About us
The Power BI & Fabric Manchester User Group is a free to attend event that has been going for almost 10 years and our members to meets every month in Manchester on a Thursday evening.
We host a variety of events including talks from expert speakers and hands-on introduction to Fabric & Power BI. We are a thriving Fabric & Power BI community including end users & industry experts all who use Fabric Power BI – and enjoy using it.
Follow us on Twitter, @PBIMCR.
Follow our Linked-In page and watch past videos here
PBIMCR code of conduct:
The Fabric & Power BI User Manchester Group is committed to fostering a respectful, friendly, and professional environment for all members, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, physical appearance, disability, age, race, or religion.
We have a zero-tolerance policy for any behavior that degrades individuals based on these attributes, as well as any form of harassment or discrimination. It is essential for all members to understand and adhere to these standards, and we encourage everyone to contribute to a safe and welcoming atmosphere.
At our in-person events, we expect attendees to:
- Be friendly and welcoming.
- Listen with purpose and create space for diverse communication preferences.
- To show courtesy and respect to our speakers (i.e. Phones on silent, No getting up mid-talk to get drinks)
- Consider how you can make someone’s experience better.
- Be patient and understanding of varying communication styles.
- Acknowledge that not everyone may be using their native language, which can lead to misinterpretations.
- Communicate thoughtfully, aiming for clarity and productivity.
- Respect differing opinions and seek to understand rather than criticize.
- Make a conscious effort to include those who may differ from you.
- Assume good intent in others' statements and questions.
- Focus on continuous learning by improving your knowledge and engaging with others.
In summary, we ask that all members treat each other with respect, kindness, and empathy. Use inclusive language, communicate thoughtfully, avoid destructive comments, accept constructive criticism gracefully, and create space for others. If you need assistance, please reach out to the organisers.
Featured event
PBIMCR presents Leon Gordon & Vito Schittone
Join us for September's PBIMCR meet-up
When: Thursday 24th of September 2026
Time: arrive for 5:30pm with talks starting from 6pm start prompt
Address: Canopius Group - 100 Barbirolli Square Manchester M2 3AB
Complimentary drinks & pizza provided by our hosts Canopius Group & sponsors Robert Walters
Leon Gordon
Session Title
# Who's Really in Control? Monitoring & Governing Microsoft Fabric the Smart Way
Microsoft Fabric is powerful, but without the right monitoring and governance in place, it can quickly become a black box of ballooning costs, failed refreshes, and unclear ownership.
In this interactive session, we’ll break down:
The real-world governance challenges teams face in Microsoft Fabric
What Microsoft offers out-of-the-box and where it falls short
How to monitor your data estate, refreshes, and usage in a meaningful way.
Proven strategies to track, forecast costs, audit, and optimise your Fabric environment.
We’ll also showcase how you can enable data teams to:
- Score their governance maturity
- Monitor all of your capacities, refresh and workspace activity in real-time
- Get AI-powered recommendations to improve platform performance
- Make informed decisions across cost, access, and risk
Whether you’re a CTO, BI lead, platform owner, or Power BI pro, this session will equip you with practical tools and a smarter mindset to take full control of your Fabric environment.
Bonus: Live demo of governance scoring and AI-powered Fabric optimisation monitoring in action.
Vito Schittone
Title:
Advancing Your Career in Data
Vito’s session is built on his experience, learning, and skills developed over more than a decade in the industry.
He has 12 years of experience across five sectors, and within two years of graduating, while working as a Medical Laboratory Assistant, he was already leading national analytics. He drove adoption of a previously under‑used tool and delivered analytics valued in the hundreds of thousands of pounds. Over the following ten years, he progressed from Information Management Officer to Chief Technology Officer (CTO), leading SaaS development for commercial use. During this period, he automated over 7,500 working hours in under a week and built multiple enterprise‑level solutions.
Vito holds 12+ recognised Microsoft certifications with an average score of 850/1000, including Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE): Data Management and Analytics as well as Microsoft Certified: Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect. He describes himself as a Power BI and Fabric specialist, and is the founder of Data Driven Innovations (DDI), which has grown to around 1.5k members after just three sessions.
He uses a practical, experience‑driven approach and summarises the session with his own quote:
“The advantage of learning from someone who talks the talk and walks the walk is that real‑world experience collapses the learning curve, revealing in minutes what others take years to try, and often fail, to explain.” — Vito Schittone
Topics Covered: Power BI, Microsoft Fabric, Azure Analysis Services, Azure AI, OneLake, Real-Time Data
1st time attendees what to expect:
Engaging tech talks/demos/presentations and an opportunity to network in a friendly community environment with complimentary drinks and pizza served.
