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Current Events Meetups Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay tech, entrepreneur, and nerd events list (Tuesday, October 21 – Sunday, October 27, 2024)

Here’s what’s happening in the thriving tech scene in Tampa Bay and surrounding areas for the week of Tuesday, October 21through Sunday, October 27, 2024! This list includes both in-person and online events.

Note that each item in the list includes:

✅ When the event will take place

✅ What the event is

✅ Where the event will take place

✅ Who is holding the event

Hurricane Milton wrecks Florida

Please note: Before you attend events for the next couple of weeks, check with the organizers to make sure that they haven’t been cancelled or postponed due to Hurricane Milton and the damage it left in its wake.

This week’s events

Monday, October 21

Event name and location Group Time
Business Networking Meeting
Online
Christian Professionals Network Tampa Bay 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM EDT
Downtown St. Pete Business Networking Connection Lunch~ All Welcome< JOIN In!
The Sourdough Co.
RGA Networking Professional Business Networking 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
Intro to Mobile Videography (FREE for Hillsborough County residents)
TBCN Media Center
Tampa Bay Community Network 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM EDT
Speakeasy Toastmasters #4698
Online
Toastmasters District 48 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Monday Feast & Game Night
Village Inn
Tampa Bay Tabletoppers 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
MTG: Commander Night
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Casual Pokemon League at Nerdy Needs
Nerdy Needs
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
2nd TRIVIA NIGHT @ Wine and Wood in Hyde Park starts 6:30pm sharp
614 S Howard Ave unit c
Tampa Bay Happy Hour 6:10 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
North Port Toastmasters Meets Online!!
Online
Toastmasters District 48 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Toast of Lakewood Ranch Toastmasters Club
Lakewood Ranch Town Hall
Toastmasters District 48 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
Stirling Toastmasters Club #7461614 | Public Speaking & Leadership Development
Online
Toastmasters District 48 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Lakeland (FL) Toastmasters Club #2262
MIDFlorida FCU Training Center
Toastmasters Division E 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Monday Chess! At Driftwood Kava and Roastery
Driftwood Kava & Roastery St. Pete
TB Chess – Tampa Bay – St. Petersburg Chess Meetup Group 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Hidden Gems Night, Presented by A Duck!
Online
Nerdbrew Events 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Board Game Night at Armada Games
Armada Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Virtual Event: Hiawassee Book Club
Online
Library Book Clubs – OCLS 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
ONLINE: The Spock Syndrome & Handling Our Emotions
Online
Orlando Stoics 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
DigiMondays
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Weekly General Meetup
Online
Beginning Web Development 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Return to the top of the list

Tuesday, October 22

Event name and location Group Time
v-Lean Coffee
Online
Tampa Bay Agile 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM EDT
NPI St. Pete Business Builders Chapter – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals
St Petersburg Yacht Club
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI) 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
Venice Area Toastmasters Club #5486
Online
Toastmasters District 48 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
E-Commerce Growth Strategies: Interactive Store Reviews and Real-Time Feedback
Online
Orlando Shopify Meetup 8:00 AM to 8:45 AM EDT
No Degree Required
Online
Tampa Cybersecurity Training 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM EDT
The Business Networking Midday POWER HOUR by Simply Referrals on ZOOM!
Online
Clearwater Business Networking 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
Weekly Open Make Night
4931 W Nassau St
Tampa Hackerspace 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Spanglish Toastmasters Club 7703731
Online
Toastmasters Division G 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
Bartow Toastmasters HYBRID Meeting
2250 S Floral Ave
Toastmasters Division E 6:00 PM to 7:15 PM EDT
Disney Lorcana Night
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Hobby Night
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Magic: The Gathering Night at Felicitous
Felicitous (on 42nd)
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Meet & Greet at O’Keefe’s Family Restaurant
O’Keefe’s Family Restaurant
Florida Center for Creative Photography 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Pinellas Writers and Authors Weekly Meeting (Online/Zoom)
Online
Pinellas Writers Group 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Rug making class!
MakerSpace Clearwater
Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Loner Seekers Euchre – Tampa
Gaspars Patio Bar & Grille
Loner Seekers Euchre – Tampa 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Toast of Celebration Toastmasters
305 Campus St
Toastmasters Division E 6:45 PM to 8:15 PM EDT
Bingo at Back Nine and $2 Taco Tuesday Night!
The Back Nine
Adventure Group of Lakeland 6:45 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Pythonic Monthly Meeting
Online
The Orlando Python User Group 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Creative Speaking
Roots To Crown
Creative Speaking St Pete 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Dunedin Toastmasters – Guests Welcome
Unity Community Church
Dunedin Toastmasters 2166 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Horus Heresy Open Play
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Trivia Night with Trivia Nation
Irish 31 Pub House & Eatery
Trivia Night at Irish 31 Seminole 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
St. Pete Beers ‘n Board Games Meetup for Young Adults
Pinellas Ale Works Brewery
St. Pete Beers ‘n Board Games for Young Adults 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Trivia Night – Moose Lodge 2117 Smartphone Trivia Game Show
Moose Lodge
Game Night Meetup for Trivia in Tampa, Sarasota, Venice 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
D&D Adventurers League at Armada Games
Armada Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM EDT
Yu-Gi-Oh Evening Tournament
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
AMA – Ask Me Anything Related to Photography, Computers and Software
O’Keefe’s Family Restaurant
Florida Center for Creative Photography 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Boards & Bones
SpookEasy Lounge
Nerd Night Out 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Nic At Nite – Weekly Movie Night
Online
Nerdbrew Events 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Online Event: Shut Up & Write on Zoom
Online
Shut Up & Write!® Tampa 7:45 PM to 9:15 PM EDT
Return to the top of the list

Wednesday, October 23

Event name and location Group Time
World Toasters Toastmasters Club
Online
Toastmasters Division E 7:05 AM to 8:00 AM EDT
NPI St. Pete Sunrise Chapter – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals
St Petersburg Yacht Club
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI) 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
Grow Your Business with focused Referral Networking
Sons of Italy Lodge
BNI Tampa -Referral based networking 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
NPI Profit Partners Chapter – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals
Panera Bread
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI) 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
Tampa Highrisers Toastmasters
Hyde Park United Methodist Church
Toastmasters District 48 7:45 AM to 8:45 AM EDT
Lights, Camera, Action: Craft Your Essential Business Videos
Studio 131
She Is Limitless | Women’s Success Circle 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM EDT
NPI North St. Pete Networkers Chapter – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals
Carrabas Italian Grill
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI) 11:30 AM to 12:45 PM EDT
Heart of Agile MONTHLY Coffee Corner
Online
Heart of Agile St. Pete – Tampa – Orlando 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM EDT
Inspiring Authors & Book Immersion Meetup
Online
Lady Lake Memoir Writing Meetup Group 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM EDT
“The Importance of Career & Certification Training” plus Free Resume Reviews!
Kforce Corporate Headquarters
Career Rebound – New Job or Career Search for Professionals 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Wednesday Night Gaming
Nerdy Needs
Brandon Boardgamers 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Orlando Chess Association’s Weekly Chess at the Library
West Osceola Branch Library
Greater Orlando Chess 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Wednesday Board Game Night
Bridge Center
Tampa Gaming Guild 5:30 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Felicitous Game Night w/Heritage Dim Sum
Felicitous (on 42nd)
Tampa Game Nights 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Critical thinkers dinner at Chinese Super buffet on fruitville RD
Super Buffet
Suncoast Critical Thinking Discussion Group 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
Hurricane Recovery: Manila Eats Dinner Meetup
Manila Eats
Tampa Bay Foodies Club 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Board Game Night
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Adult Dungeons & Dragons Wednesdays
Conworlds Emporium
Tarpon Springs Pop Culture & Gaming Meetup 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Hobby Night – Minis Painting Tips & Tricks at Armada Games
Armada Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Casual Commander Wednesdays
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Great Big Trivia Wednesdays @ Terra Ceia Bay Country Club Palmetto 6-8PM
Terra Ceia Bay Country Club
South Florida Poker, Music & Entertainment Group 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles – FINAL
Inner Compass Brewing Company
The Weirder Things Book Club 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Tampa Writers Alliance Critique Group
Online
Tampa Writers Alliance 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Castaways Euchre Club
The Hanger Restaurant & Flight Lounge
Hosted By Castaways Euchre Club 6:50 PM to 8:50 PM EDT
[Virtual] Tampa Bay Bitcoin Meetup: News, Markets, & Community
Online
Tampa Bay Bitcoin 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Exploring Go’s Range Over Function Types
Online
OrlanGo 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Apopka Foliage Toastmasters
Online
Apopka Foliage Toastmasters 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Hispanic Professional Business Networking en Español (in Spanish)
Online
Exito Empresarial Hispano Hispanic Networking Meetup Group 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Carrollwood Toastmasters Meetings meet In-Person and Online
Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library
Toastmasters District 48 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Story Games Night: Fedora Noir & Someone Has Died
Black Harbor Gaming
St Pete and Pinellas Tabletop RPG Group 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Games & Grog @ The Grove SoHo!
Grove Soho
Nerdbrew Events 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Magic Pioneer Event
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM EDT
MtG Modern Constructed at Armada Games
Armada Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
New Beginnings & Old Rivalries
Online
Central Florida AD&D (1st ed.) Grognards Guild 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM EDT
Games & Grog (Social Game Night in SoHo)
Grove Soho
Nerd Night Out 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
How to Express Yourself and Connect with People
Online
Professionals Meetup For Networking And Social Skillsets 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Cardfight Vanguard!! OverDress Weekly
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Return to the top of the list

Thursday, October 24

Event name and location Group Time
NPI Bayview Chapter – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals
11 Central Ave
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI) 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
Entrepreneur Roundtable to SPARK Ideas & Build Growth
Dunedin Chamber of Commerce
Clearwater Entrepreneurs’ Round Table 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM EDT
Tackle it in Ten – Entrepreneur Roundtables
Dunedin Chamber of Commerce
Entrepreneur Round Table 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM EDT
NPI Power Lunch – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals
Carrabas Italian Grill
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI) 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
RGA’s Founders & Amplify Clearwater Partnership meeting ~ All Welcome, JOIN in.
Chili’s Grill & Bar
RGA Networking Professional Business Networking 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
Tech Career Opportunities Await: Breaking In
Online
Tampa Cybersecurity Training 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
Sarasota Speakers Exchange Toastmasters
Online
Toastmasters District 48 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
Commander Open Play Night at Armada Games
Armada Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Online Event: Shut Up & Write!® Your Life Story (on Zoom)
Online
Shut Up & Write!® St. Petersburg 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM EDT
TBDEG – Year End Social
Embarc Collective
Tampa Bay Data Engineering Group 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM EDT
Thursday Night Gaming
3407 Lithia Pinecrest Rd
Brandon Boardgamers 5:00 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Gulfport Scrabble and Social
The Drunken Taco
Gulfport Scrabblers and Social 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Navigating the Test Automation Job Market in THIS ECONOMY: Key Strategies
Entrepreneur Collaborative Center (ECC)
Tampa Bay QA and Testing Meetup 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
Future-Proofing Media Storage & Personalize Your AWS Journey
Online
Orlando AWS User Group 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Tampa Power Platform – Social @ Magnanimous
Magnanimous Brewing
Tampa Power Platform 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
GenAI on AWS: Use Cases, Challenges, and Solutions
501 E Kennedy Blvd
Tampa Bay AWS User Group 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Tampa M365 – Social @ Magnanimous
Magnanimous Brewing
Tampa M365 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Technical SEO Fundamentals – Part 3
Online
Tampa SEO and Digital Marketing Meetup with Steve Scott 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Game Night at Conworlds Emporium
Conworlds Emporium
Tarpon Springs Pop Culture & Gaming Meetup 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Warhammer Night
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
The Fallen Lands
2103 Laceflower Dr
Brandon and Seffner area AD&D and OSR Group 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Jar of Hearts – by Jennifer HIllier
Barbara S. Ponce Public Library
Mystery and Thriller St Pete Book Club 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Basics Electronics Soldering
MakerSpace Pinellas
Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Relaxed Social for Young Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders
Cres Community
Young Entrepreneurs of America YEA Meetup Group 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Writing Meetup
HotWax Coffee Shop, Kava Bar & Tap House
Tampa Free Writing Group 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Tampa Writers Alliance Poetry Group
Barnes & Noble Carrollwood
Tampa Writers Alliance 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
3D Printing Guild
Tampa Hackerspace West
Tampa Hackerspace 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Girls Who Code for Grades 6-12
4935 W Nassau St
Tampa Hackerspace 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
[Rescheduled] Quarterly Update and Community Planning
Bitcoin Bay Foundation
Tampa Bay Bitcoin 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
WordPress
Online
Tampa Bay Technology Center 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Palm Harbor Toastmasters Club #8248
1500 16th St
Toastmasters District 48 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Understanding People – Knowing Whom You Can Trust
Online
Communication Skills for Career Advancement Group 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Cancelled WordPress Monthly Meetup
Online
WordPress Clearwater FL 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Pathfinder Society
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
One Piece Thursdays
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Book Club (Witchy Edition) and Indian Food
Taj Indian Cuisine
Geekocracy! 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Smartphone Trivia Game Show at Wilders Pizza
Wilder’s Pizza
Game Night Meetup for Trivia in Tampa, Sarasota, Venice 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
FABulous Thursdays
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Dungeons and Dragons with Donavan
Unlucky Roll Cafe
Unlucky Roll Cafe Board Game Meetup 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Live streaming production and talent
124 S Ring Ave
Live streaming production and talent 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
BOSS Networking (Business Operational Success Strategies)
Online
St. Petersburg Business Networking 9:30 PM to 10:30 PM EDT
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Friday, October 25

