Young Professionals Summit

Schedule Sumit Program Attendance Justification Toolkit Registration Fees Registration Sponsors WEF Member Association YP Leaders Workshop Emerging Young Professionals Leadership Utility Scholarship

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Young Professionals Summit 2026
The Next Wave: Navigating Water Sector Currents

Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, NC, March 22-24, 2026

The WEF/AWWA Young Professionals (YP) Summit is the premier water and wastewater industry workshop for young professionals. This standout event gives YPs the opportunity to develop your leaderships skills and industry knowledge. With over 400 water sector participants, you will be able to both learn from each other and create a diverse network to support your evolving career path.

YP Summit attendees in Dallas, Texas on February 11th, 2025.

 YP Utility Scholarships

Schedule 
Plan to be in Charlotte from March 22 - 24 to join us for all the YP Summit-related activities. Events that week will include:

• Sunday, March 22
  • Pre-Summit Activity
• Monday, March 23
  • WEF Member Association (MA) YP Leaders Workshop
  • AWWA Young Professionals (YP) Leader Training Day
  • WEF Emerging Young Professionals Leadership (EYPL) Workshop
  • Welcome Reception
• Tuesday, March 24
  • Young Professionals (YP) Summit
  • Networking Reception
• March 24–27
  • Utility Management Conference

Program
The Summit offers a full day of interactive presentations, workshops, and other activities delivered by industry insiders, fellow YPs, and subject matter experts from across a variety of disciplines - all with a goal of fostering connections, developing skills, and building knowledge within the context of a water sector career.

This year’s summit is focused on The Next Wave: Navigating Water Sector Currents, creating the opportunity to explore the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in a rapidly changing sector while understanding the trends and drivers behind those changes. Attendees will engage in discussions with senior leadership about trends, risks, and opportunities in the sector. The program also emphasizes foundational professional skills, such as impactful presentation and communication techniques, along with principles that strengthen our culture, collaboration, resilience, and sense of belonging to ensure inclusive opportunity and leadership across the water industry.

Hands-on experiences, including Operations Challenge tasks, interactive small-group problem solving, and in-person and online networking activities, give participants the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the sector while practicing real-world skills. Working within small learning cohorts, attendees will apply what they learn to complete challenges that reinforce technical knowledge, teamwork, and community building. The summit culminates in a networking reception where attendees can continue to build their network of other driven young professionals, as well as the industry-renowned speakers and organizational leadership from WEF and AWWA who will be joining the event.

Attendance Justification Toolkit
Access several tips and a sample letter to guide you in your request for approval to attend YP Summit. Access the toolkit.

Registration Fees

Registration
Registration will open January 6, 2026.

Sponsors 
Interested in sponsoring the 2026 YP Summit? Email WEF staff Amy LaTessa to express your interest.

WEF Member Association YP Leaders (MAYPL) Workshop
Monday, March 23, 11:30 am – 5 pm
With the 2026 theme of Flowing Together, the agenda will include:

• Building a Network
• Self-Advocacy
• Conflict Resolution

Workshop registration is free with YP Summit registration.

WEF Emerging Young Professionals Leadership (EYPL) Workshop
Monday, March 23, 2026, 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
With the theme Turning the Ship Around: MA Leaders Steering Challenges into Successes, the agenda will include:

• Member Association (MA) YP Leader Roles & Responsibilities
• Overcoming Current & Future MA Challenges
• Improving Local MA Event & Program Engagement
• Innovating MA Student & YP Programs

Workshop registration is free with YP Summit registration.

Utility Scholarships
WEF and AWWA are providing scholarships to utility representatives attending. The application deadline for 2026 has passed for:

• WEF YP Utility Scholarship
• AWWA Water Equation

Questions
Please contact WEF staff Claudia Trapp.