At VMUG Connect 2026 in Minneapolis, Pete Flecha and John Nicholson sit down with Ryan Lance from the VMUG leadership team to talk about the evolution of the VMUG community and what’s changing with the new VMUG Connect format.

Ryan shares his journey through the VMUG community, from early user group involvement and speaking at events to leading the Sacramento VMUG. The conversation explores how VMUG is getting back to its roots as a source of VMware education, hands-on learning, technical community, and practitioner-led knowledge sharing.

The discussion also covers the shift from traditional one-day UserCons to larger regional VMUG Connect events, the continued importance of local communities, the role of home labs, certification, VMUG Advantage, and how VMUG can help practitioners stay informed as VMware Cloud Foundation continues to evolve.

Whether you’re a long-time VMUG member, a home lab builder, a VMware administrator, or someone looking to get more connected with the community, this episode highlights why VMUG remains such an important resource for learning, networking, and sharing real-world experience.