Sydney Cloud & Datacenter Convention 2026

ATTENDEES

1100

+

Industry Attendees*

48 %

Senior Management*

30 %

C-Level Attendees*

60 +

Sponsors/Exhibitors

35 +

Expert Speakers

Event Venue

16 September 2026

01.00 PM - 06.00 PM

17 September 2026

08.00 AM - 06.30 PM

ICC Sydney, Exhibition Centre, Hall 4

Event Brief

The Sydney Cloud & Datacentre Convention 2026 returns bigger, bolder and more future-focused than ever before. As AI adoption accelerates and cloud demand surges across industries, the need for resilient, scalable and sustainable digital infrastructure has never been greater. Over two dynamic days, this landmark gathering will unite data center operators, cloud providers, hyperscalers, investors, engineers, technology innovators and enterprise leaders to explore the technologies, strategies and partnerships powering the next era of digital growth.
This year's expanded edition introduces three concurrent tracks, offering deeper insights and specialized discussions across the entire digital infrastructure ecosystem.

Track 1) Data Center Stage - Explore the future of data center design, construction, sustainability, energy strategy and operational excellence as facilities scale to meet the AI and high-density compute boom.
Track 2) Cloud, AI & Compute - Dive into the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure - from AI-ready architectures and GPU clusters to cloud transformation, automation and next-generation compute platforms.
Track 3) Interconnect World Stage - A dedicated half day forum for the networks and connectivity powering the digital economy, featuring discussions on subsea cables, IXPs, fibre infrastructure, edge connectivity, and the growing importance of interconnection ecosystems.
The convention will kick off in the afternoon of 16 September, setting the stage with high-impact keynote discussions, panels and networking opportunities, and continue through a full day of thought leadership, panels, and masterclasses on 17 September, culminating in an evening close. With expanded content, deeper technical conversations and unmatched networking opportunities, the Sydney Cloud & Datacenter Convention 2026 is where the region's digital infrastructure leaders come together to connect, collaborate and shape the future of cloud, AI and data centres.

Event Agenda

1:00 PM-1:55 PM

Registration Desk

Registration

Scan your QR Ticket & Get your badge

Putra Rahmat Kurniawan

Tech Stack Lead

w.media

1:55 PM-2:00 PM

Welcome Address

2:00 PM-2:20 PM

Opening Keynote: The Race for AI Capacity: Are Data Centres Truly Ready for the Next Wave?

As AI adoption surges, the race to build AI-ready data center capacity is intensifying, putting pressure on power, cooling, land and supply chains. While capacity is expanding rapidly, growing constraints and infrastructure bottlenecks raise a critical question: Can data centres scale fast enough to support the next wave of AI, or are we heading toward a capacity crunch?

2:20 PM-2:50 PM

International Keynote: From Hyperscale to Hyper-Density: How AI is Redefining Data Centre Design & Operations

The industry is shifting from hyperscale to hyper-density, where performance is no longer defined by size, but by how much compute can be packed into every rack, megawatt, and square meter. With AI driving rack densities beyond 50-100kW, traditional designs are being reengineered with liquid cooling, advanced power architectures, and highly automated operations. This keynote explores how AI is fundamentally redefining data centre design, pushing operators to rethink infrastructure, efficiency and scalability in the race to deliver more compute in less space.

2:50 PM-3:10 PM

Sponsor Keynote: Powering the AI Revolution: Can Energy Infrastructure Keep Up?

As AI drives unprecedented demand for power, energy infrastructure is under growing strain to keep pace with hyperscale and high density data center growth. This keynote explores whether grids, renewables, and new energy models can scale fast enough to support the AI revolution.

3:10 PM-3:30 PM

Sponsor Keynote: Engineering for Extreme Density: The Rise of 100kW Racks

At 100kW and beyond, rack-level engineering is becoming the new battleground for AI infrastructure performance. This keynote dives into the real world challenges of thermal management, power distribution and hardware integration required to support ultra-dense compute environments.

3:30 PM-3:50 PM

Afternoon Break

3:50 PM-4:30 PM

Panel: The AI Infrastructure Bottlenecks: Land, Talent & Supply Chain

Critical bottenecks across land access, skilled talent and supply chains are slowing the pace of data centre expansion. This panel explores how these constraints are impacting project timelines and what industry leaders are doing to overcome them and unlock scalable AI infrastructure:

Land scarcity & Site Selection - looking at how limited land options, zoning regulations and permitting delays are impacting new data centre projects.
Talent Shortages - Overcoming the struggle to find engineers, operators and AI-specialized infrastructure professionals to design, build and maintain high-density facilities.
Supply Chain & Component Delays - managing delays in critical hardware ( servers, racks, cooling systems, transformers) affecting project timelines and costs.
Mitigation Strategies & Innovation - looking at how companies are overcoming bottlenecks through partnerships, modular designs, energy innovations and workforce development programs.

