Resilient + Sustainable

DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE 4.0

Growing + Greening
the Global Net-Zero
Circular Digital Economy

GCDCS22
Global Symposium Week
December 12-16

Join us for the 5th Annual GCDCS
Five days of Interactive Engagement.
Knowledge Sharing. Conversation.
Contribution. Community.




Hosted by SmartNations Foundation

#GCDCS22 | www.GCDCS.org

HOSTS & COMMUNITY ALLIANCES

Virtual global Symposium Week

ONLINE 5 DAYS
Interactive Livestream Sessions
 Virtual Village Marketplace Expo Hall
On-Demand Encore Presentations

ONSITE 1 DAY
In-Person + Livestream
McMaster (University) Innovation Park (MIP)

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

3 PRIMARY SYMPOSIUM THEMES
DIGITAL Resilience + Sustainability
+ DIGITAL Infrastructure 4.0

Infrastructure 4.0 (DI4.0)

At its highest and best, DX differentiates from Digitalization in that the new business value created was either never before possible or is exponentially greater in value than what came before. The data centre and DI now require their own Industry 4.0 moment to meet the demands of IoT Edge-to-Cloud DX.

Digital Sustainability

DI4.0 powers the "Digital-First Era."
DX has an impact on sustainability via decarbonization as value continuously shifts from material atoms to data bits and analytics. The journey to net-zero is top of the agenda as organizations strive to balance efforts to curtail emissions while achieving healthy economic performance.

Digital Resilience

The velocity and scale-up of Digital Transformation (DX), Industry 4.0, continues to accelerate. The full IT, Facilities + Power stack of modern “Smart” Digital Infrastructure is continuously presented with a myriad of resilience + availability + security challenges.

KEYNOTE TOPICS
Sustainability & ResILiency
POLICY & GOVERNANCE Themes

  • Imagining + Innovating the Resilient + Secure Net-Zero DI4.0 to Power the Future

  • Direct + indirect digital transformation convergence with net-zero, circular + regenerative economics

  • What is the new ethical role for Investors + Capital Markets + Developers + Colo + Cloud Platform Providers?

  • Direct + indirect DX convergence with net-zero, circular + regenerative economics

  • How do Developers, Owners + Operators view their responsibilities for clean energy + embodied carbon

  • Potential social + economic impacts of smart nations’ resilient, sustainable DI4.0

  • Digital Transformation Converges with Circular, Net-Zero Economics

  • Forecasting for DI4.0 in the era of global Industry 4.0 + XR/Metaverse + quantum compute across all sectors

  • Reports + global DI4.0 implications of COP27, ​​2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference - Egypt, Nov. ‘22

  • Challenges and opportunities business leaders face on the journey to a digital-first net-zero future

GCDCS22 DELEGATES

FUTURE-FORWARD
THINKERS + THOUGHT LEADERS

GCDCS22 is a curated for Senior Management and Professional Delegates with both a desire and a need to know how to best prepare their Infrastructure, policies and people in the 7x24-always-on, ever accelerating and climate-changing world.

Everyone faces the complexities, risks and growth opportunities in resilient + sustainable digital transformation and the DI4.0 that enables it during this era of intensive change.

SENIOR DECISION MAKERS
+ ACTION TAKERS


  • Digital Transformation, Digital Infrastructure 4.0 executives + professionals

  • Developers of DI4.0, data centres + telecom, internet exchange RE

  • Investors in and capital markets for data centre RE + the emergent digital infrastructure asset class

  • Design + build for the IoT edge, modular, enterprise, colo, cloud, hyperscale

  • Facilities DCIM

  • ITSM for IT / Network / Cloud asset service management

  • IoT edge sensing, AI, monitoring, telemetry, analytics

  • Web3.0, XR Media, Metaverse

  • Blockchain, Crypto Mining, HPC data centres, Quantum Computing

  • Clean Power Generation, T+D, Smart-/ Micro-Grid, Storage, UPS

  • ESG, Sustainability, GHG, Carbon Management, Net-Zero

CARE TO CONTRIBUTE CONTENT OR MAKE A TOPIC SUGGESTION?


We welcome your input!
Click the button below to reach out to us regarding submitting:

  • Papers, articles
  • Case studies
  • Topic suggestions for panel sessions, charrettes, webinars, interviews, or podcasts
  • Other

ABOUT GCDCS & GCDCS22

Great Canadian Data Centre Symposium

BACKGROUND
by Bruce Armstrong Taylor, Managing Director, GCDCS

> click drop down arrow to the right >>

During 2020 and 2021 - with the impact of COVID19 and driven by the necessity of the moment - the growth of Digital Transformation (DX), Industry 4.0, in every region of the world rocketed upward and quite nearly across all sectors of economies, industries and societies.

