Program

Keynote –

How can real estate value be recreated within sleepy under-valued infrastructures, such as outdated industrial or residential buildings, via the implementation of coworking along with hospitality services? Numerous examples demonstrate the successful revitalization of buildings bringing a new soul and using sustainable methods. What are those? How can this be achieved?

Let’s hear from some of the nicest and most creative projects recently implemented in Europe, in three different countries.

• Leon Reiner (Impact Hub Berlin),
• Beatriz Jimenez Pardo (TRIPLE),
• Sam Jackman (Shared Access)

Moderated by Vanessa Sans, Founder of Happy Working Lab

Porto Room

Panel –

Shared revenues, profit sharing, co-financing, management agreements, franchising… Many legal asset-light options exist nowadays to lower the financial risk and build partnerships with landlords. Partnerships with landlords can speed up coworking brand’s expansion while it can also be a very effective way for Real Estate operators to enter the world of flexible services, making their facilities more appealing to future tenants.

During this panel discussion, participants will share their experience with implementing the different models, underlining the advantages from the Property owners’ perspective.

– What are the main differences between the different models?

– Why sign up with a coworking franchise brand rather than sign up for a profit-sharing agreement?

– How to assess the proper added value of flexible services and amenities in a building?

– What share of the total revenue generation can or should it represent, as opposed to traditional leasing revenues?

– How can the right balance be found between short-term gains and long-term costs?

– What are some common legal pitfalls to be aware of, and how can they be mitigated?

– How can operators effectively communicate the value and benefits of coworking spaces to conservative landlords who may have limited familiarity with the concept?

– What level of guarantee should be reached to initiate a productive discussion with a conservative landlord?

– How can coworking operators proactively address potential challenges or conflicts that may arise during the lease agreement, ensuring a smooth and successful partnership with the landlord?

This conversation will focus on the practices and arguments that maximize the chances of reaching a mutually beneficial agreement between a landlord and an operator.

• John Milhado (Office Improvers),
• Ian Chitsungo (VentureX),
• Romain Mefret (Bureaux&Co),
• Ashok Balabhaskarane (Wojo).

Moderated by Emma Swinnerton, Head of Flexible Workspace EMEA at Cushman & Wakefield.

D Maria Room

Keynote –

Looking at how The Social Hub integrates itself into foreign markets: What have they learned from the experiences of setting up spaces in the Netherlands, Italy, or Spain? How do they create consistent experiences across different locations? How do they integrate the local culture into the overall experience of each location?

• Maria Piovano The Social Hub),
• Jason Steere (The Social Hub).

Porto Room

Take a break & network!

S. Joao Room

Panel –

Professional independent coworking operators represent the majority of the flex workspace offering in Europe – What can independent operators do to maintain a competitive advantage as opposed to bigger players? Is “boutique” coworking just a buzzword? How to differentiate from the standard services? How can they differentiate themselves in terms of marketing, positioning, tactics, and strategy? Do smaller coworking spaces mean smaller customers? Are local champions the only ones able to deliver a customized service to local demand? How to generate synergies with a limited number of locations? What can partnerships bring (local suppliers, third-party coworking spaces, etc.)? Is access to capital a bigger challenge and how to fund a footprint growth? Is focusing on a geographical backyard the key to success or is geographical expansion a good option? What about embracing a vertical niche? How to accompany a steadily more distributed workforce with a more spread-out geographical presence? – How can independent operators leverage technology and digital platforms to enhance their visibility, connectivity, and overall footprint? – Are there any specific approaches or best practices you created to nurture partnerships with local businesses, organizations, or communities? – How can independent players leverage their flexibility and agility to adapt to changing market trends and member demands? – What are the key considerations when it comes to selecting the right location or expanding?

• Maudy Westerverl (EBC),
• Carlos Goncalves (Avilla Spaces),
• Tudor Popp (Hotspot).
• Maria Cadena Rutllan (Cloudworks)

Moderated by Vanessa Sans, Founder of Happy Working Lab

D. Maria Room

Panel – 

Events hosting is one of the best actions any coworking community can activate to foster connection, visibility, and engagement. The panel’s participants will share some of their best practices as well as how they address their events hosting policy. What is the importance of own events with respect to the overall communication and marketing strategy of a space? In terms of marketing and engagement, are many small events better than less regular big events? Does a space or a network of space need a dedicated event manager? How important a revenue source should event hosting be in the overall turnover of a coworking space? What shall be the average size of the main event room as a proportion of the total space size? How to best support third-party-organized events in terms of mutually benefiting partnerships? How to make events a leads generator for the coworking space service and how to follow up with them sales-wise? How closely related to the space identity or positioning shall events’ topics be (digital, entrepreneurship, sustainable development, professional skills, etc., for instance)? Can technology be used intelligently to foster both weak and strong connections among members, as well as between members and external individuals? What about events for the own community only – how much resources maximum to allocate on this? What factors should be considered to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all? How can one position their coworking space as a magnet for the local ecosystem hosting local partners’ events and what shall be the counterpart? Catering, technology…managed in-house or outsourced to suppliers? Tips to write a quotation for an event hosting with maximum winning chances? This session will discuss the art of building a community strategy that strikes the right balance of engagement. It will look at community-building best practices through physical event organization as well as with online engaging actions.

