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Join me as I take you through my learning of MCP servers and share my knowledge and experience. The best way to learn something is to teach it, I want to know and learn more about MCP servers, so am committing to this session to share it with you.

MCP servers provide a standard way, or protocol, to connect LLMs with data, tools, and resources. The MCP website describes MCP as a universal adaptor for AI applications. In the same way that a universal adaptor lets you connect your physical devices to accessories, MCP lets you connect AI applications to other data and tools without needing to build a custom connection to each data source.

Sue Bayes, Microsoft DataPlatform MVP. Microsoft Certified: Fabric Data Engineer Associate, Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate, Azure Enterprise Data Analyst Associate, Power BI Data Analyst Associate

Over 7 years successfully working as an independent Power BI developer and data analyst within the public and private sector.

Reporting solutions range from project management, planning , financial reporting, specific service sector reporting, bespoke data cleansing and sentiment analysis.

15 years of lecturing in Business and Computing before starting my own business.

I am passionate about data in general and how we can harness information to grow business. Knowledge of R, SQL and C# but main love is Python, M and DAX.

When not in front of the screen, I love to run and walk my dog and be outside.

Speaker: Sue Bayes Start Date: Thu, Aug 21st 2025 · 7:00 PM EEST (4:00 PM UTC) Language: ENGLISH (with Live Translated CCs) Location: Online (link visible for attendees)

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This session introduces attendees to the fundamentals of web scraping using Python’s Beautiful Soup library. Attendees will learn how to navigate the complexities of HTML structures to extract valuable data efficiently. Key skills and concepts covered include: Understanding HTML and CSS: Learn how web pages are structured to identify the data you need. Setting up Beautiful Soup: Install and initialize the library to parse web content. Scraping Techniques: Use tags, attributes, and classes to locate and extract specific elements from web pages. Handling Dynamic Content: Work with tools like requests to scrape static pages and integrate with libraries like Selenium for dynamic content. Saving Scraped Data: Export extracted data into structured formats like CSV or JSON for further analysis. The session also emphasizes ethical considerations and best practices for web scraping, including handling website terms of service and respecting rate limits. Through hands-on examples, attendees will scrape a sample website and transform raw HTML into actionable insights. By the end of the session, participants will have the confidence to build their own web scraping workflows and apply them to real-world projects.

=============================================================== Speaker: Sue Bayes Microsoft Data Platform MVP \| Power BI & Microsoft Fabric Specialist

Sue is an independent data consultant and Microsoft MVP with over 20 years’ experience in business intelligence, analytics, and IT education. She’s a Microsoft Certified Fabric Data Engineer, Analytics Engineer, Azure Enterprise Data Analyst, and Power BI Data Analyst Associate.

For the past 7+ years, Sue has worked across public and private sectors, developing impactful Power BI solutions that span planning, project management, finance, and service-specific reporting.

Her work combines robust data engineering with insightful dashboard design, often integrating advanced techniques like sentiment analysis, Python forecasting, and bespoke data cleansing.

Before founding her consultancy, Sue spent 15 years lecturing in Business and Computing—an experience that continues to shape her passion for data literacy and enabling others.

Her current focus includes Microsoft Fabric, semantic modelling, and automating analytics using Python and DAX. She regularly speaks at major data conferences including SQLBits, Microsoft-led events, and other industry gatherings.

Sue also runs her own weekly tech user group, co-hosts the fortnightly Unpivot podcast, and actively contributes to the data community by sharing practical insights that demystify complex tools and help others embrace data with clarity and confidence.

When she’s not building reports or wrangling data, Sue’s often found training for marathons, running long distances across the Devon coast, walking her dog, or championing women in tech spaces.

Speaker: Sue Bayes, Microsoft DataPlatform MVP

Web Scraping Made Simple: Unlocking Data with Beautiful Soup

This 50-minute session introduces attendees to the fundamentals of web scraping using Python’s Beautiful Soup library. Attendees will learn how to navigate the complexities of HTML structures to extract valuable data efficiently. Key skills and concepts covered include:

Understanding HTML and CSS: Learn how web pages are structured to identify the data you need.

Setting up Beautiful Soup: Install and initialize the library to parse web content.

Scraping Techniques: Use tags, attributes, and classes to locate and extract specific elements from web pages.

