Join us for the inaugural Databricks North Connect User Group as we bring together the Leeds and wider Northern data community for an evening of technical insights, live demonstrations, knowledge sharing and networking.

For our first event, we're delighted to welcome a fantastic line-up of guest speakers who will share their experiences, showcase real-world applications and explore some of the latest developments across the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform.

Whether you're new to Databricks or an experienced practitioner, there will be plenty to learn, discuss and take away.

Agenda

17:30 – 17:45 | Arrival & Networking
Grab a drink, meet fellow data professionals and connect with the growing Leeds Databricks community.

17:45 – 18:00 | Welcome & Introductions
An introduction to Databricks North Connect, our plans for the community and an overview of the evening's sessions.

18:00 – 18:40 | Session 1 – Jake Rowett
Head of Data at Novuna
Session title and description to be announced

18:45 – 19:00 | Break & Networking
A chance to grab a drink, exchange ideas and connect with fellow attendees.

19:00 – 19:40 | Session 2 – Oliver Saywell
Head of Databricks at Nimble Approach
Session title and description to be announced..

19:40 – 20:00 | Session 3 – Introducing Databricks Lakebase: Bringing Operational and Analytical Data Together
Barry Regan - Lakebase Specialist at Databricks. Databricks Lakebase introduces a new approach to data architecture, bringing PostgreSQL-based transactional databases (OLTP) directly into the Databricks ecosystem, bridging the gap between operational applications, analytics and AI.

In this session, Barry will introduce Databricks Lakebase, exploring how it brings together two traditionally separate worlds of data: operational databases and analytical platforms.

Date & Location
📅 Date: Thursday, 10th December 2026
🕠 Time: 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
📍 Venue: 2nd Floor, 1 Brewery Place, Leeds, LS10 1NE

Who Should Attend?
Whether you're a Data Engineer, Data Architect, Data Scientist, Analytics Engineer, AI/ML Engineer, Platform Engineer, Data Leader, or simply interested in exploring what Databricks has to offer, everyone is welcome.

We're excited to bring the Databricks community to Leeds and look forward to welcoming you to our very first event!