2026 Buildings Conference: Data Centers & AI Infrastructure

Engineering the Mission-Critical and Advanced Systems of Today & Tomorrow

When

Sep 30, 2026 - Oct 1, 2026

Where

414 Union Social Club — Nashville, TN 414 Union Street Nashville, 37219

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 & Investment 
  • Hyperscale / Mission Critical / Advanced Manufacturing / Hitech
  • Power / Energy / Utilities / Cooling / Siting / Engineering
  • Prefabrication / Modularization / Offsite / Industrialized Construction

BUILTWORLDS MEMBERS BUILD DATA CENTERS

contractors building data centers

2026 Speakers Include:

Mike Sewell

Chief Digital Transformation Officer, Gresham Smith

Rosemarie Lipman

CEO, BuiltWorlds

Marty Doscher

Architecture, Engineering & Construction Industry Business Consultant Senior Director, Dassault Systèmes

Neil Meredith

Solutions Architect - Prefab, DPR Construction

Ameya Soparkar

Technology Business Leader, Arup

Jon Benson

Director of Modular Innovation, TAS Energy

Delia Chaloux

Director - Digital Engineering - Mission Critical, Suffolk

René Morkos, Ph.D.

CEO and Founder, ALICE Technologies

Hannia Zia

CEO, Cascade

Sean Wrenn

Director of Programming, BuiltWorlds

Akshay Thakur

CEO & Co-Founder, BlackCurrant

Rishikesh Belekar

Senior Engineering Team Lead, Rosendin Electric

Nick Comerford

Director of Infrastructure Research, BuiltWorlds

Duhita Kothe

Project Manager, Crusoe

Dave Perez

Director of Advanced Tech and Mission Critical, Consigli Construction Co., Inc.

Ed Socia

Regional Director - North America, datacenterHawk

Kushal Dagli

AI-Optimization Lead, Data Centers, Microsoft

William Grover

Director, Mission Critical QA/QC and Cx, ARCO/Murray

Oscar Gross

Vice President, Mission Critical, Tetra Tech

Brian Gallagher

VP, Corporate Strategy and Development, PPC Partners

Past speakers include...

James Coe

Senior Principal, Syska Hennessy Group

Alfonso Oliva

AECO Industry Developer Relations AI Lead, NVIDIA

Ryan Krogstad

Central Core Market Leader - Advanced Technology, DPR Construction

John Moynier

Senior Manager for Strategic Initiatives, Garney Construction

Robert Otani

Chief Technology Officer, Thornton Tomasetti

Matt Fillmore

V.P. Mission Critical Division Lead, Barge Design Solutions

Andrew Lindsey

CEO, Flexnode

Robert Ioanna

Chief Technical Officer, Syska Hennessy Group

Sami Syed

Senior Business Development Manager

Jonson Berman

Vice President, Investment, Suffolk Technologies

Barak Gur-Arie

VP, Mission Critical, Buildots

Rawle Sawh

Director of Operations Technology, Gilbane Building Company

2026 Agenda

Day 1 Schedule

Wednesday, September 30

Research Track Working Group Meeting(s)

Location and time TBA

Wednesday, September 30

AI/ML & Infrastructure Joint Working Group Meeting

Speakers and Topic TBA

Wednesday, September 30

Building Tech Working Group Meeting

Speakers and Topic TBA

Wednesday, September 30

Offsite Construction Working Group Meeting

Speakers and Topic TBA

Wednesday, September 30

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

8:00AM – 9:00AM | Thursday, October 1

Registration & Breakfast

9:00AM – 9:10AM | Thursday, October 1

Welcoming Address

9:10AM – 9:40AM | Thursday, October 1

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.

9:40AM – 10:25AM | Thursday, October 1

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.

10:25AM – 10:55AM | Thursday, October 1

Networking Break

10:55AM – 11:35AM | Thursday, October 1

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.

11:35AM – 12:15PM | Thursday, October 1

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.

12:15PM – 1:15PM | Thursday, October 1

Lunch & Demo Day Winner Announcement

1:15PM – 1:55PM | Thursday, October 1

Orchestrating the Optimal Tech Stack in a Digital World

Panel Discussion

The wall between "IT" and "Facilities" has collapsed. This panel explores how hardware requirements are now dictating building envelopes. We will discuss the use of Digital Twins to optimize airflow and power distribution before a single shovel hits the ground, and how GCs are managing the increasingly complex MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing) coordination required for liquid-to-chip cooling.

1:55PM – 2:35PM

Protecting the Capital: Eliminating Overbilling and Schedule Risk in Digital Infrastructure

Case Study

2:35PM – 2:50PM | Thursday, October 1

BuiltWorlds Research Presentation

Presentation

2:50PM – 3:20PM | Thursday, October 1

Networking Break

3:20PM – 3:55PM | Thursday, October 1

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.

3:20PM – 4:00PM | Thursday, October 1

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.

4:00PM – 4:40PM | Thursday, October 1

Accelerating High-Density Delivery: Prefabrication and Innovative Power Solutions

Case Study

Discover how integrated design and construction strategies can drastically compress the development timelines of next-generation mission-critical facilities. This case study examines how the project stakeholders leveraged modular, prefabricated construction methods to overcome site constraints and accelerate speed-to-market. The expert panel will detail the engineering and deployment of critical infrastructure solutions—including advanced gas lines, localized fuel cells, and optimized water infrastructure—required to streamline utility delivery and rapidly bring high-density capacity online.

4:40PM – 5:00PM | Thursday, October 1

Fireside Discussion / Closing Presentation

Presentation

5:00PM – 6:30PM | Thursday, October 1

Closing Remarks & Reception

Member Registration

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If you experience issues, please reach out to info@builtworlds.com for assistance. 

Thank you! 

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