i-UG Conference Midlands 2026: Full Schedule

8:30am GMT

Welcome, Registration and Networking (with Tea, Coffee, Bacon Butties & Pastries) in the Expo

Tuesday November 3, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am GMT

Mander's Suite, The Mount Hotel Country Manor @ Mount Rd, Tettenhall Wood, Wolverhampton WV6 8HL, UK

Limited Capacity seats available

Tea, coffee & refreshments including pastries and our signature bacon butties will be served in the Expo Hall, in the Mander's Suite.

Please take the time to speak with our generous sponsors who helped fund today's event.

Tuesday November 3, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am GMT
Mander's Suite, The Mount Hotel Country Manor

Refreshments

9:30am GMT

Welcome & i-UG "State of the Nation" Keynote

LIMITED

Tuesday November 3, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am GMT

Great Hall, The Mount Hotel Country Manor @ Mount Rd, Tettenhall Wood, Wolverhampton WV6 8HL, UK

Limited Capacity seats available

Mike and the Board of i-UG will combine to outline the ‘State of the Nation’ for i-UG at this time,Mike will open by covering all the points relating to general activity of the group giving an update on the progress of our Education programme. Here he will be joined by Colin Spofford to cover of some more detail on the Education Programme, how it came about and where it...
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Speakers

Steve Bradshaw

Friendly Techie, RowtonIT.com

My latest work as the Friendly Techie, includes assisting IBM i with the design and testing with IBM i 7.6 as both Beta Tester and Redbook Author, and as assistant in the design and testing of the new IBM i Migrate While Active tool and the AI based RPG Code Assistant.

I have worked in the IBM Business Partner world for over thirty years now and despite IBM's best attempts I still love them ;-) My career started as an RPG developer but for the last twenty years I have specialised in System Design, installation and management. In 2008 I founded my

... Read More →

Steve Cast

Practice Director/Treasurer Common Europe, Fresche Solutions

I lead the European team at Fresche Solutions, one of the world's largest IBM i dedicated teams outside of IBM.

In my role as Practice Director of Fresche Europe, I continue to build on the success of my 40+ years of working in this sector, by combining the comprehensive IBM i too

... Read More →

Dr. Liam Naughton

Senior Lecturer Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Wolverhampton

Mike Ryan

CEO/Chairman, Essist Omikron Group/i-UG

Mike Ryan has been associated with the IBM Mid-Range since 1977 and has made a career in Systems and Data Management. Mike has grown with the IBM Midrange and POWER systems, always seeking out the best way to configure, implement and get the very best out of all the systems, new... Read More →

Colin Spofford

Finance Director, i-UG

Colin has had a long history in IBM i, running well known, successful businesses like Springstone Software Services Ltd. before retiring. It is there where his love of education was forged.

Colin has been a member of the i-UG for over 30 years and he has been the Board Secretary o
... Read More →

Andy Youens

Owner, FormaServe

IBM Champion. Over 45 years IBM i developer. Open Source on i guru. Ex Royal Navy. Editor of PowerWire. Certified IBM I developer & redbooks author.

Tuesday November 3, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am GMT
Great Hall, The Mount Hotel Country Manor

Keynote Presentation

10:30am GMT

Keynote - The Future is Now: IBM i, Power, and AI—Latest News & What's Next

LIMITED

Tuesday November 3, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am GMT

Great Hall, The Mount Hotel Country Manor @ Mount Rd, Tettenhall Wood, Wolverhampton WV6 8HL, UK

Limited Capacity seats available

Curious about the direction of your platform? Join Wennie and Scott for a dynamic, high-impact session diving into the latest and greatest news and happenings across the core pillars of the IBM Power systems. We'll cut through the noise to bring you essential updates on:IBM i: Discover key enhancements, strategic roadmaps, and the future of your business applications.IBM...
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Speakers

Wennie Allen

Executive Director of Product Management, IBM Power, IBM

Wennie Allen is the Executive Director of Product Management for IBM Power. Wennie oversees teams responsible for developing and delivering impactful Power products and offerings, including the Power platform, IBM i, and AIX. She plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of IBM Power... Read More →

Scott Forstie

Senior Technical Staff Member, IBM

Scott Forstie is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Db2 for i Architect. He has worked on IBM operating system development since joining IBM in 1989.
Scott is a frequently published author, speaker at industry events... Read More →

Tuesday November 3, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am GMT
Great Hall, The Mount Hotel Country Manor

Keynote Presentation, Keynote

11:30am GMT

Networking with Morning Tea and Coffee in the Expo

LIMITED

Tuesday November 3, 2026 11:30am - 11:55am GMT

Mander's Suite, The Mount Hotel Country Manor @ Mount Rd, Tettenhall Wood, Wolverhampton WV6 8HL, UK

Limited Capacity seats available

Tea, coffee and refreshments will be served in the Expo Hall, in the Mander's Suite.

