The AI boom is fueling a high demand for compute power, with research projecting a $6.7 trillion global investment in the buildout of AI infrastructure by 2030. With more attention being cast on the data centers across the globe that process the machine learning and models that pilot AI, the builders behind this transformative tech become key to shaping the future of the industry. IgniteGTM's upcoming AI Infra Summit on May 1 in Silicon Valley spotlights the founders, operators, and infrastructure leaders defining the AI era.
We sat down with Bill Barry, CEO at IgniteGTM, about what it takes to become a speaker on the program, how AI Infra differentiates from other AI conferences, and big lessons learned that he plans to bring to the 2026 events.
Want to be among the doers of AI? Get your ticket for the May event and take 35% off by using the code CREDPR35. Register here.
What sets AI Infra Summit apart from other AI events?
Bill: Most AI events talk about what AI can do. AI Infra Summit focuses on what actually makes AI work at scale. Compute, power, cooling, silicon, capital, and policy are treated as first-order constraints, not background topics. The room is built for operators and decision-makers, not spectators.
What makes a speaker stand out for the AI Infra Summit program?
Bill: Speakers stand out when they bring firsthand experience, not forecasts. We look for people who can speak concretely about tradeoffs, failures, and decisions made under real constraints like power availability, GPU scarcity, latency budgets, or cost curves. If you have deployed, scaled, or broken infrastructure in production, you belong on this stage.
What lessons learned from past events are you carrying forward, and what’s changing?
Bill: We learned that signal density matters more than volume. This year we are tightening speaker selection, reducing abstract commentary, and prioritizing builders who have shipped, scaled, or financed real infrastructure. What’s changing is the bar, deeper technical content, clearer operator takeaways, and more intentional collisions between capital, builders, and policymakers.
What is one thing you want people to take away from attending AI Infra Summit?
Bill: Clarity. Attendees should leave with a grounded understanding of where the real bottlenecks are, what matters next, and who they need to work with to move faster. The goal is more so alignment and momentum than inspiration.
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