MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee will host three prominent Great Lakes summits this fall, drawing in 1,200 attendees and over $1.2 million in total estimated economic impact, VISIT Milwaukee announced Tuesday.
The US Water Alliance’s One Water Summit, The Water Council’s Water Leaders Summit, and Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Conference will be heading to Milwaukee in the next few weeks.
US Water Alliance's One Water Summit is already underway. The summit gathers water stakeholders in the country for an "urgent conversation" about the future of water, according to VISIT Milwaukee. The summit will also award the US Water Prize, which recognizes outstanding One Water leaders across the country. The summit ends Wednesday.
Next up is the Water Council's Water Leaders Summit on Oct. 5 and Oct. 6. This summit explores the link between water innovation and stewardship. According to VISIT Milwaukee, the summit discusses scarcity, droughts, floodings and contamination.
On Oct. 18 and Oct. 19, Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Conference will gather advocates to discuss restoration and protection efforts for communities that rely on the Great Lakes.
“Milwaukee is a hub not just for water technology but also innovation and stewardship. It’s only natural that water-related organizations want to meet in a city that revolves around freshwater to live, work and play,” said Dean Amhaus, The Water Council president and CEO.
According to VISIT Milwaukee, the city is home to headquarters for several water industry companies such as Xylem Sanitaire, A. O. Smith,and Badger Meter.
Lake Michigan is the fourth largest freshwater lake in the world. The Milwaukee Region's water industry is a $10.5 billion market with 20,000 jobs, making up 4% of the total world water business, VISIT Milwaukee says.
“Great people, the Great Lakes, and a commitment to protect both has made Milwaukee the epicenter for water innovation throughout the country. Milwaukee went green before green was cool and because of this our region is more climate ready than most and doing more every day to become more prepared. We are prepared to move even further by working with our strong, diverse coalition of partners to address our future watershed issues,” said Kevin Shafer, executive director of Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District.