Handling Dynamic Content: Work with tools like requests to scrape static pages and integrate with libraries like Selenium for dynamic content.

Saving Scraped Data: Export extracted data into structured formats like CSV or JSON for further analysis.

The session also emphasizes ethical considerations and best practices for web scraping, including handling website terms of service and respecting rate limits. Through hands-on examples, attendees will scrape a sample website and transform raw HTML into actionable insights. By the end of the session, participants will have the confidence to build their own web scraping workflows and apply them to real-world projects.

When: Thursday 10th April 2025 Time: arrive for 5:45pm with talks starting from 6pm start prompt.

Location: BJSS, 90 Victoria St, Redcliffe, BS1 6DP

Complimentary drinks & pizza provided by our hosts BJSS

Social drinks afterwards will be at Ye Shakespeare (50m away) for those interested.

This #MSFABRICBRISTOL will feature Sue Bayes and Antony Catella

Session 1 - Unleashing Python in Fabric: Supercharging Data Workflows & Power BI - Sue Bayes Join us in Bristol for an immersive hour-long session that showcases the incredible power of Python within the Fabric environment. Discover how to effortlessly extract, clean, transform, and move data, and see how Python's versatility can streamline data workflows. In this demo-driven session, we’ll demonstrate how you can seamlessly integrate Python scripts with Fabric’s capabilities to create lightning-fast, scalable Power BI reports. We'll also explore the new semantic-link-labs functionality to show how easy it is to automate Power BI documentation and processes using the power of Python. From data manipulation to real-time insights, this session is perfect for data enthusiasts and Power BI professionals looking to take their reporting to the next level using Python. Don’t miss out on this hands-on opportunity to revolutionize your data processes!

About Sue Sue Bayes is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP with over six years of independent consulting experience as a data analyst and Power BI developer, helping businesses harness the full potential of their data. Certified as a Fabric Analytics Engineer, an Azure Enterprise Data Analyst and Power BI Data Analyst Associate, Sue is passionate about leveraging the latest tools in Microsoft Fabric to provide end-to-end data engineering solutions, with a strong emphasis on integrating Python into workflows. Her expertise spans a wide range of reporting solutions, from project management and financial reporting to bespoke data cleansing, sentiment analysis, and advanced data pipelines within the Fabric environment. Sue's technical skills include Python, SQL, R, and C#, but her real passion lies in Power BI's M language and DAX, which she uses to create high-performance, dynamic reports. Before becoming an independent consultant, Sue spent 15 years lecturing in Business and Computing, helping to shape the next generation of data professionals. Her deep understanding of data engineering, paired with a love for creating streamlined, actionable insights, has made her a sought-after expert in both the public and private sectors.

Session 2 - User Defined Formatting in Power BI - Antony Catella In general the formatting (column colours, display units, data label formats) in a Power BI report are fixed for the end user. How can we give end users the ability to format aspects of the visuals to suit their needs? In this session, we look at making use of dynamic format strings and conditional formatting in Power BI, to allow end users to change the formatting of visuals. We begin with the basic concepts of dynamic format strings, which allow for the customisation of displayed data based on context and user interactions. Attendees will then learn how to apply these strings in reports to enhance the readability of data visuals. Moving onto the use of conditional formatting rules and expressions to change the colours of data points within visuals. We also demonstrate combining dynamic format strings with conditional formatting to give end users significant flexibility in what to display in visuals. By the end of this session, participants will have a comprehensive understanding of how to leverage these features and include them for their report end users. About Antony Antony works as a BI Consultant for a consultancy based in the UK, developing Power BI reports for multiple clients, primarily Non-Profit Organisations. Power BI is a rapidly evolving technology which is what he loves about it - constantly learning new things.

We all look forward to seeing you there!!

This is an Online event, the Teams link will be published on the right of this page for those who have registered. 18:30: Getting Started with Python in Microsoft Fabric - Sue Bayes 19:55 Prize Draw - Packt eBooks

Session details: 1. Getting Started with Python in Microsoft Fabric - Sue Bayes In this introductory session, you'll gain practical experience with Python in Microsoft Fabric. We'll start with connecting to a Lakehouse, exploring how to access and navigate data within Fabric. Attendees will learn various methods to ingest data, including uploading files directly. You’ll also discover how to use Python commands to make modifications to your data, such as cleaning, transforming, and preparing it for analysis. Finally, we’ll cover efficient ways to save and export your data, ensuring that your work is ready for further use.

