Events: Catalyst 8's Mad Hatter Tea Party

Hat Dipping Station from 2010 Mad Hatter

[photo: by WDFloyd's iPhone] 


by WDFloyd


After writing a few times about the then impending 2nd Annual Catalyst 8 Mad Hatter Tea Party fundraiser, I figured that it needed some follow up.

The event was quite successful all around.  We exceeded fundraising levels set last year, signed up several new members, and generally got a lot of compliments on the event.   I was one of the event's chairs, and also the main MC (a duty I thoroughly enjoy).  Photographic evidence from Clarksville Studios' photo booth and the American-Statesman's A-List (which incorrectly located the Mad Hatter event at the Long Center; it was at The Allan House) suggests that people had a lot of fun.  Thanks to everyone who came out and thanks to our awesome sponsors, including:

• Hay Compere PLLC
• Moreland Properties
• Makers Mark
• Tito's Vodka
• Independence Brewery
• Clarksville Studios
• Dub Academy

There were many others, especially in the fashion arena, who were very generous (but I can't find the list from the event).  Even my company, Prism Risk Management, jumped in at the last minute as a liquor sponsor (hedging against the risk of leaving guests thirsty).

Anyway, it was a fun event and it capped off a great year for Catalyst 8.   The organization had more than doubled in size since February 2010, fulfilled a matching grant challenge from 3M for member recruiting (which meant a lot to me, as membership chair).  We had surpassed the goal of funding 100 nights of Boost subsidized performances in the Long Center's Rollins Theater.  Mad Hatter, however, turned out to be our last event.  I was informed via e-mail on Friday 2/26 that the Long Center had chosen to shut down Catalyst 8 as part of the strategic plan approved on 2/23 (and, I've been told, they have generally chosen to discontinue donor support groups at this time as part of their new strategic plan).  Thus, unbenownst to us at the time, Mad Hatter was a pretty bad ass send off for Catalyst 8.

The demise of Catalyst 8 has actually presented those of us who were its leaders with some very exciting new projects.  I mention the successes above because those of us who have worked had for several years to build Catalyst 8 into a "model young professional organization" (not my term, but actually one I heard repeatedly at Au40 and other events when informing friends about the abrupt end of Catalyst 8) are working a bigger, bolder, and ultimately more important project.   I am very excited to be a part of it.

And, since I am a compulsive writer, I'll post about the new developments once I have something cool to discuss.



Notes: 

• I also gave a few details about the end of Catalyst 8 for context.  I thought it might weird for my Catalyst 8 postings (at the time of this post, "Catalyst 8" is the biggest term in this blog's tag cloud) to suddenly stop and some new topics to suddenly pop up.

• I had to put up a photo from last year's event, as I was too occupied as an event chair to actually take my own photos.  I'll add video evidence as well (the gf was kind enough to take about 35 min of video from the event, but I haven't had time to edit it).