With SHARE Pittsburgh approaching, SHARE President Art Gutowski joined Planet Mainframe to talk about what attendees can expect—and why the conference remains valuable for both newcomers and longtime mainframe professionals.
Gutowski is nearing the end of his presidential term, a period that has included significant progress on SHARE’s broader strategic plan. The organization has expanded its year-round education offerings through the Shared Knowledge platform, developed new learning packages for members, strengthened its governance practices, and begun work on a redesigned website.
But much of the conversation focused on what attendees will experience in Pittsburgh.
“Come for the education, but don’t underestimate the value of being in the room.” — Art Gutowski
A Better Way to Build Your Agenda
SHARE is known for the breadth of its technical education, and this year attendees will have a new way to navigate the program.
Sessions can be searched using six learning outcomes, helping attendees find related content across traditional tracks and specialties. Someone interested in data modernization, workload management, or capacity planning, for example, can build an agenda around that goal rather than searching within only one technical area.
That reflects how mainframe roles are changing. Many professionals now work across performance, security, storage, development, operations, and modernization rather than staying within a single discipline.
Helping New Attendees Find Their Way
SHARE Pittsburgh will also bring back its New to Z reception, which drew an unexpectedly large crowd at the previous conference.
This time, SHARE plans to add a mentoring element. Experienced attendees will be encouraged to meet newcomers, help them navigate the conference, and make introductions.
Gutowski remembers finding SHARE intimidating when he first attended in 1991. He did not know how to approach people who had been working in the industry for years. What he eventually discovered was a community willing to share its time and knowledge.
“Sometimes it just takes an introduction to get things started,” he said.
SHARE will also continue its Women in IT programming, building on a well-received panel and community event at the previous conference.
More Than Classroom Education
For experienced attendees, the value of SHARE often extends beyond the formal sessions.
Gutowski pointed to the relationships attendees build with peers, developers, and vendors—people they may later call when facing a technical problem, preparing for a project, or trying to understand how another organization approached a similar challenge.
Hands-on labs will again be offered in a dedicated area within the technology and solutions environment, allowing attendees to explore tools and technologies without missing scheduled sessions.
The vendor community is also an important part of the conference. Many vendors are experienced users of IBM Z technologies themselves and contribute practical education that goes well beyond product demonstrations.
AI, Security, and the Value of Being There
Asked which topics are shaping the mainframe conversation, Gutowski’s answer was immediate: “AI is everywhere.”
AI-related sessions will appear across several areas of the Pittsburgh program, including core technologies, security, and application development.
He also highlighted post-quantum cryptography as an issue organizations should already be preparing for. Sensitive data collected today could potentially be decrypted in the future as quantum computing capabilities advance.
Still, Gutowski’s strongest case for attending was not tied to any one session or technology. It was the value of being in the room.
Virtual meetings make it easier to stay connected, but they do not fully replace the conversations that happen between sessions, in the exhibit hall, or through a simple introduction.
SHARE Pittsburgh takes place August 16–20.
Watch the full interview with Art Gutowski for more on the conference agenda, SHARE’s evolving education programs, and why he believes the mainframe community is worth experiencing in person.
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