May 2026 Data Center & Infrastructure Events Preview
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May is shaping up to be a robust month for digital infrastructure professionals—with conferences and expos that cover everything from infrastructure resilience and sustainability to AI, edge computing, and telecom connectivity. Below are several key events to mark on your calendar, plus what to expect.
1. Data Center Expo North America (at TechEx North America)
📅 May 18-19, 2026
📍 San Jose McEnery Convention Center, San Jose, California, USA Data Centre Expo
This two-day event covers the full spectrum of data center innovation. Expect strong programming around green investment, infrastructure resilience, edge computing, AI’s impact on operations, and security & digital transformation. It’s co-located with TechEx, so you can also explore related topics like IoT, automation, and Big Data. Data Centre Expo
2. Data Centre LIVE London 2026
📅 May 20-21, 2026
📍 London, UK Data Centre Magazine
Geared toward the UK and European market, this event brings together operators, vendors, regulators, and service providers. Hot topics will include sustainability, regulatory compliance, cooling & efficiency, edge deployment, and optimizing operations in dense, high-demand environments. Data Centre Magazine
3. International Telecoms Week (ITW)
📅 May 19-21, 2026
📍 National Harbor, Maryland, USA Stream Data Centers
ITW is more focused on telecoms, but its relevance to data center and digital infrastructure is strong. It’s a gathering of global connectivity players (fiber, networks, carriers, submarine/overseas cables), vendors, and investors—topics that overlap heavily with data center – especially for operators concerned with latency, network redundancy, and interconnection. Stream Data Centers
4. GBI Better Buildings Seminar – Data Centers
Dates: May 15, 2026
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Organizer: Green Building Initiative (GBI)
Description: This seminar focuses on sustainable building practices for data centers. Attendees will explore strategies for energy efficiency, environmental certifications, and incorporating green technologies into both new and existing facilities. It’s an excellent opportunity for operators, engineers, and facility managers aiming to meet sustainability goals while optimizing operational performance.
Link: thegbi.org
What to Watch for in May
Infrastructure Resilience & Edge Growth – As workloads distribute closer to end users, edge data center design, redundancy, and local regulatory compliance will come up often.
Sustainability & Energy Efficiency – Pressure (regulatory, cost, societal) continues increasing for greener operations, cooling innovation, carbon footprint reduction, and renewable power sourcing.
AI Workloads & High Density Builds – The demand for power, cooling, and network bandwidth from AI/ML is pushing for new approaches in facility design.
Connectivity & Interconnection – Telecommunication infrastructure, fiber, subsea links, cross-border connectivity—all are increasingly critical to data center planning.