Please take the time to speak with our generous sponsors who helped fund today's event.

Tuesday November 3, 2026 11:30am - 11:55am GMT
Mander's Suite, The Mount Hotel Country Manor

Refreshments

11:55am GMT

5 things you didn't know about Db2 for i

LIMITED

Tuesday November 3, 2026 11:55am - 12:40pm GMT

Wightwick Room, The Mount Hotel Country Manor (Please note this is upstairs and there is no lift) @ Mount Rd, Tettenhall Wood, Wolverhampton WV6 8HL, UK

Limited Capacity seats available

Speakers

Eddie Chaffin

Group Enterprise Architect, AB Food Group

Originally trained as a chemist and food specialist, Eddie has worked in the IBM i space for many years. He has gained great respect for his food industry knowledge, INM Power and IBM i knowledge and mastering the Infor M3 applications.

Now a go-to resource for use of the IBM Stor... Read More →

Tuesday November 3, 2026 11:55am - 12:40pm GMT
Wightwick Room, The Mount Hotel Country Manor (Please note this is upstairs and there is no lift)

Session, Development

11:55am GMT

AI Workshop - Hands-on with IBM watsonx.ai Prompt Lab

FILLING

Tuesday November 3, 2026 11:55am - 12:40pm GMT

Wulfrun Suite, The Mount Hotel Country Manor (Please note this is upstairs and there is no lift) @ Mount Rd, Tettenhall Wood, Wolverhampton WV6 8HL, UK

Limited Capacity filling up

Hands-on with IBM watsonx.ai Prompt Lab

Join Andrew and Mark for a "hands on" technical lab working with IBM Watsonx.ai.

To participate please ensure that you bring your laptop and charger with you.

NOTE: This is a "hands on" lab. You do not need to attend all 3 labs and can join 1, 2 or 3 of the AI sessions.

Speakers

Mark Ketteman

Andrew Laidlaw

Power Technical Specialist, IBM United Kingdom

Tuesday November 3, 2026 11:55am - 12:40pm GMT
Wulfrun Suite, The Mount Hotel Country Manor (Please note this is upstairs and there is no lift)

Session, Workshop

11:55am GMT

Inject more security using SQL

FILLING

Tuesday November 3, 2026 11:55am - 12:40pm GMT

Event Bar, The Mount Hotel Country Manor @ Mount Rd, Tettenhall Wood, Wolverhampton WV6 8HL, UK

Limited Capacity filling up

In this award winning and updated session, Scott will explore the many ways that “bad actors” can attempt to subvert the security on IBM i. Whether the topic is protecting against SQL Injection, closing doors to acquiring elevated privileges, or attempting to discover unprotected objects, this session will include techniques for evaluation and protection of your IBM i. Attend this session to...
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Speakers

Scott Forstie

Senior Technical Staff Member, IBM

Tuesday November 3, 2026 11:55am - 12:40pm GMT
Event Bar, The Mount Hotel Country Manor

Session, Sys Admin

11:55am GMT

VS Code + IBM i: Tips, Tricks, and Real Talk

LIMITED

Tuesday November 3, 2026 11:55am - 12:40pm GMT

Great Hall, The Mount Hotel Country Manor @ Mount Rd, Tettenhall Wood, Wolverhampton WV6 8HL, UK

Limited Capacity seats available

Are you already using VS Code for IBM i development or thinking about making the switch? This session is for you. Join a fellow IBM i developer who lives and breathes VS Code as we dive into real-world examples, tips, tricks, and the reasons why VS Code is becoming the go-to editor for modern IBM i development.We’ll kick things off with some practical advice and a few of my favorite extensions,...
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Speakers

Richard Moulton

IBM i Developer, RM Software Services Ltd

I’m a freelance IBM i developer with 37 years of experience working mainly with RPG applications but utilising open source software more and more in my software solutions.I have extensive experience in the complete development life cycle, and have had an in-depth involvement in... Read More →

Tuesday November 3, 2026 11:55am - 12:40pm GMT
Great Hall, The Mount Hotel Country Manor

Session, Development

12:40pm GMT

Networking Lunch in the Expo

LIMITED

Tuesday November 3, 2026 12:40pm - 1:50pm GMT

Mander's Suite, The Mount Hotel Country Manor @ Mount Rd, Tettenhall Wood, Wolverhampton WV6 8HL, UK

Limited Capacity seats available

A buffet lunch will be served in the Expo Hall, in the Mander's Suite.