Event name and location Group Time
Caffeine & Connections: Friday Fuel for Black Professionals
Online
Pinellas County Black Business Meetup Group 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
Tampa Young Professionals Virtual Networking Friday Morning All WElCOME
Online
St. Petersburg Business Networking 8:45 AM to 10:15 AM EDT
TBUX Virtual: Coffee Talk
Online
Tampa Bay UX Group 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM EDT
Online Networking with Brandon Biz Pros
Online
Brandon Biz Pros 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM EDT
Toastmasters – Improve Speaking Skills & Build Confidence
Online
Christian Professionals Network Tampa Bay 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM EDT
Business Networking Tampa at McAlisters across from International Plaza JOIN IN!
McAlister’s Deli
RGA Networking Professional Business Networking 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
Friday Board Game Night
Bridge Club
Tampa Gaming Guild 5:30 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Euchre Tourney
Clubhouse
Suncoast Euchre club 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
MTG: Commander FNM
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Annual Kids Night Out Halloween Party at Conworlds
Conworlds Emporium
Tarpon Springs Pop Culture & Gaming Meetup 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Taps & Drafts | Casual EDH/MtG Social Night
Industrious
Nerd Night Out 6:00 PM to 11:45 PM EDT
Player 1 Orlando 8562 Palm Pkwy, Orlando ,Fl
Online
The Metro Orlando Geeks Social Club 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Taps & Drafts | EDH/MtG Night | Event Moves Each Week!
Studio Movie Grill Tampa
Nerdbrew Events 7:00 PM to 11:45 PM EDT
Modern FNM
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM EDT
Friday Pokemon Tournament
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:30 PM to 11:30 PM EDT
Friday night game night
Indica Cafe Tampa Bay’s First & Greatest CBD Lounge
Indica Cafe Events Friday, October 25, 2024 at 9:00 PM to Saturday, October 26, 2024 at 12:00 AM EDT
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Saturday, October 26

Event name and location Group Time
Play VINCI: The only known cure for TDS
Online
Central Florida Philosophy Meetup 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM EDT
Saturday Chess at Wholefoods in Midtown, Tampa
Whole Foods Market
Chess Republic 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
Wood Shop Lathe 101 (Members Only)
Tampa Hackerspace West
Tampa Hackerspace 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
Winning The Week – 1st Meet
Sage Biscuit Cafe
Winning The Week 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM EDT
Using T-SQL Functions for advanced analytics | Tural Suleymani
Online
Orlando Power BI User Group 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM EDT
FREE Fab Lab Orientation
Faulhaber Fab Lab
Suncoast Makers 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM EDT
D&D (5e) @ Black Harbor Gaming (FULL)
Black Harbor Gaming
St Pete and Pinellas Tabletop RPG Group 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM EDT
Writers Meet-Up: Hang Out and Write
The Study Wine & Beer Lounge St. Pete
Prose Society Writers Group 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM EDT
What are the important ballot measures and races this year? How will they go?
Online
Tampa Bay Thinkers 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM EDT
Golf Group – Star Wars: Force & Destiny & One-Shots
Online
Oviedo Middle Aged Gamers (OMAG) 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Community Hang-out Night
Online
Nerdbrew Events 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Golf Group – RPG One-Shots
Online
Oviedo Middle Aged Gamers (OMAG) 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Tampa Hackerspace Board Game Night and Potluck
Tampa Hackerspace West
Tampa Hackerspace 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Yu-Gi-Oh Evening Tournament
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Gen Geek Under the Sea Halloween Party!
Online
Gen Geek 7:00 PM to 11:30 PM EDT
Tampa Nerd Online Hang-out & Game Night!
Online
Nerd Night Out 7:00 PM to 11:30 PM EDT
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Sunday, October 27

Event name and location Group Time
CRITICAL THINKERS SUNDAY Meetup AT Sarasota Art Museum
1001 S Tamiami Trail
Suncoast Critical Thinking Discussion Group 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
Libby’s Extra CRITICAL THINKERS SUNDAY Meetup Event
Libby’s Cafe & Bar
Suncoast Critical Thinking Discussion Group 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM EDT
4th Sunday Board Games at Liquid Garage
The Liquid Garage Co.
Beyond Catan, A Group of Board Game Geeks 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM EDT
4TH SUNDAY OF THE MONTH BOARDGAMING AT NERDY NEEDS
Nerdy Needs
Brandon Boardgamers 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
CNC Router-Engraved-Milling
MakerSpace Pinellas
Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM EDT
D&D Adventurers League
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 2:00 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
D&D Adventurers League at Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Sunday Chess at Wholefoods in Midtown, Tampa
Whole Foods Market
Chess Republic 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM EDT
Laser certification
MakerSpace Pinellas
Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group 2:05 PM to 3:30 PM EDT
Sunday Pokemon League
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Lankhmar: City of Adventure
Nerdy Needs
Brandon and Seffner area AD&D and OSR Group 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Sew Awesome! (Textile Arts & Crafts)
Tampa Hackerspace West
Tampa Hackerspace 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Continuing adventures in the setting of Symbaroum.
Online
St Pete and Pinellas Tabletop RPG Group 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Let’s Learn to Turn Pens!
Tampa Hackerspace West
Tampa Hackerspace 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Creatures of the Night at ZooTampa
Lowry Park Zoo
Geekocracy! 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Find Your Funny Toastmasters
Online
Toastmasters Division E 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Make Money Online
Online
Make Money Online 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
A Duck Presents NB Movie Night
Discord.io/Nerdbrew
Nerd Night Out 7:00 PM to 11:30 PM EDT
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About this list

How do I put this list together? It’s largely automated. I have a collection of Python scripts in a Jupyter Notebook that scrapes Meetup and Eventbrite for events in categories that I consider to be “tech,” “entrepreneur,” and “nerd.” The result is a checklist that I review. I make judgment calls and uncheck any items that I don’t think fit on this list.

In addition to events that my scripts find, I also manually add events when their organizers contact me with their details.

What goes into this list? I prefer to cast a wide net, so the list includes events that would be of interest to techies, nerds, and entrepreneurs. It includes (but isn’t limited to) events that fall under any of these categories:

  • Programming, DevOps, systems administration, and testing
  • Tech project management / agile processes
  • Video, board, and role-playing games
  • Book, philosophy, and discussion clubs
  • ️ Tech, business, and entrepreneur networking events
  • Toastmasters and other events related to improving your presentation and public speaking skills, because nerds really need to up their presentation game
  • Sci-fi, fantasy, and other genre fandoms
  • Self-improvement, especially of the sort that appeals to techies
  • Anything I deem geeky
Categories
Current Events Meetups Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay tech, entrepreneur, and nerd events list (Tuesday, October 15 – Sunday, October 20, 2024)

Here’s what’s happening in the thriving tech scene in Tampa Bay and surrounding areas for the week of Tuesday, October 15 through Sunday, October 20, 2024! This list includes both in-person and online events.

Note that each item in the list includes:

✅ When the event will take place

✅ What the event is

✅ Where the event will take place

✅ Who is holding the event

Hurricane Milton wrecks Florida

Please note: Before you attend events for the next couple of weeks, check with the organizers to make sure that they haven’t been cancelled or postponed due to Hurricane Milton and the damage it left in its wake.

This week’s events

Tuesday, October 15

Event name and location Group Time
Venice Area Toastmasters Club #5486
Online
Toastmasters District 48 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
10 Job Search Strategies You Should be Using
Online
Career Success Academy 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM EDT
New Tampa Business Networking, Connect with like minded professionals. Join US!
Glory Day’s Grill
RGA Networking Professional Business Networking 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
Unlocking Visibility: The Power of Video in Marketing
Studio 131
She Is Limitless | Women’s Success Circle 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
Weekly Open Make Night
4931 W Nassau St
Tampa Hackerspace 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
The Simply Referrals Business Networking Event on Zoom
Online
Simply Referrals Tampa Business Networking 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Disney Lorcana Night
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Magic: The Gathering Night at Felicitous
Felicitous (on 42nd)
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Hobby Night
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Meet & Greet at O’Keefe’s Family Restaurant
O’Keefe’s Family Restaurant
Florida Center for Creative Photography 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Pinellas Writers and Authors Weekly Meeting (Online/Zoom)
Online
Pinellas Writers Group 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Asking for Help: How to Collect Online Donations when Disaster Strikes
Online
WordPress Tampa Bay 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
October Poetry Harvest: Sharing Autumn’s Verse
Vino Bistro of Sarasota
Their Eyes Were Watching Books – Classic Book Meetup 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Panera Bread
Book Club – Clermont and Winter Garden 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
The Sarasota Creative Writers
Sarasota Alliance Church
The Sarasota Creative Writers Meetup Group 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
New critique group forming
Online
The Writer’s Studio 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Dunedin Toastmasters – Guests Welcome
Unity Community Church
Dunedin Toastmasters 2166 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Trivia Night – Moose Lodge 2117 Smartphone Trivia Game Show
Moose Lodge
Game Night Meetup for Trivia in Tampa, Sarasota, Venice 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Boards & Bones
SpookEasy Lounge
Nerdbrew Events 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
D&D Adventurers League at Armada Games
Armada Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM EDT
St. Pete Beers ‘n Board Games Meetup for Young Adults
Pinellas Ale Works Brewery
St. Pete Beers ‘n Board Games for Young Adults 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Trivia Night with Trivia Nation
Irish 31 Pub House & Eatery
Trivia Night at Irish 31 Seminole 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Necromunda Night
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Yu-Gi-Oh Evening Tournament
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
AMA – Ask Me Anything Related to Photography, Computers and Software
O’Keefe’s Family Restaurant
Florida Center for Creative Photography 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Tampa Bay Technology Center (TBTC) Monthly Meeting
2079 Range Rd
Tampa Bay Coalition of Reason is disbanded 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Keynotes and More Advanced Toastmasters Biweekly Meeting
Online
Toastmasters Division E 7:07 PM to 8:37 PM EDT
Nic At Nite – Weekly Movie Night
Online
Nerdbrew Events 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Online Event: Shut Up & Write on Zoom
Online
Shut Up & Write!® Tampa 7:45 PM to 9:15 PM EDT
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Wednesday, October 16

Event name and location Group Time
World Toasters Toastmasters Club
Online
Toastmasters Division E 7:05 AM to 8:00 AM EDT
NPI St. Pete Sunrise Chapter – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals
St Petersburg Yacht Club
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI) 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
NPI Profit Partners Chapter – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals
Panera Bread
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI) 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
Grow Your Business with focused Referral Networking
Sons of Italy Lodge
BNI Tampa -Referral based networking 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
Tampa Highrisers Toastmasters
Hyde Park United Methodist Church
Toastmasters District 48 7:45 AM to 8:45 AM EDT
NPI North St. Pete Networkers Chapter – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals
Carrabas Italian Grill
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI) 11:30 AM to 12:45 PM EDT
No Fear Speaking Webinar and Meetup
Online
Tampa Fear of Public Speaking Meetup Group 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM EDT
Inspiring Authors & Book Immersion Meetup
Online
Lady Lake Memoir Writing Meetup Group 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM EDT
Social “Hump Day” Wednesdays
Online
Social Entrepreneurs Networking Group 2:15 PM to 4:15 PM EDT
Wednesday Night Gaming
Nerdy Needs
Brandon Boardgamers 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Bay pines toastmaster’s hybrid meeting
C. W. Bill Young VA Medical Center
Bay Pines Toastmasters 5:15 PM to 6:30 PM EDT
Happy Hour Networking for a Cause – Brio Tuscan Grille at UTC
Brio Tuscan Grille Sarasota at the University
Sarasota Business Exchange Club 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM EDT
Orlando Chess Association’s Weekly Chess at the Library
West Osceola Branch Library
Greater Orlando Chess 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Wednesday Board Game Night
Bridge Center
Tampa Gaming Guild 5:30 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Felicitous Game Night w/Heritage Dim Sum
Felicitous (on 42nd)
Tampa Game Nights 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Adult Dungeons & Dragons Wednesdays
Conworlds Emporium
Tarpon Springs Pop Culture & Gaming Meetup 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Board Game Night
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Great Big Trivia Wednesdays @ Terra Ceia Bay Country Club Palmetto 6-8PM
Terra Ceia Bay Country Club
South Florida Poker, Music & Entertainment Group 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Casual Commander Wednesdays
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Hobby Night – Minis Painting Tips & Tricks at Armada Games
Armada Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Post-Milton Writers Hang Out (Let’s Chat Books, Movies, and Life!)
The Study Wine & Beer Lounge St. Pete
Prose Society Writers Group 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
TechUP Monthly Meetup
AMRoC FabLab
TechUP Group – Tampa Bay 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
Happy Hour for Young Entrepreneurs & Business Leaders
Bar Louie – Tampa
Young Entrepreneurs of America YEA Meetup Group 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Game Night!
Southern Lights Brewing Company
Drunk’n Meeples the Social Tabletop (Board) Gamers 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Castaways Euchre Club
The Hanger Restaurant & Flight Lounge
Hosted By Castaways Euchre Club 6:50 PM to 8:50 PM EDT
3D Printing Orientation: Models and Slicers
Online
Tampa Hackerspace 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Apopka Foliage Toastmasters
Online
Apopka Foliage Toastmasters 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Carrollwood Toastmasters Meetings meet In-Person and Online
Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library
Toastmasters District 48 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Communication Practice and Improvement
Online
Communication Skills for Interviews and Presentations 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Games & Grog @ The Grove SoHo!
Grove Soho
Nerdbrew Events 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
MtG Modern Constructed at Armada Games
Armada Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Magic Pioneer Event
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM EDT
New Beginnings & Old Rivalries
Online
Central Florida AD&D (1st ed.) Grognards Guild 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM EDT
ONLINE / SPANISH: Marcus Aurelius & The Meditations
Online
Orlando Stoics 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
It is time to get your presentation ready for 3DXW25!
Online
Polkflswug 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Games & Grog (Social Game Night in SoHo)
Grove Soho
Nerd Night Out 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Mastering Communication: A Key to Professional Success
Online
Professionals Meetup For Networking And Social Skillsets 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
October 16th Zoom Meeting
Online
Port Charlotte Writers Group 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Cardfight Vanguard!! OverDress Weekly
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
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Thursday, October 17