Whether you’re a complete beginner or looking for a structured introduction, this session provides the nuts and bolts of getting started with Python in Fabric—empowering you to confidently take the next steps in your data journey.

This event is sponsored by Humand Talent Solutions, who provide the best technical talent for local start-ups and scale-ups, and Packt Books who provide the eBooks for the prize draw.

Bio: Sue Bayes Data Platform MVP Microsoft Certified: Azure Enterprise Data Analyst Associate Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate

Over 5 years successfully working as an independent Power BI developer and data analyst within the public and private sector. Reporting solutions range from project management, planning , financial reporting, specific service sector reporting, bespoke data cleansing and sentiment analysis. 15 years of lecturing in Business and Computing before starting my own business. I am passionate about data in general and how we can harness information to grow business. Knowledge of R, Python, SQL and C# but main love is M and DAX.

When not in front of the screen, I love to run and walk my dog and be outside.

Python - what's all the fuss about and how do I get started

We've had many sessions recently about Python and Fabric highlighting some of the amazing possibilities that are available with the use of these two tools.

In this session, I want to strip it back and take you through step by step on how to get started so that you can play and build in confidence. We'll be utilising Chat GPT, we'll create notebooks with Power BI reports in them, we'll explore Sempy, we'll explore Pandas, we'll look at apis and we'll replicate Pagniated Reporting. By the end of the session, you'll feel confident enought to have a go and create your own notebooks.

Blog: Most of you probably know who I am as I'm the founder of the User Group but if you don't, see Chat GPT's beautiful summary of me:

Sue Bayes is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP with over five years of independent consulting experience as a data analyst and Power BI developer, helping businesses harness the full potential of their data. Certified as a Fabric Analytics Engineer, an Azure Enterprise Data Analyst and Power BI Data Analyst Associate, Sue is passionate about leveraging the latest tools in Microsoft Fabric to provide end-to-end data engineering solutions, with a strong emphasis on integrating Python into workflows.

Her expertise spans a wide range of reporting solutions, from project management and financial reporting to bespoke data cleansing, sentiment analysis, and advanced data pipelines within the Fabric environment. Sue's technical skills include Python, SQL, R, and C#, but her real passion lies in Power BI's M language and DAX, which she uses to create high-performance, dynamic reports.

Before becoming an independent consultant, Sue spent 15 years lecturing in Business and Computing, helping to shape the next generation of data professionals. Her deep understanding of data engineering, paired with a love for creating streamlined, actionable insights, has made her a sought-after expert in both the public and private sectors.

Outside of her professional life, Sue enjoys running, walking her dog, and embracing the outdoors whenever she can.

Sue Bayes shows us how to analyse data with Python starting with the basics and focussing on actionable knowledge. If you are interested in understanding what Python is and how to use it, this talk is for you. Topics:

• Introduction to Python and data analysis
• Python basics: syntax, variables, data types, control structures, functions and libraries
• The Pandas library: dataframes and series, data import/export, filter, sort
• Data cleaning & visualisation e.g., handling missing data
• Visualisation with the matplotlib/seaborn packages

This session aims to unlock Python’s potential for data analytics, making it accessible and practical for professionals seeking to enhance their analytical skills.

Speaker Bio Our speaker,Sue Bayes, is a Microsoft certified Azure Enterprise Data Analyst Associate and Power BI Data Analyst Associate. She has over five years of independent work as a Power BI developer and data analyst, and delivered comprehensive reporting solutions across both public and private sectors. Her expertise spans a diverse range of areas including project management, financial reporting, sector-specific analysis, and bespoke data cleansing. improvements.

Her technical proficiency encompasses a broad spectrum of tools and languages including R, Python, SQL, C#, as well as M and DAX. Prior to founding DataBayes Ltd., she spent 15 years as a lecturer in Business and Computing, a role that honed her teaching skills and deepened her passion for data analytics.

Python, in particular, has been a focus of her teaching. It is an exceptionally useful language for data analytics, owing to its simplicity and the powerful suite of tools it offers.

