AFCOM, a leading association supporting the data center industry, reported that a record number of AFCOM members and IT professionals descended on the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, TX, to participate at the recent Data Center World. The conference boasted a sold-out trade show hall, 40-plus product and educational sessions, and more than 850 attendees representing all 50 states, all 26 of AFCOM’s regional chapters, and 13 foreign countries.

“Data Center World continues to earn a global reputation for being one of the industry’s premier educational events,” said Jill Eckhaus, AFCOM CEO.  “Our members are motivated to gather intelligence, so every year we work to provide the best possible experience-timely and relevant topics, speakers who are authorities in their fields, and interactive venues for networking with peers and leading solution providers.”

A keynote by Andrew Fanara, who manages the ENERGY STAR Product Specification Development Team for the US EPA, kicked off an information-laden agenda. Speaking to a packed house, Fanara addressed the Federal Government’s vision for helping data centers counter current energy consumption trends and how these initiatives can play a significant role in the data center community’s search for improved energy-efficient data center design and operations.