Conference Day Two | Advancing Data Center Construction East

Explore the Agenda

Pre-Conference Day

Tuesday, December 1

Day One

Wednesday, December 2

Day Two

Thursday, December 3

7:30 am Check-In, Coffee, & Networking

8:00 am Chair’s Opening Remarks

David McCall

Brand Evangelist, QTS

Turning Insights Into Action

8:10 am Space-Based Data Centers: Science Fiction or the Next Frontier of Digital Infrastructure?

Jason Aspiotis

CEO & Co-Founder, OwlO Cloud

Examining the business case for deploying data center infrastructure in orbit and the drivers behind growing industry interest
Evaluating the engineering, cooling, power, and maintenance challenges associated with operating compute infrastructure in space
Understanding which technologies being developed for space environments could influence the next generation of terrestrial data center design
Assessing the timeline, feasibility, risks, and commercial hurdles that must be overcome before space-based data centers become a reality

9:10 am Regional Deep Dive: Breaking Through Local Barriers to Accelerate Data Center Projects

Are you looking to break into specific states or tackle regional delivery challenges? Join this interactive session designed to connect you with peers operating in the same markets and facing similar delivery constraints, from power and permitting to site readiness and supply chain pressure. Exchange practical, field-tested approaches and establish the relationships needed to coordinate effectively, find your next partner, and advance projects in your target regions.

Southeast

Northeast

Mid-Atlantic

Global

9:40 am Morning Refreshments & Networking

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

Removing Permitting & Development Barriers

10:30 am Navigating Permitting Processes Strategically to Accelerate Approvals

Scott Jarnigan

Founder & CEO, Caddis Cloud Solutions

Comparing permitting processes and timelines across Eastern markets to plan projects more effectively
Identifying common bottlenecks across zoning, environmental approvals, power, and water to reduce delays
Aligning with Eastern regulators and municipalities to speed up approvals

11:30 am Panel: Dispelling Water Use Myths to Build Trust, Secure Approvals & Accelerate Project Delivery

Yury Lui

Senior Director, Energy & Engineering, Americas Operations, Digital Realty

Jesse Sargent

Chief Delivery Officer, OVERWATCH Mission Critical

Tim Alborg

Director of Government & Community Affairs, Rowan Digital Infrastructure

Addressing the most common misconceptions raised by communities, regulators, and policymakers before they become barriers to development
Separating perception from reality by understanding how much water different cooling technologies actually consume under real operating conditions
Communicating water strategies and demonstrating how leading operators are balancing cooling performance, efficiency, and responsible water stewardship across different markets

Track 2 Contracting & Procurement

Scaling Delivery With Smarter Contracts & Resource Management

10:30 am Case Study: Embedding Sustainability Requirements into Contracts to Drive Carbon Reduction Accountability

Rupa Ved

Program Manager, Google

Amanda Atkinson

Vice President, Sustainable Services, Holder Construction Group

Defining clear sustainability specifications that can be executed at project level
Aligning contractors and suppliers on measurable targets and responsibilities
Integrating sustainability into procurement and delivery without slowing progress
Ensuring accountability mechanisms translate strategy into real outcomes

11:30 am Case Study: Optimizing Resource Planning to Align Capacity With Accelerated Project Demand

Brad Mohler

Director Virtual Constrution, ColonialWebb Contractors Company

Finding efficient strategies for forecasting total resource demand across labor, materials, and equipment to avoid overcommitment
Scaling workforce strategically to meet project demands without compromising quality or safety
Building more resilient trade contractor networks to support large-scale and overlapping project schedules

Track 3 Preconstruction

Improving Schedule & Data Accuracy

10:30 am Fireside Chat: Redefining Project Partner Schedule Responsibility to Avoid Delays & Site Conflicts

Anudeep Kanala

Construction Planning Analyst, Suffolk Construction Company

Understanding how late changes and incomplete information from trade partners disrupt schedules and critical path activities
Clarifying ownership of scope and decision-making across owners, GCs, and contractors
Improving communication between teams to prevent stacked trades, blocked work areas, and delivery conflicts
Exploring how leading owners are increasing involvement to drive alignment across teams, schedules, and execution

11:30 am Case Study: Aligning BIM Standards, Asset Data & Handover Requirements to Enable Smarter Data Center Operations

