2018: Thirteen inspirational speakers with big ideas

We started the afternoon with a tri-lingual welcome, with mana whenua mihi starting us off from Wayne Mulligan, and English and sign-language welcome from Karen Coutts. Mayor Justin Lester welcomed us with his vision of Wellington 2050 being a zero-carbon city, with no homelessness, recognising Te Reo, with an integrated transit system. Keep Reading

For those who have attended annual Rotary Forums in the past – now called the ‘Wellington Forum’ – you’ll know just how enriching and interesting they are. There are always inspiring speakers and plenty of opportunity to have your say and network with people who care about the issues, as much as you do. Yesterday we sent an email to... Keep Reading

Big ideas are cool again. In politics, business and society, New Zealanders are looking for transformative ways of changing the world around them. The best place to find inspiration is at Wellington: Creating Tomorrow Forum. “On 4 July 2019, hundreds of Wellingtonians will come together at the Michael Fowler Centre to discuss the future... Keep Reading

Rotary Forum 2018 was held on 23 August, 2018. Just before the closing speech, from the Hon Grant Robertson MP for Wellington Central, the chair Roger Blakeley gave a brief summary of the speakers' presentations that had been prepared by Helen Algar. This is a record and copy of that summary. Keep Reading

Now in its seventh highly successful year, Rotary Forum 2018 promises to uncover the big ideas that will provoke and inspire the future of Wellington – city and region. Twelve speakers, young and old, have been hand-picked to choose their own topic and answer a simple question: what is your impossible dream for Wellington? We are seeking... Keep Reading

Once running a four-minute mile was an impossible dream. Now it happens all the time. A kid named Peter Jackson grew up in Pukerua Bay, playing around with a simple camera. What were his impossible dreams? And how did he achieve them to become a titan of the movie-making world? On Tuesday 1 August 2017, 200 people crammed into the foyer of the... Keep Reading

My dream for Wellington involves a place where the inequality gap – measured not only by income but also by access to opportunity as well – can be bridged by anyone. And bridged by everyone. Keep Reading

DK's Rotary Forum 2017 Wellington Talk. Due to technical issues on the day of the Rotary Forum DK's talk wasn't recorded, so this is a re-recording. Keep Reading

‘My take-a-way from the Rotary Forum was that impossible dreams are more likely to become a reality if Wellington is successful in attracting the very best talent to live and work in the City. Research shows that organisations focused on health and fitness are valued by people and are attractive to talented individuals seeking to advance their... Keep Reading

Wellington is at cross roads. Do we want to be a big city, or will we let Auckland eat our lunch? Unless we change direction, in a few years it will be Aucklanders complaining about the terrible traffic in Wellington. What is my impossible dream? A congestion-free Wellington. It's time to turn the corner and put Wellington back on track. Keep Reading

Why do we collect things and put them in a museum? What do we learn from those things? What does our fascination for objects from our past tell us about being human, what does it tell us about being a Wellingtonian today? Imagine that you have been charged with collecting objects and ideas from this day – the 1st of August 2017.  Objects... Keep Reading

One persons reflection on the 2017 Rotary Forum. Having listened to some fantastic speakers yesterday and all with some considerable visions.  One thing I notice, like many in the audience was that all the visions are conceptually consistent.  In this, I can't help but dwell on the question - if the vision is so consistent across all the... Keep Reading

Yesterday, there was a great buzz around the St James Theatre at the 2017 Rotary Forum. Every single person in the room was there because they want to see Wellington flourish. We care about the future of this city and about creating a better Wellington. The conversation on offer? Achieving the impossible dream for Wellington, city and region. Keep Reading