Call for Speakers
Data & AI Community Day Durban: Season of AI - Merry Christmas People (MCP)
13 Dec 2025
Richfield College, Umhlanga Campus, Centenary Boulevard, Park Square, 5-9 Park Avenue, Umhlanga Durban, South Africa
aimldatadurban.org/
Data enthusiasts, AI innovators, and tech explorers – it's time to unwrap the gift of knowledge! Data & AI Community Day Durban: Season of AI – Merry Christmas People (MCP) is taking place this December 2025, and we're bringing you the perfect blend of cutting-edge technology and holiday cheer. 🎄
Season of AI is a quarterly Microsoft Community Pilot where Microsoft provides free content (slide decks, code, videos, etc.) for anyone to use at community events. This quarter's official theme is Season of AI - Model Context Protocol. However, because we, Azure, AI/ML & Data Community Durban, like to do things differently, and we'd like to celebrate the season, we're calling it Season of AI – Merry Christmas People (MCP). It's the perfect time to explore how the Model Context Protocol is revolutionising the way AI systems connect, communicate, and share context – while enjoying the festive spirit that makes December special.
Although Season of AI is a Microsoft initiative, we also expect topics covering non-Microsoft technologies. This event will feature a mix of 50-minute deep dives and 20-minute lightning sessions, delivered by a diverse panel of experts, architects, and Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) who are all at the forefront of their fields. Whether you're curious about MCP servers, building AI agents with extended context, or want to learn about the latest in data and AI, this event has something for everyone.
NOTE: This is an in-person event. We do not have the facilities to live stream.
The Azure, AI/ML & Data Community Durban group is a user group for the community by the community. It is a learning experience where we share, learn, and encourage the community to leverage Azure, AI/ML, and Data to solve problems. Our mission as a group is to empower and create heroes of society through Azure, AI/ML, and Data. We Do Positive Things through innovation and passion.
Call for Speakers
10 Nov 2025
30 Nov 2025
If you're passionate about AI, Data, Model Context Protocol, or anything tech-related, this is your chance to share your knowledge and give the gift of learning to our Durban community. We're calling on developers, architects, data engineers, AI practitioners, and innovators to step onto the stage and deliver insights that inspire.
🔥 Why Should You Speak?
- Share your expertise with over 200 passionate attendees from across the AI, data, and developer communities.
- Expand your network by connecting with fellow industry leaders and innovators.
- Contribute to the growth of the local Data and AI/ML community.
- Elevate your personal brand and thought leadership – speaking here is a career boost wrapped in a bow.
🎯 Topics of Interest:
The event's theme is Season of AI – Merry Christmas People (MCP), so if you have topics related to Model Context Protocol – how MCP servers work, building MCP integrations, extending LLM context with external data sources, or real-world MCP implementations – you should definitely submit!
But wait, there's more! Azure, AI/ML & Data Community Durban wouldn't organise this event if we didn't expect a mix of other cool topics. So, we're looking for engaging talks (in addition to everything MCP) in areas such as:
- Model Context Protocol (MCP) (obviously): servers, clients, integrations, and use cases
- AI Agents & Agentic AI: multi-agent systems, orchestration, and collaboration
- Generative AI: LLMs, prompt engineering, RAG, and beyond
- Database Development: performance, architecture, and modern database tech
- Microsoft Fabric: data engineering, analytics, and business intelligence
- Streaming Data & Real-Time Analytics: Kafka, Event Hubs, and data in motion
- Power Platform & Power Apps: making AI accessible to business users
- Real-world AI & Data Use Cases: because theory is great, but practice is better
If you have a passion for any of these areas (or anything else related to AI/ML and Data) and want to share your knowledge, we want to hear from you! If you need inspiration, browse the Season of AI - Model Context Protocol GitHub repo and explore the proposed topics.
We encourage new speakers to submit proposals. We provide a "safe" environment to get into speaking at conferences – think of it as your chance to level up in a supportive community setting.
So, once again, if you're passionate about MCP, AI, data, or any of the areas above, please submit your session today and help us make this December event unforgettable! 🎁
Join us on December 13 in Durban!
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