Live in Cannes! Datacloud Global Congress Unplugged: Behind this Record-Breaking Year

It's our final edition on the Inside Data Centre Podcast at Datacloud Global Congress, Cannes 2025!

Our hosts, Andy Davis and Rory Flashman, are joined by Annabel Helm, Managing Director of Datacloud (techoraco), and Lex Coors, Chief Data Centre Technology and Engineering Officer at Digital Realty and President at EUDCA, to celebrate the final day at the three-day event! From the foundation of organisation, researching speakers and adapting to quick changes, this episode highlights the success of the event, with 45% more people joining the conversation than last year, and 12,000 data centre representatives attending. They discuss why the industry return to the event every year –  growth and getting ahead of the curve, especially with regards to talent, helps to inspire the next generation, and a different sense of perception of the industry (colouring is the new hobby!)

Some key advice from Lex Coors on being in the sector: 

“Make sure you develop yourself and people around you and with you, and also this will be the core of the industry where people will have the knowledge, the title and are seen by that title”.

Transcript

Copy Transcript Copied

SPEAKER_03 0:00

This is the Inside Data Center Podcast. We talk to the people who are the Data Center data to give you insider info on everything happening in the Data. It's your host, Andy Davis.

SPEAKER_01 0:27

And we're back, back for the last podcast at Data Cloud 2025. I'm here with Andy Davis. I don't even know what number podcast this is. We were talking about earlier. How many have we done? Is it nine or ten? And then after yesterday evening, it must have been tough. You can hear in my voice later. The voice is a street. We did we did say earlier yesterday we were saying about being inside, but it's a bit annoying. The weather's not great. And I thought I'm so glad we're outside today because we put the sunglasses. There you go. Amazing.

SPEAKER_02 0:54

Signs of a good networking event.

SPEAKER_04 0:55

But uh I'm just always this husky, so I've got no excuse.

SPEAKER_02 0:59

Oh, this is it. This accent myself going forward.

SPEAKER_00 1:04

And I'm just old, I need my glasses.

SPEAKER_02 1:07

Just a quick round of intros. Annabelle, you want to kick us off?

SPEAKER_04 1:10

Sure. Um, my name is Annabel Helm. I'm the MD for Data Cloud and sit on the leadership team for Corico. Um, you know, coming to the end of what has been a pretty intense 12 months of work, and you know, more intense last couple of weeks, really, to be honest. It's uh looking forward to a weekend.

SPEAKER_00 1:31

So Lex Corps, Chief Data Center, Technology and Engineering Officer for Digital Realty. I'm also the president for the uh European Data Centre Association, and I'm at the board of the Climate Neutral Data Center Pack. And first of all, congratulations, Data Cloud, for this event. It's really amazing.

SPEAKER_01 1:48

I was just gonna say that like hats off. Why do you want to repeat mean? It's been because you speak such truth, excellent. There you go. I need to make out like it's my viewpoint as well, not yours, but no, it's been amazing. Everyone we've everyone we've met, yeah, like it's amazing. Um the volume of people, but they're great people as well. So I know we were just saying about how many steps you've done, but like well done.

SPEAKER_04 2:09

No, when Joe is amazing, is that I mean you we put this on, but there's only really six people that are the core team on this, you know, I kind of helicopter N and L, and they're not just doing this event, right? They're doing everything that we do within Data Cloud, and to deliver this with that smaller team is like I mean, I hats off to the team because they have knocked it out of the park, honestly. They are phenomenal, privileged to be able to work with us.

SPEAKER_00 2:35

It's not only the amount of people, it's the content, the way you have selected everything together, you know. Um, it's really amazing. There's so many interesting things going on. You can learn so much. It's really, really, really good stuff.

SPEAKER_04 2:50

That's down to like you in the industry, right? Because our content wouldn't be as good as it is, and we won't think that it's the best, but that comes down to people like you on the leadership committee and all of our leadership committees, because you we can't have one without the other. And then being able to adapt at the last minute. You know, last week we got email CTO from Grok wants to come. Perfect, let's get him on stage. He was on stage after you this morning, you know. That's kind of that's really cool that we can do that because you write these agendas, you do this research, before you even get to an agenda, you're doing like a hundred, two hundred hours of research, primary, secondary, speaking to other clients, but then things change. And I mean, look how much things have changed since you know January, February, March last week, you know, today. You gotta adapt, you know.