Event name and location Group Time
NPI Bayview Chapter – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals
11 Central Ave
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI) 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
RGA’s Founders & Amplify Clearwater Partnership meeting ~ All Welcome, JOIN in.
Chili’s Grill & Bar
RGA Networking Professional Business Networking 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
NPI Power Lunch – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals
Carrabas Italian Grill
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI) 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
Job Seeker Strategies for Company Research and Engagement
Online
Front End Creatives 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
Sarasota Speakers Exchange Toastmasters
Online
Toastmasters District 48 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
Commander Open Play Night at Armada Games
Armada Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Online Event: Shut Up & Write!® Your Life Story (on Zoom)
Online
Shut Up & Write!® St. Petersburg 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM EDT
Unity Engine Fundamentals & Class Series Info
Online
Orlando Game Developers Meetup 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM EDT
Thursday Night Gaming
3407 Lithia Pinecrest Rd
Brandon Boardgamers 5:00 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Gulfport Scrabble and Social
The Drunken Taco
Gulfport Scrabblers and Social 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Rob Watson – WPEngine vs WordPress: What Happened and What’s Next?
Online
West Orlando WordPress Meetup 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Tracking Google Business Profile Success with UTM Parameters
Online
Tampa SEO and Digital Marketing Meetup with Steve Scott 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Game Night at Conworlds Emporium
Conworlds Emporium
Tarpon Springs Pop Culture & Gaming Meetup 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
The Fallen Lands
2103 Laceflower Dr
Brandon and Seffner area AD&D and OSR Group 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Warhammer Night
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Unmasking the Theatrics: 10 Behaviors Holding Back Kanban Teams
Online
Tampa Bay Women in Agile 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Board Games
MakerSpace Clearwater
Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
In 4931!! — Girls Who Code for Grades 6-12
4931 W Nassau St
Tampa Hackerspace 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
3D Printer Orientation: Printing at Tampa Hackerspace (THS Members only)
4935 W Nassau St
Tampa Hackerspace 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Lean Beer for All Things Agile (Tampa)
Wild Rover Brewing Company
Tampa Bay Agile 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Woodshop Tool Sign Off-Jointer, Planer, & Bandsaw (Members Only)
Tampa Hackerspace West
Tampa Hackerspace 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Palm Harbor Toastmasters Club #8248
1500 16th St
Toastmasters District 48 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
FABulous Thursdays
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Dungeons and Dragons with Donavan
Unlucky Roll Cafe
Unlucky Roll Cafe Board Game Meetup 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
One Piece Thursdays
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Pathfinder Society
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Into the Night (FULL)
Online
St Pete and Pinellas Tabletop RPG Group 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Smartphone Trivia Game Show at Wilders Pizza
Wilder’s Pizza
Game Night Meetup for Trivia in Tampa, Sarasota, Venice 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory” by Caitlin Doughty
Good Liquid Brewing Company LWR
SRQ Ladies Book Club 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Live streaming production and talent
124 S Ring Ave
Live streaming production and talent 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Weekly Hacks
Online
Hacktivate – Hackathon Meetup Group 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
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Friday, October 18

Event name and location Group Time
Azure Fundamentals | Izmir Sadigov
Online
Orlando Power BI User Group 1:00 AM to 2:00 AM EDT
Caffeine & Connections: Friday Fuel for Black Professionals
Online
Pinellas County Black Business Meetup Group 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
Tampa Young Professionals Virtual Networking Friday Morning All WElCOME
Online
St. Petersburg Business Networking 8:45 AM to 10:15 AM EDT
Online Networking with Brandon Biz Pros
Online
Brandon Biz Pros 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM EDT
Toastmasters – Improve Speaking Skills & Build Confidence
Online
Christian Professionals Network Tampa Bay 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM EDT
Ms. Biz Connectz- business leaders brainstorm together
Online
Ms. Biz Connectz- business leaders brainstorming together 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM EDT
Business Networking Tampa at McAlisters across from International Plaza JOIN IN!
McAlister’s Deli
RGA Networking Professional Business Networking 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
TBUX Virtual: Portfolio Share & Review
Online
Tampa Bay UX Group 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM EDT
Friday Board Game Night
Bridge Club
Tampa Gaming Guild 5:30 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
MTG: Commander FNM
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Taps & Drafts | Casual EDH/MtG Social Night
Industrious
Nerd Night Out 6:00 PM to 11:45 PM EDT
DUELING PIANOS @ Maggiano’s (RSVP SOON)
Maggiano’s Little Italy
Tampa Bay Happy Hour 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Modern FNM
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM EDT
Taps & Drafts | EDH/MtG Night | Event Moves Each Week!
Studio Movie Grill Tampa
Nerdbrew Events 7:00 PM to 11:45 PM EDT
Nihongo De Okay
Naga Tea
Tampa Japanese Meetup 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
StoicDan visits Tampa Stoics! Stand-up, Interview, and Q&A
Raining Berries USF – Açaí • Smoothie • Coffee
Tampa Stoics 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Friday meeting is skipped 10-18-1024
Online
Orlando Stoics 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Stottlemyer’s Smokehouse
Stottlemyer’s Smokehouse
30s-40s (ish) Socializing – Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Friday Pokemon Tournament
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:30 PM to 11:30 PM EDT
Every Friday–Dance Under the Stars @ The Pier
THE ST PETE PIER
Tampa Bay Singles Activities Group 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Friday night game night
Indica Cafe Tampa Bay’s First & Greatest CBD Lounge
Indica Cafe Events Friday, October 18, 2024 at 9:00 PM to Saturday, October 19, 2024 at 12:00 AM EDT
Monthly Cell Phone Photo Showcase
Online
Florida Center for Creative Photography Friday, October 18, 2024 at 11:59 PM to Saturday, October 19, 2024 at 12:01 AM EDT
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Saturday, October 19

Event name and location Group Time
Play VINCI: The only known cure for TDS
Online
Central Florida Philosophy Meetup 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM EDT
Hunters Creek Toastmasters
Online
Toastmasters Division E 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM EDT
Saturday Chess at Wholefoods in Midtown, Tampa
Whole Foods Market
Chess Republic 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
Woodshop Tool Sign Off-Jointer, Planer, & Bandsaw (Members Only)
Tampa Hackerspace West
Tampa Hackerspace 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
Whether God can be Proven to Exist – St. Thomas’ “Five Ways”.
North Sarasota Public Library
Sarasota Socratic Society 10:15 AM to 1:15 PM EDT
Bravo Group Campaign Continues
Online
Oviedo Middle Aged Gamers (OMAG) 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM EDT
Winning The Week – 1st Meet
Sage Biscuit Cafe
Winning The Week 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM EDT
Question and Answers for Patent Registration
MakerSpace Pinellas
Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM EDT
Intro to Sewing
MakerSpace Pinellas
Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM EDT
JOIN our Facebook Group, LIKE our Fan Page and Invite your Friends
Online
Florida Center for Creative Photography 12:00 PM to 12:15 PM EDT
Board Game Day: Halloween Edition!
The Potion Portal
Geekocracy! 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM EDT
October Book Club
Cricketers British Pub & Restaurant Dunedin
Tampa Bay Women’s Book Club Meetup Group 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM EDT
FREE Fab Lab Orientation
Faulhaber Fab Lab
Suncoast Makers 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM EDT
D&D (5e) @ Black Harbor Gaming (FULL)
Black Harbor Gaming
St Pete and Pinellas Tabletop RPG Group 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM EDT
Laser Cutter Orientation (Members Only)
Tampa Hackerspace
Tampa Hackerspace 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM EDT
Radiant Citadel Adventures (Tier 2)
Coliseum of Comics Clermont
Orlando Adventurer’s Guild 2:00 PM to 6:30 PM EDT
Radiant Citadel Adventures (Tier 1)
Coliseum of Comics Clermont
Orlando Adventurer’s Guild 2:00 PM to 6:30 PM EDT
Affliction by Russell Banks
New World Tampa
Tampa Book Club – Award-Winning Books 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM EDT
Game Project Therapy (Virtual)
Online
Tampa Games Developer Guild 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM EDT
Mid October Game Night
IHOP
New Port Richey Casual Games and Fun Socializing Group! 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Community Hang-out Night
Online
Nerdbrew Events 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Yu-Gi-Oh Evening Tournament
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Tampa Nerd Online Hang-out & Game Night!
Online
Nerd Night Out 7:00 PM to 11:30 PM EDT
PopStroke Putt-Putt Meetup
popstroke
Coastal Connections | Gen X & Millennial Professionals 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Government Aerospace Contractor Job Search Networking: Virtual Edition
Online
Orlando Get a Government Aerospace Contractor Job Network Saturday, October 19, 2024 at 10:00 PM to Sunday, October 20, 2024 at 12:00 AM EDT
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Sunday, October 20

Event name and location Group Time
CRITICAL THINKERS SUNDAY Meetup AT Sarasota Art Museum
1001 S Tamiami Trail
Suncoast Critical Thinking Discussion Group 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
Libby’s Extra CRITICAL THINKERS SUNDAY Meetup Event
Libby’s Cafe & Bar
Suncoast Critical Thinking Discussion Group 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM EDT
Laser class 3 – Fiber Laser & practice
MakerSpace Pinellas
Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM EDT
Regional Championship Qualifier US (3) Round 8 Modern
Balance Martial Arts & Gaming
Balance Martial Arts and Gaming 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Sunday Gaming
Tampa Bay Bridge Center
Tampa Gaming Guild 1:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Large format printing
MakerSpace Clearwater
Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM EDT
Monthly Book Club | Community, Drinks & Throught-Provoking Reads
The Collective
St. Pete Community-Based Book Club | Literature & Libations 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM EDT
Sunday Chess at Wholefoods in Midtown, Tampa
Whole Foods Market
Chess Republic 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM EDT
D&D Adventurers League
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 2:00 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
D&D Adventurers League at Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Direct to Film Digital Printing
MakerSpace Clearwater
Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM EDT
Call of Cthulhu – Mystery Horror RPG (One Shot – The Darkness Beneath The Hill)
Game-O-Storus
St Pete and Pinellas Tabletop RPG Group 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Traveller – Science Fiction Adventure RPG
Black Harbor Gaming
St Pete and Pinellas Tabletop RPG Group 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM EDT
Sunday Pokemon League
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Howl-o-Scream at Busch Gardens Tampa
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Geekocracy! 5:00 PM to 11:45 PM EDT
Lankhmar: City of Adventure
Nerdy Needs
Brandon and Seffner area AD&D and OSR Group 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Alphabet Soup 2024 | Finding Letters in the World Around Us
Online
Florida Center for Creative Photography Sunday, October 20, 2024 at 5:00 PM to Sunday, November 3, 2024 at 4:00 PM EDT
Phantasmagoria XV Grim and Grimmer Tales
The Tampa Theatre
Gen Geek 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
A Duck Presents NB Movie Night
Discord.io/Nerdbrew
Nerd Night Out 7:00 PM to 11:30 PM EDT
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About this list

How do I put this list together? It’s largely automated. I have a collection of Python scripts in a Jupyter Notebook that scrapes Meetup and Eventbrite for events in categories that I consider to be “tech,” “entrepreneur,” and “nerd.” The result is a checklist that I review. I make judgment calls and uncheck any items that I don’t think fit on this list.

In addition to events that my scripts find, I also manually add events when their organizers contact me with their details.

What goes into this list? I prefer to cast a wide net, so the list includes events that would be of interest to techies, nerds, and entrepreneurs. It includes (but isn’t limited to) events that fall under any of these categories:

  • Programming, DevOps, systems administration, and testing
  • Tech project management / agile processes
  • Video, board, and role-playing games
  • Book, philosophy, and discussion clubs
  • ️ Tech, business, and entrepreneur networking events
  • Toastmasters and other events related to improving your presentation and public speaking skills, because nerds really need to up their presentation game
  • Sci-fi, fantasy, and other genre fandoms
  • Self-improvement, especially of the sort that appeals to techies
  • Anything I deem geeky
Categories
Current Events Meetups Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay tech, entrepreneur, and nerd events list (Monday, October 7 – Sunday, October 13, 2024)

[Update, Tuesday October 8th] Remember those plans you had to participate in Tampa Bay’s tech, entrepreneur, and nerd scene? You’re going to have to put them off for this week, because the worst (and geekiest) of all hurricanes is headed straight for Tampa Bay!

You might as well consider all the events on this week’s list cancelled unless their organizers tell you otherwise. Even after the hurricane passes, we’ll likely all be busy with cleaning up. Be prepared, and stay safe!

