Conference Day One | Advancing Data Center East

Explore the Agenda

Pre-Conference Day

Tuesday, December 1

Day One

Wednesday, December 2

Day Two

Thursday, December 3

7:00 am Check-In, Coffee, & Networking

7:40 am Welcome from the Advancing Data Centers Team

7:50 am Chair’s Opening Remarks

David McCall

Brand Evangelist, QTS

Winning the Race for AI Capacity

8:10 am Hyperscaler, Neocloud & Colocator Panel: Aligning Power, Supply Chain & Delivery Models to De-Risk the Next Wave of AI Capacity Growth

Andy Kirby

General Manager, AMERS & EPC Leader, Microsoft

Sterling Heinz

Director of Risk Management, DC BLOX

Kelland Priest

Senior Construction Manager, Amazon Web Services

Mike Solfelt

Preconstruction Director, Nscale

Cam Thrutchley

Vice President Mission Critical, Satterfield & Pontikes Construction

Jason Bell

Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Data Center & Technology Services, Jones Lang LaSalle

Identifying the real constraints to scaling capacity across power, land, and skilled labor availability: how is that impacting where we plan future builds?
Understanding the shift from LLM training to inference workloads: how does this inform infrastructure design, construction and capacity planning?
Aligning construction resources, trade partners and supply chains with long-term planning to improve delivery certainty and reduce disruption risk
Reassessing where to build over the next 3–5 years as power constraints force trade-offs between speed and proximity to demand

8:30 am Exclusive Project Showcase

Kamilla Zaripova

Senior Conference Producer, Advancing Data Centers

Be the first to hear major project investments, contract awards and strategic partnerships announced live on stage. Gain early visibility into the projects and opportunities shaping the next wave of data center development across the East Coast.

8:40 am Panel: Aligning Community, Policy & Development Priorities in Eastern States to Accelerate Data Center Development

John Truluck

Director Of Economic Development, Dorchester County Economic Development

Chris Clark

President & CEO, Georgia Chamber of Commerce

Buddy Rizer

Executive Director, Loudoun County Government

Unpacking the drivers behind emerging moratorium risk across Eastern data center markets to proactively position developments against political and community resistance
Evaluating the effectiveness of current industry lobbying efforts to identify where owner-led advocacy is falling short
Aligning siting, power strategy, and local engagement to navigate fragmented state-by-state policies and maintain momentum across dense, multi-jurisdictional portfolios

9:50 am Morning Refreshments & Regional Speed Networking

Kickstart your conference experience with a burst of energy and connection! In this fast-paced session, you’ll connect with peers from your region through quick-fire introductions that spark meaningful conversations that last throughout the conference and beyond.

Track 1 Data Center Planning & Development Track 2 Contracting & Procurement Track 3 Preconstruction Track 4 Site Development & Foundations Track 5 MEP Integration & Installation

Track 1 Data Center Planning & Development

Powering Data Center Growth

10:50 am Fireside Chat: Accelerating Data Center Growth Through Stronger Utility Partnerships

Kevin O’Brien

Vice President, Center of Excellence, Data Journey

Stephen Sandford

Energy Strategy Manager, CoreWeave

Closing the gap between data center demand forecasts and utility planning in regulated markets
Clarifying who pays for transmission upgrades across monopoly utility regions to move grid expansion forward
Managing rising power costs driven by aging infrastructure, plantretirements and the shift to gas

11:50 am Case Study: Developing Independent Natural Gas & Hydrogen Power Strategies to Deliver 150MW+ Capacity When Utility Power Is Unavailable

Kevin O’Brien

Vice President, Center of Excellence, Data Journey

Stephen Sandford

Energy Strategy Manager, CoreWeave

Navigating state-level regulatory requirements, environmental permitting pathways and utility engagement strategies to secure approvals for independent onsite power generation
Assessing local grid constraints, state power availability and proximity to existing gas infrastructure to determine the feasibility of deploying natural gas generation at scale
Planning dual-generation ecosystems by integrating natural gas with future-ready green hydrogen capabilities, including onsite storage, compression stations and phased transition planning
Identifying key lessons learned from early planning through implementation, including infrastructure coordination, equipment availability, safety considerations, stakeholder alignment and execution challenges encountered along the way

Track 2 Contracting & Procurement

Accelerate Early Alignment & Procurement Strategy

10:50 am Panel: Getting Ahead of Long-Lead Procurement to Protect Schedules

Jason Beck

Chief Operating Officer, Red Sand Data Centers

Paige Hubbard

Global Director, Procurement Operations & Indirect Sourcing, Prime Data Centers

Diversifying supply chain to bypass the regional logistical bottlenecks, minimizing spec drift, rework, and integration risks
Building resilience through bulk purchasing, reserved manufacturing slots, and strategic spare parts procurement
Strengthening collaboration with OEMs and suppliers to improve allocation and prioritization across high-demand emerging and established Eastern data center corridor
Implementing end-to-end procurement tracking to eliminate visibility gaps between design, procurement, and site execution