SPEAKER_02 3:37

That change seems to be one of the key themes of this event. And and talking of the event itself, so many numbers flying about how big has it been this year?

SPEAKER_04 3:46

So four and a half thousand people through the doors, which is crazy. I mean, that's 45% more than we had last year here, and that we never wanted to be the biggest, we've always wanted to be, I suppose, the highest quality event. And what's really cool, and I got the team to get me some stats, that of that 45%, we've got 1,100 sea level representatives here, which is 49% more than we had last year. Of those, we've got 1,200 data center operators here, you know, representatives, which is 76% more than we had last year. You know, I look at the speaker lineup, 50% are CEOs, 25% are women, you know. It's it's really cool because it's not just growth for growth's sake, it's actually adapting. So, you know, you're seeing more power people, more, you know, regulators. We've got ambassadors here, MEPs, you know, it's really trying to grow up, you know, grow the impact of what we do. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

Are you symbolos by your success or not?

SPEAKER_04 4:43

No, the sort of ambush. I mean, I mean, we we knew that it we was it was going to be good. We've worked really hard on this. Like uh, I mean, Rory knows we have been fighting to kind of get back up to rebuild everything that we do. That now is quite, but it still took us by surprise. I mean, honestly speaking, the last couple of weeks have been, you know, a lot. I mean, I wouldn't normally just have six people working on an event this size, right?

SPEAKER_01 5:08

You know, yeah, like maybe we should recruit some more people.

SPEAKER_04 5:10

Well, exactly. Do you know a recruiter?

SPEAKER_01 5:12

Yeah, well, not I I know a few, but I think um events are a great and Lex, you've probably seen it as well over the years. It's the evolution of the industry, events are a great example like that because you come to this event once a year, you kind of see the change. You go from like you know there's a lot more people, you see the change in content, you see the change in attendees, so you there's more eyes on the industry, and I think I guess that's happened continuously, I guess, through your career, Lex, where you you started in the industry when it was quite small, and now it's what it is today.

SPEAKER_00 5:40

Oh my goodness, it's it's massive. I think what you see in the past, if you would pay, you could talk about potatoes on stage. No one cared, you just paid, you go speak about potatoes. Um then you saw, let's say, with with many of them, they still are following behind the trend. What I see, for instance, here over the over the coming days, you are trying to get ahead of the trend. With your program, you're not simply saying, Oh, you know, and this is what we're doing, oh, and this is what we did, and oh here. No, you're really trying to get ahead of that curve where you say, Okay, let's bring these people together and make sure that we have the conversation, the discussion. What I'm still missing, even though it's now for years, is the debate. Yeah. The hardcore debate. I disagree with you, I think you're wrong, because that is really the stuff that you want to hear, because otherwise you still hear a little bit too much. Oh, I fully agree with you. Oh, let me add to this. And that's that's not entertaining. We also have a role to entertain, you know, we can speak, but people will fall asleep. So you need to use your state's performance to actually talk to the people, get ahead of the curve. Don't be afraid to say something that people afterwards say, Well, that was not right. Who cares? You brought it up, it was discussed, and that's I think is important. And let's see that data cloud now really gets ahead of this curve, bringing together these programs and people, and make sure it gets debated.

SPEAKER_02 7:15

Bit of fire on the panel discussion.

SPEAKER_04 7:17

Yeah, but there is, and actually I had that conversation earlier. I think it helps when you've got, you know, so many CEOs or scene leaders on a panel. So you don't want to say just what your marketing team says wanna say, you know, because you're gonna be challenged by your peers in the industry if you know what I mean. And then you've got the like the closed door stuff too, right? You know, there's so many workshops, Chatham House rules, we ran the Digital Imperi Leaders Summit, we went to our third one, like there's a lot.

SPEAKER_00 7:44

I I think we use the word leader too easily. True. You know, a leader is someone who inspires and wants to be followed. I think we should also recognize that a leader is an is a position where a manager is a is a person who makes absolutely sure that everything works. So I you hear too easily every time I go, oh the leaders, the leaders, I think, where are they sometimes. You know, sometimes I see them, sometimes I recognize them.

SPEAKER_04 8:10

If you have to ask you all one lax.

