With IBM’s consolidation of conferences resulting in the cancellation of last Fall’s World of Watson/Insight/IOD Conference, and the merge into March’s upcoming Think conference, Db2 users have several educational event options to consider. With training and education budgets continuing to shrink, and the use of contractors (who need to be billable, and know everything already, right?) growing, getting funding and approval to attend events is more challenging than ever.
However, with so many choices, I hope you will find something that’s a good fit, and have the opportunity to network with the Db2 community. Here’s a short list of the events I am hoping to attend – and why:
Hands-on IDAA/IIAS Training, Date TBD (February or March), Baltimore, Maryland
Frank Fillmore is developing a new 2-day hands-on training class to introduce the IBM Db2 Analytics Accelerator (IDAA) and it’s new version, the IBM Integrated Analytics System (IIAS), featuring BLU Acceleration and available as an appliance or a z/Linux software solution. Class will focus on use case development, determining the right fit deployment option for your organization, implementation and administration. Frank has been delivering similar classes since the release of the IDAA and has helped many System z customers understand the accelerator value.
Why attend? The IDAA/IIAS solution is an incredible addition to the System z environment, Frank is an excellent presenter, and class is *FREE*
To register: keep an eye on our blog or email me if you would like me to notify you when class is scheduled.
Baltimore/Washington Db2 Users Group Education Session with Themis, Wednesday, March 14th, BWI Hilton, Linthicum Heights, MD
Every March the Baltimore/Washington Db2 Users Group offers a full-day education session. These sessions are evaluated by our board and intended to provide the best local full-day of training available in the area each year. The March session will be delivered by IBM Champion and author Tony Andrews from Themis, and will focus on SQL programming, performance, and tuning, as well as the SQL-PL native Stored Procedures language.
Why attend? The annual education day presenters reads like “Who’s Who in Db2” and the sessions are consistently terrific. Tony is an excellent presenter, the event is local for Baltimore/Washington area Db2 users, and it’s our group’s first meeting at our new BWI Hilton location.
To register: visit the Baltimore/Washington Db2 Users Group webpage.
Cost: $250 in advance and $300 at the door. The fee includes materials and a sit-down lunch.
Think 2018, March 19 – March 22, Las Vegas, NV
IBM has consolidated several technical conferences into Think, with the conference topics covering AI, Cloud, Data, Security, and Systems. As last year’s World of Watson/Insight/IOD annual data-centric conference was cancelled, Db2 users are interested in better understanding IBM’s direction and how the continued IBM transformation will impact their organizations.
Why attend? This is usually the largest annual gathering of Db2 users. Great networking, excellent presenters, superb people watching. Maybe some answers to those nagging “what’s next?” questions??
To register: visit the Think registration page.
Cost: $2,295 for the week; $895 for a single day pass. *Before registering ask your IBM rep for help with the cost of the pass.* 😉
IDUG Philadelphia, April 29 – May 3, Philadelphia, PA
The annual North America Db2 conference will be held in downtown Philadelphia this year, an easy and inexpensive commute for Mid-Atlantic organizations like The Fillmore Group. The IDUG conference is where the Db2 community and IBM are focusing on the delivery of hard-core technical content. With 5 days of education sessions, workshops, over 100 technical briefings and an experts’ panel, this year’s IDUG conference, while smaller than Think, will likely offer the best technical education value for Db2 users.
Why attend? IDUG will deliver top-notch Db2 technical presenters and presentations. Great networking and friendly – very community focused.
To register: visit the IDUG North America 2018 conference webpage.
Cost: $1,865 through March 16 (early bird). Need help funding a conference pass? There are many discounts and community offers – contact the IDUG Conference Planning Committee (CPC) for help.