Reflections from Munich GTUG: Connecting the Nonstop Community

New to Nonstop (N2NS)
Reflections from Munich GTUG: Connecting the Nonstop Community

After a successful GTUG in Munich, Kevin Gibson, board member of the New to Nonstop (N2NS) Committee, caught up with some of the attendees to hear their thoughts on the event.

Jennifer Lacher, now in her second year organizing GTUG, was happy with how everything came together. She gave credit to her colleague Werner, the venue staff, and the volunteers who stepped in to make it happen. For Jennifer, what stood out most was the strong sense of community among those at the event. Many attendees have built relationships over the years, and you could really feel that in the atmosphere. She also pointed out that participation is what makes GTUG special — whether it’s through the different types of gatherings during the week or just connecting with others in the ecosystem.

Jennifer shared a memorable conversation with Mathai Philip, Nonstop GM for EMEA & LATAM, about how we can better communicate the value of Nonstop. She also appreciated a discussion with Vanessa Kaupp, Nonstop Chief of Staff, who talked about how in-person events help build trust and deepen relationships through personal connections.

Gustavo Cavazos Lamelas, Senior Sales Engineer at NuWave, was attending his third GTUG and his 30th TUG overall. For Gus, these events are a key chance to connect—not just with customers, but with everyone involved in the ecosystem. He was encouraged to see attendance rising and found the keynote sessions and product updates particularly helpful for staying current on industry trends. Hearing about the three new Nonstop customers was a highlight for him. Ultimately, Gus values these events because they give him the opportunity to reconnect and build relationships across different companies and roles.

Leon Arens, Senior Systems Engineer at First National Bank of Omaha, has been going to TUGs since 1997. This was his first GTUG as a customer. Leon sees these events as a great way to keep up with industry changes and coordinate with vendors on new product plans. A key takeaway for him was learning about HPE Nonstop’s shift from InfiniBand to RoCE and its move toward cloud compatibility.

Leon has also been involved with the N2NS Committee, especially with the Mentorship Program pilot. His favourite moment at the event was catching up with the committee in person and seeing new participants join the program. He believes the Mentorship Program is valuable because it offers newcomers insights and industry knowledge that they might not easily access otherwise, helping them grow their networks and understanding.

If you’re interested in joining the Mentorship Program as a mentor or mentee, you can sign up here: https://forms.gle/QgkpswtEaQGuvH1U6

Looking ahead, the N2NS Committee is already planning for TBC this September. We hope to see many of you there, especially at our social event. More details will be coming soon—keep an eye on our LinkedIn page:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13179042/.