SPEAKER_00 8:14

So let's not make it too easy here on this podcast. Should we? No, but I I I I I everyone should try to become a leader because you you need to see if you can, let's say, influence people, if you can lead, if you can show the way, if you can do all the things that need it and inspire as well. I think that's difficult and it takes a lot of energy and time and to study, but I think there's so many people who could definitely go from manager to leader here on this uh event. And there are also a lot of leaders. I've seen a lot of leaders as well.

SPEAKER_02 8:48

Do you think the uh yeah, if from an industry perspective, do you think the opportunity is there next for people to try to continue on that pathway and move into leadership roles? Do you think that's why today?

SPEAKER_00 8:58

Yeah. Yeah. This industry is big. There is also a risk to it because there is a shortage of, let's say, really skilled people. And uh what you see sometimes they're moving from role to role, moving up the stack, and they never have been held accountable, and they never had to learn from their mistakes because they were already gone. And they just have the title in that perspective. And you see, okay, I have the title, so I'm the man or the woman, and this is uh how it will work, and that's I think is also a risk. I'm now 26 years with the company, so I'm longer with the company that the company exists because digital exists 20 years. So that makes me a founding member of the company, you know, six years before they actually started. Just making some fun here. But I think stay where you are, make sure they can hold you accountable for what you did. Make sure that you learn from this and make sure that you develop yourself and also people around you and with you, and make sure that that that this will be the core of the industry where people will really have the knowledge, have the title, and are seen by that title.

SPEAKER_04 10:12

One night to the next generation too, right? And you know, that's why we're really happy. I mean, we've been running the talent and tech program for a couple of years, and that's just going from strength to strength. And it's now we've got a bit of you know, customers that put money behind it, and it's just, you know, we we don't make any money out of it, but it enables us to bring, you know, people are in their final years of kind of technical or business degrees here, or you know, in their first couple of years of you know, their career, because they we want to inspire the next generation. We know there's a requirement, you know, retirement cliff coming. We need to keep that coming and things like that. Plus, you know, I don't know if you guys have seen around here, really happy to have Michael Gerada here in the Data Pop art gallery.

SPEAKER_01 10:54

We're in it, we're in the book, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:55

Which is mental, and apparently we're on a wall down there.

SPEAKER_01 10:59

Someone sent me the picture last night, and I was like, Where's having you seen it?

SPEAKER_04 11:01

It's really cool, and you know, he's done the palais and you know, all of these.

SPEAKER_01 11:05

I think it's amazing when he f when Michael first um messaged me uh saying like I've done this colouring, but what do you think? I was like, mate, that is amazing. So cool. What do you need to let's push this, let's get this out there. But no, initiatives like that are really, really important. It's just it's a slightly different way of thinking, different perception, and it helps bring people in.

SPEAKER_04 11:21

Yeah, he just reached out to me one day and was like, Can I have a free pass? Because I'm doing this. And I was like, That's so cool, we can do better than that. Like, let me help you get here, you know. Well, hey, see, we've got two art galleries, you know, he's got he's selling his colouring in books, all of every kid I know is going to be getting one of those things.

SPEAKER_02 11:38

So cool, especially for uh for a dad with young kids, how keeping them busy, sure your children are in the same way, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:43

Yeah, do you think that's the the evolution of events? Like, you know, as as the industry does get bigger and you you you do need to provide different sort of levels of entertainment, I guess. Like, you know, you obviously got the content that we talked about, you know, the amazing content will keep people coming back, but also things like that. People go away and remember that, won't they?

SPEAKER_04 12:00

Well, that's the point, right? And you know, all those different things, different touch points, facts that clients really take advantage of can, right? I mean, you had an amazing beach party, Sting was playing last night, you know, there's all of this really cool stuff that's going on, and we want that, right? Because we can be in the industry. Yes, there's a lot of work that happens here. I mean, deals are getting done.

SPEAKER_01 12:23

Yeah, don't forget that.

SPEAKER_04 12:24

But but, you know, at the same time, we're humans, and you should be able to bring your full human to where all of experiences you have, right?

SPEAKER_02 12:33

Yeah, without a doubt.

