Celebrate International Data Center Day in Loudoun

Loudoun County is home to the world’s largest concentration of data centers, and this Wednesday, Loudoun Economic Development is partnering with the Data Center Coalition and 7×24 Exchange DC to celebrate the impact and future of Data Center Alley.

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors recently passed a resolution to declare March 24 as International Data Center Day in Loudoun County. The day be commemorated with a variety of events and community service all week long, including:

• The presentation of 1,000 Data Center Day challenge coins in recognition of the critical services provided by data center workers during the COVID-19 lockdown;
• An educational webinar by 7×24 Exchange for students on “Where Does Your Data Go?”;
• The premier of the video “Data Centers in the Loudoun Community” on social media;
• The debut of a podcast series “It’s called a DAY-TUH Center” with Buddy Rizer, an in-depth look at the history, impact and future of the industry in Loudoun.

Additionally, all this week, the member organizations of the Data Center Coalition will be providing lunch from local restaurants to volunteers and workers at the Dulles Town Center COVID-19 vaccination center.

After a pandemic year in which much of the world’s business, entertainment and educational institutions became dependent on remote interaction, the need to demystify data centers has never been greater.

“For those in tech industries, Ashburn is on-par with major cities like New York, London, Frankfurt and Hong Kong for global economic impact. Even though the buildings are easily seen, we want to convey to our community that the full impact of the industry goes beyond the buildings. That includes the hundreds of millions of dollars in annual tax revenue, the thousands of jobs for Loudoun residents, and a great deal of community service performed by those in the industry,” Loudoun Economic Development Executive Director Buddy Rizer said. “International Data Center Day is the perfect time to celebrate Loudoun’s biggest industry, to unveil new community resources, and to tell a more complete story for Data Center Alley.”

International Data Center Day is designed to create awareness of the data center industry and to inspire the next generation of talent to pursue careers in the field. For more information, check Biz.Loudoun.Gov on Wednesday and follow along with the festivities of International Data Center Day.