Here’s what’s happening in the thriving tech scene in Tampa Bay and surrounding areas for the week of Monday, May 4 through Sunday, May 10!
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, May 4
- Tuesday, May 5
- Wednesday, May 6
- Thursday, May 7
- Friday, May 8
- Saturday, May 9
- Sunday, May 10
Monday, May 4
Tuesday, May 5
Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. at Entrepreneur Collaborative Center (Tampa): Entrepreneurs Learning and Growth Hub presents Preparing Your Business for AI Automation.
Many businesses attempt to automate too early and struggle with broken processes, unreliable results, and increased complexity. This session focuses on how entrepreneurs can properly prepare their business for AI automation by building the right foundations first.
In this session, you’ll explore what needs to be in place before introducing AI so automation supports growth instead of creating operational risk.
Find out more and register here.
Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. online: Computer Coach / Tech Success Network presents LinkedIn Master Class: Being Found In The Crowd.
Standing out on LinkedIn takes more than just having a profile. It takes intention, clarity, and the right approach. This live webinar is designed to help professionals cut through the noise and get noticed by recruiters, hiring managers, and industry peers. Led by the Computer Coach Career Services team, this session breaks down how LinkedIn actually works and how to use it as a tool for visibility, connection, and career growth.
Find out more and register here.
Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Entrepreneur Collaborative Center (Tampa): Tampa Bay Biotech presents Building Agentic AI Assistants: A Tutorial for Everyone.
Join Tampa Bay Biotech for a practical and engaging introduction to Agentic AI — the new generation of AI assistants that can reason, plan, use tools, and complete multi-step tasks. This session will explain how agent-based AI differs from traditional AI and standard prompt-response systems, then walk through the core architecture behind intelligent assistants, including LLMs, memory, tools, planning, execution, and orchestration.
Find out more and register here.
Wednesday, May 6
Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. @ spARK Labs (St. Pete): The St. Pete / Tampa AI Salon is back with Chad Mairn, Professor and Founder of the Innovation Lab at St. Petersburg College. It’ll feature the this format: keynote → startup pitches → open mic → networking.
Find out more and register here.
Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. at Vaco (Tampa): Tampa Bay Product Group presents Product Builders & Bingo: Casual Networking Social Hour.
Get ready for a networking experience that trades awkward silence for a little friendly competition. We’re turning the standard “so, what do you do?” small talk into a low-stakes scavenger hunt with our interactive Networking Bingo. Each attendee will receive a custom bingo card packed with a mix of product-focused prompts and lighthearted personal fun facts. Your mission is simple: strike up a conversation, find someone who matches a square, and have them sign your card. It’s the ultimate icebreaker designed to help you connect with as many local product peers as possible in a relaxed, pressure-free environment.
While you hunt for those winning rows, we’ll keep the energy high with plenty of fuel for your conversations. Food along with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage options will be provided to keep things casual. Beyond the networking, we’ll also have exciting giveaways throughout the night for those who participate in the quest. Whether you’re a seasoned product leader or new to the field, come for the community, stay for the prizes, and leave with a whole new set of local connections.
Find out more and register here.
Thursday, May 7
Thursday at 6:00 p.m. at TEKsystems (Tampa):
Ready to level up your network? Connect with industry-leading recruiters and fellow tech professionals at TEKsystems, one of the world’s premier IT staffing firms. Whether you’re looking for your next role in Web development, Cloud, Data Science, or Cybersecurity—or just want to be proactive in today’s shifting economy—this is the place to be.
Find out more and register here.
Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at The Neon Temple (Tampa): The Neon Temple presents Ouroboros of TPRM, is your TPRM actually working anymore?
Come join The Neon temple as D4B05H drops some knowledge-bombs about TPRM (Third-Party Risk Management). Understanding how the landscape has changed, and with the rise of AI, how effective actually is your current TPRM program? Some lessons learned from building an effective vendor TPRM program and how you can learn from their struggles.
Find out more and register here.
Friday, May 8
Friday at 6:00 p.m. at The Orlo (Tampa):
Organized by Disrupt the Bay, this is a Roaring ’20s-themed charity event in Tampa, FL, dedicated to raising funds for pediatric cancer research, particularly targeting ATRT. There’ll be a premium cocktail hour, live entertainment, curated dining, silent and live auctions, and powerful stories showcasing the real impact their support makes for children and families. It’s not just a gala—it’s an experience where purpose meets style, and generosity fuels life-saving breakthroughs led by Save The Kids Foundation.
And hey, you’ll get to hang out with this guy:
Find out more and register here.
Saturday, May 9
Sunday, May 10
| Event name and location | Group | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| IMPROV Drop-In Class! (FUN! No experience required) [$20] Spitfire Theater |
Tampa 20’s and 30’s Social Crew | 2:00 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 |
| Tampa AI Builders Meetup – Casual Meet & Greet |
AI Wealth Builders of Tampa | 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 |
| 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