New Orleans, Here We Come: Previewing POWERUp 2026
Organizers promise more opportunities to make personal connections and learn about the emerging technologies affecting their work
As the premier conference for the IBM Power community, COMMON’s POWERUp offers invaluable opportunities for professionals—ranging from industry experts to newcomers—to engage in educational sessions and networking events rooted in a shared passion for their platform. That stage for professional development, learning and growth returns April 27-30 in New Orleans.
An Emphasis on Community
Across its 66-year history, COMMON has undergone gradual changes to its programming to keep up with the latest trends and technologies. And recently, the user group has seen an overall shift in what POWERUp attendees—especially millennial and Gen Z professionals—want to get out of the conference. This year, as part of COMMON’s Project 2030 initiative, it embraces a growing interest in community-building through additional and improved non-technical activities.
“We purposely have scaled back some of the education sessions and really added more networking opportunities because COMMON, even though it’s a user group, we think of it as community,” COMMON Executive Director Manzoor Siddiqui says. “…We’re trying to do everything we can to keep that community connected and really help the younger generation and the first-timers really feel welcome, get them accepted into the community, which hopefully has long-lasting effects as far as membership [and future attendance] is concerned.”
Among the new networking initiatives, there will be a “COMMON Problem Solving” event, where attendees will be encouraged to set their electronic devices aside and work together as teams to solve word puzzles and brain teasers. Attendees can also expect a trivia night, some friendly pickleball competition and a “Pups and Cups” event, held in partnership with a local animal shelter, to enjoy a coffee while spending time with puppies in order to decompress.
Holding the conference in New Orleans in and of itself promises a lively experience for attendees. Leaning into the city’s “built-in fun,” organizers have planned a team-based scavenger hunt throughout the streets of New Orleans to get people out and exploring. The timing of POWERUp—sandwiched between the two weekends of New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival—also gives many attendees reason to arrive early or stay a bit after the conference to uncover everything the city has to offer.
Evolving Education Curriculum
While this year’s conference emphasizes connecting with fellow attendees outside of presentations, COMMON President Floyd Del Muro explains that robust educational programming is still an integral part of POWERUp, especially with adjacent technology expansion rapidly shaping the world of IBM Power. Git, VS Code, open source, IBM Bob and AI are just a few hot topics right now that COMMON is working into its educational sessions through a diverse line-up of speakers.
Del Muro hopes these sessions can help technologists transition to a future where their platforms are increasingly integrated with other systems. “We’re trying to offer our bridge courses, [and] we’re looking for new speaker talent and development in those bridge course areas, and it matters because a thriving association needs a constant influx of new voices,” he says.
This year’s keynote address, delivered by Hillery Hunter, general manager for IBM Power, will also explore the intersection of those innovations with the platform’s strategic goals.
Because interest in topics and session structure varies among attendees, there will be a wide range of session formats to choose from—from 20-minute sessions that get to the heart of emerging technologies to longer, more comprehensive discussions of recent trends.
Making the Most of It
As he counts down the days to another POWERUp , Del Muro looks forward to helping a new generation of IBM Power professionals foster meaningful relationships and develop the skills and knowledge that will enable them to grow in their careers.
“I’m always excited about the next generation,” Del Muro says. “I joined the board to build the next generation.”
He’s most excited about the five local colleges that will have a presence at the conference. “I enjoy showing [students] around and introducing them to a community that is really quite open. From senior leadership down, everybody in our community is available to these students, and I think they find that both gratifying and enlightening at the same time.”
Putting yourself out there can be intimidating, and Del Muro knows that a lot of first-time attendees might be inclined to keep to themselves or stay within their pods of familiar faces. But to get the most out of their time at POWERUp, he encourages newcomers to take advantage of the fact they’re surrounded by some of their industry’s most experienced experts and make connections grounded in the curiosity.
“I would ask [new attendees] to do an exercise in discomfort and go out there and just try to meet as many people [as possible],” Del Muro says. “Everybody’s going to be interested in what they’re doing. They should be asking whoever they’re talking to what they do and how long they’ve been in the environment—not just the small talk, but dig in.”
As Siddiqui notes, you never know when the next opportunity or connection to advance your career will sprout up. Built on COMMON’s pillars of education, networking and advocacy, POWERUp has something to offer to professionals at any point in their careers. While that may look different person by person, as long as attendees walk away with something to hold onto until next year, Siddiqui considers that a success.
“What I would want them to leave with is [the feeling] they can’t wait to come back next year,” Siddiqui says, “whether it was because they learned something that they’ve been trying to solve for months, whether they met that one person who really changed the trajectory of something, or they just had so much fun that they just want to come back and connect with those new friends again.”