Craig Huffman
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer Metro Edge Development Partners
Seminars
Tuesday 2nd June 2026
Panel: Redefining Our Community Engagement Strategy to Reduce Public Pushback Across Midwestern States
11:00 am
Addressing common public misconceptions, including outdated water-use concerns and fears about resource strain, to improve trust and understanding
Engaging local government officials to align expectations, secure support and negotiate infrastructure contributions
Navigating the differences between rural towns and major metro areas within the same region, to anticipate approval challenges and tailor engagement strategies
Sharing how city leaders and data center owners collaborated to overcome early concerns, address unexpected challenges, and build long-term community support
Tuesday 2nd June 2026
Panel: Pinpointing the Midwest’s Next Growth Markets to Enable Faster, More Strategic Site Selection
8:00 am
- Evaluating where hyperscalers, colocators and developers are looking next: when does our attention shift to new Midwest locations?
- Weighing up rural vs urban development: understanding why proximity to urban hubs is still shaping location decisions
- Identifying major county and state-level hurdles including locating viable properties, verifying power-ready land, and determining whether jurisdictions are open to hybrid or supplemental power solutions to bridge capacity gaps