We all became both remote, as we sought shelter from the viral storm, yet simultaneously global overnight (with some admitted and continuing rough patches). We learned that, in the new virtual world, it's not only possible, but can be highly productive, to be remote and global in thinking and scope.

In a time when both Digital Resiliency and Digital Sustainability -- at once twin drivers for, and goals of, the next stage of global Smart Digitalization, calls on us to continue to shape the world of work and business toward Digital First and Forward as a big piece of the puzzle for how we might avert Climate Change catastrophe.

These twin themes: (a) the always-on, never-fail, realtime and resilient performance, in order to quickly grow a (b) greener, increasingly more sustainable, net-zero 2050 economy, are now both a quality and condition plus a primary function of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Our use of the term Digital Infra 4.0 (DI4.0) embraces Industry 4.0 "smart" technologies (which mean little if not highly, resilient) and on the fastest possible journey to net-zero GHG (both operational and embodied) and circularity. And not later than 2050.

This idea is embraced by the likes of the World Economic Forum and Accenture, the World Bank and the Brookings Institution, McKinsey and EY. The joint WEF/Accenture report released in the Davos meet-up earlier this year is that digital transformation could result in 20% reduction in GHGs by 2050, if rigorously applied in three large industrial sectors: Energy, Materials and Transportation. But only if applied at scale and speed.

While we, of course, CAN return to all of our offices (and many if not most now have) and we CAN fly around the world for business purposes again, and, indeed we are. We CAN travel to live, in-person events again (and, of course, we CAN). While we CAN, when is it that we start making the choice to transition. While there may have been a great deal of pent-up desire to travel post lockdown, perhaps right now is time to rethink, reshape and begin to shift the balance -- increasingly so -- toward a significantly reduced carbon/GHG footprint in every realm. In our personal and family lives, many of us are challenging ourselves to find ways to alter our lifestyles in order to do our part in helping to heal the biosphere and live more healthily.

Cannot the same hold true for our businesses, careers and work-lives? Are we not called to this moment with that objective in mind? The Digital Infrastructure asset class and industry sector increasingly appears to believe so, from all news and evidence. And because the challenges of carbon/GHG emissions are truly global in nature and impact, we need to be learning together, worldwide, What works? What doesn't? and What's next on the journey? The world needs for digital infrastructure industry that enables and supports the Resilient, Sustainable Digital Transformation of the global economy, of all industries, to take the lead.

This is why the GCDCS has chosen to embrace the digitally transformative online, virtual, livestream meetings and events tools that we now have to help elevate this small but content-deep conference emanating from MIP in Hamilton, ON, to one that both "Thinks Globally and Acts Locally." Global non-transactional knowledge-sharing with local boots-on-the-ground transactional decision-making and action taking. (And we do understand that there is a broad greyscale spectrum between the two.)

-- Bruce Armstrong Taylor, Managing Director, GCDCS / Board Director, International Data Center Authority (IDCA)

WITH GCDCS22 we begin a Path Forward on the Journey toward Resilient Digital Transformation and to Net-Zero GHG emissions and Circularity in collaborative community with you. GCDCS's future is in bringing together global all-stakeholder thought-leadership, as well as peer networking and engagement. on some of the biggest challenges of our times through robust digital, online, virtual, interactive livestreaming technologies -- All Canada plus the full North American, and Global markets. We know it's challenging.

GCDCS NOW BEGINS ITS FIFTH YEAR -- Reimagined and reshaped-- and presented as a 5-day virtual event -- emanating from its MIP onsite venue home for one full day of in-person, keynotes and simultaneously globally livestreamed -- presenters, panelists, delegates and underwriters will fully participate from anywhere on the planet on whatever digital device they choose. Encore Presentations - One of the great values of livestreaming content sessions is that if you miss any session, you can view it on-demand on the event platform and in the future on the GCDCS YouTube channel.

Beginning in early September, GCDCS22 will formally kick off with a continuous flow of digital knowledge-sharing: white papers, tech notes, case briefs, webinars, video interviews and podcasts -- all designed to build a common background foundation for the work of...

GCDC SYMPOSIUM WEEK, a 5-day year-end capstone program.