4:30 PM-5:10 PM

Panel: AI Factory Project Spotlights: Real-World Case Studies from Hyperscale Projects

This panel brings together leaders behind some of the most advanced AI factory and hyperscale data centre projects, offering real-world insights into how these facilities are being planned, designed and delivered at speed. From site selection, power provisioning and cooling strategies to supply chain coordination and deployment timelines, speakers will unpack the complexities of building for AI at scale. Gain practical lessons, overcome key challenges and identify proven approaches that are shaping the next generation of high performance, AI-ready infrastructure.

From Concept to Commissioning - sharing key lessons from planning, designing and delivering AI factory-scale data centres at speed.
Inside the Build - what really happens behind the scenes when delivering an AI factory at hyperscale ( timelines, surprises, trade-offs).
What Worked vs. What Did Not - sharing honest lessons learned from live projects - design decisions, missteps and pivots.
Speed vs Perfection - looking at how teams balance rapid deployment with performance, resilience and future-proofing.

5:10 PM-5:30 PM

Fire-Side Chat: The Data Centre CEO Outlook: Scaling Infrastructure for the AI Era

In this candid fire-side chat, CEOs share their perspectives on navigating growth, managing risk and positioning their organizations to lead in an increasingly competitive and capital-intensive AI driven landscape.

Scaling at Speed - How CEOs are balancing rapid expansion with operational resilience and long-term strategy
Overcoming challenges in managing power constraints, rising costs and increasing competition for land and talent
Where are leaders investing today to stay ahead in the evolving AI infrastructure ecosystem?

9:00 AM-9:20 AM

Opening Keynote: The Future of Data Centres in Australia: Growth, Power & The Path Forward

This opening keynote explores how Australia can balance growth with energy sustainability and infrastructure readiness - charting a path forward to remain competitive in the global AI and digital economy race.

9:20 AM-9:50 AM

International Keynote: From Land to Live: Accelerating Data Centre Development in a Competitive Market

From securing powered land and navigating complex permitting processes to coordinating supply chains and grid connections, bringing facilities from site selection to live operation is increasingly challenging in Australia\\\\\\\'s high growth market. This keynote explores how developers are streamlining approvals, leveraging global best practices, and accelerating delivery timelines to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive and time-sensitive landscape.

9:50 AM-10:10 AM

Sponsor Keynote: Engineering the Next Generation Data Centre: Balancing Performance, Efficiency and Sustainability

This keynote explores how innovative design approaches - from advanced cooling and power optimization to smarter building systems - are enabling high-performance environments while reducing environmental impact and operating costs.

10:10 AM-10:30 AM

Sponsor Keynote: From Investment to Operations: Building the Data Centre Ecosystem for the AI Era

This keynote explores how investors, developers, operators and technology partners are aligning across the value chain to move seamlessly from funding to build to operations. Discover how collaboration, innovation and long-term strategy are shaping resilient, scalable ecosystems for the AI era.

10:30 AM-11:00 AM

Morning Break

11:00 AM-11:40 AM

Panel: Power, Land & Permits: The Real Bottlenecks to Scaling Data Centres in Australia

From grid limitations and zoning challenges to site selection strategies and emerging secondary markets, the discussion will explore how developers, investors and operators can navigate an increasingly complex landscape. Can Australia keep pace with global demand, or will these bottlenecks redirect growth elsewhere?

11:40 AM-12:00 PM

Sponsor Keynote: Striving for Optimum Operational Excellence in Modern Data Centres

This keynote explores how operators can optimize performance, resilience and efficiency across the entire lifecycle- from design and deployment to day-to-day operations. The session will highlight best practices in automation, predictive maintenance, energy optimization, and workforce enablement, while addressing the challenges of scaling infrastructure without compromising reliability or sustainability. Join this session to discover how organizations are leveraging innovation and data-driven strategies to build smarter, more agile and future-ready data centre operations.

12:00 PM-12:20 PM

Sponsor Keynote: Cooling the AI Boom: Liquid Cooling, Immersion & Next-Gen Thermal Strategies

This keynote explores the next generation of thermal management strategies reshaping modern data centres - from direct-to-chip liquid cooling to full immersion solutions and hybrid cooling architectures. This session will also address real-world deployment challenges, cost considerations and the path to integrating advanced cooling technologies into both new builds and existing facilities. Join us to learn how innovative thermal strategies are enabling the sustainable growth of AI infrastructure.