Please take the time to speak with our generous sponsors who helped fund today's event.

Tuesday November 3, 2026 12:40pm - 1:50pm GMT
Mander's Suite, The Mount Hotel Country Manor

Refreshments

1:50pm GMT

AI Workshop - Agentic AI with IBM Watsonx Orchestrate

LIMITED

Tuesday November 3, 2026 1:50pm - 2:35pm GMT

Wulfrun Suite, The Mount Hotel Country Manor (Please note this is upstairs and there is no lift) @ Mount Rd, Tettenhall Wood, Wolverhampton WV6 8HL, UK

Limited Capacity seats available

Agentic AI with IBM Watsonx Orchestrate

Join Andrew and Mark for a "hands on" technical lab working with IBM Watsonx Orchestrate.

To participate please ensure that you bring your laptop and charger with you.

NOTE: This is a "hands on" lab. You do not need to attend all 3 labs and can join 1, 2 or 3 of the AI sessions.

Speakers

Mark Ketteman

Andrew Laidlaw

Power Technical Specialist, IBM United Kingdom

Tuesday November 3, 2026 1:50pm - 2:35pm GMT
Wulfrun Suite, The Mount Hotel Country Manor (Please note this is upstairs and there is no lift)

Session, Workshop

1:50pm GMT

Introduction to Microservices on IBM i

LIMITED

Tuesday November 3, 2026 1:50pm - 2:35pm GMT

Event Bar, The Mount Hotel Country Manor @ Mount Rd, Tettenhall Wood, Wolverhampton WV6 8HL, UK

Limited Capacity seats available

The design paradigm of enterprise solutions has changed dramatically in recent years. Traditional monolithic architectures are giving way to a new, simpler, and more flexible approach — microservices. But how did such a seemingly simple concept capture all the attention in modern IT?In this session, we’ll explore why microservices have become the cornerstone of modern enterprise design and how...
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Speakers

Niels Liisberg

Chief Software Architect, Partner & IBM Champion, System & Method

Tuesday November 3, 2026 1:50pm - 2:35pm GMT
Event Bar, The Mount Hotel Country Manor

Session, Development

1:50pm GMT

Migrating BRMS from BR1 to BR2

LIMITED

Tuesday November 3, 2026 1:50pm - 2:35pm GMT

Wightwick Room, The Mount Hotel Country Manor (Please note this is upstairs and there is no lift) @ Mount Rd, Tettenhall Wood, Wolverhampton WV6 8HL, UK

Limited Capacity seats available

If you want to run Backup Recovery and Media Services on IBM I with full support, we all know what needs to be done.This is due to the official the end of support on the last day of September. For we can stay running BRMS 5770-BR1 hoping if we end up into trouble it will be a known defect.If you do not want to take that risk, the move to 5770-BR2 can no longer be postponed.In this session I will...
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Speakers

Rudi van Helvoirt

Technical Director, van Helvoirt Beheer

After having started as a System/38 programmer in 1986. In 1989 the switch was made to system programming and systems management.Being passionate about systems management he founded van Helvoirt Automatisering in 1993.Rudi enjoys helping IBM i customers ever since for running their... Read More →

Tuesday November 3, 2026 1:50pm - 2:35pm GMT
Wightwick Room, The Mount Hotel Country Manor (Please note this is upstairs and there is no lift)

Session

1:50pm GMT

VS Code for i - Database Extension

LIMITED

Tuesday November 3, 2026 1:50pm - 2:35pm GMT

Great Hall, The Mount Hotel Country Manor @ Mount Rd, Tettenhall Wood, Wolverhampton WV6 8HL, UK

Limited Capacity seats available

This session is a review of the newest and most awesome features added to the VS Code4i Database Extension.

This is designed to be an interactive, with questions and comments from the attendees, so be ready to interact, cheer, jeer, or inspire us with your good ideas.

