Manchester’s Original Data Science Meet Up: Why You Should Attend MancML

In case you missed it, Cathcart Technology co-sponsored MancML last Thursday, 22^nd June 2023, along with Infer. Here’s what you need to know about MancML.

Started back in 2016 by Liam Wilson, Erik Mathiesen-Dreyfus and Colin Bradley, MancML was created to bring together a community of people working in data, machine learning and AI within Manchester. Coming from a technology recruitment background himself, Liam felt that there was a lack of community within the realm of data science and thought that running a series of meet ups could be of benefit. They have been running events on a quarterly basis since, even expanding the ML community meet ups to Leeds and Edinburgh.

What happens at MancML

The creators of MancML envisioned an informal and relaxed environment for their events, aiming to welcome people working in all areas of data science to attend. The event begins with a casual drinks reception where people can get to know each other. Following this, a series of talks on different topics are held by guest speakers and industry pioneers.

The latest event boasted four speakers: Tom Liptrot spoke about what it’s like being a freelance Data Scientist whilst running Ortom, a company that provides artificial intelligence and data services for tech firms. We heard from Netacea’s Lead Data Scientist, Kaylea Haynes, who shared her top tips on how to make data science easier, and John Carney, Data Scientist & Engineering Architect who discussed their approach to data engineering and technical systems that support their machine learning products. Lastly, Mary Guettel, Lead Data Scientist at Slalom (also the host of this quarter’s event), did an interesting talk on the growth of the company and how they consultant within the field of data science.

Each event needs a respite, and this one had a selection of dominos pizza’s delivered! And after the event, attendees were encouraged to go out for drinks and continue to network with the community. Cathcart Technology was represented by Recruitment Consultants Jordan Kramer-Taylor and Daniel Crawford, who found the event to be incredibly helpful for networking and even had the opportunity to catch up with previously placed candidates.

We spoke to one of the creators of the event, Liam Wilson, to hear his thoughts on MancML’s growth over the years:

“We never planned for MancML to become the staple data event of the Northwest when Erik first dreamt up the idea back in 2016.  The original plan was just to get fellow data scientists in the same room with some pizza and beer. What ended up happening was we built a real community in Manchester for data science and analytical professionals to learn, meet likeminded people and in many cases, have their first opportunity to do a talk. We’re keen to keep growing the community and have more and more first-time speakers with a real focus on DEI.”

Why you should attend the next MancML

The event is a great opportunity to meet likeminded people within the data science community. Not only can it provide you with valuable connections, but it can also enhance your knowledge on the latest trends in data, machine learning and AI.

Cathcart Technology is proud to be an ongoing sponsor of MancML since it’s launch back in 2016. The event is entirely free due to the support of MancML’s sponsors. Don’t miss out on the chance to attend the next event, visit The MancML Community for tickets and further information.