IBM Power User Group Roundup: Connect, Network and Learn From Your Peers
Are you looking for regional user groups in the U.S. and Canada? Check out these active user groups for a sampling of events and networking opportunities in your area.
Ontario (Toronto)—Toronto Users Group
www.tug.ca / admin@tug.ca / 416-622-8789 / 20 Bead Fernway, Toronto, Ontario M2J 4L3
The Toronto Users Group’s purpose is to provide a professional forum for presentations and exchange the ideas that pertain to IBM midrange computers as well as related subjects for users, from the technical management and end user perspectives. In-person meetings are usually held every two months and Zoom-only meetings each alternate month. Admission is free for members.
California (Costa Mesa)—Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN)
ougsc.memberclicks.net / info@oceanusergroup.org
The Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN) User Group’s mission offers an affordable educational resource by providing the latest information on both IBM and multiplatform technology. Educational sessions are presented by guest speakers at monthly meetings, webinars, special events and the annual Technical Conference and Vendor Solutions Expo. Meetings are scheduled monthly and are held January to November. The primary focus of the meetings is to discuss the IBM Power Systems platform and IBM i OS while covering topics related to technical areas and career development. The user group focuses on how to innovate and thrive with IBM i, while offering full technical presentations that focus on all aspects of IT from strategic directions to today’s latest technologies and hands-on workshops on learning how to tune up your skill sets.
Central Texas IBM i User Group
https://ctxiug.blogspot.com/ / simon@rpgpgm.com
The Central Texas IBM i User Group (CTXiUG) is a community of passionate technology experts focused on sharing knowledge about IBM i and everything related to it. No topic is too unique or niche for CTXiUG. The group was founded in 2020 and is always looking for members in central Texas, including metropolitan Austin and San Antonio areas. The user group meets every other month and has successfully brought a host of IBM champions and other accomplished people in the IBM i community to present exciting new ideas to the group. Each meeting is typically accessible online to anyone who registers.
COMMON User Group
www.common.org / common@common.org / 800-777-6734 or 312-279-0192
COMMON is the world’s largest association of IT professionals that focuses on IBM and related technologies and aims to enhance the careers of its members. By attending a COMMON event, you will have the opportunity to choose educational sessions that best support your educational goals while networking with others in the ecosystem.
Common Europe
comeur.org / office@commoneur.org
Whether it’s to network with peers, learn from industry experts or keep up with the latest news and developments in the IBM Power and IBM i communities, Common Europe can help facilitate that knowledge sharing and get you in front of the right people. From attending the annual European Common Europe Congress (CEC)—which brings together hundreds of IBM Power and IBM i experts, users, vendors and like-minded professionals all under one roof—to participating at country-level in the Common Europe iTour events, to joining in a webinar, it’s easy to network, learn and share best practices within the community.
Common Europe has primarily been an umbrella organization serving other COMMON-related user groups at various country levels throughout Europe and, they remain very important and key members. Common Europe encourages membership in those organizations. Any member of a Common Europe Country User Group is automatically considered a member of Common Europe!
IBM i Midwest User Group (iMWUG)
info.briteskies.com/midwestusergroup / iMWUG@briteskies.com / 216-369-3600 / 2658 Scranton Road, Suite 3, Cleveland, Ohio 44113
The IBM i Midwest User Group (iMWUG) is a dynamic new user group fostering education on all aspects of IBM i combined with ERP, with a mission to promote the use of this powerful platform and enrich the user experience. When you join iMWUG, you’ll join a vibrant and inclusive community dedicated to educating and sharing knowledge about the IBM i platform.
With free membership, you’ll gain access to virtual bi-monthly meeting and webinar sessions with industry experts, education on new technology and networking opportunities within a community of like-minded IBM i professionals. Join the iMWUG community to stay informed on the latest events and education!
Illinois (Oak Brook)—Omni Users Group
omniuser.org / mikepavlak+omni@gmail.com or jromeh+omni@gmail.com / 2021 Midwest Road, Suite 200, Oak Brook, IL 60523
The Omni User Group is Chicago’s largest and oldest association of computer users. The user group specializes in the IBM midrange platform and associated computing devices. Omni’s dinner meetings are held monthly to share educational and practical experiences amongst the IBM i community.
Large User Group (LUG)
www.ibmilug.ihost.com
LUG (Large User Group) was formed in 1994, incorporated in Minnesota in 1999, and has been going strong ever since. LUG consists of 90 large companies that have a significant investment in IBM i, with members using more than 225 million CPW. Recognized leaders in their industries, member companies are present in finance, manufacturing, insurance, retail, petroleum and media. At LUG meetings, there are dozens of presentations, breakout sessions and opportunities for dialogue. Each meeting includes in-depth, technical and strategic presentations on varied topics members are interested in, excluding marketing and sales. Working meetings are held three times per year, generally in February, June and September, at the IBM offices in Rochester, Minnesota, the birthplace of the IBM i.
