AI Tinkerers Chicago January Meetup

◎ Online

Hosted by Big Data Conference Europe

Big Data Conference Europe returns for its 10th edition, bringing together 700+ developers, data engineers, and AI professionals from 35+ countries for four intensive days of technical learning and hands-on experience. Taking place in Vilnius, Lithuania from November 24–27, 2026, this hybrid conference offers both onsite and online attendance options, making it accessible to a global audience. What to Expect The conference opens with a full day of hands-on workshops on November 24, followed by three days of technical talks across four specialized tracks. With 60+ sessions covering the latest developments in AI, data engineering, machine learning, and cloud technologies, this is a focused technical event designed for practitioners who build and deploy data systems at scale. The 2026 edition focuses on production-ready solutions rather than demos and proofs-of-concept. Expect deep technical content on: Data Engineering, Pipelines & DataOps - Advanced RAG architectures and implementation patterns - Agentic workflows and orchestration frameworks - LLM fine-tuning strategies versus prompt engineering - Evaluation and benchmarking methodologies for LLM systems - Observability and monitoring for GenAI pipelines Real-Time Data & Streaming Architectures - Production implementations with Kafka, Flink, and Spark Structured Streaming - Event-driven architecture patterns - Real-time feature engineering at scale - Streaming ML inference pipelines - Low-latency analytics architectures Who Should Attend This conference is designed for technical practitioners: data engineers, ML engineers, data scientists, software architects, and developers working with large-scale data systems. Whether you're building real-time streaming pipelines, deploying GenAI applications, or managing complex data infrastructure, you'll find practical insights from peers solving similar challenges. Conference Format The event features a cinema-style venue with comfortable seating, excellent acoustics, and large screens ensuring every technical detail is clearly visible. The hybrid format means remote attendees get the same access to talks and Q&A sessions as those attending in person. Beyond the formal sessions, the conference includes interactive elements, networking opportunities, and the chance to connect with industry experts from across Europe and beyond. The organizers emphasize practical, experience-driven content. Speakers are practitioners sharing real-world imple

Airtable

⌖ Location TBC · Fenton Manor Sports Complex, Fenton, England

Hosted by Robots Live

Robots Live! Stoke brings the adrenaline-fueled world of combat robotics to Fenton Manor Sports Complex on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th October 2026. This live show features mechanical warriors from BBC's Robot Wars competing in intense battles that showcase the cutting edge of engineering and robotics. What to Expect Witness powerful robots equipped with devastating weaponry — from explosive flippers to fearsome axes — as they clash in epic showdowns. These metal warriors will demonstrate their unique designs, strategies, and sheer destructive power in matches that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the show. The event promises excitement for all ages, whether you're a dedicated robotics enthusiast or simply curious about combat engineering. Watch as these mechanical marvels demonstrate their agility, power, and innovative design in real-time battles that bring television entertainment to life. Interactive Experience Robots Live! Stoke goes beyond spectating — it offers an interactive experience that gets you up close with the robots and their creators. Meet the talented engineers who design and build these incredible machines, learn about the technology and strategy behind each robot, and discover what makes these mechanical competitors tick. VIP ticket holders receive exclusive access to meet-and-greet opportunities, allowing you to get even closer to the robots, ask questions directly to the engineering teams, and take photos with these mechanical marvels. Event Details - Dates: Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th October 2026 - Venue: Fenton Manor Sports Complex, City Road, Fenton ST4 2RR - Doors: Open approximately 40 minutes before show time - Format: In-person live combat robotics show - Suitable for: All ages (child tickets available) The venue provides disabled seating and carer tickets. Merchandise will be available for purchase, and parking is accessible at the sports complex. Don't miss this unforgettable celebration of robotics, engineering, and competitive combat that brings BBC Robot Wars stars to life right before your eyes. Register for Robots Live! Stoke

⌖ Barcelona · Barcelona, Spain

Hosted by Claude Community Events

Explore Claude, build practical AI projects and meet women in tech over coffee in Barcelona on 24 October 2026. This relaxed, hands-on morning is designed for anyone opening Claude for the first time as well as existing users who want to go deeper. Bring your laptop, a project or task you would like to improve, and plenty of questions. You’ll have room to experiment, exchange ideas and work towards something you can use beyond the meetup. Who it’s for The event centres women in tech and welcomes people who want to build alongside them, including: - Developers and designers - Product leaders and founders - Data professionals and researchers - Operators and anyone curious about practical AI The meetup runs 10:00am–1:00pm GMT+2 on Saturday 24 October in Barcelona. Expect an informal mix of building, conversation, coffee and networking rather than a published talk agenda. Your host is Fernanda Grace Lins, a Claude Ambassador and global growth and partnerships leader with experience across AI, cybersecurity, SaaS, proptech and international markets. The event is presented by Claude Community Events. The event is currently full, but you can join the waitlist. The exact address is shared with registered attendees. Join the event waitlist.

