# Event Details - **Event Name**: Second Annual NOLA Water Summit and Gala - **Event Start and End Date**: Thu, 17 Sep, 2026 at 09:00 am – Fri, 18 Sep, 2026 at 03:00 pm (-05:00) - **Event Description**: NOLA Water Summit 2026 unites art, culture, and community to inspire climate action, water justice, and hope for our shared future.About this EventNOLA Water Summit 2026: Keep Ya Head UpAs New Orleans marks 21 years since Hurricane Katrina and approaches the 100th anniversary of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, the NOLA Water Summit 2026 invites our community to imagine a thriving future together.Keep Ya Head Up brings together residents, artists, community leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers, policymakers, and advocates to explore how we can address flooding, climate change, mental health, affordability, and environmental justice while celebrating the culture that makes New Orleans unlike anywhere else.Through interactive workshops, inspiring speakers, community conversations, immersive art experiences, and cultural celebrations, the Summit centers the voices of those most impacted by today's challenges. Designed in partnership with the Brackish Artists Collective, this year's programming blends creativity with action, proving that hope, joy, and community are essential tools for shaping our future.Join us for a one-of-a-kind experience featuring the Water Gala, Dance & Dissent, and opportunities to connect, learn, and help build a healthier, more equitable Gulf Coast.Water Gala and Awards CeremonyAndreas Hoffmann - Founder of Greenlight New OrleansDavid Waggonner - Founding principal of Waggonner & BallKeree Blanks: former TWC Team Member and award dedication.Gala dress code is Cocktail and the theme is various shades of blueThe Nola Water Summit is co-planned with the Brackish Advisory Committee. Advisory members include:Evan McNultyAlexius Reignyrécha gay JheneallJarrell HamiltonNate CameronLaVonna VarnardoFelli MaynardCome celebrate our culture. Reimagine our future. Keep Ya Head Up. https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events8/banners/aa6059d0-a5b9-11f1-8990-5d04d231a2dd-rimg-w592-h740-dc283838-gmir.jpg September 17🕑: 09:30 AMMichelle Miller: Opening Keynote Address and Water Legacy AwardHost: Michelle MillerInfo: Join us as we celebrate the amazing Michelle Miller. As our keynote, Michelle will being her expertise, and lessons to the forefront, as the environmental justice spaces grapple with a changing political and social ecosystem. How does one know hope to communicate hope and unity in a world that encourages division. We will also celebrate Michelle's work by giving her a Water legacy award for her coverage of New Orleans over the decades. 🕑: 10:45 AM - 11:00 AMBreak🕑: 11:00 AM - 12:15 PMMedia Roundtable: Moving from Media Sensationalism to Policy ChangeHost: AubreyInfo: The media roundtable will focus on several topics, including Water data access, consumer advocacy and transparency, and media sensationalism vs. What's real. This event is open to everyone, and focused on media partners, influencers, and other communications p professionals. 🕑: 12:30 PM - 01:30 PMLunch Provided🕑: 01:30 PM - 04:00 PMThe Waves that Weave Us Together: Water and Art Sensory Experience Info: Designed by our Brackish Artist Advisory Committee, this experience will take participants on a Water journey, touching on each of your senses. Activities will both educational and immersive. This is event is open to all ages. 🕑: 04:15 PM - 04:30 PMEvent Closing CeremonySeptember 18🕑: 09:30 AM - 10:30 AMWaterside Chat with Senator Royce DuplessisHost: State Senator Royce DuplessisInfo: Join us as we start our day with senator Royce Duplessis. During this waterside chat we'll discuss the realities of being a public servant on today's world and learn how we can best show up to defend democracy while protecting our very fragile ecosystems. 🕑: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PMThe Truth Hurts: Breaking Down Why Louisiana is 50th in the NationHost: Anissa HydeInfo: During this session, we'll set the stage for the realities Louisiana and New Orleans are facing in this historic and challenging moment. This panel will focus on the facts from two reports, the Pathways to Prosperity Report by the New Orleans Data Center, and The Water Collaborative's 2026 Legislative Report. You'll want to be here for this as we dive deep into issues. 🕑: 12:15 PMBreak🕑: 12:30 PM - 02:00 PMLet's Keep it Real, Lunch & Learn. Discussion with Local Policy LeadersHost: Nicole Barnes, Jericho Road Episcopal Housing InitiativeInfo: For this event, we'll break down what we learned while breaking bread. Each panelists will answer audience questions and help to uncover the truth about advocacy at the state and federal levels. 