(What would have been) this week’s events

Monday, October 7

Event name and location Group Time
Downtown St. Pete Business Networking Connection Lunch~ All Welcome< JOIN In!
The Sourdough Co.
RGA Networking Professional Business Networking 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
Business Networking Meeting
Online
Christian Professionals Network Tampa Bay 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM EDT
Intro to Mobile Videography (FREE for Hillsborough County residents)
TBCN Media Center
Tampa Bay Community Network 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM EDT
Jules Gibson: Legacy to Leadership
Station 2 Innovation Center
Entrepreneurs & Startups – Bradenton Networking & Education 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Casual Pokemon League at Nerdy Needs
Nerdy Needs
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Toast of Lakewood Ranch Toastmasters Club
Lakewood Ranch Town Hall
Toastmasters District 48 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
Stirling Toastmasters Club #7461614 | Public Speaking & Leadership Development
Online
Toastmasters District 48 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Board Game Night at Armada Games
Armada Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Monday Chess! At Driftwood Kava and Roastery
Driftwood Kava & Roastery St. Pete
TB Chess – Tampa Bay – St. Petersburg Chess Meetup Group 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
NSFW Trivia
The Winner’s Circle
Adventure Group of Central Florida 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
DigiMondays
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
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Tuesday, October 8

Event name and location Group Time
v-Lean Coffee
Online
Tampa Bay Agile 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM EDT
Venice Area Toastmasters Club #5486
Online
Toastmasters District 48 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
Resume Renovation
Online
Career Success Academy 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM EDT
The Soft Side of Product Management – Tampa Bay Product Group
Vaco Tampa Skycenter
Tampa Bay Product Group 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Weekly Open Make Night
4931 W Nassau St
Tampa Hackerspace 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Disney Lorcana Night
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Hobby Night
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Magic: The Gathering Night at Felicitous
Felicitous (on 42nd)
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Meet & Greet at O’Keefe’s Family Restaurant
O’Keefe’s Family Restaurant
Florida Center for Creative Photography 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Pinellas Writers and Authors Weekly Meeting (Online/Zoom)
Online
Pinellas Writers Group 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Advance Resin 3D Printing
MakerSpace Clearwater
Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Learn About Podcasting and How to Monetize Your Interest!
McAlisters Deli
Tampa eMarketing Groups 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Guest Speaker Seminar for Young Entrepreneurs & Business Leaders
Cres Community
Young Entrepreneurs of America YEA Meetup Group 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Florida Podcasters Association General Meeting!!!
McAlisters
Florida Podcasters Association 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Loner Seekers Euchre – Tampa
Gaspars Patio Bar & Grille
Loner Seekers Euchre – Tampa 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
October Poetry Harvest: Sharing Autumn’s Verse
Vino Bistro of Sarasota
Their Eyes Were Watching Books – Classic Book Meetup 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Panera Bread
Book Club – Clermont and Winter Garden 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Weekday Writing Get Down
The Writers Room
We Write Here Black and Women of Color Writing Group 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Woodshop Safety (Members Only)
Tampa Hackerspace West
Tampa Hackerspace 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Creative Speaking
Roots To Crown
Creative Speaking St Pete 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Dunedin Toastmasters – Guests Welcome
Unity Community Church
Dunedin Toastmasters 2166 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Horus Heresy Open Play
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
D&D Adventurers League at Armada Games
Armada Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM EDT
Yu-Gi-Oh Evening Tournament
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
St. Pete Beers ‘n Board Games Meetup for Young Adults
Pinellas Ale Works Brewery
St. Pete Beers ‘n Board Games for Young Adults 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Trivia Night – Moose Lodge 2117 Smartphone Trivia Game Show
Moose Lodge
Game Night Meetup for Trivia in Tampa, Sarasota, Venice 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Trivia Night with Trivia Nation
Irish 31 Pub House & Eatery
Trivia Night at Irish 31 Seminole 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
AMA – Ask Me Anything Related to Photography, Computers and Software
O’Keefe’s Family Restaurant
Florida Center for Creative Photography 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Boards & Bones
SpookEasy Lounge
Nerd Night Out 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Nic At Nite – Weekly Movie Night
Online
Nerdbrew Events 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Lorcana Draft
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM EDT
Online Event: Shut Up & Write on Zoom
Online
Shut Up & Write!® Tampa 7:45 PM to 9:15 PM EDT
Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
AMC Sundial 20
Otakus Nerds and Geeks 7:50 PM to 9:50 PM EDT
Return to the top of the list

Wednesday, October 9

Event name and location Group Time
World Toasters Hybrid Meeting
Disney University
Toastmasters Division E 7:05 AM to 8:00 AM EDT
Grow Your Business with focused Referral Networking
Sons of Italy Lodge
BNI Tampa -Referral based networking 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
NPI St. Pete Sunrise Chapter – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals
St Petersburg Yacht Club
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI) 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
NPI Profit Partners Chapter – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals
Panera Bread
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI) 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
Tampa Highrisers Toastmasters
Hyde Park United Methodist Church
Toastmasters District 48 7:45 AM to 8:45 AM EDT
NPI North St. Pete Networkers Chapter – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals
Carrabas Italian Grill
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI) 11:30 AM to 12:45 PM EDT
Make It Count: Designing a Strong First Impression Above the Fold
Online
Tampa SEO and Digital Marketing Meetup with Steve Scott 12:00 PM to 12:45 PM EDT
Mah Jongg gathering at Deb’s House
Online
SRQ Newbie Mahjong Gathering 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM EDT
Inspiring Authors & Book Immersion Meetup
Online
Lady Lake Memoir Writing Meetup Group 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM EDT
Social “Hump Day” Wednesdays
Online
Social Entrepreneurs Networking Group 2:15 PM to 4:15 PM EDT
SwanCitySec Meetup
Craft + Kitchen
Central Florida CitySec 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Wednesday Night Gaming
Nerdy Needs
Brandon Boardgamers 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Bay pines toastmaster’s hybrid meeting
C. W. Bill Young VA Medical Center
Bay Pines Toastmasters 5:15 PM to 6:30 PM EDT
Wednesday Board Game Night
Bridge Center
Tampa Gaming Guild 5:30 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Felicitous Game Night w/Heritage Dim Sum
Felicitous (on 42nd)
Tampa Game Nights 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Manila Eats Dinner Meetup
Manila Eats
Tampa Bay Foodies Club 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Workshop: Accessibility for Designers
Computer Coach Training Center
Tampa Bay UX Group 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Hobby Night – Minis Painting Tips & Tricks at Armada Games
Armada Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Board Game Night
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Casual Commander Wednesdays
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Adult Dungeons & Dragons Wednesdays
Conworlds Emporium
Tarpon Springs Pop Culture & Gaming Meetup 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Great Big Trivia Wednesdays @ Terra Ceia Bay Country Club Palmetto 6-8PM
Terra Ceia Bay Country Club
South Florida Poker, Music & Entertainment Group 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Tampa Bay Inventors Council – www.tbic.us bi-monthly Meetup
Online
Tampa Bay Inventors Council – www.TampaBayInventors.org 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles – MIDWAY
Inner Compass Brewing Company
The Weirder Things Book Club 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Tampa Writers Alliance Critique Group
Online
Tampa Writers Alliance 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Castaways Euchre Club
The Hanger Restaurant & Flight Lounge
Hosted By Castaways Euchre Club 6:50 PM to 8:50 PM EDT
Carrollwood Toastmasters Meetings meet In-Person and Online
Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library
Toastmasters District 48 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Hispanic Professional Business Networking en Español (in Spanish)
Online
Exito Empresarial Hispano Hispanic Networking Meetup Group 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Apopka Foliage Toastmasters
Online
Apopka Foliage Toastmasters 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Story Games Night: Fedora Noir & Someone Has Died
Black Harbor Gaming
St Pete and Pinellas Tabletop RPG Group 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
MtG Modern Constructed at Armada Games
Armada Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Games & Grog @ The Grove SoHo!
Grove Soho
Nerdbrew Events 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
New Beginnings & Old Rivalries
Online
Central Florida AD&D (1st ed.) Grognards Guild 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM EDT
How to Express Yourself and Connect with People
Online
Professionals Meetup For Networking And Social Skillsets 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Games & Grog (Social Game Night in SoHo)
Grove Soho
Nerd Night Out 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Cardfight Vanguard!! OverDress Weekly
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Trivia at Blind Goat
Online
Gen Geek 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM EDT
Return to the top of the list

Thursday, October 10

Event name and location Group Time
NPI Bayview Chapter – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals
11 Central Ave
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI) 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
Tackle it in Ten – Entrepreneur Roundtables
Dunedin Chamber of Commerce
Entrepreneur Round Table 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM EDT
Entrepreneur Roundtable to SPARK Ideas & Build Growth
Dunedin Chamber of Commerce
Clearwater Entrepreneurs’ Round Table 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM EDT
NPI Power Lunch – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals
Carrabas Italian Grill
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI) 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
RGA’s Founders & Amplify Clearwater Partnership meeting ~ All Welcome, JOIN in.
Chili’s Grill & Bar
RGA Networking Professional Business Networking 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
Tech Career Opportunities Await: Breaking In
Online
Tampa Cybersecurity Training 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
Sarasota Speakers Exchange Toastmasters
Online
Toastmasters District 48 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
Commander Open Play Night at Armada Games
Armada Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Online Event: Shut Up & Write!® Your Life Story (on Zoom)
Online
Shut Up & Write!® St. Petersburg 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM EDT
Questions and Answers Round Table Session – Bring your questions or Problems
Online
Online eBay e-comm Selling Success Englewood FL, Raleigh NC 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM EDT
Gulfport Scrabble and Social
The Drunken Taco
Gulfport Scrabblers and Social 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Thursday Night Gaming
3407 Lithia Pinecrest Rd
Brandon Boardgamers 5:00 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Codebase Resurrection: Revive and Refactor with AI
Entrepreneur Collaborative Center (ECC)
Tampa Java User Group 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
Omni Toastmasters Club 6861
Online
Toastmasters Divisions C & D 5:45 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Tampa M365 – Social @ Magnanimous
Magnanimous Brewing
Tampa M365 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Tampa Power Platform – Social @ Magnanimous
Magnanimous Brewing
Tampa Power Platform 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Warhammer Night
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
The Fallen Lands
2103 Laceflower Dr
Brandon and Seffner area AD&D and OSR Group 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Game Night at Conworlds Emporium
Conworlds Emporium
Tarpon Springs Pop Culture & Gaming Meetup 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Writing Meet-Up: Let’s Get to Work!
The Study Wine & Beer Lounge St. Pete
Prose Society Writers Group 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Unmasking the Theatrics: 10 Behaviors Holding Back Kanban Teams
Online
Tampa Bay Women in Agile 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Writing Meetup
HotWax Coffee Shop, Kava Bar & Tap House
Tampa Free Writing Group 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Girls Who Code for Grades 6-12
4935 W Nassau St
Tampa Hackerspace 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Networking Session 1.0
The Edge Rooftop Bar above Epicurean hotel
Accounting Finance Data Professionals 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Woodshop Tool Sign Off-Jointer, Planer, & Bandsaw (Members Only)
Tampa Hackerspace West
Tampa Hackerspace 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Quarterly Update and Community Planning
Bitcoin Bay Foundation
Tampa Bay Bitcoin 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Palm Harbor Toastmasters Club #8248
1500 16th St
Toastmasters District 48 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
[LIVE] Monster Learn-To-Trade: Daily Training
Online
[LIVE] Monster Learn-To-Trade Crypto 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Understanding People – Knowing Whom You Can Trust
Online
Communication Skills for Career Advancement Group 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Smartphone Trivia Game Show at Wilders Pizza
Wilder’s Pizza
Game Night Meetup for Trivia in Tampa, Sarasota, Venice 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
One Piece Thursdays
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Dungeons and Dragons with Donavan
Unlucky Roll Cafe
Unlucky Roll Cafe Board Game Meetup 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
FABulous Thursdays
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Pathfinder Society
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory” by Caitlin Doughty
Siesta Key Wines
SRQ Ladies Book Club 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert – Book Club
Panera Bread
Something Punny Ladies Book Club 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Live streaming production and talent
124 S Ring Ave
Live streaming production and talent 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Return to the top of the list

Friday, October 11

Event name and location Group Time
Virtual “2nd Fridays” Lean Coffee Orlando
Online
Agile Orlando 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM EDT
Caffeine & Connections: Friday Fuel for Black Professionals
Online
Pinellas County Black Business Meetup Group 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
Tampa Young Professionals Virtual Networking Friday Morning All WElCOME
Online
St. Petersburg Business Networking 8:45 AM to 10:15 AM EDT
Online Networking with Brandon Biz Pros
Online
Brandon Biz Pros 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM EDT
Local Stories Live! Hillsborough County
2101 E Palm Ave
Suncoast Credit Union Micro Enterprise Development Meetup 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM EDT
NETWORKING SKILLS VIRTUAL WORKSHOP: Confidently Create More Connections!
Online
Beast Mode Networking Orlando 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM EDT
Toastmasters – Improve Speaking Skills & Build Confidence
Online
Christian Professionals Network Tampa Bay 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM EDT
Ms. Biz Connectz- business leaders brainstorm together
Online
Ms. Biz Connectz- business leaders brainstorming together 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM EDT
Business Networking Tampa at McAlisters across from International Plaza JOIN IN!
McAlister’s Deli
RGA Networking Professional Business Networking 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
TBUX Virtual: Portfolio Share & Review
Online
Tampa Bay UX Group 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
Friday Board Game Night
Bridge Club
Tampa Gaming Guild 5:30 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
MTG: Commander FNM
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Taps & Drafts | Casual EDH/MtG Social Night
Industrious
Nerd Night Out 6:00 PM to 11:45 PM EDT
Sarasota True Crime Club: 2022 University of Idaho Murders
Lakewood Ranch Main Street 8131 Lakewood ranch main street lakewood ranch florida 34202
Sarasota True Crime Meetup 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Join our Facebook group!
Online
The Pinellas County Young “Professionals” 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Taps & Drafts | EDH/MtG Night | Event Moves Each Week!
Studio Movie Grill Tampa
Nerdbrew Events 7:00 PM to 11:45 PM EDT
Modern FNM
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM EDT
Friday Pokemon Tournament
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:30 PM to 11:30 PM EDT
Friday night game night
Indica Cafe Tampa Bay’s First & Greatest CBD Lounge
Indica Cafe Events Friday, October 11, 2024 at 9:00 PM to Saturday, October 12, 2024 at 12:00 AM EDT
Return to the top of the list