Upcoming events
3
PBIMCR presents Leon Gordon & Vito Schittone
Canopius Manchester HQ, 100 Barbirolli Square Manchester M2 3AB, Manchester, GBJoin us for September's PBIMCR meet-up
When: Thursday 24th of September 2026
Time: arrive for 5:30pm with talks starting from 6pm start prompt
Address: Canopius Group - 100 Barbirolli Square Manchester M2 3AB
Complimentary drinks & pizza provided by our hosts Canopius Group & sponsors Robert WaltersLeon Gordon
Session Title
# Who's Really in Control? Monitoring & Governing Microsoft Fabric the Smart Way
Microsoft Fabric is powerful, but without the right monitoring and governance in place, it can quickly become a black box of ballooning costs, failed refreshes, and unclear ownership.
In this interactive session, we’ll break down:
The real-world governance challenges teams face in Microsoft Fabric
What Microsoft offers out-of-the-box and where it falls short
How to monitor your data estate, refreshes, and usage in a meaningful way.Proven strategies to track, forecast costs, audit, and optimise your Fabric environment.
We’ll also showcase how you can enable data teams to:
- Score their governance maturity
- Monitor all of your capacities, refresh and workspace activity in real-time
- Get AI-powered recommendations to improve platform performance
- Make informed decisions across cost, access, and riskWhether you’re a CTO, BI lead, platform owner, or Power BI pro, this session will equip you with practical tools and a smarter mindset to take full control of your Fabric environment.
Bonus: Live demo of governance scoring and AI-powered Fabric optimisation monitoring in action.
Vito Schittone
Title:
Advancing Your Career in Data
Vito’s session is built on his experience, learning, and skills developed over more than a decade in the industry.
He has 12 years of experience across five sectors, and within two years of graduating, while working as a Medical Laboratory Assistant, he was already leading national analytics. He drove adoption of a previously under‑used tool and delivered analytics valued in the hundreds of thousands of pounds. Over the following ten years, he progressed from Information Management Officer to Chief Technology Officer (CTO), leading SaaS development for commercial use. During this period, he automated over 7,500 working hours in under a week and built multiple enterprise‑level solutions.Vito holds 12+ recognised Microsoft certifications with an average score of 850/1000, including Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE): Data Management and Analytics as well as Microsoft Certified: Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect. He describes himself as a Power BI and Fabric specialist, and is the founder of Data Driven Innovations (DDI), which has grown to around 1.5k members after just three sessions.
He uses a practical, experience‑driven approach and summarises the session with his own quote:“The advantage of learning from someone who talks the talk and walks the walk is that real‑world experience collapses the learning curve, revealing in minutes what others take years to try, and often fail, to explain.” — Vito Schittone
Topics Covered: Power BI, Microsoft Fabric, Azure Analysis Services, Azure AI, OneLake, Real-Time Data
1st time attendees what to expect:
Engaging tech talks/demos/presentations and an opportunity to network in a friendly community environment with complimentary drinks and pizza served.28 attendees
Happy Hour networking drinks at FabCon BCN
Carrer de Josep Pla, 21, Carrer de Josep Pla, 21, Sant Martí, 08019 Barcelona, Spain, Barcelona, CT, ESOur Lead Co-Org Alex and our sponsors Robert Walters (Barcelona team) will be hosting a networking drinks event near the Centre de Convencions Internacional de Barcelona (CCIB).
Time: 6:00pm - 8:30pm
Venue: Casa Carmen. Carrer de Josep Pla, 21, BarcelonaPlease RSVP on
https://info.robertwalters.com/RW-EMEA-IT-2026-Q3-4-RobertWaltersITCocktail_LiveEvents-Registrationpage.html
if planning to attend.17 attendees
PBIMCR presents at Data Decoded feat Rob Sewell & Duncan Boyne
Manchester Central Convention Complex, Windmill Street, Manchester M2 3GX, GBCalling all Power BI & Fabric Data enthusiasts
We've been invited back to run a special User Group event at Data Decoded 2026 conference at Manchester Central
- Enjoy thought-provoking PBI & Fabric talks and demos from industry experts and peers.
Date and Location:
📅 Date: 13th of October 2025
🕠 Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
📍 Venue: Manchester Central Convention Complex, Petersfield, M2 3GXWe are in the Data Governance, Risk & Compliance Theatre
October's PBIMCR x DataDecoded event will feature 2 talks
Speakers Duncan Boyne and Rob Sewell
https://datadecoded.com/
**To attend, you must sign up for free Data Decoded tickets and register on Meetup to join the community.**
Enjoy pizza, drinks, and plenty of networking with data community afterwards at Data Decoded afterparty
23 attendees
Past events
133
