MLSP 2026 Gala at the Georgia Aquarium
Sponsored by Amazon Web Services
Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | 6:30–9:30 PM
Oceans Ballroom | Georgia Aquarium
Join us for one of the highlights of IEEE MLSP 2026: an evening gala at the Georgia Aquarium in the heart of downtown Atlanta.
Our gala will take place in the spectacular Oceans Ballroom, a 23,000-square-foot event space featuring two expansive aquatic observation windows. Guests will enjoy dinner and conversation surrounded by views of some of the Aquarium’s most remarkable marine life—including whale sharks and beluga whales.
Sourab Jain, Cloud Transformation Leader at AWS, will be joining us to deliver a keynote speech from 7-7:30.
The evening will provide an opportunity to step away from the technical program, reconnect with colleagues, meet researchers from around the world, and experience one of Atlanta’s signature destinations.
Dinner by Wolfgang Puck Catering
The MLSP 2026 Gala will be catered by Wolfgang Puck Catering, Georgia Aquarium’s exclusive catering partner since 2005. Wolfgang Puck Catering creates its Aquarium menus using seasonal ingredients and brings its signature approach to hospitality and event dining.
Gala Details
Date: Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Time: 6:30–9:30 PM
Location: Oceans Ballroom, Georgia Aquarium
Aquarium Address: 225 Baker Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30313
About the Georgia Aquarium
Located beside Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta, Georgia Aquarium is one of Atlanta’s most recognizable attractions and is home to extraordinary aquatic habitats featuring animals from around the world. Its large-scale galleries and immersive viewing spaces offer opportunities to see species including whale sharks, beluga whales, manta rays, sharks, dolphins, sea lions, and thousands of other aquatic animals.
The Oceans Ballroom was designed around the Aquarium experience itself, with large observation windows bringing the aquatic environment directly into the event space. It provides a uniquely Atlanta setting for the MLSP community to come together at the end of the conference day.
Getting to the Gala from Centennial Hall
The Georgia Aquarium is located in downtown Atlanta and is easily accessible from the MLSP 2026 conference venue at Centennial Hall, Georgia State University, 100 Auburn Ave NE.
Walking
For attendees who would like to walk, the Aquarium is approximately a 20-minute walk from Centennial Hall, depending on pace.
From Centennial Hall:
100 Auburn Ave NE → Downtown Atlanta → Centennial Olympic Park → Baker Street → Georgia Aquarium
Head west from Centennial Hall toward the central downtown/Peachtree Street area, continue toward Centennial Olympic Park, and then follow signs toward Georgia Aquarium on Baker Street.
We recommend allowing a little extra time so you can enjoy the walk through downtown and arrive before the gala begins.
Atlanta Streetcar
The Atlanta Streetcar offers another convenient way to travel from the conference area to the Georgia Aquarium.
From Centennial Hall, walk a short distance east along Auburn Avenue to the Auburn at Piedmont Streetcar stop. Take the streetcar westbound through downtown and exit at Centennial Olympic Park. From the stop, the Georgia Aquarium is a short walk across the Centennial Olympic Park area.
Fare: $1.00 one way
Service: Approximately every 15 minutes during regular service
Destination stop: Centennial Olympic Park
The Streetcar is a particularly convenient option for attendees who would prefer not to make the full walk from Centennial Hall to the Aquarium.
For the gala page, I’d probably present the transportation options in this order: Streetcar | Walking | Uber/Lyft | Driving & Parking. The streetcar is actually a nice option to highlight because it gives out-of-town attendees a very straightforward downtown route.
Uber / Lyft
Uber and Lyft are an easy option for the short trip between Centennial Hall and the Aquarium, particularly for attendees dressed for the gala or if weather makes walking less convenient.
Enter the destination as:
Georgia Aquarium
225 Baker Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30313
Travel time from the conference area is generally only a few minutes by car, although downtown traffic can vary.
Driving & Parking
For attendees driving to the gala, Georgia Aquarium operates an attached parking deck.
Use this address for GPS navigation to the parking deck:
357 Luckie Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30313
The Aquarium parking deck is cashless and can be accessed from Luckie Street or Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard. The Aquarium currently lists general non-member parking at $30, and prepaid parking may be purchased in advance.
After parking, follow the Aquarium’s posted pedestrian signs toward the entrance.
An Evening to Remember in Atlanta
After a full day of MLSP presentations, posters, and technical sessions, we invite you to spend the evening with the MLSP community in one of Atlanta’s most distinctive venues.
Come for the science. Stay for dinner with the whale sharks.
We look forward to celebrating MLSP 2026 with you at the Georgia Aquarium.
Thank you to our sponsor: Amazon Web Services