Event Agenda
Join us for 48 hours of cutting-edge content, networking and technology discovery at this luxury retreat in the heart of Northern Virginia
Each year, we craft an agenda that addresses the most pressing challenges and exciting opportunities shaping the future of digital infrastructure. We bring together industry experts who share their insights through lively discussions and passionate debates. Beyond the sessions, the Connect event format creates a vibrant atmosphere for informal networking and purposeful meetings, where innovative ideas converge and meaningful connections are forged.
In 2024, our major themes will include:
- Balance of power: How issues of availability and relationships converge with new approaches to nuclear power, batteries, and on-site generation.
- The calm before the storm: Is it time to highlight greenwashing, prepare for extreme weather challenges, and replace unsatisfactory sustainability metrics?
- Cutting-edge construction: Tackle the ongoing challenges of supply chain constraints and building for an unknown AI-fuelled future
- Domestic divergence: How the data center industry perceives itself and how local communities perceive data centers.
- Machine vs Man: Debating the clash between humans and AI in the operations and enhancement of data centers.
Explore, connect, and learn with us - session by session, discussion by discussion, connection by connection.
Event agenda
Schedule Overview
Time | Session |
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Filter by Theme
Sessions
8:00 a.m.
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Pickleball Tournament 8:00 a.m. –10:00 a.m.
8:30 a.m.
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DCD>Connect Virginia Badge Collection & Official Opening 8:30 a.m. –6:30 p.m.
9:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
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DCD>Debate: Data center demolition - A bold move or a bad bet? 2:00 p.m. –2:45 p.m. -
DCD>Debate: Liquid cooling dilemma - Embrace innovation or risk operational disaster? -
DCD>Debate: Edge computing & AI - Can you really have it all? 2:00 p.m. –2:45 p.m. -
DCD>Debate: Ditch the diesel - Are batteries the future or a distraction? -
DCD>Debate: Is it time to admit that sustainability programs are just greenwashing? -
DCD>Debate: History repeats itself - What lessons have mature industries taught us about power?
3:00 p.m.
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DCD>Debate: Should data centers actively avoid being classified as critical infrastructure? -
DCD>Debate: AI bubble boredom - Where are the sustainable business models? -
DCD>Debate: Nuclear power's fallout - Is anyone convinced by the latest advancements? -
DCD>Debate: Are we ready for a unified approach to engineering and security management? -
DCD>Debate: Is heat-reuse a ‘burning’ issue for data centers? -
DCD>Debate: Construction strains - How should supply chain disruption, workforce shortages, and public pushback be tackled?
4:30 p.m.
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Tech Exchange Sessions 4:30 p.m. –5:15 p.m.
4:45 p.m.
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DCD>Connect | Virginia Show Floor Opens 4:45 p.m. –6:30 p.m.
5:00 p.m.
5:15 p.m.
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DCD>Talks efficient AI cooling with Ashley Sturm | Nautilus Data Technologies 5:15 p.m. –5:45 p.m. -
DCD>Tech Showcase: Empowering human actions with augmented reality and mobile DCIM -
Major Panel: Navigating evolving workload demands with minimal environmental impact -
Tech Demo Hour 5:15 p.m. –6:15 p.m.
5:45 p.m.
6:15 p.m.
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Icebreaker Networking Party 6:15 p.m. –8:30 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
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VIP Private Dinner - by invitation only 6:30 p.m. –9:00 p.m. -
VIP Private Dinner - by invitation only 6:30 p.m. –9:00 p.m.
Schedule Overview
Time | Session |
---|
Filter by Theme
Sessions
7:00 a.m.
-
Wake-Up 5k Run & Yoga 7:00 a.m. –8:00 a.m.
7:30 a.m.
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Badge Collection & Concierge 7:30 a.m. –4:00 p.m.
8:30 a.m.
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DCD>Leadership Summit - Co-located event by invitation only 8:30 a.m. –2:00 p.m.
8:45 a.m.
9:00 a.m.
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Open Compute Project Foundation Member Workshop 9:00 a.m. –11:00 a.m. - Speakers
- Steve Conner, Vantage Data Centers
- David Quirk, DLB Associates
- Don Mitchell, Open Compute Project
- Moises Levy, DatacenterDynamics
- Rob Coyle, Open Compute Project
- Spiros Liolis, EYP Mission Critical Facilities
- Lauren Barbir, HDR
- Michael Beatty, Nalco Water: An Ecolab Company
- Lindsay Schulz, Equinix
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DCD>Talks inclusivity across generations with Greg Thompson | Vantage Data Centers -
DCD>Project Showcase: Embracing DCRE for a resource-efficient future -
Student & Military Community Next-Gen Workforce Session 9:00 a.m. –1:30 p.m. - Speakers
- Tom Liddy, DCD>Academy
- Mark Gusakov, Nomad Futurist
- Michael Evans, Salute Mission Critical
- Thomas Ciccone III, Iron Mountain Data Centers
- Thomas Ciccone, STACK Infrastructure
- Cyre Mercedes Denny, Schneider Electric
- Alison Marlow, Infrastructure Masons
- Stephen Jolly, AWS
- Preston Gilmore, CoreSite
- Ramzey Abastos-Denny, JROTC
- Courtney Popp, Infrastructure Masons
- Jenn Nachman, MCIM | Fulcrum Collaborations
9:30 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
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DCD>Tech Showcase: Maximum reliability and minimal footprint for Tier 1 & 2 data centers 10:00 a.m. –10:30 a.m. -
DCD>Talks best practices for direct-to-chip cooling with Michael Beatty | Nalco Water: An Ecolab Company 10:00 a.m. –10:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
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DCD>Tech Showcase: A century of innovation meets immersion technology 11:00 a.m. –11:30 a.m. -
DCD>Talks fireproofing your supply chain with Joey Hougham & Dave McGrew | Trangistics 11:00 a.m. –11:30 a.m.
11:30 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
12:30 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
2:30 p.m.
3:00 p.m.
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DCD>Tech Showcase: CDU performance and updates on testing standards -
Major Panel: Operational overdrive - The race to implement smarter, renewable data centers 3:00 p.m. –4:00 p.m. -
VIP Private Cocktail Hour - by invitation only 3:00 p.m. –4:00 p.m. -
DCD>Talks going green through onsite power generation with Patricia Nzioka | Cummins