CATALYST TRUST’S goal is to provide the spark needed to bring great ideas,compelling speakers on topical issues, and innovative and informed thinking to the Whakatipu basin.

We’re about making Queenstown a community for people who enjoy mental and
cultural stimulus, not just adrenal challenge. We encourage informed discussion on
important public issues, to help create a thinking community keen to participate in civic society.

One of our fundamental principles is that our events should be accessible to all. Since
we started in 2014, nearly all our events have been koha based. And since Covid began, we have given all koha to community groups or charities. Our Catalyst team are all volunteers, and our primary venue, The Rees Hotel Queenstown, generously provides this for free.

CATALYST works on several levels, including:

• Instigating and supporting events that feature leading New Zealand and
  international thinkers, on issues from nanotechnology to smart cities,
  misinformation and global politics.
• Instigating and collaborating with others to hold discussions and
  workshops on important public issues, from climate change to domestic
  violence and tackling poverty, to bolster opportunities for informed
  community input.
• Initiating and coordinating Whakatipu’s Lilliput Library network, since November 2016.
• Creating a CATALYST community, encouraging the exchange of ideas and
  knowledge, through our events and Facebook network.
• Supporting local youth through providing schools with speakers and
  students with challenging opportunities, like being on the question panel
  for our mayoral candidate forum.
• Alerting our community to similar, affordable events being held by others
  in the district, through our Facebook page and website ‘Early Warning
  System’ newsletter.

Catalyst was delighted to win the Supreme Award at the 2016 Trustpower
Queenstown Lakes District Community Awards for our work.

More information on our website and Facebook page. Event registration on our Eventbrite page