Saturday, October 12

Event name and location Group Time
Machine Shop Milling 101 (Members Only)
Tampa Hackerspace
Tampa Hackerspace 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
Saturday Chess at Wholefoods in Midtown, Tampa
Whole Foods Market
Chess Republic 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
Workday – Make a Better Space!
Tampa Hackerspace
Tampa Hackerspace 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
Winning The Week – 1st Meet
Sage Biscuit Cafe
Winning The Week 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM EDT
Potluck Picnic & Group Games
John Chesnut Sr. Park
Geekocracy! 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM EDT
Twilight Imperium 4 – with POK & Codex
Anson on Palmer Ranch
Sarasota Strategy Board Game League 12:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Table read screenplays
Town ‘N Country Regional Public Library
Screenwriters of Tomorrow (SOT) Critique Meetup 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM EDT
FREE Fab Lab Orientation
Faulhaber Fab Lab
Suncoast Makers 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM EDT
D&D (5e) @ Black Harbor Gaming (FULL)
Black Harbor Gaming
St Pete and Pinellas Tabletop RPG Group 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM EDT
Socrates Café (Philosophy)
Clearwater Public Library
Clearwater Socrates Café 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM EDT
Game Night 2nd Saturday of each Month 4 – 10 PM
7343 Conch Blvd
Seminole Isle Board Games & Fun Group 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Monthly Bitcoin: Q and A
Online
Bitcoin Orlando 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM EDT
St. Pete Arthouse Cinema Club-Sugarcane
Green Light Cinema
St. Pete Arthouse Cinema Club 4:45 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Trivia Night
Chill Cawfee
Cawfee (Coffee) and conversations 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Golf Group – Star Wars: Force & Destiny & One-Shots
Online
Oviedo Middle Aged Gamers (OMAG) 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Community Hang-out Night
Online
Nerdbrew Events 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Golf Group – RPG One-Shots
Online
Oviedo Middle Aged Gamers (OMAG) 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Yu-Gi-Oh Evening Tournament
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Tampa Nerd Online Hang-out & Game Night!
Online
Nerd Night Out 7:00 PM to 11:30 PM EDT
Return to the top of the list

Sunday, October 13

Event name and location Group Time
9 AM CRITICAL THINKERS SUNDAY Meetup AT Sarasota Art Museum
1001 S Tamiami Trail
Suncoast Critical Thinking Discussion Group 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM EDT
SUN 10/13 at 10 AM ONLINE PHOTOGRAPHY CRITIQUE PROGRAM
Online
The Art Of Photography – Tampa/St. Pete Chapter 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
Libby’s Extra CRITICAL THINKERS SUNDAY Meetup Event
Libby’s Cafe & Bar
Suncoast Critical Thinking Discussion Group 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM EDT
3D Printing basics
MakerSpace Clearwater
Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
2nd Sunday Board Games at Liquid Garage
The Liquid Garage Co.
Beyond Catan, A Group of Board Game Geeks 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM EDT
Modern Board Games and Social
Dented Keg Ale Works
Drunk’n Meeples the Social Tabletop (Board) Gamers 1:00 PM to 6:30 PM EDT
2ND SUNDAY OF THE MONTH BOARDGAMING AT NERDY NEEDS
Nerdy Needs
Brandon Boardgamers 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
NNO Book Club: The Once and Future Witches
Clear Sky Draught Haus
Nerd Night Out 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM EDT
D&D Adventurers League at Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
D&D Adventurers League
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 2:00 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
Sunday Chess at Wholefoods in Midtown, Tampa
Whole Foods Market
Chess Republic 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM EDT
3D scanning
MakerSpace Clearwater
Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM EDT
Pt. 2 of laser training- learning how to use Lightburn.
MakerSpace Clearwater
Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM EDT
Sunday Pokemon League
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Lankhmar: City of Adventure
Nerdy Needs
Brandon and Seffner area AD&D and OSR Group 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Sew Awesome! (Textile Arts & Crafts)
Tampa Hackerspace West
Tampa Hackerspace 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Continuing adventures in the setting of Symbaroum.
Online
St Pete and Pinellas Tabletop RPG Group 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Creatures of the Night at ZooTampa
Lowry Park Zoo
Geekocracy! 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
A Duck Presents NB Movie Night
Discord.io/Nerdbrew
Nerd Night Out 7:00 PM to 11:30 PM EDT
Return to the top of the list

About this list

How do I put this list together? It’s largely automated. I have a collection of Python scripts in a Jupyter Notebook that scrapes Meetup and Eventbrite for events in categories that I consider to be “tech,” “entrepreneur,” and “nerd.” The result is a checklist that I review. I make judgment calls and uncheck any items that I don’t think fit on this list.

In addition to events that my scripts find, I also manually add events when their organizers contact me with their details.

What goes into this list? I prefer to cast a wide net, so the list includes events that would be of interest to techies, nerds, and entrepreneurs. It includes (but isn’t limited to) events that fall under any of these categories:

  • Programming, DevOps, systems administration, and testing
  • Tech project management / agile processes
  • Video, board, and role-playing games
  • Book, philosophy, and discussion clubs
  • ️ Tech, business, and entrepreneur networking events
  • Toastmasters and other events related to improving your presentation and public speaking skills, because nerds really need to up their presentation game
  • Sci-fi, fantasy, and other genre fandoms
  • Self-improvement, especially of the sort that appeals to techies
  • Anything I deem geeky
Categories
Current Events Meetups Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay tech, entrepreneur, and nerd events list (Monday, September 30 – Sunday, October 6, 2024)

 

Here’s what’s happening in the thriving tech scene in Tampa Bay and surrounding areas for the week of Monday, September 30 through Sunday, October 6, 2024! This list includes both in-person and online events.

Note that each item in the list includes:

✅ When the event will take place

✅ What the event is

✅ Where the event will take place

✅ Who is holding the event

This week’s events

Monday, September 30

Event name and location Group Time
Business Networking Meeting
Online
Christian Professionals Network Tampa Bay 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM EDT
Downtown St. Pete Business Networking Connection Lunch~ All Welcome< JOIN In!
The Sourdough Co.
RGA Networking Professional Business Networking 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
Earn $15-$65/Second with Chris’s 6,500 AI Bots – Achieve the same success
Online
Orlando – Eagle Vision Webinars 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM EDT
Intro to Mobile Videography (FREE for Hillsborough County residents)
TBCN Media Center
Tampa Bay Community Network 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM EDT
FCCP 2024 Photo Topic 9, What I did on my Summer Vacation!
Online – Not an in person Meetup
Florida Center for Creative Photography Monday, September 30, 2024 at 5:00 PM to Monday, October 14, 2024 at 5:00 PM EDT
NATIONAL LOVE PEOPLE DAY – SEPTEMBER 30
Tampa Bay Brewing Company
People of Dunedin and Beyond 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Speakeasy Toastmasters #4698
Online
Toastmasters District 48 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
MTG: Commander Night
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Monday Feast & Game Night
Village Inn
Tampa Bay Tabletoppers 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Weekly Oviedo Mall Meetup
The Oviedo Mall
Greater Orlando Chess 6:00 PM to 8:45 PM EDT
Monday Weekly Board Game Night! (Lazy Moon Colonial Location)
Lazy Moon Pizza
Board Game Meetup: Board Game Boxcar 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Casual Pokemon League at Nerdy Needs
Nerdy Needs
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
September Viewing Party
8925 77th Terrace E
Sarasota “Doctor Who” Fan Meetup 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Three Bridges Brewing Trivia Night with the Smartphone Trivia Game Show
Three bridges brewing
Game Night Meetup for Trivia in Tampa, Sarasota, Venice 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Let’s Talk Toastmasters
Tulip Nails
Toastmasters Divisions C & D 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Entrepreneur Book Club Weekly Meetup – Live Reading & Elaboration
Online
Business Owners and Professionals 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Learn online Property Mapping
CoreSRQ North Branch
Alta Vista Neighborhood Association MeetUp 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Hidden Gems Night, Presented by A Duck!
Online
Nerdbrew Events 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Monday Chess! At Driftwood Kava and Roastery
Driftwood Kava & Roastery St. Pete
TB Chess – Tampa Bay – St. Petersburg Chess Meetup Group 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
ONLINE: Stoic Physics in Brief: The Universe, The Soul, and Death
Online
Orlando Stoics 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
MONDAY NIGHT GAME NIGHT
Executive Sanford
Craft Cocktail Lounge Events and Activities 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
DigiMondays
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Weekly General Meetup
Online
Beginning Web Development 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Where is Bitcoin Going?
Online
Bitcoiners of Southwest Florida 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Return to the top of the list

Tuesday, October 1

Event name and location Group Time
GOBN Weekly Meeting
Greater Orlando Business Network
The Greater Orlando Business Network 7:15 AM to 8:15 AM EDT
NPI St. Pete Business Builders Chapter – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals
St Petersburg Yacht Club
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI) 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
SWAT Networking Sarasota Luncheon
El Melvin Cocina Mexicana
SWAT Networking – Successful Women Aligning Together 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
Navigating Success: Customer Journey tools & techniques Workshop
Online
Entrepreneur’s Guild: Growing Your Business 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
Mahjong at Diane’s
Broadway Promenade
SRQ Newbie Mahjong Gathering 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM EDT
Feeding Tampa Bay with Gen Geek
Tropicana Field
Gen Geek 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM EDT
Disney Lorcana Night
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Loner Seekers Euchre – Tampa
Gaspars Patio Bar & Grille
Loner Seekers Euchre – Tampa 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Panera Bread
Book Club – Clermont and Winter Garden 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Toast of Celebration Toastmasters
305 Campus St
Toastmasters Division E 6:45 PM to 8:15 PM EDT
The Wild Robot in RPX at Regal Park Place
Regal Park Place Stadium 16 & RPX
The Tampa Bay Movie Fans Meetup Group 6:50 PM to 8:50 PM EDT
Dunedin Toastmasters – Guests Welcome
Unity Community Church
Dunedin Toastmasters 2166 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Naples Toastmasters Club #2835
Online
Toastmasters District 48 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
D&D Adventurers League at Armada Games
Armada Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM EDT
Trivia Night – Moose Lodge 2117 Smartphone Trivia Game Show
Moose Lodge
Game Night Meetup for Trivia in Tampa, Sarasota, Venice 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
St. Pete Beers ‘n Board Games Meetup for Young Adults
Pinellas Ale Works Brewery
St. Pete Beers ‘n Board Games for Young Adults 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Trivia Night with Trivia Nation
Irish 31 Pub House & Eatery
Trivia Night at Irish 31 Seminole 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Yu-Gi-Oh Evening Tournament
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Meet-and-Greet (October 1, 2024)
Joybird Books
Page’s Edge Book Club 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
AMA – Ask Me Anything Related to Photography, Computers and Software
O’Keefe’s Family Restaurant
Florida Center for Creative Photography 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Nic At Nite – Weekly Movie Night
Online
Nerdbrew Events 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Return to the top of the list

Wednesday, October 2

Event name and location Group Time
Feeding Tampa Bay with Gen Geek @Trinity Cafe
Trinity Cafe
Gen Geek 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
Inspiring Authors & Book Immersion Meetup
Online
Lady Lake Memoir Writing Meetup Group 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM EDT
Authors Anonymous presents Writing Workshop
Winter Park Library
Authors Anonymous – Writing Group 5:45 PM to 8:15 PM EDT
Book Club Meeting: Psychology Workbook for Writers by Darian Smith
Station House
Prose Society Writers Group 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
New Beginnings & Old Rivalries
Online
Central Florida AD&D (1st ed.) Grognards Guild 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM EDT
Writer’s Meetup
8420 Ulmerton Rd
Largo Writing Meetup Group 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Return to the top of the list

Thursday, October 3

Event name and location Group Time
Professional Alliance – Local Networking Meeting
DUO58 Community Coffee Bar & Cafe
Professional Alliance – Local Networking Group 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM EDT
NPI Power Lunch – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals
Carrabas Italian Grill
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI) 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
RGA’s Founders & Amplify Clearwater Partnership meeting ~ All Welcome, JOIN in.
Chili’s Grill & Bar
RGA Networking Professional Business Networking 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
Sarasota Speakers Exchange Toastmasters
Online
Toastmasters District 48 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
Commander Open Play Night at Armada Games
Armada Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Online Event: Shut Up & Write!® Your Life Story (on Zoom)
Online
Shut Up & Write!® St. Petersburg 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM EDT
Thursday Night Gaming
3407 Lithia Pinecrest Rd
Brandon Boardgamers 5:00 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Gulfport Scrabble and Social
The Drunken Taco
Gulfport Scrabblers and Social 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Central Florida Board Gaming at The Collective
The Collective: A Comic & Game Community
Orlando Board Gaming Weekly Meetup 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Film Photography Workshop Day 1
Online
Orlando Photo + Design Meetup 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM EDT
6th Annual Techie Day
Vaco Tampa
Computer Coach 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
Infragard – October MeetUp
Vaco Tampa Skycenter
Tampa Bay InfraGard Meetup Group 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
Tomb of Annihilation (T3-APL12)
Coliseum of Comics Kissimmee
Orlando Adventurer’s Guild 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Omni Toastmasters Club 6861
Online
Toastmasters Divisions C & D 5:45 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Technical SEO Fundamentals – Part 3
Online
Tampa SEO and Digital Marketing Meetup with Steve Scott 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
How to Build a Business Without Investors
The 5th Floor
Young Entrepreneurs & Creative Professionals 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Warhammer Night
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Game Night at Conworlds Emporium
Conworlds Emporium
Tarpon Springs Pop Culture & Gaming Meetup 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Meetup to Play Board Games
Cool Comics & Games
Southwest Florida Board Game Meetup 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Chess, Food, and Friends in Sodo
Tin & Taco Sodo
Greater Orlando Chess 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
The Fallen Lands
2103 Laceflower Dr
Brandon and Seffner area AD&D and OSR Group 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
RESCHEDULED!! – Zany Dark Comedy and a Spooky Movie (Your Choice)
Lam’s Garden
Cult, Mystery & Suspense Movie Club 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Board Game Night at Ivanhoe Park Lager House
Ivanhoe Park Lager House
Brews N Board Games 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Daily Coordination
AGILEST®
Florida Agile Innovators 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Young Professionals Network (YPN) Connect
Vida at Health Village
Central Florida Young Professionals Network (YPN) 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
*Virtual* Book Club: Picking a book!
Online
The Metro Orlando Geeks Social Club 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Creative Writing Critique Group
Panera
North Port Creative Writers 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Bitcoiners of SWFL – Fort Myers Forum
Online
Bitcoiners of Southwest Florida 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Girls Who Code for Grades 6-12
4935 W Nassau St
Tampa Hackerspace 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Dungeons and Dragons with Donavan
Unlucky Roll Cafe
Unlucky Roll Cafe Board Game Meetup 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
FABulous Thursdays
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Smartphone Trivia Game Show at Wilders Pizza
Wilder’s Pizza
Game Night Meetup for Trivia in Tampa, Sarasota, Venice 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Live streaming production and talent
124 S Ring Ave
Live streaming production and talent 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
October – The Historian
Rapp Brewing Company
Books & Brews! 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Weekly Hacks
Online
Hacktivate – Hackathon Meetup Group 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Return to the top of the list

