When
Sep 30, 2026 - Oct 1, 2026
Where
,Premier Sponsors
The annual Buildings Conference explores innovation and emerging technology in the development, design, materials, and systems of buildings, with a specific emphasis on data centers and AI infrastructure. The event examines the current state and trajectory of building planning and operational solutions, strategies, and processes, providing insights and guidance on implementation, use cases, opportunities, and challenges.
TOPICS OF INTEREST
- Energy Generation & Power Requirements
- Water Consumption & Cooling
- Site Selection & Feasibility
- Operations & Maintenance
- Speed to Market
- Project Execution & Delivery Models
- Material Selection
- Risk Allocation
- Owner Portfolio Management
- Community Engagement
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
BuiltWorlds invites C-Suite Executives, SVPs, VPs, Directors, and Leaders from Owners, Operators, Developers, Contractors, MEP/Specialty Trades, Designers, Investors, Technology and Power / Energy Providers that oversee and have responsibilities for:
- Innovation / Strategy / Design / Development
- Venture Capital / Corporate Venture Capital & InvestmentÂ
- Hyperscale / Mission Critical / Advanced Manufacturing / Hitech
- Power / Energy / Utilities / Cooling / Siting / Engineering
- Prefabrication / Modularization / Offsite / Industrialized Construction
BUILTWORLDS MEMBERS BUILD DATA CENTERS
PRICING AND REGISTRATION
2026 Speakers Include:
Marty Doscher
Architecture, Engineering & Construction Industry Business Consultant Senior Director, Dassault Systèmes
Past speakers include...
2026 Agenda
Day 1 Schedule
Research Track Working Group Meetings
Exclusive to BuiltWorlds' Research Tracks members, our Working Group Sessions offer a closed-door setting where members can speak candidly about the challenges and opportunities shaping their work. In keeping with the theme of the 2026 Buildings Conference, this year's sessions in Nashville will feature insights from subject matter experts, with a dedicated focus on data centers and AI infrastructure.
AI Research Track Working Group Meeting
Session facilitator: TBA
Offsite Construction Working Group Meeting
Session faciliator: Nate Haack, VP & General Manager, BLUvera, Mortenson
Building Tech & Infrastructure Working Group Meeting
Session facilitator: TBA
BuiltWorlds Startup Demo Day Competition
See short demonstrations by startups building solutions directly impacting the mission critical space. Startups presenting will represent largely early stages (Pre-Seed through Series A).
Location and time TBA
Day 2 Schedule
Registration & Breakfast
Welcoming Address
The Cloud Has a Zip Code: Designing Responsible Infrastructure Behind the Intelligence Age
Keynote Address
The cloud is not in the sky. It has a zip code. It connects to a grid, consumes resources, occupies land, affects communities, and carries a carbon footprint. As AI and advanced computing reshape our economy, data centers are becoming one of the defining infrastructure systems of our time. The question is less about if we can build enough capacity and now more about how we can design it responsibly and in a way that earns the social license to operate. This presentation will touch on integrating energy, resilience, sustainability, technology, and community into the physical backbone of the intelligence age.
Speaker:
Mike Sewell, Chief Digital Transformation Officer, Gresham Smith
Navigating Power Scarcity: Strategies for 2026
Panel Discussion
Power is no longer a commodity; it is the ultimate constraint. This panel brings together developers, GCs, and other key stakeholders to discuss the reality of "power-first" site selection. The group will dive into creative utility negotiations, the rise of energy storage systems (BESS) to manage peak loads, and how builders are adapting to 48-month lead times for primary substations.
Panelists:
Rishikesh Belekar, Senior Engineering Team Lead, Rosendin Electric
Akshay Thakur, CEO & Co-Founder, BlackCurrant
Networking Break
Systems Thinking for Rapid Acceleration of AI Factory Delivery
Case Study Presentation
How productization of the built environment is leading to better integration between Owner, Designer, and Builder. Designers model and simulate requirements and behavior to generate optimized designs, while Builders model and simulate production systems to provide vital constructability feedback to designers, and optimize production and the supply chain to deliver AI Factories months sooner.
Speakers:
Neil Meredith, Solutions Architect - Prefab, DPR Construction
Marty Doscher, Architecture, Engineering & Construction Industry Business Consultant Senior Director, Dassault Systèmes
Supply Chain Resilience: From Lead Times to Prefabrication
Panel Discussion
In an era of "just-in-case" rather than "just-in-time" procurement, how are builders staying on schedule? This session highlights the shift toward industrialized construction, where speakers will share insights on vertical integration, the use of off-site prefabricated/modular units to bypass local labor shortages, and how to manage the risk of Tier 2 and Tier 3 supplier failures.
Speakers:
Christopher Velguth, Director of Business Development | Mission-Critical, Orion Group Holdings
Jon Benson, Director of Modular Innovation, TAS Energy
Brian Gallagher, VP, Corporate Strategy and Development, PPC Partners
What AI Can (and Can't) Do for Takeoffs Right Now
Breakout Discussion
This session explores the pragmatic reality of artificial intelligence in construction by evaluating its current capabilities and limitations specifically within material and quantity takeoffs. Moving past the industry hype, the presentation delivers a clear-eyed look at where automated workflows genuinely save estimators time and where human oversight remains absolutely critical. Attendees will walk away with a practical framework for identifying which parts of their preconstruction process are ready for AI deployment today and which require traditional expertise.
Speaker:
Duhita Kothe, Project Manager, Crusoe
Lunch & Demo Day Winner Announcement
Protecting the Capital: Eliminating Overbilling and Schedule Risk in Digital Infrastructure
Case Study
Speakers:
Reid Senescu, SVP of Product and Market Development, Doxel AI
Mike Miller, Project Executive, DPR Construction
BuiltWorlds Research Presentation
Presentation
Networking Break
Minimizing Data Center Schedule and Startup Risk Through Pre-Installation Testing
Breakout Session
As data center timelines compress and power demands skyrocket, relying on post-installation troubleshooting introduces severe risks to both project schedules and initial startup success. This session explores how implementing rigorous, comprehensive equipment testing before field installation safeguards the critical path and eliminates costly deployment bottlenecks. Attendees will walk away with actionable strategies to align vendors, validate power systems early, and ensure a flawless transition from delivery to live operations.
Speaker:
William Grover, Director - Mission Critical QA/QC and Cx, ARCO/Murray
Where Are All the Data Centers Going to Go?
Panel Discussion
As Tier 1 markets reach saturation and grid availability tightens, the "Great Migration" to secondary and tertiary markets is no longer optional; it’s a necessity. This session addresses the rising complexities of land use, from tightening water consumption policies to the legislative pushback seen in emerging regions. Panelists will discuss how developers and GCs are navigating local moratoriums, implementing waterless cooling to satisfy environmental mandates, and mastering the art of community engagement to secure a "social license" in skeptical jurisdictions.
Panelists:
Sarah Martin, Director of Economic Research, Dodge Construction Network
Ed Socia, Regional Director - North America, datacenterHawk
Fireside Discussion / Closing Presentation
Presentation
Closing Remarks & Reception
Member Registration
Please use the form below to register yourself and your colleagues. The contact information section will be auto-populated based on your login information. Click “Add Ticket” to register either yourself and colleagues for the event. When you have entered the information for all tickets, please click “Submit Order” to complete the registration. You will receive a confirmation email with a ticket number.Â
If you experience issues, please reach out to info@builtworlds.com for assistance.Â
Thank you!Â
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