SPEAKER_01 12:34

But I think that the networking aspect of it is again, like we've asked people, you know, what's your key takeaway? And and catching up with old friends is one that comes up all the time, you know. Catching up with those people that I haven't seen for five years, for or people from the industry that you work with 15, 20 years ago. Yeah, it's not if you're right, deals get done, we're here for business. But equally, that again is really, really important to the individuals that are getting the opportunity to catch up with people you haven't seen. Well, here's humans. To be fair, do relax a little bit as well. Enjoy the sunshine.

SPEAKER_04 13:03

Every invention involves sunglasses. There you go.

SPEAKER_02 13:07

That has been one of the coolest giveaways. Sunglass events, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:11

The sunglass events.

SPEAKER_02 13:14

So talking of the event specifically, you know, what about the future then? You know, everybody's talking nuclear power, AI. I mean, we're gonna see other decision makers from the nuclear sector coming in.

SPEAKER_04 13:24

Well, yeah, for sure. I mean, look, Rolls Royce are already here, Juvenova's already here. There, there's more and more coming up from that. You know, we've launched, so in Texas, for example, it's our next flagship event. We've really purposefully put together fiber, data center, and power because you can't divorce those conversations. And again, I mean, who would have thought five years ago, like wet West Texas gas would be a main sponsor of a data center event? And now they are, right? Because they realize they're important. If I go back to Brussels, where you know, let's again was a keynote speaker there, that's because we saw coming down the chain energy being such a huge issue for the industry that it was amazing for us to be able to actually work with policymakers, grid operators, utilities, data centers.

SPEAKER_00 14:11

Yeah, I didn't see it coming, you know. I thought, why on earth am I invited to Brussels? And then standing there as a keynote speaker and then realizing there were members of parliament, there were all kinds of people, and what I loved about it, they felt free to actually engage. You know, normally these people are a bit on a distance, you know, they will communicate with you, not that open, it was open, and I we I really respected that that approach from them, you know. It is the engagement with us through these uh events, you know, that that actually make it happen. But on SMRs, on nuclear power, um, I am also in the European Commission uh work group for nuclear power, and I'm in the um the supply chain group and in the education group. And it's not that we say we should have nuclear power as the EU DCA. As the EU DCA, we need to look at what do we need. If we think about there is a 64 gigawatt upgrade ongoing on the power grid in Europe, and that program is from before Gen AI. The 64 gigawatt sounds a lot, and it will be available around 2030, but on the other hand, it's not enough because it was before Gen Up. Before Gen AI. So now we need to think, okay, how will we do this? And now we look at all these opportunities, and because we have the capabilities and we do have the investment partners around us that may say, let's build an SMR big enough to maybe do a little bit more than only your data centers, see what you can do around for the neighborhood. How can you stabilize the whole grid? How can support the grid? I think these are the important conversations. Uh, and I believe when I look at it, it says 2030 ready. We're looking at five different technologies of uh as a masters, the typical ones like water, molten sand, a few more. But then we suddenly are no longer Europe, but suddenly we are independent countries. Now you see certain countries, yes, but you know, we need to focus on this one. Oh, we need to focus, and now we come to eight different models of the five different technologies. Now we're at 40 suddenly. And I asked the question, I said, how do you see this? Because we need to build programs from technician to master degree for 40 different things in six years. Uh how do you see it? That's not going to work. We need to prioritize what's feasible, affordable, easy to permit, and hopefully not too dirty as a waste. And then you see, oh wow. I said then we need to become Europe in this way and no longer all the independent countries suddenly find it reserved. Because if there are 40 different things of SMRs, what will you buy now? What will you do?

SPEAKER_02 17:06

That that's not sustainable. Yeah, exactly. And it's also but put sorts of challenges in the way if everyone's trying to do it differently, right? There you go. And if you're trying to make content for an event.

SPEAKER_04 17:16

Yeah. Well, a few years ago, Lex. I mean, how crazy would people have thought if you've gone, I'm going to build a data sensor next to a nuclear facility. No, it's 100 miles max, right? There you go. I'm going to build on top of geothermal activity, and yeah, it's happening in Kenya. It's happening, G I mean, you know, all of these things where it's suddenly gone from, oh no, that's far too risky, to absolutely let's give it a go, you know.

SPEAKER_01 17:39

And it's the speed this industry moves at. Again, it's like I remember talking to your team about the content and saying, like, it's impossible to keep up. Yeah, you have to change it daily, don't you? What's happening? And I think that again, they're examples of where the industry will go. Like this time next year, who knows what we'll be talking about? What will have changed, what technology would have come in, like SMRs, is it is it still there, or is something else coming? You just don't know anymore.

