ASUG chapter representatives from throughout North America gathered in January for their annual Volunteers Meeting. During the three-day conference, held Jan. 26-28 at the Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park, representatives from 38 regional chapters attended roundtables, brainstormed and networked.
The value of ASUG meetings was affirmed in the most recent membership survey, in which 70% of members said the opportunity to network with peers is “valuable” or “extremely valuable,” and members said the No. 1 reason they join the ASUG community is for the opportunities presented by the chapters and community alliances.
Also part of the three-day meeting was a lookahead to 2024, for both SAP and ASUG.
For ASUG, there’ll be updated newsletters and materials, as well as a launch of an ASUG 101 webcast. There is expected to be a greater social media presence as well for ASUG members.
The keynote for the Chicago session was a fireside chat between ASUG CEO Geoff Scott and COO Carolyn Dolezal. There was a toast to Scott’s 10 years of leading ASUG.
“There are a lot of things you are going to see start going into motion,” Scott said during the fireside chat. “We are in conversations with SAP senior leadership, and they recognize that what we do in ASUG Chapters is incredibly important. And we need to do more of it.”
Other news included the reintroduction of ASUG Women Connect, a community space for women in SAP technology. ASUG Women Connect will have a consistent presence across the ASUG community in 2024.
Mustansir Saifuddin, co-founder of Innovative Solution Partners and a Michigan ASUG chapter volunteer, met with other Michigan and Midwest volunteers to discuss events and initiatives specific to the region.
ASUG leader Scott emphasized the importance of the gathering and other ASUG meetings across the continent. “The most important thing we can do as a community is come together face-to-face,” Scott said.
Next Michigan chapter meeting
The Michigan chapter’s first ASUG meeting is scheduled for Feb. 29, 2024, at the Kellogg Center at Michigan State University in East Lansing. Part of the program will be a presentation by Meagan Knoll-Luttenton on building a talent pipeline and how students can leverage ASUG membership.
Knoll-Luttenton recently joined Saifuddin on the “Tech-Driven Business” podcast to talk about the SAP University Alliances and how the program builds a strong talent pipeline.
About ASUG
ASUG is the world’s largest SAP user group, serving thousands of businesses and connecting more than 130,000 professionals with networking and educational resources. Its mission is to help people and organizations get the most value from their investment in SAP technology.
The group holds in-person and virtual events and makes on-demand digital resources available to its members.