  • Plenary Premier Keynotes -- Globally-recognized subject-matter-expert, thought-leader keynotes

  • Boardroom Director Roundtables -- Challenging keynote conversations among panels of top leaders

  • Design Charrette Studio Sessions -- deep-dive intensive workshops on digital resiliency and sustainability topics

  • "What's Next" Path Forward Roadmap Forums -- Readouts of findings and recommendations from each of the Design Charrette Studio Sessions. Thought-leaders take part in "Community Conversations" and enjoy peer-to-peer networking and relationship-building opportunities

  • Virtual Village Marketplace -- with interactive exhibit booths, private video meetings, and small-group presentations, throughout the five days.

ENGAGING WITH OVER 2,500 LIVESTREAM DELEGATES -- all Canada + rest of North America + Global

REACHING 200 INVITED GUEST DELEGATES ONSITE AT MIP for Day 3, Dec. 14, Plenary Premier Keynote Day

VIRTUAL LIVESTREAMING is one of the sets of digital transformation IoT technologies that has resulted in monumental business performance efficiencies and business travel carbon reduction. The resilient, sustainable and smart digital infrastructure that makes online virtual, real-time global livestreaming possible will only continue to grow in significance.

COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE -- As a key component of the Symposia Series program design, GCDCS22 will introduce the formation of "Communities of Practice" (CoP) to provide thought-leadership direction for the on-going work of GCDCS around the DI4.0 powering the global digital future.

WHY CANADA for our global livestream meet-up of the digital infrastructure industry? As a country, Canada ranks as the fifth largest concentration of data centres globally, and measures as the second best country (after Switzerland) in which to live and work, and the third most trusted country (after Switzerland and Sweden). It stands to reason that its data centre technical, engineering professional and business leadership has global stature.

HARD-EARNED REPUTATION FOR THOUGHT-LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE under the guidance and tutelage of founders, well-known IT analyst Michael O'Neil and IT journalist Mary Allen, principals of InsightaaS, in collaboration with McMaster University's Computing Infrastructure Research Centre (CIRC) and its founding director Dr. Suvojit Ghosh (now FYELABS), GCDCS gained solid marks as a unique meaningful and substantive subject-matter-expert conversations about the state of the digital infra and data centre arts.

AT THE HELM -- Beginning in 2022, Bruce Armstrong Taylor becomes principal and managing director for the next GCDCS chapter, working collaboratively with Michael O'Neil and Mary Allen. Taylor, following a long career in IT journalism and conference/expo producing, turned to the data centre universe, when he launched Uptime Institute's Data Center Symposium. Taylor is also well-known in the sector as the former EVP, US/Canada for Data Center Dynamics. Currently he is the co-founder (with Norwegian data center developer/operator Andre Eidskrem), of the SmartNations Foundation. He is also a Board Director of the International Data Center Authority (IDCA).

SYMPOSIUM WEEK - PROGRAM ELEMENTS

"SYMPOSIUM WEEK" is the CAPSTONE
of the year's Symposia Series Program

Design Charrette Studio Sessions
 Deep-Dive Design Thinking Intensive Workshops
Livestream | Days 1+2 | Dec. 12 + 13


Global Leadership Keynotes

All Plenary Presentations + Boardroom Roundtables
Onsite + Livestream | Day 3 | Dec. 14


Awards Presentation
+ Holiday Reception

DI4.0 Awards for leaders across the converged IT:OT stack

Onsite + Livestream | Day 3 | Dec. 14



DI4.0 Hubs + Communities of Practice
Subject-focused Groups having Industry "Community Conversations"

Livestream | Days 4 | Dec. 15


"What's Next" Roadmap Forums

Report-outs on future-forward insights from the Charrettes

Livestream | Day 5 | Dec. 16

WHAT SETS GCDCS APART?
GCDCS IS MORE THAN A Week-long EVENT...
It's AN ANNUAL PROGRAM FORMAT WITH UNIQUE ELEMENTS

YEAR-LONG KNOWLEDGE-SHARING PROGRAM + EVENT SERIES FORMAT
CONTINUOUS, ENGAGING, INTERACTIVE CONTENT
+ COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE

  • GCDC Symposia Series Program provides a global platform for defining Resilient, Sustainable Digital Infrastructure 4.0 for the Forward Digital era

  • Showcasing Canadian Voices - bringing together a Global Community via interactive livestreaming of virtual and onsite events

  • Communities of Interest and Communities of Practice (CoP) form around evolving themes and topics of GCDCS

  • Timely content based on forward-leaning Business and Technical Journalism, Interviews and Papers

  • PRE-SYMPOSIUM PROGRAM -- January to November, plus SPRING, SUMMER & AUTUMN SERIES elements include Mini-Meetups around Canada, eBooks, Substack publications and podcasts, webinars, YouTube videos, "fireside chat" interviews, and an online Silent Auction benefiting designated charitable organizations.