The London Excel Meetup group is coming to Munich, Germany.

There will be fun, drinks, learning, and networking in a very social atmosphere. I cannot wait to meet you all.

Our venue is very close to Central station so for those who can commute to Munich (or live in Munich), this is a great opportunity to attend an in-person event.

Please, please RSVP on this page if you plan to attend as we need to know numbers.

The plan for the evening.

• 18:30 - doors open. network, chat, settle in.
• 19:00 - Presentations
• 21:00 - questions, chat, networking
• 21:30 - leave venue for further drinks and social chat

This event will have multiple speakers delivering short presentations of 10-15 minutes each.

You will hear from:

• Alan Murray - "Small productivity hacks"
• Robert Mundigl - “Table Slicers for Dashboards”
• Martin Weiss - "AGGREGATE function in Excel"
• Anders Ebro - Excel VBA for the professional Developer - Enabling Intellisense for custom named ranges - Enabling Intellisense for custom ribbon objects
• Giles Male - Guidance for the average modeller
• Sue Bayes - "From phone to Excel to Power BI to phone"
• Cristian Angyal - "Low Code - High Impact Power Query Tips & Tricks"
• Traci Williams - "My Love / Hate relationship with Macros"
• David Benaim - A short comedy set on the topic of Excel
• Enrico de Crescenzo - "Rules of the conditional formatting"

Alan Murray

• Founder of Computergaga blog and YouTube channel
• Author of 'Advanced Excel Formulas' and 'Advanced Excel Success'
• Microsoft MVP
• Excel and Power BI trainer
• Organiser of the 'London Excel Meetup' group

Martin Weiss

• Excel trainer, developer and consultant

• Owner of the Excel blog “Tabellenexperte” (www.tabellenexperte.de)

• Author (“Excel Pivot-Tabellen für Dummies“)

• Microsoft Certified Excel Expert

Robert Mundigl

• Consultant for Data Analysis, Data Visualization, Financial Modelling, Simulation and Optimization

• based in Aschheim (near Munich, Germany)

• Founder and owner of Clear & Simple Analytics GmbH

• Blog: ClearlyandSimply.com since 2009

• Microsoft Excel user since 1990

Sue Bayes

I'm a Microsoft Certified Data Analyst Associate in Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Power BI specialising in Microsoft Power BI, Excel and Paginated Reporting. I develop reports and models using Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft Excel, R and Python and work closely with businesses to enable them to use these tools to provice strategic insight and answer those questions that give value.

Giles Male

Giles is a CIMA qualified modeller, and co-founder of Full Stack Modeller – a training company and global community for finance professionals. Giles is keen runner, with Comrades Ultra in South Africa on the calendar for 2024.

Anders Ebro

Anders Ebro is a software engineer and system designer from Exacto , working out of Copenhagen in Denmark.

Anders has been developing and delivering optimized business applications built with Excel and SQL server for more than a decade. Everything from complex manufacturing forecasting to requirements management tools, or HR bonus payout, Anders has built it.

An Microsoft MVP in Office since 2014, he has gladly shared, presented and helped hundreds of people learning the finer nuances of Office, VBA and SQL.

Cristian Angyal

• Project Management Professional turned Data Specialist bridging Business and IT
• Data-driven problem solver with a passion for insights with 20+ years across industries
• Holds several Microsoft Certifications (MCSE, MCSA, MOS, MCT, etc.)
• Romania Power BI and Modern Excel User Group organizer
• Microsoft MVP

Traci Williams

Traci is a trainer and consultant operating her own company Excel Ace. She loves Excel and in her training helps businesses get the most out of their spreadsheets.

Enrico de Crescenzo

Enrico has been a senior finance manager in several companies in Zürich Switzerland for the last decade. He's a lazy runner and an Excel (and Power BI) enthusiast. When he's not busy improving cash flow forecasting systems or implementing KPIs to monitor financial performance, he's probably teaching how to optimize and automate spreadsheets through examples of the fictitious and delicious Pizza BI.

David Benaim

"Excel MVP and amateur comic David Benaim merges cells with exhil-arating laughs. If you like to spreadsheet, come and get sum, or #nah, if it's out of your range."

This is an in-person only event.

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