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UPCOMING EVENTS

Cloud Architecture: Chicago (Rosemont/O’Hare), Illinois

Strategies for building and refining the architecture.

April 23, 2025

9:00am-5:00pm

7 CPE / 0.7 CEU / CISSP / 7 PDU Credits Awarded

Conference location: Donald E. Stephens Convention Center Rosemont (O’Hare) Illinois

  

Overview

Once your organization’s business needs have been established, you can then create a plan that integrates infrastructure and platform strategy with the supporting cyber resilience.

What You Will Learn

In this one day conference attendees will learn:

  • Cloud-Native Architecture: Maximizing Performance and Agility
  • Building Resilient Cloud Architectures for High Availability and Disaster Recovery
  • Cloud Security Architecture: Integrating Security into Every Layer
  • Designing Scalable and Flexible Cloud Architectures for the Future
  • Hybrid Cloud Architectures: Balancing On-Premise and Cloud Resources
  • Cloud Architecture Best Practices: Learning from Successes and Failures (Panel Discussion)

Conference Price: $349.00 per person

Each attendee will receive a certificate awarding 7 CPE credits for CISSP continuing education, in addition to 0.7 CEUs and 7 PDUs. CISSP is a registered certification mark of (ISC)², Inc.

CONFERENCE AGENDA

9:00am – 10:00am: Cloud, Data, and the Foundations of the Future: Building with Purpose, Powered by AI

Rex Washburn,  Chief Architect / FCTO – Data, CDW

In a world where cloud technologies, data, and AI are no longer optional but essential, the real differentiator is how organizations choose to lead through transformation. This session will explore how the most future-ready enterprises are not just adopting tools—they are building cultures of trust, agility, and value creation grounded in servant leadership.

We’ll unpack how the cloud enables scalable innovation, how data becomes a strategic asset when democratized across the organization, and how AI unlocks predictive insights and intelligent automation. But more importantly, we’ll look at how leaders who serve first—putting people, ethics, and purpose at the center—are building resilient digital foundations that deliver not only business performance, but societal impact.

Attendees will walk away with:

  • A clear roadmap for aligning cloud, data, and AI strategies with long-term business value.
  • Real-world examples of servant leadership in tech-driven transformation.
  • Practical insights on fostering innovation, trust, and responsible AI adoption across teams.

This isn’t just about keeping up with the future—it’s about shaping it, with intention.

Washburn

10:00am – 10:30am: Refreshment Break

10:30am – 11:30am: How to Build Your Cloud Architecture from a Data-First Perspective

Arvind Murali, Chief Data Officer/Co-Founder, Datacolor Ai

A data-first cloud architecture is more than just technology—it’s a strategy that delivers Value, fosters Trust, and ensures Scale. By prioritizing data governance, security, and AI-driven automation from the ground up, organizations can achieve real business outcomes, protect critical information, and grow on demand. In this session, we will explore how aligning data design principles with strategic cloud adoption powers faster innovation and sustainable success.

Key Takeaways

  • Delivering Value: Learn how a data-first approach directly impacts business growth, efficiency, and ROI in the cloud.
  • Building Trust: Understand how robust data governance, privacy measures, and security frameworks establish confidence among stakeholders and regulators.
  • Ensuring Scale: Discover cloud-native strategies for elasticity, high availability, and cost optimization—enabling seamless expansion without sacrificing performance.
  • AI-Enabled Data Management: Explore how intelligent automation streamlines data operations, monitors compliance, and supports continuous improvement in a dynamic cloud environment.

Murali

11:30am – 12:30pm: Cloud Cost Management: Maximizing ROI While Controlling Expenditures – Fireside Chat

Trent Ridgway, Manager of Security & Infrastructure, Anson Industries

Cloud adoption has revolutionized IT infrastructure, but managing cloud costs is a persistent challenge for many organizations. This session will focus on strategies for optimizing cloud expenditures while maximizing the return on investment (ROI). Attendees will learn how to implement cost control mechanisms, optimize cloud resource utilization, and avoid common pitfalls like cloud sprawl and over-provisioning. The session will also explore tools and practices for continuous cloud cost monitoring and governance.

Ridgway

12:30am – 1:30pm: Lunch and Exhibit Break

1:30pm – 2:30pm: Building Resilient Cloud Architectures for High Availability and Disaster Recovery

Resiliency is key to ensuring uninterrupted business operations, especially in mission-critical environments. This session will focus on how to build cloud architectures that can withstand failures, mitigate risks, and ensure high availability. Attendees will learn about designing multi-region and multi-zone architectures, incorporating automated failover mechanisms, and establishing robust disaster recovery (DR) plans. Real-world examples will highlight how resilient cloud designs can reduce downtime and maintain service continuity during disruptions.

2:30pm – 3:00pm: Refreshment Break

3:00pm – 4:00pm: Cloud Security Architecture: Integrating Security into Every Layer

With cybersecurity threats on the rise, embedding security into every layer of cloud architecture has never been more important. This session will provide a comprehensive overview of security-first cloud architecture design, including secure access control, data encryption, network security, and compliance. Learn how to adopt a Zero Trust model, secure cloud-native applications, and implement advanced identity and access management (IAM) strategies. The session will also cover automated security monitoring and incident response to detect and address potential vulnerabilities before they escalate.

4:00pm – 5:00pm: Cloud Architecture Best Practices: Learning from Successes and Failures (Panel Discussion)

In this interactive panel discussion, leading cloud architects and industry experts will share their experiences in designing, deploying, and managing cloud architectures. Panelists will discuss common challenges organizations face when moving to the cloud or optimizing their existing cloud environments, as well as key lessons learned from both successes and failures. Topics will include selecting the right cloud platform, managing cloud costs, ensuring security and compliance, and optimizing for scalability. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and gain valuable insights into what works—and what doesn’t—in cloud architecture.

Moderated by:  TBD

Panelists will include:

  • Mouncef Elalamy, Director, Cloud Computing & Data Center Infrastructure, HUB International Limited
  • Aaron Frink, IT Manager, Hosting Products and Cloud Services / Infrastructure SysOps, Alliant Energy
  • Kirby McCord, Senior Manager Infrastructure Architecture, U.S. Cellular
  • Patrick McGovern, Senior Enterprise Architect, KUVARE
  • Benjamine Stickney, Cloud Platform and Enablement Manager / Database Operations Team Manager, U.S. Venture
  • Additional Cloud Architecture Executives sharing strategies, tactics and lessons learned.

 

Elalmy                          Frink                        McCord                        McGovern                    Stickney

Conference Price: $349.00 per person

Each attendee will receive a certificate awarding 7 CPE credits for CISSP continuing education, in addition to 0.7 CEUs and 7 PDUs. CISSP is a registered certification mark of (ISC)², Inc.

Exhibits

As is always the case at CAMP IT Conferences events, the talks will not include product presentations. During the continental breakfast, coffee breaks, and the luncheon break you will have the opportunity to informally meet representatives from the following sponsoring companies, who have solutions in the area of the conference.

CONFERENCE SPONSORS