🕑: 02:00 PM - 02:30 PMClosing Remarks🕑: 07:00 PM - 09:00 PMWater Gala and Awards Ceremony Host: David WaggonnerInfo: Join us as we celebrate the legacies of three amazing individuals that have helped shape the water sectors. Awards will be given Andreas Hoffmann, founder of Greenlight New Orleans. David Waggonner, founder of Waggonner and Ball and lead on the Urban Water Plan and celebration and award dedication to Keree Blanks, former team member and community liaison. Food and beverages included, as well as two cocktails. David WaggonnerInfo: David is the founding principal of Waggonner & Ball, an internationally active architecture and environment practice based in New Orleans. David was raised in Plain Dealing, Louisiana and spent time in Washington, DC, where his father was a U.S. Congressman. He is a graduate of the Yale School of Architecture, and in 2010 was elevated to the position of Fellow in the American Institute of Architects (FAIA). In 2016, David was awarded the AIA Louisiana Medal of Honor. From preservation to modern architecture to urban design, locally and internationally, quality and innovation are hallmarks of his work. His maxim, know where you are, imparts both an understanding of place and a critical awareness of time. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, David saw an opportunity for New Orleans to reinvent itself as a sustainable city that embraces its lifeblood: water. He championed a process that examines history, soils, biodiversity, infrastructure networks, urban space and habitation, along Andreas Hoffmann Info: Andreas Hoffmann is a musician and local New Orleans resident who founded Green Light New Orleans in 2006. He launched the grassroots nonprofit as a sustainable response to post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding, aiming to offset his touring band's carbon footprint while helping local residents lower energy use and utility costs. Andi was born and raised in Switzerland, where his environmental activism began with his involvement in the anti-nuclear movement. He moved to New Orleans in 1993 with his young family, embracing the city's unique culture and community spirit, and working as a professional, international touring musician and frontman for his band, B-Goes. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2006, Andi wanted to make a tangible, positive environmental contribution to his adopted city. He started by distributing energy-efficient light bulbs directly to households, which eventually expanded into a large-scale community initiative providing organic vegetable gardens, rain barrels, a - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/new-orleans/second-annual-nola-water-summit-and-gala/100001996920607292 - **Event Categories**: business, art, workshops, it, health-wellness, harvest-festival, mental-health - **Slot details of has slots**: - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 - **Event Highlights**: - Age Limit: all_ages - Duration: 6 hours - Location: Dew Drop Inn Hotel & Lounge - Historic Boutique Hotel in New Orleans LA - Languages: English ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 55.2, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: New Orleans - **state**: LA - **country**: United States - **location**: Dew Drop Inn Hotel & Lounge - Historic Boutique Hotel in New Orleans LA - **lat**: 29.9368716 - **long**: -90.0916424 - **full address**: Dew Drop Inn Hotel & Lounge - Historic Boutique Hotel in New Orleans LA, 2836 Lasalle Street, New Orleans, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Second Annual NOLA Water Summit and Gala - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events10/banners/90b38e338b7c68b259f7d7eede1cae7518fce5f955b901646158138c3e59ef54-rimg-w1200-h675-dc282828-gmir.jpg?v=1786401805 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Second Annual NOLA Water Summit and Gala being held? - **A:** Second Annual NOLA Water Summit and Gala takes place on Thu, 17 Sep, 2026 at 09:00 am to Fri, 18 Sep, 2026 at 03:00 pm at Dew Drop Inn Hotel & Lounge - Historic Boutique Hotel in New Orleans LA, 2836 Lasalle Street, New Orleans, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing Second Annual NOLA Water Summit and Gala? - **A:** Second Annual NOLA Water Summit and Gala is organized by The Water Collaborative. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Second Annual NOLA Water Summit and Gala is ideal for curious learners, students, and skill-builders looking to gain hands-on knowledge and practical expertise in a focused, interactive setting. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in New Orleans, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. 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