Friday, October 4

Event name and location Group Time
Caffeine & Connections: Friday Fuel for Black Professionals
Online
Pinellas County Black Business Meetup Group 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
Tampa Young Professionals Virtual Networking Friday Morning All WElCOME
Online
St. Petersburg Business Networking 8:45 AM to 10:15 AM EDT
Online Networking with Brandon Biz Pros
Online
Brandon Biz Pros 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM EDT
Toastmasters – Improve Speaking Skills & Build Confidence
Online
Christian Professionals Network Tampa Bay 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM EDT
First Friday WordPress Collaboration Meetup – October 2024
Online
West Orlando WordPress Meetup 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM EDT
Ms. Biz Connectz- business leaders brainstorm together
Online
Ms. Biz Connectz- business leaders brainstorming together 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM EDT
Spookala
Florida State Fairgrounds
Zombie Rat Pack Friday, October 4, 2024 at 10:00 AM to Sunday, October 6, 2024 at 5:00 PM EDT
Business Networking Tampa at McAlisters across from International Plaza JOIN IN!
McAlister’s Deli
RGA Networking Professional Business Networking 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
We’re Moving to Facebook – Join Us There!
Online
Prose Society Writers Group 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM EDT
Friday Night Games!
Coliseum of Comics
East Orlando Board Gamers 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Friday Board Game Night
Bridge Club
Tampa Gaming Guild 5:30 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
2024 NASA Space Apps Challenge hackathon
4931 W Nassau St
Tampa Hackerspace Friday, October 4, 2024 at 6:00 PM to Sunday, October 6, 2024 at 8:00 PM EDT
MTG: Commander FNM
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Taps & Drafts | Casual EDH/MtG Social Night
Industrious
Nerd Night Out 6:00 PM to 11:45 PM EDT
Lilith at Francesco’s Maitland
Francescos Ristorante & Pizzeria
Ladies Book & Explorer Club 6:45 PM to 8:45 PM EDT
MakerFX Makerspace Soft Arts Guild
MakerFX Makerspace
MakerFX Makerspace 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Carrabas
Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Information Technology Orlando Group 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Taps & Drafts | EDH/MtG Night | Event Moves Each Week!
Studio Movie Grill Tampa
Nerdbrew Events 7:00 PM to 11:45 PM EDT
Modern FNM
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM EDT
Book Discussion: Someone Else’s Shoes
Green Zebra Cafe
Pages and Plates Book Club 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Tsudoi
Tsaocaa Tampa 朝茶
Tampa Japanese Meetup 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
IN-PERSON: “Musonius Rufus” Letter to Pankratides, Picking the Next Book
Raining Berries USF – Açaí • Smoothie • Coffee
Tampa Stoics 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Friday night game night
Indica Cafe Tampa Bay’s First & Greatest CBD Lounge
Indica Cafe Events Friday, October 4, 2024 at 9:00 PM to Saturday, October 5, 2024 at 12:00 AM EDT
Return to the top of the list

Saturday, October 5

Event name and location Group Time
(DIY) – First Saturday Cars & Coffee – VFW Post 2550 Dunedin – (DIY)
VFW Post 2550
Florida Center for Creative Photography 7:30 AM to 10:30 AM EDT
Early Bird Ocala
Marion County Literacy Council
Toastmasters Division G 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM EDT
Coffee and Crypto
Chill Cawfee
Cawfee (Coffee) and conversations 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM EDT
Play VINCI: The only known cure for TDS
Online
Central Florida Philosophy Meetup 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM EDT
Creative Writing In-Person Monthly Gathering for Aspiring Authors
16120 US Hwy 19 N
Pinellas Writers Group 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
Hunters Creek Toastmasters
Online
Toastmasters Division E 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM EDT
Saturday Chess at Wholefoods in Midtown, Tampa
Whole Foods Market
Chess Republic 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
“EM=c2” all ElectroMechanical (EM) Pinball Tournaments @Pinball Asylum Ft Myers
Fort Myers
South Florida Pinball & Arcade Video Game Players 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT
Target shooting at Wyoming Antelope Club Florida
Wyoming Antelope Club
Gen Geek 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
DevFest Tampa Bay
Engineering Building II
GDG Tampa Bay 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM EDT
Bravo Group Campaign Continues
Online
Oviedo Middle Aged Gamers (OMAG) 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM EDT
St. Pete Super Greek Festival
St. Stefanos Greek Orthodox Church
Geekocracy! 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM EDT
Regional Championship Qualifier US (3) Round 8 Modern
Balance Martial Arts & Gaming
Balance Martial Arts and Gaming 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Deltona Library’s Board Game Day!
2150 Eustace Ave
Board Gamers of West Volusia 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM EDT
Editing in Layers and Levels
Online
Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of Sisters in Crime 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM EDT
FREE Fab Lab Orientation
Faulhaber Fab Lab
Suncoast Makers 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM EDT
D&D (5e) @ Black Harbor Gaming (FULL)
Black Harbor Gaming
St Pete and Pinellas Tabletop RPG Group 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM EDT
Y Read: Book Read Aloud
Dr. P. Phillips YMCA Family Center
Library Book Clubs – OCLS 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM EDT
Radiant Citadel Adventures (Tier 2)
Coliseum of Comics Clermont
Orlando Adventurer’s Guild 2:00 PM to 6:30 PM EDT
Game Day: First Saturday of Every Month
Melrose Center
Indienomicon 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM EDT
Outside the Binary Boardgame Meetup
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM EDT
Blood on the Clocktower in a Spooky Speakeasy!
Unrefined Brewing
Beyond Catan, A Group of Board Game Geeks 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
It’s early October. Game night, anyone?
IHOP
New Port Richey Casual Games and Fun Socializing Group! 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Saturday Board Game Night at The Collective
520 W State Rd 436
Orlando Board Gaming Weekly Meetup 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Community Hang-out Night
Online
Nerdbrew Events 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Yu-Gi-Oh Evening Tournament
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Tampa Nerd Online Hang-out & Game Night!
Online
Nerd Night Out 7:00 PM to 11:30 PM EDT
Return to the top of the list

Sunday, October 6

Event name and location Group Time
CRITICAL THINKERS SUNDAY Meetup AT Sarasota Art Museum
1001 S Tamiami Trail
Suncoast Critical Thinking Discussion Group 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
Biweekly event – train for CKA (Certified Kubernetes Adminstrator) together
Starbucks
Orlando DevOps 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM EDT
Their Eyes Were Watching God Discussion
Hamilton’s Kitchen
The Jane Austen Book Club 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM EDT
Orlando ChatGPT Meetup
Emerson Plaza
Orlando ChatGPT Meetup 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM EDT
Venice Strategy Board Gamers
Venice
Board Games and Card Games in Sarasota & Bradenton 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Euchre Tournament!!!!!
Online
Summerfield Board and Card Games and Euchre 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM EDT
Woodshop Safety (Members Only)
Tampa Hackerspace West
Tampa Hackerspace 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM EDT
Sunday Gaming
Tampa Bay Bridge Center
Tampa Gaming Guild 1:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
T-Shirts and Caps printing
MakerSpace Pinellas
Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM EDT
Sunday Chess at Wholefoods in Midtown, Tampa
Whole Foods Market
Chess Republic 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM EDT
D&D Adventurers League at Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
D&D Adventurers League
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 2:00 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
Weekend Toastmasters
The Foundry Church
Toastmasters Divisions C & D 3:00 PM to 4:15 PM EDT
Traveller – Science Fiction Adventure RPG
Black Harbor Gaming
St Pete and Pinellas Tabletop RPG Group 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM EDT
Sunday Pokemon League
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Lankhmar: City of Adventure
Nerdy Needs
Brandon and Seffner area AD&D and OSR Group 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Alphabet Soup 2024 | Finding Letters in the World Around Us
Online
Florida Center for Creative Photography Sunday, October 6, 2024 at 5:00 PM to Sunday, October 20, 2024 at 5:00 PM EDT
Geeks at SeaWorld’s Howl-o-Scream (Orlando)
SeaWorld Orlando
Geekocracy! 6:15 PM to 8:15 PM EDT
A Duck Presents NB Movie Night
Discord.io/Nerdbrew
Nerd Night Out 7:00 PM to 11:30 PM EDT
Return to the top of the list

About this list

How do I put this list together? It’s largely automated. I have a collection of Python scripts in a Jupyter Notebook that scrapes Meetup and Eventbrite for events in categories that I consider to be “tech,” “entrepreneur,” and “nerd.” The result is a checklist that I review. I make judgment calls and uncheck any items that I don’t think fit on this list.

In addition to events that my scripts find, I also manually add events when their organizers contact me with their details.

What goes into this list? I prefer to cast a wide net, so the list includes events that would be of interest to techies, nerds, and entrepreneurs. It includes (but isn’t limited to) events that fall under any of these categories:

  • Programming, DevOps, systems administration, and testing
  • Tech project management / agile processes
  • Video, board, and role-playing games
  • Book, philosophy, and discussion clubs
  • ️ Tech, business, and entrepreneur networking events
  • Toastmasters and other events related to improving your presentation and public speaking skills, because nerds really need to up their presentation game
  • Sci-fi, fantasy, and other genre fandoms
  • Self-improvement, especially of the sort that appeals to techies
  • Anything I deem geeky
Categories
Conferences Tampa Bay What I’m Up To

Scenes from DevOpsDays Tampa Bay 2024

DevOpsDays Tampa Bay 2024 took place last Thursday, September 19th, and I’m pleased to report that it was a success, with 230 attendees, great talks, an enthusiastic audience, and a lot of participation, all in my favorite conference venue!

DevOpsDays is a worldwide series of community-run technical conferences covering topics of software development, IT infrastructure operations, and the intersection between them.

DevOpsDays Tampa Bay is “The Other Bay Area’s” edition of DevOpsDays, organized, produced, and executed by volunteers from Tampa Bay and beyond, for the benefit of the tech scene here on “The Other West Coast.”

Here are my photos from the event…

Andrew Clay Shafer opened the conference with his keynote, The Ghost of DevOps Past…

…which was followed by PJ Hagerty’s presentation, DevOps — Philosophy vs. Practice. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any photos of his talk, as I was getting ready to give my talk, Python Meets DevOps!

Photo by Maria Seenarraine.

I was followed by Aman Sharma’s presentation on what he termed “GenOps” — in other words, DevOps for Generative AI applications:

After Aman was Omer Farooq, who gave his talk, Modernized Approach to Container DevSecOp through Software Development Lifecycle.

And then: lunch!

One of the best things about last year’s and this year’s DevOpsDays Tampa Bay was that they took place at Armature Works. It’s not just a great conference venue, but also a great place to eat!

Rather than feed us standard-issue tech conference food, we were each given a $25 coupon redeemable at any of the food vendors.

I decided to try out a new-to-me place, Bap Bap and selected their Korean fried chicken and kimchi fries. I definitely would order it again:

Immediately after lunch was Micahel Levan’s presentation, Production-Ready Platform Engineering: From Conception To Build To FAIL, followed by Gwyneth Allwright’s Escaping the Legacy Infrastructure Labyrinth:

Next up was Al Rodriguez, with DevOps Like a Dev:

…follwed by Luis Hernandez with In The Deep End: My Experience as a Linux Kernel Mentee:

The final talks of the day were:

  • Mike Butler, who introduced the Open Space portion of the conference with his quick talk, Open Spaces – The Greatest Thing about DevOpsDays,
  • Ed LeGault, with Optimizing Software Delivery with DORA Metrics and EBM, and
  • Josh Lee, with Modern Application Debugging: An Intro to OpenTelemetry.

Afterwards, we had 90 minutes devoted to Open Space discussions — I pretty much stuck around the AI-related discussion.

At the end of the Open Spaces portion, the conference came to a close with a quick curtain call by the organizers (listed from left to right, as they appear in these photos):

  • James Gress
  • Troy Koss
  • Obie Muzon
  • Seni Aguiar
  • Chris Ayers

Assisting them were a number of volunteers, all of whose names I don’t have — but my thanks to them for keeping things running smoothly.

DevOpsDays Tampa Bay was a fun conference to speak at, attend, catch up with old friends, and make new ones. I’m looking forward to next year’s event!

Categories
Current Events Meetups Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay tech, entrepreneur, and nerd events list (Monday, September 23 – Sunday, September 29, 2024)

Here’s what’s happening in the thriving tech scene in Tampa Bay and surrounding areas for the week of Monday, September 23 through Sunday, September 29, 2024! This list includes both in-person and online events.

