Building high performing teams: Why Diversity Matters’.

Event Details

• Topic: Building high performing teams: Why Diversity Matters
• Date: Wednesday 29th January
• Time: Arrival from 7:30am. Roundtable from 8:00 – 9:00.
• Location: Hotel du Vin, 11 Bristo Place, Edinburgh EH1 1EZ
• Register: Complete our registration form to secure your place.

Our Chair

Arron has worked with teams across multiple continents and built teams without ever landing a foot in the country of those teams. His desire to grow high-performance teams has seen him recruit, support, and manage a diverse range of people, from non-traditional industries, nationalities and backgrounds.

Moving to Scotland from New Zealand in 2022 with his family, he has a love for golf, gin and whisky

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In today’s challenging and uncertain financial climate, many companies are tightening their budgets, often at the expense of data investment. However, with the growing importance of AI, data remains crucial for companies aiming to stay ahead of the curve.

Join us for a roundtable discussion led by Phil Simpson from Transport for Greater Manchester. This session will dive into strategies for data leaders to effectively advocate for essential data investments within their organisations. Learn from fellow data leaders about their approaches to these critical conversations and gain insights into current trends in data investment.

Event Details

• Date: Wednesday 5th February
• Time: 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM
• Location: Dakota Hotel, 29 Ducie St, Manchester M1 2JL
• Register: Complete our registration form to secure your spot.

Our Chair

The discussion will be chaired by Phil Simpson – a dynamic IT and Digital leader known for his expertise in building and managing award-winning agile teams.

Currently Head of Software Engineering at Transport for Greater Manchester, Phil has a strong track record of delivering innovative solutions on time and within budget by maximizing value from systems, data, processes, and reporting.

Registration

Sign up now to secure your spot.

As AI continues to shape our landscape, join fellow JavaScript Leaders in Manchester, as we host a breakfast roundtable discussing strategies for scaling teams in an AI world.

Connect with fellow JS Leaders over a breakfast of pastries and tea/coffee before our roundtable chaired by Csaba Nagyidai.

As AI continues to revolutionise the tech landscape, understanding how to effectively scale your team becomes crucial. Discuss with peers the strategies and best practices to navigate the challenges and opportunities of leading JavaScript teams in an AI-driven world.

Event Details

• Date: Thursday 6th February
• Time: 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM
• Location: Dakota Hotel, 29 Ducie St, Manchester M1 2JL
• Register: Complete our registration form to confirm your spot

Our Chair

The discussion will be chaired by experienced Engineering Manager, Csaba Nagyidai. With a strong track record of scaling and leading high-performing engineering teams in the e-commerce sector, Csaba is experienced in scaling teams, having successfully led groups ranging from small multidisciplinary teams to managing 32 developers across several independent multifunctional units.

Csaba is passionate about people development by fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous learning and mentorship. Csaba also holds a BSc in Computer Science and Mathematics and brings over a decade of experience in empowering teams to deliver innovative, scalable solutions that support business growth.

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Secure your free spot by completing our registration form.

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In a new partnership with Fresh Egg, iO Associates are excited to introduce the first event in a series of training courses designed to fuel your career growth. Whether you’re looking to learn new skills or enhance existing ones, our online workshops are tailored to meet your needs.

Event Details

• Date: Wednesday 5th February
• Time: 11:00 – 12:00
• Location: Zoom (link will be shared once you have registered)
• Who: Whether you’re a developer, team lead, or tech enthusiast, this one-hour session offers actionable insights to help you stay ahead in a rapidly advancing industry.
• Register: Complete the sign-up form to secure your free spot.

The Talk

In this one-hour session, you’ll learn:

• Boost Developer Efficiency with AI: Discover how AI can streamline code generation, debugging, testing, and overall developer productivity.
• Real-World AI Use Cases: See how AI automates end-to-end testing, specifications, and documentation, saving time and optimising workflows.

The Speakers

Lee Davies: With a degree in Cybernetics and a Master’s in Computer Science, Lee has been working with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning techniques for decades. Lee is now pleased to apply his experience to the new generation of AI technologies as Fresh Egg’s AI Engineering Director.

Ash Hitchcock: Ash is a Full Stack Developer and Head of Development at Fresh Egg. With expertise across every layer of the website development process, Ash has a deep passion for the composable web, open source, and modern development practices. His technical skillset includes HTML, CSS, and TypeScript, alongside frameworks and tools like Astro, Gatsby, React, and Node.js.

Matt Smith: In his role as Front End Development Director, Matt leads development efforts on projects, developing performant, accessible websites through creating effective design systems. As part of his role, Matt specialises in creating detailed specifications and strategic plans for web development projects, utilising AI to streamline and enhance this process efficiently.

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Spaces are limited, so make sure to register today to secure your spot!

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Connect with fellow tech professionals on Thursday 13th February from 18:00 for our special Women in Tech Meetup at Aquis Exchange.

Event Details

• Date: Thursday 13th February
• Time: Arrival from 6:00pm. Talk from 6:45pm
• Location: Aquis Exchange, Floor 2, 63 Queen Victoria St, London EC4N 4UA
• Who: This iO Meetup is open to all tech professionals
• Register: Complete our registration form to secure your spot.

An opportunity to network with fellow tech professionals in London before a thought-provoking talk from Dojo’s Sarah Persov.

Our Speaker

Sarah Persov is a Software Engineer at Dojo and an advocate for women in tech. Known for her authentic, no-nonsense approach, she draws from her background in software development and team management to offer genuine expertise and actionable advice.

In 2022, Sarah deepened her commitment to the Women in Tech initiative, addressing the hidden challenges women face in the industry. Through data analysis, intimate discussions with industry leaders, conference speeches, and podcasts, she works to create a tech community that values diversity.

Sarah is on a mission to reshape the tech industry by challenging biases and creating an inclusive environment where diversity is both recognised and celebrated and where women thrive.

Find out more about Sarah at sarahpersov.com and explore her portfolio here: https://sarahpersov.com/portfolio.

The Talk

In this enlightening talk, Sarah offers valuable insights drawn from her role as a technical lead and people manager, shedding light on her journey in the tech industry and her efforts to empower the next generation of engineers.

The talk will cover:

• The actual experiences of women in tech
• Why you and your business should care
• How you can help contribute towards a more inclusive and equitable culture within tech

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