11:50 am Case Study: Managing Mid- Project Equipment Substitutions to Maintain Progress Without Compromising Quality

Kelland Priest

Senior Construction Manager, Amazon Web Services

Aligning stakeholders quickly to approve substitutions without delaying schedules
Maintaining quality and performance standards despite supply chain disruption
Reducing rework and coordination issues through structured substitution processes
Capturing lessons learned to improve future decision-making, supplier selection, and project planning

Track 3 Preconstruction

Aligning Design & Construction Early

10:50 am Fireside Chat: Building Before Design is Ready: Aligning Design Maturity with Construction Schedules to Reduce Rework

Hani Noshi

Principal Program Manager, Microsoft

Fady Ibrahim

Principal Program Manager, Microsoft

Andy Tolbert

Senior Vice President, Design & Engineering, Echelon Data Centres

Exploring delegated design and sequential workflow issues to prevent delays in execution
Integrating design, virtual coordination, and construction into one executable schedule to avoid siloed timelines
Leveraging trade partner input earlier to eliminate overdesign and reduce waste
Creating shared accountability across project partners to align design readiness with fast-tracked construction in high-pressure Eastern markets

11:50 am Case Study: Leveraging Predictive Modeling & Standardization to Optimize Project Delivery

Bryan Kroening

Director of Virtual Design & Construction, ArchKey Solutions

Exploring how teams are using data to anticipate constraints (e.g. utilities, equipment, permitting), improve visibility, and plan ahead to reduce delivery risk
Identifying where greater consistency in processes and planning could improve speed across fragmented, multistakeholder Eastern region projects
Working through a real predictive modeling example to show how we are identifying constraints early and adjusting project scope, timelines, or location accordingly

Track 4 Site Development & Foundations

Strengthening Campus Coordination

10:50 am Case Study: Getting Campus Planning Right to Avoid Infrastructure-Driven Scope Creep at Scale

Cheryl Deloughery

Director AMER Early Works, Microsoft

Testing campus layouts against real-world constraints by validating permitting, power, utilities, easements and access requirements before designs are finalized
Mapping utility, transmission and MV distribution pathways early to prevent rework across roads, parcels and stakeholders
Aligning substation and generation strategies with constrained grid capacity and longer interconnection timelines
Establishing cross-disciplinary communication models early to create governance around interfaces rather than disciplines
Treating Early Works as a risk mitigation strategy by using enabling works to remove schedule uncertainty, rather than simply preparing the site

11:50 am Audience Discussion: Building Resilient Projects Through Smarter Early-Stage Planning

Sharing how project teams are balancing environmental compliance, program certainty and stakeholder expectations during early-stage site works
Exploring practical approaches to reducing construction risks before they impact schedule, cost and project delivery
Discussing lessons learned from recent projects to improve planning, coordination and execution during the earliest phases of construction

Track 5 MEP Integration & Installation

Scaling Your MEP Workforce

10:50 am Case Study: The STAR Program: Building the Next Generation of Data Center Talent Through Owner-Contractor Collaboration

Aja Gower

Senior Workforce Development Manager, Holder Construction

Katy Bowman

Workforce Development Project Manager, Google

Building workforce development programs with owners, trade partners, and local colleges to create sustainable talent pipelines for future projects
Designing community training initiatives that deliver measurable employment outcomes while strengthening support for new data center developments
Measuring success through hiring, retention, and community impact to demonstrate long-term value beyond project delivery

11:50 am Case Study: Embedding Physical Security into Data Center Design to Protect Critical Infrastructure from Day One

Will Bass

Chief Technology Officer, Flexential

Understanding why physical security must be considered during planning, design, and MEP coordination to protect critical AI infrastructure and prevent vulnerabilities once facilities become operational
Exploring how owners are integrating perimeter security, access control, surveillance, MEP systems, secure logistics areas, and multi-layered physical protection throughout the project lifecycle
Examining how embedding security requirements into MEP design and construction planning supports compliance, avoids expensive retrofits, protects project schedules, and safeguards long-term customer commitments

12:30 pm Lunch

Track 1 Data Center Planning & Development Track 2 Contracting & Procurement Track 3 Preconstruction Track 4 Site Development & Foundations Track 5 MEP Integration & Installation

Track 1 Data Center Planning & Development

Driving Efficiency Through Power & Cooling Innovation

1:30 pm Panel: Securing Land With Power Access to Enable Viable Development & Avoid Stranded Projects