12:20 PM-12:40 PM

Fire-Side Chat: Constructing the Next-Gen Data Centre: Designing for Sustainability, Scalability & Speed

This fire-side chat will explores how operators and designers are tackling the challenges of constructing facilities that are scalable, energy-efficient and agile, while supporting AI, cloud and hyperscale workloads. Attendees will gain insights into design strategies, innovative construction methods and operational practices that future-proof data centres for the decade ahead.

Using low-carbon materials, water-efficient design and green building certifications.
Devising strategies to accelerate construction timelines without compromising quality or efficiency
Ensuring high-density operations meet environmental and regulatory goals while delivering uptime and efficiency

12:40 PM-1:00 PM

Sponsor Keynote: The Data Centre Supply Chain Crisis: What Needs to Change?

This keynote will examine the root causes of today\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s supply chain disruptions and what must change to build a more resilient, agile and future-ready ecosystem. Gain insights into how industry leaders are rethinking procurement strategies, strengthening supplier partnerships, localizing supplier networks and leveraging innovation to mitigate risk. Join this session to understand how the data centre sector can evolve its supply chain to keep pace with the demands of the AI era.

1:00 PM-2:15 PM

Lunch

2:15 PM-2:35 PM

Principal Keynote: Best Practices in Sustainability in Data Centers

This keynote explores actionable strategies for building and operating data centres that are energy-efficient, resource conscious and environmentally responsible. The session will also highlight real-world case studies demonstrating how leading operators balance performance, scalability and sustainability. Join this keynote to understand how to drive long-term value while reducing environmental impact in the rapidly evolving data centre landscape.

2:35 PM-3:15 PM

Panel: The Data Centre Water Challenge: Cooling the Cloud without Draining the Planet

As global demand for cloud and AI workloads grows, water-intensive cooling methods in data centres are under increasing scrutiny. This panel explores the pressing challenge of balancing operational efficiency with responsible water usage. Industry leaders will discuss innovative strategies, technologies and policies that reduce water consumption while maintaining high performance data centre operations.

Exploring alternatives to traditional water-cooled systems, including liquid cooling, air-side economizers and hybrid approaches.
Planning operations and site selection based on local water scarcity and climate conditions.
Devising strategies for treating and reusing water within data centres to reduce overall consumption.
Looking at how operators can maintain uptime and density while meeting environmental and regulatory requirements.

3:15 PM-3:35 PM

International Case Study: Successful Water-Positive Data Centre Strategies

This case study showcases international examples of data centres achieving water-positive operations - where more water is replenished or conserved than consumed.

3:35 PM-4:05 PM

Afternoon Break

4:05 PM-4:45 PM

Panel: The Power, Water & Carbon Debate: Solving the Sustainability Trilemma for Data Centres

Data centre operators are currently facing a sustainability \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"trilemma\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\": how to balance power, water and carbon efficiency without compromising performance or scalability. This panel brings together industry leaders in sustainability to debate strategies, innovations and trade-offs required to operate responsibly in a resource-constrained world.

Power sourcing and efficiency: Integrating renewable energy and optimizing energy use while maintaining high-density performance.
Water stewardship: Reducing consumption, recycling and exploring alternative cooling methods to mitigate water risk.
Carbon footprint reduction: Strategies to minimize embodied and operational carbon, including supply chain and lifecycle considerations.
Balancing the trilemma: Practical decision-making frameworks for prioritizing trade-offs between power, water and carbon in design and operations.

4:45 PM-5:25 PM

Closing Panel: Building the Data Centre of 2030: Architecture, Power, Talent & AI-Driven Infrastructure

The next decade will redefine how data centres are designed, powered and managed. This closing panel explores the future of high-performance, resilient and sustainable facilities built to support AI-driven workloads and hyper-scale demand. Industry experts will discuss emerging architectural trends, advanced power solutions and the role of AI in optimizing operations, cooling and energy-efficiency. Attendees will leave the conference with a forward-looking view of how data centres can evolve to meet both technological and environmental challenges.

Future-ready architecture: Designing flexible, modular and high-density data centre layouts for evolving workloads
Next-gen power strategies: Integrating renewable energy, on-site generation and smart grid technologies for reliability and efficiency
AI-driven operations: Leveraging AI for predictive maintenance, workload optimization and real-time energy management
Talent for 2030: Identifying emerging roles in AI, automation and sustainable operations, and addressing the shortage of specialized talent