Note that each item in the list includes:

✅ When the event will take place

✅ What the event is

✅ Where the event will take place

✅ Who is holding the event

This week’s events

Monday, September 23

Event name and location Group Time
InfoSec World
Disney Coronado Springs Resort
Tampa Bay InfraGard Meetup Group Monday, September 23, 2024 at 7:00 AM to Wednesday, September 25, 2024 at 6:00 PM EDT
Business Networking Meeting
Online
Christian Professionals Network Tampa Bay 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM EDT
Downtown St. Pete Business Networking Connection Lunch~ All Welcome< JOIN In!
The Sourdough Co.
RGA Networking Professional Business Networking 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
Intro to Mobile Videography (FREE for Hillsborough County residents)
TBCN Media Center
Tampa Bay Community Network 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM EDT
Radiant Ridge Toastmasters
Central Ridge Library
Toastmasters Division G 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Speakeasy Toastmasters #4698
Online
Toastmasters District 48 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Casual Pokemon League at Nerdy Needs
Nerdy Needs
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Root w/Advanced Setup
Anson on Palmer Ranch
Sarasota Strategy Board Game League 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Monday Weekly Board Game Night! (Lazy Moon Colonial Location)
Lazy Moon Pizza
Board Game Meetup: Board Game Boxcar 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
MTG: Commander Night
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Monday Feast & Game Night
Village Inn
Tampa Bay Tabletoppers 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
FREE Bar Poker at Gators Dockside Highland City
Gators Dockside -Highland City
Polk County Poker & Social Group 6:30 PM to 10:30 PM EDT
Three Bridges Brewing Trivia Night with the Smartphone Trivia Game Show
Three bridges brewing
Game Night Meetup for Trivia in Tampa, Sarasota, Venice 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Entrepreneur Book Club Weekly Meetup – Live Reading & Elaboration
Online
Business Owners and Professionals 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Monday Chess! At Driftwood Kava and Roastery
Driftwood Kava & Roastery St. Pete
TB Chess – Tampa Bay – St. Petersburg Chess Meetup Group 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Hidden Gems Night, Presented by A Duck!
Online
Nerdbrew Events 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Virtual Event: Hiawassee Book Club
Online
Library Book Clubs – OCLS 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
ONLINE: Stoicism and Ontology, Part 2
Online
Orlando Stoics 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
DigiMondays
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Day 14 – Express.js – Full Stack Web Dev Bootcamp
Online
Florida Software School 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Weekly General Meetup
Online
Beginning Web Development 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Where is Bitcoin Going?
Online
Bitcoiners of Southwest Florida 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
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Tuesday, September 24

Event name and location Group Time
v-Lean Coffee
Online
Tampa Bay Agile 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM EDT
NPI St. Pete Business Builders Chapter – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals
St Petersburg Yacht Club
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI) 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
Venice Area Toastmasters Club #5486
Online
Toastmasters District 48 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
E-Commerce Growth Strategies: Interactive Store Reviews and Real-Time Feedback
Online
Orlando Shopify Meetup 8:00 AM to 8:45 AM EDT
Landing Job Opportunities Through Community
Online
Tampa Cybersecurity Training 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM EDT
Immersive Worlds: The Intersection of Spatial Computing, Entertainment & Gaming
Embarc Collective
Tampa XR 5:15 PM to 7:15 PM EDT
Happy Hour: Sips Wine Bar – Safety Harbor
Sips Wine Bar
Bay Area Social Events (BASE) 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
Coffee and ML
Buddy Brew Coffee
Tampa Machine Learning 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Weekly Open Make Night
4931 W Nassau St
Tampa Hackerspace 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Spanglish Toastmasters Club 7703731
Online
Toastmasters Division G 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
Bartow Toastmasters HYBRID Meeting
2250 S Floral Ave
Toastmasters Division E 6:00 PM to 7:15 PM EDT
Disney Lorcana Night
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Pinellas Writers and Authors Weekly Meeting (Online/Zoom)
Online
Pinellas Writers Group 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Rotary Laser Engraving
MakerSpace Pinellas
Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
COMPLIMENTARY WEBINAR: Virtual Networking | Create More Virtual Connections
Online
Beast Mode Networking Orlando 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
Loner Seekers Euchre – Tampa
Gaspars Patio Bar & Grille
Loner Seekers Euchre – Tampa 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Central Florida Computer Society TechSIG (Please join us!!)
Online
Central Florida Computer Society 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Pythonic Monthly Meeting
Online
The Orlando Python User Group 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Dunedin Toastmasters – Guests Welcome
Unity Community Church
Dunedin Toastmasters 2166 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Trivia Night – Moose Lodge 2117 Smartphone Trivia Game Show
Moose Lodge
Game Night Meetup for Trivia in Tampa, Sarasota, Venice 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Trivia Night with Trivia Nation
Irish 31 Pub House & Eatery
Trivia Night at Irish 31 Seminole 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Yu-Gi-Oh Evening Tournament
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
St. Pete Beers ‘n Board Games Meetup for Young Adults
Pinellas Ale Works Brewery
St. Pete Beers ‘n Board Games for Young Adults 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
D&D Adventurers League at Armada Games
Armada Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM EDT
AMA – Ask Me Anything Related to Photography, Computers and Software
O’Keefe’s Family Restaurant
Florida Center for Creative Photography 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Boards & Bones
SpookEasy Lounge
Nerd Night Out 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Nic At Nite – Weekly Movie Night
Online
Nerdbrew Events 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Online Event: Shut Up & Write on Zoom
Online
Shut Up & Write!® Tampa 7:45 PM to 9:15 PM EDT
Return to the top of the list

Wednesday, September 25

Event name and location Group Time
World Toasters Hybrid Meeting
Disney University
Toastmasters Division E 7:05 AM to 8:00 AM EDT
NPI Profit Partners Chapter – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals
Panera Bread
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI) 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
Grow Your Business with focused Referral Networking
Sons of Italy Lodge
BNI Tampa -Referral based networking 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
Lunch Hour Meetup
Online
Sarasota Web Development Meetup Group 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
Heart of Agile MONTHLY Coffee Corner
Online
Heart of Agile St. Pete – Tampa – Orlando 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM EDT
No Fear Speaking Webinar and Meetup
Online
Tampa Fear of Public Speaking Meetup Group 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM EDT
Inspiring Authors & Book Immersion Meetup
Online
Lady Lake Memoir Writing Meetup Group 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM EDT
Future Home Buyers Social @ COPA – Stop by for a couple of drinks on us
Copa
The Pinellas County Young “Professionals” 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Wednesday Night Gaming
Nerdy Needs
Brandon Boardgamers 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Bay pines toastmaster’s hybrid meeting
C. W. Bill Young VA Medical Center
Bay Pines Toastmasters 5:15 PM to 6:30 PM EDT
Securing AI and AI-Powered Security with Google Cloud
Entrepreneur Collaborative Center (ECC)
Tampa Bay Google Cloud User Group 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
Wednesday Board Game Night
Bridge Center
Tampa Gaming Guild 5:30 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Felicitous Game Night w/Heritage Dim Sum
Felicitous (on 42nd)
Tampa Game Nights 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Adult Dungeons & Dragons Wednesdays
Conworlds Emporium
Tarpon Springs Pop Culture & Gaming Meetup 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Hobby Night – Minis Painting Tips & Tricks at Armada Games
Armada Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more! 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Board Game Night
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Great Big Trivia Wednesdays @ Terra Ceia Bay Country Club Palmetto 6-8PM
Terra Ceia Bay Country Club
South Florida Poker, Music & Entertainment Group 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
CRITICAL THINKERS SUPPER AT AMOB LANDSIDE IN PRIVATE ROOM
Anna Maria Oyster Bar Landside
Suncoast Critical Thinking Discussion Group 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Tampa Bay Inventors Council – www.tbic.us bi-monthly Meetup
Online
Tampa Bay Inventors Council – www.TampaBayInventors.org 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Game Night!
Southern Lights Brewing Company
Drunk’n Meeples the Social Tabletop (Board) Gamers 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett – FINAL
Inner Compass Brewing Company
The Weirder Things Book Club 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
Tampa Writers Alliance Critique Group
Online
Tampa Writers Alliance 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Castaways Euchre Club
The Hanger Restaurant & Flight Lounge
Hosted By Castaways Euchre Club 6:50 PM to 8:50 PM EDT
Enhancing Active Directory governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) with ADManager
Online
Orlando Cybersecurity Meetup 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Improve Your Communication and Presentation Skills
Online
Communication Skills for Interviews and Presentations 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Apopka Foliage Toastmasters
Online
Apopka Foliage Toastmasters 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Carrollwood Toastmasters Meetings meet In-Person and Online
Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library
Toastmasters District 48 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Story Games Night: Fedora Noir & Someone Has Died
Black Harbor Gaming
St Pete and Pinellas Tabletop RPG Group 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Games & Grog @ The Grove SoHo!
Grove Soho
Nerdbrew Events 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
New Beginnings & Old Rivalries
Online
Central Florida AD&D (1st ed.) Grognards Guild 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM EDT
Games & Grog (Social Game Night in SoHo)
Grove Soho
Nerd Night Out 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
How to Express Yourself and Connect with People
Online
Professionals Meetup For Networking And Social Skillsets 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Trivia at Blind Goat
Online
Gen Geek 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM EDT
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Thursday, September 26

Event name and location Group Time
Tackle it in Ten – Entrepreneur Roundtables
Dunedin Chamber of Commerce
Entrepreneur Round Table
Public group
8:30 AM to 9:30 AM EDT
Entrepreneur Roundtable to SPARK Ideas & Build Growth
Dunedin Chamber of Commerce
Clearwater Entrepreneurs’ Round Table
Public group
8:30 AM to 9:30 AM EDT
Dunedin Youth Guild Park
The Dunedin Youth Guild Park
Suncoast Drone Club
Public group
9:30 AM to 11:30 AM EDT
Book Club Meet at Cattle Dog’s Coffee
Cattle Dog Coffee Roasters
Inverness Cozy Crafty Sleuths
Public group
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
NPI Power Lunch – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals
Carrabas Italian Grill
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI)
Public group
11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
RGA’s Founders & Amplify Clearwater Partnership meeting ~ All Welcome, JOIN in.
Chili’s Grill & Bar
RGA Networking Professional Business Networking
Public group
11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
How to Get on a Favorites List with Recruiters
Online
Tech Success Network
Public group
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
Downtown Tampa Toastmasters MeetUp
509 E Twiggs St 3rd floor
Downtown Tampa Toastmasters MeetUp
Public group
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
Sarasota Speakers Exchange Toastmasters
Online
Toastmasters District 48
Public group
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
How to Get on a Recruiter’s Favorite’s List
Online
Career Success Academy
Public group
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
Thursday Afternoon & Evening Gaming
Dunedin Palms
Drunk’n Meeples the Social Tabletop (Board) Gamers
Public group
1:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Commander Open Play Night at Armada Games
Armada Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more!
Public group
1:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Online Event: Shut Up & Write!® Your Life Story (on Zoom)
Online
Shut Up & Write!® St. Petersburg
Public group
1:00 PM to 2:30 PM EDT
Thursday Night Gaming
3407 Lithia Pinecrest Rd
Brandon Boardgamers
Public group
5:00 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Gulfport Scrabble and Social
The Drunken Taco
Gulfport Scrabblers and Social
Public group
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
September Happy Hour – New Location!!
Online
Business and Social Networking
Public group
5:30 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
It’s Electric! PTN Cybersecurity Lighting Talks
2570 Coral Landings Blvd
Pinellas Tech Network
Public group
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Tampa Power Platform – Social @ Magnanimous
Magnanimous Brewing
Tampa Power Platform
Public group
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Technical SEO Fundamentals – Part 3
Online
Tampa SEO and Digital Marketing Meetup with Steve Scott
Public group
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
GenAI on AWS: Use Cases, Challenges, and Solutions
501 E Kennedy Blvd
Tampa Bay AWS User Group
Public group
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Tampa M365 – Social @ Magnanimous
Magnanimous Brewing
Tampa M365
Public group
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
The Fallen Lands
2103 Laceflower Dr
Brandon and Seffner area AD&D and OSR Group
Public group
6:00 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
Game Night at Conworlds Emporium
Conworlds Emporium
Tarpon Springs Pop Culture & Gaming Meetup
Public group
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Warhammer Night
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games
Public group
6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
The Spy Coast – by Tess Gerritsen
Barbara S. Ponce Public Library
Mystery and Thriller St Pete Book Club
Public group
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Relaxed Social for Young Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders
Cres Community
Young Entrepreneurs of America YEA Meetup Group
Public group
6:30 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Writing Meetup
HotWax Coffee Shop, Kava Bar & Tap House
Tampa Free Writing Group
Public group
6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Tampa Writers Alliance Poetry Group
Barnes & Noble Carrollwood
Tampa Writers Alliance
Public group
6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
The Simply Referrals Tampa/Clearwater Business Networking Event on ZOOM!
Online
Clearwater Business Networking
Public group
6:45 PM to 7:45 PM EDT
WordPress
Online
Tampa Bay Technology Center
Public group
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
3D Printing Guild
Tampa Hackerspace West
Tampa Hackerspace
Public group
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Palm Harbor Toastmasters Club #8248
1500 16th St
Toastmasters District 48
Public group
7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Understanding People – Knowing Whom You Can Trust
Online
Communication Skills for Career Advancement Group
Public group
7:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
WordPress Monthly Meetup
Online
WordPress Clearwater FL
Public group
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
One Piece Thursdays
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games
Public group
7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Smartphone Trivia Game Show at Wilders Pizza
Wilder’s Pizza
Game Night Meetup for Trivia in Tampa, Sarasota, Venice
Public group
7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Dungeons and Dragons with Donavan
Unlucky Roll Cafe
Unlucky Roll Cafe Board Game Meetup
Public group
7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Live streaming production and talent
124 S Ring Ave
Live streaming production and talent
Public group
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
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Friday, September 27

