Submit a session proposal for the chance to present at SHARE Pittsburgh, taking place Aug. 16-20. The deadline to submit a proposal is April 14. Those selected to present will be notified by June 1.
Submit a Proposal
New Submission Platform Update
SHARE is utilizing a new submission platform for 2026 that enhances the submission and session management experience for our speakers. If this is your first time submitting a proposal for a SHARE conference using the new platform, please use the “Create an Account” tab to make an account prior to submitting.
Why Present?
Each SHARE conference brings together professionals responsible for running, securing, and modernizing mainframe systems. This is your opportunity to share practical insights, expand your reach, and contribute to the peer-driven technical program that defines the SHARE community.
What Is SHARE Looking For?
SHARE will be focusing on a key set of learning outcomes for each conference, tied to industry trends and member interests. For Pittsburgh, the conference theme will be Actionable Intelligence for Mainframe Ecosystems.
A special emphasis will be placed on sessions that support our conference learning outcomes:
Learning Outcome
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What It Covers
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Modernize Data Management and Analytics
Optimize data storage, access, and analysis capabilities |
- Implement efficient data archiving and retrieval
- Set up real-time data replication and synchronization
- Enable modern analytics on mainframe data
- Optimize database performance and storage
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Integrate with Distributed Systems and Cloud
Connect mainframe systems with modern distributed architectures |
- Establish secure connectivity between mainframe and cloud
- Implement hybrid application architectures
- Enable real-time data exchange and synchronization
- Create unified monitoring across platforms
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Ensure High Availability and Disaster Recovery
Implement robust backup, recovery, and failover capabilities |
- Achieve 99.99%+ system availability
- Reduce recovery time objectives (RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO)
- Implement automated failover and recovery procedures
- Ensure data consistency across recovery scenarios
- Data resiliency specific to application owner
- System reliability in the data centers
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Troubleshoot and Resolve Complex Issues
Develop advanced problem-solving and diagnostic skills |
- Reduce mean time to resolution (MTTR) for critical issues
- Improve first-call resolution rates
- Develop expertise in complex system diagnostics
- Implement proactive problem prevention
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Optimize Storage and Data Movement
Implement efficient storage management and data lifecycle policies |
- Reduce storage costs and improve utilization
- Implement automated data lifecycle management
- Optimize backup and archive strategies
- Improve data access performance
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Manage Workloads and Capacity Planning
Optimize resource allocation and plan for future growth |
- Implement effective workload balancing
- Accurate capacity forecasting and planning
- Optimize LPAR and resource allocation
- Manage peak workload scenarios
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Preference for selection will be given to proposal submissions that demonstrate both business and technical outcomes for these outcomes.
Role Information
Speakers selected to present will receive a discounted speaker rate for a full conference registration or a discounted, one-day registration for the day they present.
If you are a vendor speaker, you will be invoiced a $995 acceptance fee for each accepted session, in addition to the conference registration fee. If your company is an exhibitor, the speaker fee will be waived. Fees are due by July 6, 2026.
The following are definitions outlined to determine who should pay the speaker fee. Speakers who meet the bolded definitions are subject to fees:
- Vendor: A company or organization that sells products and/or services associated with mainframes. (Examples: IBM, Broadcom, BMC, Rocket, CDW, Mainline.)
- User: A company or organization that maintains mainframe products and/or services not in furtherance of creating other mainframe products and/or services. (Examples: JPMC, Citigroup, State Farm, DISA.) Academic, not-for-profit institutions are considered Users.
- User speaker: An employee of a corporate membership or individual member who is not an employee of a vendor. All speakers must be SHARE members.
- Partner Sponsored Presentation (PSP): A non-product/service-focused session submitted or presented by a vendor speaker and accepted into the technical program.
- User session: A session submitted and presented by a user speaker and accepted into the technical program that does not include a vendor co-speaker.
- User/vendor session: A session accepted in the technical program that contains at least 1 user speaker and at least 1 vendor speaker.
- Any speaker not clearly covered by the definitions above will be reviewed by SHARE’s executive director for categorization.