Michigan (Rochester)—Southeast Michigan iSeries Users Group
www.semiug.org / webmaster@semiug.org / Southeast Michigan IBM i User Group, P.O. Box 80135 Rochester, MI 48308
The Southeast Michigan IBM i User Group’s mission is to provide a forum for IBM i users to gain new skills, stay informed about upcoming changes on the platform and network with other IBM i professionals. Meetings take place monthly September through June (excluding December). Many of the speakers at the user group’s meetings are current or former IBM i experts who have a vast wealth of knowledge to share with the attendees.
Michigan (Grand Rapids)—West Michigan IBM i Users Group
www.wmsug.net / chairperson@wmsug.net or programdirector@wmsug.net or administrator@wmsug.net 269-660-7777 ext. 7876 or 616-530-6600
West Michigan IBM i User Group (WMSUG) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting timely information to CIOs, directors, managers, analysts and programmers who utilize the IBM i platform in their businesses. WMSUG meetings are typically held monthly September through May.
Mid-Atlantic Group of IBM i Collaborators
www.magic-ug.org / admin@magic-ug.org / MAGiC, 4658D Haygood Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23455
The Mid-Atlantic Group of IBM i Collaborators (MAGiC) was founded to provide a place to collaborate and to learn new IBM i skills from industry experts and share ideas with other members. MAGiC provides informative monthly online sessions, an annual twoday workshop focused on open source and an annual conference. MAGiC has become a great resource for IBM i professionals to gain valuable insights and training from knowledgeable industry experts, designed to help us shift our thinking and approaches from reactive to proactive, from status quo to visionary, from keeping up with the industry to leading from within it.
Minnesota (St. Paul)—QUSER
ww.quser.org / QUSER, P.O. Box 40062, Saint Paul, MN 55104
The QUSER Group is an excellent opportunity to network with peers, share ideas and tips, and become knowledgeable on topics relevant to the IBM i community. Becoming a member allows for access to additional support provided by IBM, COMMON and other corporate sponsors, all of which are committed to the success of QUSER Group. These sponsors provide special guest speakers, contributing to education funding and provide discounts to attend the popular conferences such as COMMON.
New York (Syosset)—Long Island Systems Users Group (LISUG)
www.lisug.org / Long Island System User Group (LISUG), 338 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 101 Syosset, NY 11791-3504
The Long Island System User Group (LISUG) is dedicated to the education of system professionals that utilize the IBM Power Systems platform, including IBM i, System i, iSeries and AS/400. The user group has become one of the largest and most technical user groups in the country, consistently advancing the knowledge of all computer users on all platforms. The user group meets every month July through August and consists of a pre-meeting followed by a cocktail hour, dinner and then the main presentation. The knowledgeable speakers and members make for a very interesting experience, and LISUG attracts some of the industry’s top speakers, including professionals from IBM Rochester and Toronto labs. In May they hold their May Education Day.
The Northeast User Group Conference
www.neugc.org / registration@neugc.org or vendors@neugc.org
The Northeast User Group Conference (NEUGC) is dedicated to helping its members and the Power Systems community meet the challenge of change in a fast-moving technology age. Held April 7 – 9, 2025, the 33rd annual conference will consist of 50+ sessions, expert speakers, hundreds of attendees and more than 10 vendor sponsors.
Tennessee (Nashville)—IMUG Midrange Users Group
imug.clubexpress.com / 270-885-9011 / MUG, 718 Thompson Lane, Suite 108-266 Nashville, TN 37204
IMUG supports and promotes members’ professional success. With an emphasis on technical and management education for IBM Power Systems, IMUG sessions and seminars cover such topics as security and disaster planning. IMUG membership entitles users to networking and support with industry leaders, full access to the IMUG website, COMMON membership and discounts, superior professional development and contact with vendors specializing in IBM midrange computing.
Wisconsin (Elm Grove)—Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association
wmcpa.org / president@wmcpa.org / WMCPA, P.O. Box 492, Elm Grove, WI 53122-0492
The Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association’s purpose is to allow members to exchange information regarding the use and growth of the midrange system. The dinner meetings are held monthly from September through May—with the exception of March—and each meeting consists of two sessions by a guest speaker. In March, the user group holds its annual Spring Technical Conference, which is a two-day event. Membership is recommended to any person, company, group or organization which has a midrange computer system, such as an AS/400, iSeries, System i or IBM i on Power system installed or on order, or to anyone who is directly involved in the creation of software and hardware related to midrange systems.