Event name and location Group Time
Caffeine & Connections: Friday Fuel for Black Professionals
Online
Pinellas County Black Business Meetup Group
Public group
8:00 AM to 9:00 AM EDT
Tampa Young Professionals Virtual Networking Friday Morning All WElCOME
Online
St. Petersburg Business Networking
Public group
8:45 AM to 10:15 AM EDT
Online Networking with Brandon Biz Pros
Online
Brandon Biz Pros
Public group
9:00 AM to 10:00 AM EDT
Toastmasters – Improve Speaking Skills & Build Confidence
Online
Christian Professionals Network Tampa Bay
Public group
9:30 AM to 10:30 AM EDT
Ms. Biz Connectz- business leaders brainstorm together
Online
Ms. Biz Connectz- business leaders brainstorming together
Public group
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM EDT
Business Networking Tampa at McAlisters across from International Plaza JOIN IN!
McAlister’s Deli
RGA Networking Professional Business Networking
Public group
11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EDT
TBUX Virtual: Lunch Break Book Club
Online
Tampa Bay UX Group
Public group
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
Friday Board Game Night
Bridge Club
Tampa Gaming Guild
Public group
5:30 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Singles Mixer for Dog Lovers ♥️
Mutts and Martinis
The Pinellas County Young “Professionals”
Public group
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Euchre Tourney
Clubhouse
Suncoast Euchre club
Public group
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
MTG: Commander FNM
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games
Public group
6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Taps & Drafts | Casual EDH/MtG Social Night
Industrious
Nerd Night Out
Public group
6:00 PM to 11:45 PM EDT
Taps & Drafts | EDH/MtG Night | Look Cinemas USF
Studio Movie Grill Tampa
Nerdbrew Events
Public group
7:00 PM to 11:45 PM EDT
Friday Pokemon Tournament
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games
Public group
7:30 PM to 11:30 PM EDT
Friday night game night
Indica Cafe Tampa Bay’s First & Greatest CBD Lounge
Indica Cafe Events
Public group
Friday, September 27, 2024 at 9:00 PM to Saturday, September 28, 2024 at 12:00 AM EDT
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Saturday, September 28

Event name and location Group Time
Coffee and Crypto
Chill Cawfee
Cawfee (Coffee) and conversations
Public group
8:00 AM to 10:00 AM EDT
Play VINCI: The only known cure for TDS
Online
Central Florida Philosophy Meetup
Public group
8:00 AM to 10:00 AM EDT
Machine Shop Milling 101 (Members Only)
Tampa Hackerspace
Tampa Hackerspace
Public group
9:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
September Study Group – Software Development
Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company
Tampa Bay Techies
Public group
9:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
Saturday Chess at Wholefoods in Midtown, Tampa
Whole Foods Market
Chess Republic
Public group
9:30 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
Winning The Week – 1st Meet
Sage Biscuit Cafe
Winning The Week
Public group
12:00 PM to 2:00 PM EDT
The Smartest Path to Your First 10K, with Print On Demand
Online
Orlando Amazon Sellers Meetup Group
Public group
1:00 PM to 3:30 PM EDT
FREE Fab Lab Orientation
Faulhaber Fab Lab
Suncoast Makers
Public group
1:30 PM to 2:30 PM EDT
PC Board Schematic and Layout
MakerSpace Pinellas
Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group
Public group
1:30 PM to 3:30 PM EDT
D&D (5e) @ Black Harbor Gaming (FULL)
Black Harbor Gaming
St Pete and Pinellas Tabletop RPG Group
Public group
1:30 PM to 5:30 PM EDT
Writers Meet-Up: Hang Out and Write
The Study Wine & Beer Lounge St. Pete
Prose Society Writers Group
Public group
2:00 PM to 5:00 PM EDT
How is Religion Being Used in Elections? How Does it Influence/Impact Elections?
Online
Tampa Bay Thinkers
Public group
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM EDT
Golf Group – Star Wars: Force & Destiny & One-Shots
Online
Oviedo Middle Aged Gamers (OMAG)
Public group
5:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Community Hang-out Night
Online
Nerdbrew Events
Public group
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Attend SAT 9/28 at 6:30PM – Light Painting Photography Workshop – St.Petesburg
10th Ave NE Parking
The Art Of Photography – Tampa/St. Pete Chapter
Public group
6:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Yu-Gi-Oh Evening Tournament
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games
Public group
7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT
Learn to Paint – Power Weapon effects!
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games
Public group
7:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT
Tampa Nerd Online Hang-out & Game Night!
Online
Nerd Night Out
Public group
7:00 PM to 11:30 PM EDT
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Sunday, September 29

Event name and location Group Time
CRITICAL THINKERS SUNDAY Meetup AT Sarasota Art Museum. Same day as Libby only 1
1001 S Tamiami Trail
Suncoast Critical Thinking Discussion Group
Public group
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
Build a computer
MakerSpace Pinellas
Makerspaces Pinellas Meetup Group
Public group
12:00 PM to 4:00 PM EDT
Call of Cthulhu – Mystery Horror RPG (One Shot – Dead Man Stomp, re-run)
Black Harbor Gaming
St Pete and Pinellas Tabletop RPG Group
Public group
1:00 PM to 5:00 PM EDT
Fall of Huntress Narrative Event
Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games
Public group
1:00 PM to 4:00 PM EDT
Sunday Afternoon Trivia at Conworlds with Kim
Conworlds Emporium
Tarpon Springs Pop Culture & Gaming Meetup
Public group
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM EDT
Sunday Chess at Wholefoods in Midtown, Tampa
Whole Foods Market
Chess Republic
Public group
2:00 PM to 5:00 PM EDT
D&D Adventurers League at Critical Hit Games
Critical Hit Games
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more!
Public group
2:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Pokémon TCG League Challenge – September 2024
Balance Martial Arts & Gaming
Balance Martial Arts and Gaming
Public group
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM EDT
September meet for Rebecca Yarrows Iron Flame
Online
Alice’s Fantasy Book Club ONLINE ONLY
Public group
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM EDT
Sunday Pokemon League
Sunshine Games | Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sunshine Games
Public group
4:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Lankhmar: City of Adventure
Nerdy Needs
Brandon and Seffner area AD&D and OSR Group
Public group
5:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Sew Awesome! (Textile Arts & Crafts)
Tampa Hackerspace West
Tampa Hackerspace
Public group
5:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
A Duck Presents NB Movie Night
Discord.io/Nerdbrew
Nerd Night Out
Public group
7:00 PM to 11:30 PM EDT
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About this list

How do I put this list together? It’s largely automated. I have a collection of Python scripts in a Jupyter Notebook that scrapes Meetup and Eventbrite for events in categories that I consider to be “tech,” “entrepreneur,” and “nerd.” The result is a checklist that I review. I make judgment calls and uncheck any items that I don’t think fit on this list.

In addition to events that my scripts find, I also manually add events when their organizers contact me with their details.

What goes into this list? I prefer to cast a wide net, so the list includes events that would be of interest to techies, nerds, and entrepreneurs. It includes (but isn’t limited to) events that fall under any of these categories:

  • Programming, DevOps, systems administration, and testing
  • Tech project management / agile processes
  • Video, board, and role-playing games
  • Book, philosophy, and discussion clubs
  • ️ Tech, business, and entrepreneur networking events
  • Toastmasters and other events related to improving your presentation and public speaking skills, because nerds really need to up their presentation game
  • Sci-fi, fantasy, and other genre fandoms
  • Self-improvement, especially of the sort that appeals to techies
  • Anything I deem geeky
Categories
Conferences Current Events Tampa Bay

How to work the room at DevOpsDays Tampa Bay 2024

It’s been my experience that some of the most important things I’ve learned and all the connections I’ve made at conferences didn’t happen at the presentations. Instead, they happened between presentations, when I worked the room in the hallways, lounges, lunches, and social gatherings, chatting with the speakers, organizers, and the other attendees.

If the phrase “work the room” sounds like sleazy marketing-speak and fills your head with images of popped collars and wearing too much body spray, relax. Working the room means being an active participant in a social event and contributing to it so that it’s better for both you and everyone else. Think of it as good social citizenship.

It’s especially important to talk to people you don’t know or who are outside your usual circle. Books like The Tipping Point classify acquaintances with such people as “weak ties”. Don’t let the word “weak” make you think they’re unimportant. As people outside your usual circle, they have access to a lot of information, people, and opportunities that you don’t. That’s why most people get jobs through someone they know, and of those cases, most of the references came from a weak tie. The sorts of opportunities that come about because of this sort of relationship led sociologist Mark Granovetter to coin the phrase “the strength of weak ties”.

This observation is so common that it’s given rise to “unconferences” like BarCamp, whose purpose is to invert the order of things so that the conference is more “hallway” than “lecture theatre”.

The best way to make weak ties at a conference is to work the room. If you’re unsure of how to work the room, I’ve got some tips that you might find handy…

Have a one-line self-introduction

A one-line self-introduction is simply a single-sentence way of introducing yourself to people you meet at a conference. It’s more than likely that you won’t know more than a handful of attendees and introducing yourself over and over again, during the conference, as well as its post-session party events. It’s a trick that Susan RoAne, room-working expert and author of How to Work a Room: The Ultimate Guide to Making Lasting Connections In-Person and Online teaches, and it works. It’s pretty simple:

  • Keep it short — no longer than 10 seconds, and shorter if possible. It’s not your life story, but a pleasantry that also gives people just a little bit about who you are.
  • Make it fit. It should give people a hint of the cool stuff that you do (or, if you’re slogging it out in the hopes of doing cool stuff someday, the cool stuff that you intend to do.)
  • Show your benefits. Rather than simply give them your job title, tell them about a benefit that your work provides in a way that invites people to find out more. Susan RoAne likes to tell a story about someone she met whose one-liner was “I help rich people sleep at night”. That’s more interesting than “I’m a financial analyst”.

My intro these days is something along the lines of “I’m a rock and roll accordion player, but in my main side gig, I’m Tampa Bay’s Python/AI/tech advocacy guy, and in my side side gig, I put together the Tampa Bay tech events list and run a couple of coder meetups in town.”

How to join a conversation

You’ll probably see a group of people already engaged in a conversation. If this is your nightmare…

Click the screenshot to read the Onion article.

…here’s how you handle it:

  1. Pick a lively group of people you’d like to join in conversation. As people who are already in a conversation, they’ve already done some of the work for you. They’re lively, which makes it more likely that they’re open to people joining in. They’ve also picked a topic, which saves you the effort of having to come up with one. It also lets you decide whether or not it interests you. If they’re lively and their topic of conversation interests you, proceed to step 2. If not, go find another group!
  2. Stand on the periphery and look interested. Just do it. This is a conference, and one of the attendees’ goals is to meet people. Smile. Pipe in if you have something to contribute; people here are pretty cool about that.
  3. When acknowledged, step into the group. You’re in like Flynn! Step in confidently and introduce yourself. If you’ve got that one-line summary of who you are that I talked about earlier, now’s the time to use it.
  4. Don’t force a change of subject. You’ve just joined the convo, and you’re not campaigning. Contribute, and let the subject changes come naturally.

Feel free to join me in at any conversational circle I’m in! I always keep an eye on the periphery for people who want to join in, and I’ll invite them.

More tips

Here’s more advice on how to work the room:

  1. Come with goals. Decide what you want to achieve at DevOpsDays Tampa Bay. Is it making new contacts? Landing a job interview? Learning something new?
  2. Arrive early. This allows you to meet people in a less crowded, more relaxed setting.
  3. Take advantage of the Open Spaces in the afternoon. It’s your chance to be an active participant at DevOpsDays, and its smaller groups provide better opportunities for meaningful conversations.
  4. Listen! Yes, you’re there to talk, but so is everyone else. Make sure you listen to other people in the circle as they speak, and ask questions, too! One of the reasons you go to DevOpsDays is to get exposed to new ideas. As I said earlier, learning goes beyond the talks. Try to learn three new things at every event.
  5. Use social media. Follow the conference hashtag and connect with attendees online.
  6. Be more of a host and less of a guest. No, you don’t have to worry about scheduling or if the coffee urns are full. By “being a host”, I mean doing some of things that hosts do, such as introducing people, saying “hello” to wallflowers and generally making people feel more comfortable. Being graceful to everyone is not only good karma, but it’s a good way to promote yourself. It worked out really well for me; for example, I came to the first DemoCamp (a regular Toronto tech event back in the 2000s) as a guest, but by the third one, I was one of the people officially hosting the event.
  7. Move around. Don’t stay in one spot; circulate to meet people you might not otherwise meet.
  8. Beware of “rock piles”. Rock piles are groups of people huddled together in a closed formation. It sends the signal “go away”. If you find yourself in one, try to position yourself to open up the formation.
  9. Beware of “hotboxing”. I’ve heard this term used in counter-culture settings, but in this case “hotboxing” means to square your shoulders front-and-center to the person you’re talking to. It’s a one-on-one version of the rock pile, and it excludes others from joining in. Once again, the cure for hotboxing is to change where you’re standing to allow more people to join in.
  10. Put your stuff down. Carrying your bag or other stuff is a non-verbal cue that you’re about to leave. If you’re going to stay and chat, put them down. When you’re about to leave, take your stuff and start saying your goodbyes.
  11. Show and tell. Nothing attracts our eyes like shiny, whether it’s an interesting pieces of tech, a new book, a new t-shirt you’re fond of, or even some local knowledge, such a new restaurant, cafe, or bar that just opened. It’s why I carry my accordion around; I think of it as a device that converts curiosity into opportunity (and music as well). Got an interesting thing or idea? Got a neat project that you’ve been working on? Whatever it is, park yourself someplace comfortable in the hallway, show it off and start a conversation!
  12. Save the email, tweets and texts for later, unless they’re important.They’ll draw your attention away from the room and also send the message “go away”.
  13. Mentor. If you’ve got skills in a specific area, share your knowledge. Larry Chiang from GigaOm says that “It transitions nicely from the what-do-you-do-for-work question. It also adds some substance to party conversations and clearly brands you as a person.”
  14. Play “conversation bingo”. If there are certain topics that you’d like to learn about or people you’d like to have a conversation with, put them in a list (mental, electronic or paper) of “bingo” words. As you converse at the conference, cross off any of those topics that you cover off the list. This trick forces you to become a more active listener and will help you towards your learning goals. Yelling “BINGO!” when you’ve crossed the last item on the list can be done at your discretion.
  15. Follow up. Connect on LinkedIn or via email with people you meet.
  16. Be yourself. Authenticity helps form genuine connections.