September 3, 2019 | IBM i

How to Find an IBM i & Power Systems User Group (US Edition)

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Last year, we listed all the reasons it’s a good idea to join a Local IBM i User Group.

 

While all IBM i user groups are great, they are a few differences in how each group functions and what they do. Some Local User Groups (LUGs) hold technical conferences, some pair IBM i education with dinner, some only focus on IBM POWER systems, some meet in the mornings, some meet in the evenings, and some groups only meet on-line.

 

Here’s a listing of where all the IBM i user groups are in the United States, how often they meet, where they usually meet, and what they offer in terms of IBM i education. In a future post, we’ll look at IBM i LUGs outside the US.

State-by-State IBM i Education

California (Costa Mesa) Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN)

 

When: The regularly scheduled monthly meetings are held on the third Tuesday of the month from January–November from 6 PM to 8:30 PM. The annual Tech Conference is held in July.

 

Where:  Meetings normally are held at National University, 3390 Harbor Boulevard, Costa Mesa CA 92626-1502

 

Connecticut (Wilton) Fairfield Application Systems User Group (FASUG)

 

When:  Monthly meetings are held from January – May and September – December.  Registration begins at 5:30, with dinner with the presentation being held from 6:00 to 8:30 PM.

 

Where: Meetings are normally held at the Norwalk Inn, 99 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT.

 

Georgia (Atlanta) Georgia IBM POWER Systems User Group (PUG)

 

When: Meets on the third Thursday of January, April, July, and October from 3 – 5 PM

 

Where: Past meetings have been held at IBM in Atlanta. See the Web site for details.

 

Illinois (Chicago) COMMON

 

When: Various events are held throughout the year including POWERUp in the Spring, IT Executive Conferences, the Fall Conference & Expo, a virtual conference, and on-line education

 

Where: POWERUp, the IT Executive Conference, and the Fall Conference & Expo are traveling events that are held in different cities every year. See the Web site for details.

 

Illinois (Oak Brook) The Omni User

 

When: The Omni User Group holds monthly dinner meetings, has a newsletter, and offers slide decks from previous presentations on their Web site.

 

Where:  The upcoming meeting is going to be held at Fox and Turtle Restaurant, Itasca Country Club at 400 East Orchard Street in Itasca, IL.

 

Indiana (Fort Wayne) STATUS

 

When: The regular monthly meetings are held September through May.  Meeting times vary from evening meeting to morning meetings.

 

Where: The meetings are most often held at AS/CC Cafeteria at 7614 Opportunity Drive in Fort Wayne, IN. However, the May 2019 meeting has a different location, so be sure to check the events.

 

Massachusetts (Framingham) IBM i User Group Conference (NEUGC)

When: NEUGC is an annual two and a half day event that is typically held in April.  Monday afternoon is deep dives and Tuesday and Wednesday there are sessions.

 

Where: NEUGC takes place at the Sheraton 1657 Worcester Road, Framingham, MA.

 

Massachusetts (North Attleboro) New England User Group (NEMUG)

 

When: Monthly Meetings are held from September through June, with a break for the summer.  Registration opens at 5:15 with the meeting starting at 6:00 followed by dinner.

 

Where:  The regular meetings are held at Red Stone Grill at 120 Chestnut Street in North Attleboro, MA,

 

Michigan (Grand Rapids) West Michigan IBM i User Groups I-94 & WMSUG

 

When: Meetings are typically held the 3rd Wednesday, September through May.  Registration opens at 8AM with the meeting starting at 8:30. Meetings typically last three hours.

 

Where:  Check the Web site for location.

 

Michigan (Grand Rapids) Grand Rapids Midrange Meetup

 

When:  Meetings are scheduled for the 2nd Tuesday of the month.  The start time is 4:00.

 

Where:  The meetings are held at The 84th Street Grill at 8282 Pfeiffer Farms Dr. SW in Byron Center, MI.

 

Michigan (Rochester) SEMIUG (Southeast Michigan IBM i User Group)

 

When: Meetings are typically on the 3rd Tuesday of the month September through June (excluding December). The deli snack starts at 5:30 with the meeting starting at 6:00.

 

Where: The location of meetings varies so be sure to check the specific event for location details.

 

Minnesota (St. Paul) Twin Cities IBM Power Systems User Group (QUSER)

 

When.  Monthly meetings are held the third Tuesday of the month September through May. A special summer meeting is usually held in June. Their normal meeting time is from 2:00 – 5:00 PM.

 

Where: Meetings are hosted by HelpSystems at 6455 City West Parkway in Eden Prairie, MN.

 

Missouri (St. Louis) Gateway/400 Group

 

When:  Monthly luncheon meetings, September through May, are currently being held on the second Thursday. The doors open at 11:30 AM and lunch is served promptly at noon.  Reservations are required.  Sessions begin at 1:00 PM and run for 2 to 2-1/2 hours.

 

Where:  Meetings are currently being held at Spazio Westport at 12031 Lackland Rd. in St. Louis, MO.

 

New Hampshire (Manchester) New Hampshire Midrange User Group (NHMUG)

 

When: The monthly meetings are held from September to June, no meeting is scheduled during the month that the Northeast User Groups Conference is scheduled.  Registration starts at 8:30 and the meetings end by 4PM.

 

Where:  Most of the meetings are held at the Backyard Brewery at 1211 S Mammoth Rd in Manchester, NH.

 

New York (Buffalo) Midrange User Group of Western New York (MUG)

 

When:  The monthly dinner meeting is held on the fourth Thursday of each month in September, October, December, February, March, April, May & occasionally in June.  Meetings will begin at 5:30 PM for registration & check-in, followed by dinner & a brief business meeting, usually winding up the night by 8:00 PM.

 

Where: The meetings are held at Anchor Bar at 6635 Transit Rd in Williamsville, NY.

 

New York (Syosset) Long Island System User Group (LISUG)

 

When: Dinner Meetings are held September through April with an education day in May.  The meetings begin at 6 PM and end about 9:30 PM.

 

Where: TBD

 

Tennessee (Nashville) IBM Midrange User Group (IMUG)

 

When: Dinner Meetings are held from September through May.  Dinner begins at 6:00 with presentations from 6:45 – 8 PM.

 

Where:  Meetings are held at Shoney’s at 2645 McGavock Pike in Nashville, TN.

 

Texas (Dallas) Metro Midrange Systems Association (MMSA)

 

When: Monthly meetings are held with a break in June.  Meetings are held from 6-8 PM.

 

Where:  Monthly meetings are hosted at IBM Global Solution Center at 1177 S Belt Line Rd in Coppell, TX.

 

Utah (Murray) Utah IBM i Professionals Association

 

When: Meetings are usually held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month.  Meetings start at 11:00 AM and end at 12:30 PM.

 

Where:  Meeting are held at either ADP, LLC in the Decker Lake area or Dealer Track in the Jordan Riverfront Parkway area.  Check the post(s) for location details.

 

Virginia (Virginia Beach) Mid-Atlantic Group of IBM I Collaborators (MAGIC)

 

When: MAGIC meetings are held on-line with past presentations and downloads available to members

 

Where: TBD

 

Wisconsin (Elm Grove) Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professionals Organization (WMCPA)

 

When: WMCPA dinner meetings are normally held on the second Thursday of each month, September through May, with the exception of March. In March, WMCPA holds their annual Spring Technical Conference, which is a two-day event.

 

Where:  The Spring Technical Conference is held at the newly remodeled Lake Lawn Resort and Conference Center in Delavan, Wisconsin.