Craig Huffman

CEO & President, Metro Edge Development Partners

Stephen Sandford

Energy Strategy Manager, CoreWeave

Kevin O’Brien

Vice President, Center of Excellence, Data Journey

Scott Jarnigan

Founder & CEO, Caddis Cloud Solutions

Exploring where viable 100MW+ sites are being secured beyond saturated hubs, and what hyperscalers, colocators, developers, contractors, and project teams can learn from those locations
Assessing workforce availability, airport access, climate risk (e.g. hurricanes, flooding), and long-term operational attractiveness across Eastern regions
Examining how hyperscalers and colocators are entitling and positioning land for sale, and why many sites still fall short on actual power availability

2:30 pm Audience Discussion: Transitioning from Air to Liquid Cooling Systems to Support Increasing Compute Density

Understanding how air and liquid cooling systems perform in high humidity Eastern climates and constrained urban or retrofit sites
Comparing water-cooled, air cooled, and adiabatic systems in terms of efficiency, land use, and total cost of ownership
Addressing the challenge of rolling out new cooling technologies simultaneously across portfolios without the ability to test and refine sequentially
Understanding how switching to liquid cooling impacts installation, sequencing, and coordination on site

Track 2 Contracting & Procurement

Securing Equipment & Contract Certainty

1:30 pm Adapting Contracting Strategies to Keep Pace With Accelerated Data Center Delivery

Jordan Grimm

Director of Critical Pursuits & Planning, Mission Critical, Shawmut Design & Construction

Comparing contracting models to understand trade-offs between speed, control, and risk allocation
Identifying why traditional contracts fail under accelerated timelines, evolving scope, and delivery uncertainty
Aligning incentives between owners and contractors to reduce disputes and maintain delivery momentum • Selecting and adapting the right contracting strategy based on project scale, complexity, and resource availability to improve delivery outcomes

2:30 pm Audience Discussion: Strengthening Early Owner Contractor Collaboration to Lock Decisions & Reduce Downstream Risk

Establishing clear decision ownership for projects facing utility-driven timelines and complex permitting across Eastern jurisdictions
Exploring how early ownership choices influence coordination, clash detection, sequencing, and overall buildability • Identifying who should control critical equipment, staging, storage, and logistics, and how this affects schedule certainty
Sharing lessons from recent projects where utility delays and site limitations reshaped execution strategy

Track 3 Preconstruction

Achieving Cost Certainty

1:30 pm Audience Discussion: Getting Early Estimates Right to Avoid Scope Creep & Budget Surprises

Understanding the risks of estimating without aligned expectations across tenants, owners, and contractors, and how this creates cost gaps later
Aligning early estimates with real project constraints (e.g. power, infrastructure, site conditions)
Reviewing how early estimates held up as projects progressed, and what helped improve accuracy in practice

2:30 pm Case Study: Maintaining Cost Certainty as Design Evolves to Avoid Overruns

Danielle Jones

Senior Technical Infrastructure Program Manager, Amazon Web Services

Understanding how major design changes (e.g. electrical, mechanical) impact cost, procurement, and schedule, and how to respond without losing control
Setting clear boundaries for acceptable change to protect budget confidence as design evolves
Managing the cost impact of late stage changes, including permitting and utility delays across Eastern markets • Assessing how we responded to inevitable changes in real time, and what approaches helped maintain cost cert

Track 4 Site Development & Foundations

Ensuring Conflict-Free Utility Installation

1:30 pm Case Study: Coordinating Substation Delivery to Secure Reliable Power & Meet Project Timelines

Kenneth Peterson

Vice President Testing & Commissioning, South Region, Quanta Services

Aligning substation timelines with overall construction and commissioning milestones
Managing dependencies between utilities, contractors, and project teams at key interfaces
Managing the on-site delivery and construction of substations, including sequencing, site readiness, and coordination with incoming power infrastructure

2:30 pm Panel: Expanding Generation, Transmission & Distribution Capacity to Support Scalable Data Center Growth

Robert Hibbard

Program Director, Black & Veatch

Jaime Martinez

Construction Program & Project Manager, Microsoft

Aligning campus-wide infrastructure planning with long-term capacity growth and densification trends • Evaluating ownership models within regulated Southeast markets vs deregulated structures to understand impact on control, cost, and timelines
Integrating on-site generation, storage, and alternative energy solutions to reduce dependency on constrained utilities
Aligning technical and commercial strategy with long-term grid transition pressures, including plant retirements and load growth across the Eastern U.S.

