Leading Data Center Industry Event Announces Data Center Site Tours at Two Leading Data Centers in Austin; Launches the Power Up Program to Educate and Mentor Students

Data Center World, the leading global conference for data center facilities and IT professionals, today announces Ali Fenn, President of ITRenew and Ben Hammersley, Founder of Agathonic.AI Inc. will deliver keynotes. Data Center World is AFCOM’s annual global gathering and will take place March 28-31, 2022, in Austin, Texas. Register to attend here.

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Ben Hammersley, Founder of Agathonic.AI Inc. (Photo: Business Wire)

Fenn will deliver the keynote presentation “Moving data centers from culprit to catalyst, and sustainability from tax to tailwind” on March 30. Data centers are the backbone and lifeblood of every industry. This unique position creates both immense opportunity and responsibility. In this session, Fenn will explore and showcase real world solutions and essential collaboration opportunities that are making system level change practical and possible. Fenn oversees all revenue channels at ITRenew and leads strategy for the company’s data center and edge solutions businesses. Drawing on 20+ years of enterprise and cloud technology business development expertise, plus her authority as an economist and data scientist, Fenn has led the creation of a new circular economic model that is changing how the world’s leading hyperscalers, service providers and enterprises source, use and reuse IT hardware. Fenn has become a leading global voice on the business benefits of data center sustainability and the potential to develop truly regenerative data center models that are poised to dramatically improve financial and sustainability returns across the ecosystem.

Hammersley will deliver the keynote presentation “Critical Infrastructure for Critical Problems” on March 31. In this talk, Hammersley will discuss how data centers will address the core issues of the 2020s – new ways of working, living, reinventing the city, safeguarding the future, delivering delicious food and ensuring world peace. Hammersley, a thought-provoking futurist, brings a practical, proactive approach to future technologies, inspiring and educating audiences and preparing them for the future, while exploring the effects of the internet and the digital network on the world’s business, political and social spheres. Over the past 20 years, he has been a technology journalist for the Times and the Guardian, a war reporter covering Afghanistan and Beirut, an author of five books, the presenter of a landmark BBC and Netflix television series, the Editor at Large of UK’s WIRED magazine, a consultant to the UK and US governments and the European Commission, the inventor of the word “podcast”, and a pilot, emergency medic, rescue diver and ultra-runner.

“We’re excited to be bringing together industry thought leaders to share their insights on pressing business challenges,” said Bill Kleyman, Program Chair for Data Center World and EVP, Switch. “Attending this event is a great opportunity for data center professionals to continue to learn, advance their careers and network with peers as they support their infrastructures.”

NEW: Data Center Site Tours

New for 2022, Data Center World will offer Site Tours at Element Critical and LightEdge, two leading colocation data centers in the Austin metro area. Attendees will have the opportunity to get an insider’s tour of the facilities and learn the practices and innovations taking place within these centers. After the tours attendees will gather a local brewery for a Q&A hosted by local AFCOM leadership and will feature the tour hosts. The site tours will take place on March 31. Attendees must register to attend the Site Tours. Attendees with All Access and Standard Data Center World passes are eligible to attend.

Launches the Power Up Program

Data Center World is also launching the Power Up program, an initiative that will educate and mentor students currently in technical or electrical fields of study. The program will consist of the following:

• A “Data Center 101” class
• Small group sessions to speak one-on-one with professionals representing many data center roles
• A recruiter to provide interview and resume guidance
• Access to the Data Center World Expo Floor to learn about the technologies, services and innovation powering data centers

Liz Cruz, Conference Director, Data Center World added, “More than 40 students have been invited to attend the program. We’re excited to open up our rewarding and exciting industry to a new generation. The program is focused on populations that are traditionally underrepresented in technology and would benefit from the privilege of a program to further their education and eventually, careers.”

Data center managers, IT professionals and solution providers interested in serving as a mentor or for information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Alicia Schap at alicia.schap@informa.com.

Data Center World Conference Program

The Conference Program offers more than 70 sessions from 100 speakers, keynote presentations from industry thought leaders, case studies as well as workshops, covering essential topics such as edge computing, co-location, hyperscale, predictive analytics, 5G, DCIM, cloud, AI, sustainability and more.

Conference tracks include:

• Emerging Data Center Technologies
• Colocation, Hosting and Cloud Innovation
• Design, Build, Operate, Control
• Data Center Essential
• Sustainability & Mission Critical Facilities Management

To learn more about the Data Center World Conference Program, click here.

Data Center World Key Highlights

• The Expo Hall will feature 100+ exhibitors showcasing the latest industry solutions. Select exhibitors include: Virginia Transformer, Eaton, Vertiv, Honeywell, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave, Raritan, Armstrong Fluid Technology, Atlas Oil Company, BGIS, Dassault Systems Americas, and PacketFabric.
• Data Center World will host its first Omdia Research Forum: Data Center 2025, on March 28. Global technology research firm, Omdia, will present the one-day conference within a conference, featuring expert cloud and data center analysts leading in-depth interactive sessions covering key cloud and data center trends. Attendees will also receive a copy of the Data Center Trends to Watch 2022 report. Registration for the Summit is live.
• The Data Center Startup Challenge will pit data center technology startups against each other and judges will determine the companies with the best opportunity for success.
• Data Center World will also offer unlimited networking opportunities including an inaugural Conference Party for all attendees on March 30.

Registration for Data Center World, which takes place March 28-31, 2022, in Austin, Texas, is open. Register here.

Media interested in attending Data Center World 2022, register here.

For information on exhibition or sponsorship opportunities, contact Michael Leahy at Michael.Leahy@informa.com.

Data Center World continues to monitor guidance about Covid-19 from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention to provide a safe and healthy experience for all Data Center World participants. Enhanced measures will be implemented in accordance with state and local regulations and following the guidance of the CDC. For more information on our health and safety policies and measures, please visit: Health & Safety | Data Center World

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About Data Center World

Data Center World is the global conference for data center facilities and IT professionals. It offers premier education, abundant networking, and the broadest access to best-in-class vendors. Designed to help data center and IT infrastructure professionals with challenging issues, Data Center World presents top quality knowledge without bias towards a specific vendor product or service. Data Center World 2022 will be held March 28-31 in Austin, Texas. Data Center World is produced by Informa Tech.

About AFCOM

AFCOM advances data center and IT professionals by delivering comprehensive and vendor-neutral education and peer-to-peer networking to its members around the world. Through forward-looking research, AFCOM supports thousands of IT, operations, facilities, builders/designers and vendors working in the data center and IT infrastructure industry. In serving the data center industry for more than 40 years, AFCOM has earned recognition as the market leader in educating, connecting and guiding the data center community.

About Informa Tech

Informa Tech is a market leading provider of integrated research, media, training and events to the global Technology community. We're an international business of more than 600 colleagues, operating in more than 20 markets. Our aim is to inspire the Technology community to design, build and run a better digital world through research, media, training and event brands that inform, educate and connect. Over 7,000 professionals subscribe to our research, with 225,000 delegates attending our events and over 18,000 students participating in our training programs each year, and nearly 4 million people visiting our digital communities each month. Learn more about Informa Tech.

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