  • SYMPOSIUM WEEK -- December - Virtual & Hybrid Event

    • Content is offered to a global audience via interactive livestreaming and is available on-demand via the event portal + GCDCS YouTube channel

    • DAYS 1 & 2 of Symposium Week launch with livestreaming Deep-Dive Design Thinking Charrette Studio Sessions (intensive long-form, collaborative workshops)

    • DAY 3 is the Onsite "DI4.0 PREMIER KEYNOTE DAY" featuring:
      Plenary Keynotes, Boardroom Panel Sessions, Awards Presentation, Holidays Reception and Silent Auction

    • DAY 4 of each Symposium Week focuses on "Community Conversations" engaging our Communities of Practice (CoP).

    • DAY 5 features Deep-Dive "What's Next?" Roadmap Forums to lay the groundwork for the next year's Symposia Series Cycle content.

  • POST-SYMPOSIUM PROGRAM -- December to February time period encapsulates knowledge sharing from the year and evolves it into the beginning cycle of the next calendar year's Symposium Series. Highlights include the eBook release of the "What's Next?" Deep-Dive Roadmap Findings Report and Webinar.

DESIGN CHARRETTE
STUDIO SESSION WORKSHOPS
DEEP-DIVE INTENSIVE, COLLABORATIVE WORKSHOPS + ROADMAP PUBLICATIONS

    • DAYS 1 & 2 of Symposium Week launch with Deep-Dive Design Thinking Charrettes (workshops), offered virtually via interactive livestream.

    • Discover the "Art of the Possible." Gain future-digital insights during these design thinking workshops.

    • Topics will be chosen with Underwriters and Advisory Board members to cover high-points of leverage for Digital Infrastructure 4.0 Resiliency and Sustainability (i.e. Immersion Cooling; Digital Infrastructure-as-Code).

    • Charrette participants have a change-agent mindset and include subject matter experts, "inquisitors" and all who are intellectually curious. Knowledge-sharing is enabled via open and collaborative discussions.

    • Communities are created and develop along with content, over two charrette days and beyond. The opportunity to network and build relationships as part of an ongoing online "Community of Practice (CoP) is built into the GCDCS Platform.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

DEEP-DIVE ROADMAP FORUMS + eBOOKS

    • Deep-Dive "What's Next?" Roadmap Forums are offered on day 5 to wrap up Symposium Week.

    • These Forums serve as report-outs on key findings and future-forward insights from the Design Thinking Charrettes.

    • Forums focus on exploration of "What's Next" with proposed Roadmaps for future Deep Dive Design Thinking Workshops.

    • Roadmaps Forums and the takeaway findings (eBook) form a foundation for the evolution of each topic which flow into the subsequent GCDCS Series Cycle, continually engaging the GCDCS Communities of Practice and the wider global audience.

Current + Prior PRESENTERS

PETER GROSS

Chairman of the
Board of Directors

VIRTUAL POWER SYSTEMS

ALEX BENAY

Global Lead, Government Azure Strategy

MICROSOFT

STEVEN CARLINI

VP, Innovation & Data Center

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

MARK MONROE

Data Center Advanced Development

MICROSOFT

JULIE ALBRIGHT

Digital Sociologist

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

SUVOJIT GHOSH

Founder

FYELABS (formerly McMASTER UNIVERSITY CIRC

ANDREW EPPICH


Managing
Director


EQUINIX

FRANCOIS STERIN


EVP & Chief Industrial Officer


OVHCLOUD

ROCCO ALONZI


AVP - Data Centre Operations


SUNLIFE

SUSANNA KASS

Co-founder, CEO & Chief Sustainability Officer

INFRAPRIME

MARY ALLEN


Chief Content Officer


INSIGHTAAS

STEPHAN ABRAITIS


VP, Global Technology


MANULIFE

KEVIN PEESKER

President

MICROSOFT CANADA

DAN SCARBROUGH

Founding Director

DIGITAL INFRA NETWORK

MICHAEL O'NEIL

Lead Research Analyst

STRATASCALE


MATT STANSBURY

Vice President,
North America

UPTIME INSTITUTE

KIRBY PETERS

Fmr. Director
Critical Facilities

BMO FINANCIAL GROUP


PRETTY KUBYANE


Cofounder


CORONET BLOCKCHAIN

ANDRE EIDSKREM


Founder


ARCTIC CIRCLE DATA CENTER

DAVID HAMNER

Digital Infrastructure Advisor

DATASPACE CORP.