Raul Gomez

Strategic Lead of BIM Integration, Innovation & Digital Twin Ecosystem, QTS

Defining what owners need from BIM models to support operations long after construction is complete
Building the foundation for future digital twins through consistent data, asset information, and modeling standards
Delivering accurate asset information at handover to support smoother facility management and maintenance
Preparing architects, contractors, and trade partners for evolving owner requirements through standardized workflows and ISO 19650-aligned processes

Track 4 Site Development & Foundations

Laying the Right Foundations From Day One

10:30 am Case Study: Mitigating Geotechnical Risks Early to Prevent Delays & Cost Overruns

Rajul Teredesai

Senior Global Strategy Engineer, Amazon Web Services

Jim Naples

Regional Manager, Menard USA

Identifying early warning signs in geotechnical reports across Eastern markets that signal the need for ground improvements
Evaluating how regional constraints like wetlands, floodplains, and brownfield sites impact foundation design, buildability, and schedule risk
Managing how complex ground conditions influence key design decisions, including shallow vs deep foundations and single vs multi-story builds
Avoiding late-stage surprises by strengthening upfront site investigations and aligning hyperscalers, colocators, geotech consultants, and contractors early

11:30 am Integrating Internal & External Infrastructure to Ensure Seamless Project Execution

Sterling Heinz

Director of Risk Management, DC BLOX

Understanding where coordination breaks down between external infrastructure (e.g. medium/high voltage, duct banks, substations) and internal building systems
Exploring how late changes to external designs (e.g. cable routing, capacity) impact completed or ongoing internal works
Identifying challenges in coordinating across multiple contractors who have separate scopes but shared dependencies
Assessing how communication gaps and unclear ownership at these interfaces increase delivery risk and safety concerns

Track 5 MEP Integration & Installation

Accelerating Data Center Installation & Handover

10:30 am Case Study: Commissioning Liquid Cooling Systems to Support High-Density Infrastructure

Manan Adani

Commissioning Equipment Manager, AMER, Microsoft Global Supply Chain

Understanding how strict cleanliness requirements impact commissioning timelines and increase the risk of delays
Exploring the challenges of simulating real operating conditions (e.g. rack loads and flow rates) during system commissioning
Examining how mechanical design is adapting to meet stricter water quality requirements, including filtration, materials, and system layout

11:30 am Case Study: Strengthening Commissioning Alignment to Accelerate Project Handover

Nilanshu Patwa

Deputy Project Leader, M.C. Dean

Examining why controls integration becomes a critical gating item before L4/L5 commissioning and how unresolved upstream issues create downstream delays
Exploring how offsite simulation, PITCO processes, modular testing and pre-validation of sequences of operation can reduce late-stage commissioning risk
Walking through how controls teams coordinate across mechanical, electrical and owner programming stakeholders to enable smoother system integration onsite

12:00 pm Lunch & Networking

Future-Proofing Data Center Delivery

1:00 pm Preventing Burnout & Sustaining Performance Under Extreme Project Pressure

Ryan Ferguson

Senior Vice President of Capex Strategy & Optimization, Aligned Data Centers

Sharing practical ways to manage major delays while limiting overtime to still hit key milestones
Equipping leaders to spot burnout early and intervene before performance drops
Understanding how to plan resources earlier to avoid throwing unprepared teams into high-pressure delivery
Implementing internal practices to reduce burnout in mission-critical teams and retain experienced construction talent

1:30 pm Panel: Anticipating Data Center Evolution to Inform Future Strategy & Stay Competitive in a Changing Market

David McCall

Brand Evangelist, QTS

Alex Barras

Mission Critical Strategic Development, Clune Construction

Ryan Ferguson

Senior Vice President of Capex Strategy & Optimization, Aligned Data Centers

Understanding the true runway of current data center builds across Eastern regions to assess whether today’s investments will remain viable over 10–20+ years
Planning for adaptability to ensure large-scale campuses can evolve, be repurposed, or remain competitive as demand changes
Preparing your organization today to scale delivery and adapt to rapid market and technology shifts without compromising performance

2:00 pm Chair’s Closing Remarks

2:10 pm End of Advancing Data Center Construction East 2026

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Pre-Conference Day

Day One

Day Two