About | About Engage
When the first IBM Lotus users, developers and administrators started blogging over 20 years ago, no one could have imagined the impact this community had and still has today.
It's only the last 15 years or so, starting with UKLUG, ILUG and NLLUG that users (and we use this in a broad sense, as developers and administrators are users as well) started to organize themselves, and meet IRL (in real life).
In 2009, the first BeLux (Belgium/Luxembourg) initiative for a Lotus User group was launched, and the very first event, in March 2009 was a big success. We wanted to use this momentum to keep the BLUG going, and decided to create a real organization, with a real structure, and a team of passionate people behind it. As of mid February 2010 BLUG was officially a non-profit organization (vzw/asbl).
When IBM decided the name Lotus was no longer viable, we followed and changed the name of the BLUG events to 'Engage', at the end of 2013.
In March 2016 we finally managed to officially change the name for the non-profit organisation to 'Engage User Group'.
Our official purpose:
"Improve the interaction between users of Collaboration Software, and the dialog between users and vendors/partners of IBM and HCL.
The User Group will meet regularly, to discuss topics in order to educate the attending members. Via mailing and a website these users will be kept up to date."
Every year we try to organize a major event, and an extra afternoon meeting. Every time we are happily surprised by the number of people that show up. A positive sign for sure.
In Q3 of 2012 we announced that our scope expanded to include The Netherlands. BLUG then stood for 'Benelux Lotus User Group'.
We like to thank Stijn Van Herzele and Clement Noé for their contributions for 6 years as board members.
Many thanks also to Laurent Boes who has been our Treasurer for over 7 years. We could not have gotten this far without you!
Spread the word, communicate, cooperate, share. We, users of IBM Software, are a great community. We're proud of being a member.
You might wonder who's currently behind this organization.
Theo Heselmans
Chairman
Event Coordinator, Website
Femke Goedhart
Treasurer
Hilde Aerts
Secretary
Backoffice Support
Engage User Group vzw
Heiblokken 1
2250 Olen
Belgium
VAT Nr.: BE 0823.216.135
email: info@engage.ug
RPR-Turnhout
IBAN: BE08 0016 0473 0513
BIC: GEBABEBB (BNP Paribas Fortis)
Bank: 001-6047305-13
Logo and Website design by Abigail Roberts, Ravendesk.
Privacy Policy
Your registration information is used by the Engage User Group to communicate with you about the Engage events, to generate your Engage entrance badge and other event related information from Engage. Your contact and registration information will not be shared with or copied to third parties, like e.g. IBM Business Partners. Engage is an entity separate from the IBM Corporation. Also, IBM is not responsible for the activities of the Engage User Group.
If you do not wish to have your information used in this manner, please do not register for any Engage event, or send us an email to cancel your registration, which will cancel your participation and invitations to upcoming Engage events and meetings.
If you want to be removed from the Engage mailing list, unsubscribe here.
Many heroes of that same community are responsible for a lot of the content for e.g. IBM Connect (formerly Lotusphere).
It's only the last 15 years or so, starting with UKLUG, ILUG and NLLUG that users (and we use this in a broad sense, as developers and administrators are users as well) started to organize themselves, and meet IRL (in real life).
In 2009, the first BeLux (Belgium/Luxembourg) initiative for a Lotus User group was launched, and the very first event, in March 2009 was a big success. We wanted to use this momentum to keep the BLUG going, and decided to create a real organization, with a real structure, and a team of passionate people behind it. As of mid February 2010 BLUG was officially a non-profit organization (vzw/asbl).
When IBM decided the name Lotus was no longer viable, we followed and changed the name of the BLUG events to 'Engage', at the end of 2013.
In March 2016 we finally managed to officially change the name for the non-profit organisation to 'Engage User Group'.
Our official purpose:
"Improve the interaction between users of Collaboration Software, and the dialog between users and vendors/partners of IBM and HCL.
The User Group will meet regularly, to discuss topics in order to educate the attending members. Via mailing and a website these users will be kept up to date."
Every year we try to organize a major event, and an extra afternoon meeting. Every time we are happily surprised by the number of people that show up. A positive sign for sure.
In Q3 of 2012 we announced that our scope expanded to include The Netherlands. BLUG then stood for 'Benelux Lotus User Group'.
We like to thank Stijn Van Herzele and Clement Noé for their contributions for 6 years as board members.
Many thanks also to Laurent Boes who has been our Treasurer for over 7 years. We could not have gotten this far without you!
Spread the word, communicate, cooperate, share. We, users of IBM Software, are a great community. We're proud of being a member.
You might wonder who's currently behind this organization.
Theo Heselmans
Chairman
Event Coordinator, Website
Femke Goedhart
Treasurer
Hilde Aerts
Secretary
Backoffice Support
Engage User Group vzw
Heiblokken 1
2250 Olen
Belgium
VAT Nr.: BE 0823.216.135
email: info@engage.ug
RPR-Turnhout
IBAN: BE08 0016 0473 0513
BIC: GEBABEBB (BNP Paribas Fortis)
Bank: 001-6047305-13
We would like to thank Thierry Soubestre, ex-Pixelixir
for kicking off the BLUG initiative in 2009.
for kicking off the BLUG initiative in 2009.
Logo and Website design by Abigail Roberts, Ravendesk.
Privacy Policy
Your registration information is used by the Engage User Group to communicate with you about the Engage events, to generate your Engage entrance badge and other event related information from Engage. Your contact and registration information will not be shared with or copied to third parties, like e.g. IBM Business Partners. Engage is an entity separate from the IBM Corporation. Also, IBM is not responsible for the activities of the Engage User Group.
If you do not wish to have your information used in this manner, please do not register for any Engage event, or send us an email to cancel your registration, which will cancel your participation and invitations to upcoming Engage events and meetings.
If you want to be removed from the Engage mailing list, unsubscribe here.