EUGENE ROMAN

Exec. in Res. for AI & Applied Analytics

YORK UNIV., SCHULICH SCHOOL

GUYLAINE CARRIERE

Dir., Center of Expertise

SHARED SERVICES CANADA

JOAO MARQUES LIMA


Journalist | Editor


THE TECH
CAPITAL

MEHDI PARYAVI


Chairman


INTERNATIONAL DATA CENTER AUTHORITY (IDCA)

GCDCS22
UnderwritING + SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES + PLANS

~ ~ ~ ~ ~


Underwriting Plan Levels - 5

Sponsorship Asset Items - 50


Price Points From - $500


The GCDCS Symposia Series Program offers underwriters engagement opportunities via a continuous knowledge-sharing flow of research, content, media + events



Demonstrate your
thought-leadership

Showcase your brand

Collaborate in a knowledge-sharing community

Generate Demand


Leverage participation over the Symposia Series Program cycle -- before, during and after "Symposium Week"
in December

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

PLANS OFFER UNDERWRITERS OPPORTUNITIES OVER MULTIPLE MONTHS OF KNOWLEDGE-SHARING CONTENT + MEDIA + EVENTS


Plans deliver to Underwriters the opportunity to leverage their thought- and brand-leadership on the Digital Resilience + Sustainability of the Smart Digital Infrastructure required to enable and secure the on-going, high-velocity of Digital Transformation of the Global Economy. Plans also facilitate networking and demand generation with our all-Canada, US and Global delegates.

Plans are designed to enable Underwriters to select program assets to best fit their technology, engineering, business or finance expertise, thought- and brand-leadership, knowledge-sharing willingness and relative market positions.

  • SYMPOSIUM WEEK -- Hybrid - Onsite/in-person + Interactive Livestream -- Presentation and Panel Participation Opportunities

      • Exclusive Premier Keynotes or Fireside Chats

      • Boardroom Roundtables

      • Deep-Dive Design Charrette Studio Sessions - two days of extended intensive workshops on senior topics relating to Resiliency + Sustainability

      • Communities of Practice Development

      • Path-Forward Forums

  • SYMPOSIUM EXPO HALL -- Virtual Online Interactive Expo Hall + Directory Listings: Exhibit Booths with Scheduled "live" Virtual On-line Presentations + Private meetings

  • VIRTUAL PRIVATE MEETINGS + GROUP PRESENTATIONS -- Appointment setting + group presentations for Underwriters + Expo Hall Booth Exhibitors

  • DIGITAL MEDIA -- Reports, White Papers, Tech Notes, Case Briefs, e-Books - Feature Articles, News Stories for the full GCDC Symposium cycle, beginning September for the pre-Symposium period through Symposium Week and for the post-Symposium Week period through the publishing of the "What's Next?" Path-Forward e-Book compilation.

  • DIGITAL INTERACTIVE MEDIA -- Pre-, During + Post-Symposium Week Webinars, Interviews, Presentations, Podcasts. Full Symposium Week Interactive Livestream

  • BRAND SPOTLIGHT -- Multiple Sponsorship Items Offered - Showcase your brand in the ways best suiting your needs and budget. Available for individual acquisition or as an add-on to Plans

  • PLATINUM DI4.0 AWARDS CEREMONY + HOLIDAYS RECEPTION -- Awards will be given to companies demonstrating Technology, Design, Engineering, Development, Business + Finance leadership on Digital Infrastructure 4.0 (smart) Resiliency and Sustainability across the converged IT:OT layers of the full stack.

  • SILENT AUCTION -- "DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR GOOD" #DI4Good -- proceeds to benefit select Canada-only charities/NGOs with the mission to benefit eco-sustainability in the age of digital transformation.

  • NETWORKING + Engagement with Delegates + Presenting Faculty
    Both in-person + via interactive livestream, scheduled private online or onsite meetings.

  • SPONSORSHIP ASSET ITEMS -- Available to fit any budget. Items can be selected as one-offs or may be added on to, or traded out with, Underwriter Plans. Price points start at $500.

GCDCS22
ONSITE VENUE

GCDCS23
MARK YOUR CALENDAR for 2023

RSVP for a free early-bird pass to participate in Symposium Week's 5 days of interactive livestreaming sessions.

Apply if you are an executive, sr. manager, tech professional or a decision-maker for digital infrastructure tech systems & solutions.