IDUG NA 2026

We are so excited to meet our members in Atlanta for the 2026 North America Db2 Tech Conference (NA26), which will be hosted Monday, October 26 through Thursday, October 29. This year, we'll be co-located with IBM TechXchange. Your IDUG NA registration gives you full access to BOTH events! Enjoy all of the things that you love about IDUG NA and experience IBM TechXchange in the same week! Once your NA26 registration is complete, the IBM team will reach out to confirm your access to IBM TechXchange. Registration to both events will be required to access our shared space in Atlanta. Accommodations can be secured within the TechXchange registration. Please let us know if you have any questions – we can't wait to see you there! 

IDUG NA 2026 Presentations & Technical Sessions

We are thrilled to bring you the IDUG NA 2026 "Grid." Sessions will be tagged with each theme/category (shown below), platform, and experience level in our interactive agenda. Look for more information about NA2026 Featured Sessions and the IDUG-Sponsored track at IBM TechXchange, coming soon! 

View "The Grid" for NA26

Plan Your Week! View the Interactive Agenda 

IDUG NA26 Technical Sessions are organized by the following themes, allowing attendees to build a custom agenda based on top areas of interest: 

• AI, Data Mining, and Machine Learning
• Back to Basics
• Backup, Recovery, and Data Movement Strategies
• Cloud, Warehouse, and Data Lakes
• Database Practices
• Db2 Features, Improvements & Tips
• Db2 Solutions, Utilities, and Tools
• Operations & Automation
• Performance, Monitoring, and Troubleshooting
• Security, Compliance, and Governance
• SQL, Application Development, and Modernization

We can't wait to see the schedules you create! 

Workshops & Hands-On Labs

We are thrilled to offer workshops and hands-on labs to our in-person attendees on Thursday afternoon. These sessions are complimentary with your paid registration – registration is limited to those who have already purchased their tickets to IDUG NA 2026 and will open in the summer. 

View Workshop & Hands-On Lab Descriptions

IDUG Essentials Courses for Db2 z/OS & LUW

Experience the IDUG conference while working on your fundamental skills! The Essentials track will run alongside technical and breakout sessions, which allows participants to master Db2 Essentials while taking part in other conference activities. 

Need to brush up on your fundamentals? Managers, do you have new staff members who could benefit? Join us in Atlanta – the Essentials track is included with your conference registration.

IDUG Db2 for z/OS Essentials

This course will expose the beginning z/OS DBAs (Database Administrators) to fundamentals of Database Administration for a Db2 13 for z/OS. This course will teach the students how to physically implement a logical database design using DDL and teach considerations of referentially related tables. This course discusses the use of basic utilities, program preparation, serialization, and basic database security. This course does not cover distributed data processing, nor does it cover data sharing.

IDUG Db2 for z/OS Essentials sessions will run Monday - Wednesday in alignment with IDUG NA 2026 agenda. 

Instructor | Luis Alguera, MSBA 

Luis Alguera, MSBA, is an IBM instructor, technology consultant, and data science professional with more than 15 years of experience delivering IBM training and consulting services. He has extensive experience with Db2 database administration across distributed and mainframe environments, including Db2 for z/OS, covering database architecture, SQL, security, backup and recovery, performance tuning, and system administration. Luis has successfully delivered technical training to IBM clients worldwide, combining strong technical expertise with practical, hands-on instruction.

IDUG Db2 for LUW Essentials

This course provides relational DBAs with essential and advanced skills to manage, secure, recover, and optimize IBM Db2 v12.1 environments. Beginning with foundational concepts, participants will learn how to install Db2, configure instances, manage storage, and create database objects using both command-line and GUI tools. The course then expands into practical techniques for data movement, backup and recovery, and high availability configurations, equipping learners to maintain data integrity and ensure business continuity.

IDUG Db2 for LUW Essentials sessions will run Monday - Thursday in alignment with IDUG NA 2026 agenda. 

Instructor | Les King

Les King is a part-time professor at multiple Ontario colleges, teaching mathematics, programming, and data management. He has also taught in the Mathematics department at the University of Toronto. With 35 years at IBM, Les brings deep experience in Db2 across product management, development, customer support, technical sales, lab services, technical marketing, curriculum development, badging, and certifications. He volunteers with the International Db2 User Group (IDUG), where he serves as Global Marketing Committee Chair and supports the Db2 LUW Badge program. Les lives in the Toronto, Ontario area and enjoys squash, diving, DJing, community radio, and studying Bible studies at Ariel College.

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Certification Opportunities in Atlanta

IDUG and IBM are proud to offer z/OS certification opportunities to our in-person attendees at no additional cost. Two exams per attendee are complimentary with your IDUG NA2026 + IBM TechXchange registration. Vouchers will not be offered this year. 

Featured Keynotes & Presentations

IDUG celebrates the Db2 community with thought leaders from the industry bringing first-class content directly to you at our live events. As always, you'll get a chance to interact with thought leaders and industry innovators on and off the main stage and in our signature expert panels designed for both z/OS and LUW user audiences throughout the week. Look for more information coming soon about our featured speakers!