SPEAKER_04 18:00

When I was watching the progress, I think Dan Madrigal said it really well actually before you today, where last year we were kind of identifying problems actually 12 months on. Some of those, I mean, they're new problems, but some of the you know, there are solutions coming, you know, the work you guys are doing in Europe. I mean, the transmission investment that's finally coming in. And you know, I thought it was nice in Brussels. We had time for two questions at the end of your keynote. One was from the director of DG Energy, and the other is from the largest transmission operator in Europe. In Germany, you know, yeah. And I was sat there going, job done. We've tried, you know, this is exactly what we want to do. Yeah, you know, and they weren't primes, they were genuine just from the audience.

SPEAKER_00 18:39

Absolutely. I always like that, you know. I think also when people do speak here on these events, make sure you have time for questions. Yeah, don't be afraid, don't just try to drag it on until oh, there's no time for questions. No, no, be challenged on your own context. I love that.

SPEAKER_02 18:56

People tend to be uh concerned about asking questions in open forum, right? Well, not this morning.

SPEAKER_04 19:02

Well, you blew some minds this morning, actually.

SPEAKER_02 19:06

Yeah, it sounds like it was an inspiring talk of lighting sessions.

SPEAKER_04 19:10

Wildly terrifying too.

SPEAKER_01 19:13

And we've got one more question.

SPEAKER_02 19:15

One more question.

SPEAKER_01 19:16

Final question, will we?

SPEAKER_02 19:17

Yeah, same question we've asked everyone, though. I guess I suppose even more important for you, Annabelle. Uh but let's let's start with X first. Biggest highlight, most important takeaway from database 2025.

SPEAKER_00 19:28

Oh there is no there is no single biggest highlight. Um, it's the the collective of everything that's going on. And everyone is contributing to this enormous peak of let's say knowledge and and highlights in their perspective. So I couldn't say this one's better than the other one, you know. They they are all kind of interlinked with each other, and I think so the highlight is data cloud. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 19:58

And mine's probably maybe a bit more personal, I suppose, just because I feel so privileged actually to have been part of the team that have done this. And more than that, like, you know, we we don't see ourselves as being separate to the industry. We want to be part of the industry and help, right? Because, like, like you said, Lex, we want to help advance the conversation. So the amount of support and love from you know that we've had whilst on site, you know, it's just so gratifying because that's that's keto us to the team and that's keto us to everyone. That's killed us to you, Andy, for coming to the podcast to you, I mean, honestly, so many people, it's not just us, put so much time and effort into this. That if you've walked away with you know, going, I've had a successful time, then great. And I'm just so privileged to have been part of that, if I'm honest.

SPEAKER_02 20:42

Makes it all the more worth it, all the more rewarding.

SPEAKER_04 20:44

It really does, right? And then when we go into the maelstrom again, I just need to remember this feeling.

SPEAKER_00 20:49

And also, yeah, you should keep it with you, otherwise, you will say never again.

SPEAKER_01 20:54

And also, well done for it, has been an amazing event, and like and make sure you celebrate it because I know you how hard you you all deserve it.

SPEAKER_04 21:01

Well, we all do, we've got the awards later tonight. Yeah, and whether the team gets a seat or not, they're all coming back because there's plenty of champagne, we've got a good band, we're planning to dance the night away.

SPEAKER_02 21:12

Honestly, I'm a I'm a big believer in uh champion and the people you work with, and your team are absolutely incredible. They have made everything seamless, so yeah.

SPEAKER_04 21:21

That's good, and and you know, and I know things have got dropped and whatever, but that is genuinely because it's just not enough of them.

SPEAKER_02 21:29

You see, but the beauty is you see that stuff, it's really organized. I don't think anybody else is really known.

SPEAKER_00 21:36

That's the most important thing. Same on our stage. When you lose what you want to say, no one knows, but don't show it.

SPEAKER_04 21:43

What's uh you didn't see me at HM yesterday morning. That I was holding it. There were no mistakes for us, it was flawless.

SPEAKER_01 21:51

The perfect event. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:53

Oh, AK 2025. That is a wrap. Thank you so much. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 21:58

Amazing. Thank you very much. Thank you. Been a pleasure.