Come to this session and interact with the VS Code4i - Database Extension technology leaders!

Speakers

Scott Forstie

Senior Technical Staff Member, IBM

Sanjula Ganepola

Software Developer - IBM i App Dev & AI Toolchain, IBM

Sanjula Ganepola is a Software Developer at IBM working on IBM i application development tools. As an open-source advocate, he is an active contributor and maintainer of several Visual Studio Code extensions including IBM i Project Explorer, Code for IBM i, IBM i Testing, Source Orbit... Read More →

Tuesday November 3, 2026 1:50pm - 2:35pm GMT
Great Hall, The Mount Hotel Country Manor

Session, Database

2:35pm GMT

Networking and Refreshment Break in the Expo

LIMITED

Tuesday November 3, 2026 2:35pm - 3:00pm GMT

Mander's Suite, The Mount Hotel Country Manor @ Mount Rd, Tettenhall Wood, Wolverhampton WV6 8HL, UK

Limited Capacity seats available

Tea & coffee will be served in the Expo Hall, in the Mander's Suite.

Please take the time to speak with our generous sponsors who helped fund today's event.

Tuesday November 3, 2026 2:35pm - 3:00pm GMT
Mander's Suite, The Mount Hotel Country Manor

Refreshments

3:00pm GMT

AI Workshop - Introduction to AI / AI for User Groups

LIMITED

Tuesday November 3, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm GMT

Wulfrun Suite, The Mount Hotel Country Manor (Please note this is upstairs and there is no lift) @ Mount Rd, Tettenhall Wood, Wolverhampton WV6 8HL, UK

Limited Capacity seats available

Introduction to AI / AI for User GroupsPlease join Mark and Andrew for this informative presentation on AI.All attendees will have the chance to complete a multiple choice "exam" through the session, with a successful "pass" resulting in an IBM / Credly accreditation.NOTE: This session is NOT "hands on" and you will not need to bring a laptop with you. You do not need to attend all 3 labs and can...
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Speakers

Mark Ketteman

Andrew Laidlaw

Power Technical Specialist, IBM United Kingdom

Tuesday November 3, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm GMT
Wulfrun Suite, The Mount Hotel Country Manor (Please note this is upstairs and there is no lift)

Session, Workshop

3:00pm GMT

Project Bob and IBM i

LIMITED

Tuesday November 3, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm GMT

Great Hall, The Mount Hotel Country Manor @ Mount Rd, Tettenhall Wood, Wolverhampton WV6 8HL, UK

Limited Capacity seats available

The emergence of Project Bob will provide an AI-powered development partner.
Comes to this session to learn ‘What is Bob?’, and more importantly, how Bob can help software developers on IBM i go farther, faster, and higher than ever before.
https://www.ibm.com/new/announcements/ibm-project-bob

Speakers

Scott Forstie

Senior Technical Staff Member, IBM

Sanjula Ganepola

Software Developer - IBM i App Dev & AI Toolchain, IBM

Tuesday November 3, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm GMT
Great Hall, The Mount Hotel Country Manor

Session, Development

3:00pm GMT

TLS Subscriptions Demystified

LIMITED

Tuesday November 3, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm GMT

Event Bar, The Mount Hotel Country Manor @ Mount Rd, Tettenhall Wood, Wolverhampton WV6 8HL, UK

Limited Capacity seats available

Speakers

Mario Tepov

Global Product Manager, IBM

My name is Mario Tepov, and I am currently a Global Product Manager at IBM, responsible for Power-related offering products.I hold both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from France, where I lived and worked for ten years before returning to Bulgaria. I joined IBM shortly af... Read More →

Tuesday November 3, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm GMT
Event Bar, The Mount Hotel Country Manor

Session, Sys Admin

3:50pm GMT

Hidden Gems of IBM i

LIMITED

Tuesday November 3, 2026 3:50pm - 4:35pm GMT

Great Hall, The Mount Hotel Country Manor @ Mount Rd, Tettenhall Wood, Wolverhampton WV6 8HL, UK

Limited Capacity seats available

The IBM i team has been delivering new functions two times per year since 2010. New releases and technology refreshes deliver a broad range of function and sometimes the smallest line items can be easily missed. The IBM i team has reviewed the past releases/refreshes and have assembled some of their favourite hidden gems; things that you might have missed but should know. Everyone will leave with...
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Speakers