Claude

⌖ Oxford

Hosted by OxHack Committee

OxHack 26 brings UK university students to Oxford for a free, student-led hackathon running from 24–25 October 2026. Over 24 hours, participants will turn ideas into working projects, meet fellow builders and experience the creative energy of collaborative problem-solving. Build, collaborate and experiment Organised by the OxHack Committee, the event welcomes participants from every degree programme, not only computer science, as well as both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It is open to enrolled university students across the UK aged 18 or over, plus graduates who completed their studies within the past year. You can arrive with an idea and an established team, work independently, or meet potential collaborators during the team-building opportunities at the beginning of the event. Teams can include up to four people, making OxHack accessible whether you already have a group or are attending your first hackathon alone. The format centres on hands-on project building rather than passive talks: participants will collaborate intensively, develop their ideas and create something during the hackathon. The full programme has yet to be announced, but activities will be provided throughout the event. The OxHack website also displays a Major League Hacking 2026 Hackathon Season badge. Who should attend? OxHack 26 is designed for students who want to: - Put technical, creative or problem-solving skills into practice - Build a project within a focused hackathon environment - Meet students from other subjects and universities - Find teammates, exchange ideas and collaborate in a small group - Explore hackathons without paying an entry fee No pre-formed team is required, and the organisers explicitly welcome students from any academic discipline. Students based at universities outside the UK should contact committee@oxhack.net, as visa requirements may apply. Practical details Registration opens at 9:00am on Saturday 24 October, and the event is expected to finish by 4:30pm on Sunday 25 October 2026. Attendance is completely free, with the venue, activities, food and refreshments provided by the organisers. View the event and registration details

⌖ Chiang Mai · The Kannas Hotel

Hosted by Marcus S. and nick f.

AI Engineers Weekly Chiang Mai is a coffee meetup for coders exploring current AI technology, held on 24 October 2026 from 10:00–12:00 ICT at The Kannas Hotel. Explore the latest AI technology with fellow coders This informal Saturday meetup creates a regular space for developers to examine the latest AI technology of the week, discuss what is changing and experiment with it together. Rather than following a fixed lecture programme, the session centres on shared exploration: attendees can raise new developments, compare perspectives and play around with emerging technology in the company of other AI-minded builders. The meetup is part of a weekly series taking place every Saturday until 1 January 2027. That recurring format makes it suitable both for visitors who want to attend a single session and local developers looking for an ongoing community in Chiang Mai. What to expect The two-hour format combines coffee, technical conversation and practical experimentation. The stated focus is to: - Check out noteworthy AI technology from the preceding week - Discuss new developments with other coders - Experiment with the technology during the meetup - Learn through the knowledge and experience of fellow attendees There is also room to bring along and demonstrate something relevant. If you plan to use your computer for a demo or hands-on exploration, arrive with it fully charged: the venue does not provide charging facilities. Who is it for? Coders of all experience levels are welcome. You do not need to be an established AI engineer to take part; the organisers emphasise learning from one another. The meetup should particularly appeal to developers, technical makers and curious programmers who want a conversational, community-led way to keep up with fast-moving AI technology. Hosted by Marcus S. and nick f., the session is organised through the AI Engineers in Thailand group. Marcus is identified by Meetup as a Super Organizer. Location and timing The meetup runs from 10:00 to 12:00 ICT on Saturday, 24 October 2026 at The Kannas Hotel, 308 Lampang–Chiang Mai Superhighway, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50300. Register for AI Engineers Weekly Chiang Mai

⌖ Riyadh · Rafd Complex Building 4, Floor 1

Hosted by Sabtiah

Sabtiah is a two-hour working session for people actively building with AI, held on Saturday 24 October 2026 from 2–4 PM AST in Riyadh. Rather than a conventional speaker-led meetup, this weekly circle combines open discussion with practical demos: - Hour 1, Discussion: Explore developments in AI, share what participants are learning and consider what those changes mean for local builders. - Hour 2, Demos: Present an AI tool, agent, workflow, prototype or experiment. Projects can be polished or half-built, and bringing a problem you are stuck on also counts. The session is designed for people who want to build, experiment and exchange ideas with others tackling similar challenges. Conversation takes place in Arabic, English or both, depending on who is in the room. Sabtiah (السبتية) takes its name from a local custom of naming gatherings after the day on which they meet: Sabt means Saturday. The circle has met weekly since July 2025 and is powered by Cycls. Venue: Rafd Complex, Building 4, Floor 1, Al Malqa, Riyadh. Register for Sabtiah on Meetup.

Sponsors: Cycls