Track 5 MEP Integration & Installation

Driving Productivity With Prefabrication

1:30 pm Case Study: Scaling Multi Trade Prefabrication & MEP Modular Componentry to Increase Efficiency Without Creating Integration Delays

Joe Zepp

Quality Assurance, Commissioning & Quality Program Manager, Southland Industries

Exploring ways to implement multi-trade prefab at scale while maintaining coordination across MEPs
Maintaining quality through standardized manufacturing while adapting to differing regional codes and inspection regimes
Aligning offsite timelines with real time site conditions to avoid rework and delays • Reducing miscommunication across multi-state project teams by standardizing workflows

2:30 pm Enable Scalable Data Center Installation

Michael Quillen

Director, Modular Operations, Inglett & Stubbs

Roger Miller

Modular Field Liaison, Inglett & Stubbs

Coordinating delivery and installation of MEP skids, prefabricated systems, and rack level infrastructure within space constrained data halls
Managing sequencing and access to ensure large prefabricated components can be installed without blocking parallel trades
Improving communication between owners, GCs, and suppliers to align delivery timing with installation readiness
Coordinating across multiple vendors and prefabrication models to maintain installation flow and avoid delays during fit-out

3:00 pm Afternoon Refreshments & Networking

Accelerating Scalable Campus Growth

3:40 pm Case Study: Creating Multi-GC Joint Ventures to Deliver Large-Scale Data Center Campuses

Tyler Stevenson

Executive Vice President, Dallas, Clune Construction Company

Alex Barras

Mission Critical Strategic Development, Clune Construction

Ed Motley

Chief Operating Officer, FA Peinado LLC

James Hickey

Vice President, Senior Project Manager, Clune Construction Company

Vince Price

Project Executive, Balfour Beatty

Evaluating when to deploy single-GC, multi-GC, or JV models to match project scale, complexity, and internal capacity
Assessing how large-scale campuses are being segmented across multiple contractors, and how owners ensure site-wide alignment, infrastructure integration, and efficient sequencing
Structuring contracts to clarify ownership and align incentives across multiple GCs
Learning from delivery failures and gaps in the models

4:10 pm Delivery Deep Dive: Overcoming Delivery Constraints Shaping Data Center Project Execution Across Core Systems & Stages

Join the building system or project phase most relevant to your role and meet professionals facing the same delivery constraints, from power and permitting to site readiness and supply chain pressure. Through facilitated discussion and peer benchmarking, exchange practical solutions, strengthen your industry network and leave with valuable connections and ideas you can apply to improve coordination and project delivery.

Electrical & Power

Mechanical & Cooling

Foundations

Core & Shell

4:40 pm Chair’s Closing Remarks

David McCall

Brand Evangelist, QTS

4:45 pm End of Conference Day One

4:50 pm Advancing Data Center Construction Happy (Holidays) Hour

Kickstart the holiday season early. Unwind and connect with peers at our drinks reception, an opportunity to continue the day’s conversations in a relaxed setting. Whether you’re building new partnerships or catching up with familiar faces, this is the perfect place to expand your network over drinks!

Day Two

Pre-Conference Day

View Event Brochure

Day One

Explore the Agenda

7:00 am Check-In, Coffee, & Networking

7:40 am Welcome from the Advancing Data Centers Team

7:50 am Chair’s Opening Remarks

Winning the Race for AI Capacity

8:10 am Hyperscaler, Neocloud & Colocator Panel: Aligning Power, Supply Chain & Delivery Models to De-Risk the Next Wave of AI Capacity Growth

8:30 am Exclusive Project Showcase

8:40 am Panel: Aligning Community, Policy & Development Priorities in Eastern States to Accelerate Data Center Development

9:50 am Morning Refreshments & Regional Speed Networking

Powering Data Center Growth

10:50 am Fireside Chat: Accelerating Data Center Growth Through Stronger Utility Partnerships

11:50 am Case Study: Developing Independent Natural Gas & Hydrogen Power Strategies to Deliver 150MW+ Capacity When Utility Power Is Unavailable

12:30 pm Lunch

Driving Efficiency Through Power & Cooling Innovation

1:30 pm Panel: Securing Land With Power Access to Enable Viable Development & Avoid Stranded Projects

2:30 pm Audience Discussion: Transitioning from Air to Liquid Cooling Systems to Support Increasing Compute Density

3:00 pm Afternoon Refreshments & Networking

Accelerating Scalable Campus Growth

3:40 pm Case Study: Creating Multi-GC Joint Ventures to Deliver Large-Scale Data Center Campuses

4:10 pm Delivery Deep Dive: Overcoming Delivery Constraints Shaping Data Center Project Execution Across Core Systems & Stages

4:40 pm Chair’s Closing Remarks

4:45 pm End of Conference Day One

4:50 pm Advancing Data Center Construction Happy (Holidays) Hour

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