• Luuk Visser (Microlab),
• Nadia Heinio (Wonderland Work),
• Amogh Mogre (Zapfloor).
• Alice Soru (Open Campus).

Panel moderated by Ivone Cruz, Co-Founder of LINK Cowork & Business

D. Luis Room

Keynote –

At The Living Room Coworking, or simply TLR, in sunny Málaga (Spain), Ken Bensley manages trial days, responds to requests from interested members based on space availability, never forgets a member’s birthday, helps with onboarding, and organises events. Despite working hard, he can never get a hug from a community member because Ken Bensley simply doesn’t exist. Ben Kolp, Ken’s father, will tell us how a bot can help make your life easier. Ben will show us a live demo of how Ken handles trial days based on the spaces’ availability. You’ll learn how you can extend your team with automation, eliminating the need to pay a full salary to someone. You’ll return to your own space after this very practical keynote full of ideas on what to automate in your own space, knowing where to start and what it takes.

• Ben Kolp (The Living Room).

Porto Room

Eat something & network!

With static pricing, it’s too easy to under-charge for space during peak times, and miss opportunities to fill available inventory during down times. Learn how you can boost revenue and increase occupancy with Flexspace® Dynamic Pricing, the coworking industry’s first dynamic pricing engine built for on-demand bookings. Proposed by Flexspace

S. Joao Room

Panel –

– To what extent is the community manager and the hospital vibe the best asset of a coworking space?

– What are the most effective tips and tricks to create a socially engaging environment within a coworking space?

– How to determine the right set of values?

– How can one encourage meaningful connections and interactions among members to foster a sense of belonging and shared purpose?

– Are there specific activities or initiatives that have been successful in promoting a vibrant and inclusive community within coworking spaces?

– How to balance the need for social interaction with the varying preferences and work styles of different members within coworking spaces?

– How can community managers ensure that information flows smoothly and that members are well-informed about events, opportunities, and initiatives?

– Do you actively involve members in shaping the coworking community and fostering a sense of ownership and empowerment?

– How do you teach your team to address conflicts or challenges that may arise within the community, while maintaining a positive and supportive environment?

– How do you assess the success of your community managers’ efforts in creating a socially enabling environment and fostering a sense of common purpose?

– What metrics or indicators can be used to evaluate the strength of the community and the level of member engagement?

– How can technology and digital platforms be effectively leveraged by community managers to enhance community engagement and communication?

• Cecilia Berglund (Baltigruppen),
• Nikolay Bonev (Campus X),
• Robert Beddries (Betahaus Hamburg),
• Maria Svensson Wiklander (Gomoronn).

Moderated by Claire Carpenter, Founder of Creatingconnections.org

D. Maria Room

Panel –

Coworking spaces in rural areas are per se smaller. It’s more challenging for those to generate economies of scale than big spaces located in cities. At the same time, rural coworking spaces are critical to address to move to the countryside that hybrid working has generated since the Covid time. What are the key considerations for establishing a rural coworking space that can thrive economically? Can the economic sustainability of rural coworking spaces only rely on public funding? How to bring the same quality standards (in terms of furniture, building performances, technology…) in smaller towns and rural areas for coworking? Is a quality standard minimum level necessary? How to communicate the value proposition of a closer-to-home location though smaller in terms of room and services? Can rural coworking spaces foster a sense of community and collaboration as high as in cities? What role automation can play in improving economical sustainability? Best practices? Shall rural coworking operators manage a network of spaces or is a one-location activity enough? How to find the best opportunities for partnership or collaboration between rural coworking spaces and local businesses or organizations to enhance economic viability and mutual benefits? How to create connections with third-party coworking providers? In countries with the highest development of rural coworking, would one already see a shift in terms of workers’ relocations?

This panel will invite leaders in the rural movement to share their insights and strategies on how to create economically viable coworking spaces in remote and rural areas, addressing the unique challenges and opportunities associated with these locations.

• Hans-Peter Sander (CoworkLand),
• Sybille Tschopp (miaEngiadina),
• Stephen Carolan (ConnectedHubs),
• Yoshio Tsuda (Morino-Office Japan).

Panel moderated by Pauline Roussel, Co/Author of “Around The World in 250 Coworking Spaces”

D. Luis Room

Keynote –

Does one has to design a coworking space the same way in 2023 we did 5 years ago? How to address new digital work practices? Is social distancing still something in the air? What should be the ratio between social and productive areas for people who nowadays split their working agenda between home and a work spot? How to handle color, creativity, and space identity? What about visual contacts and soundproofed? Francisco Vazquez works with a lot of corporates and keeps track of the change in needs they are experiencing. How shall one translate those trends into the Flex workspace offering of today?

• Francisco Vazquez Medem (3g Group).

Porto Room

Panel –

Portugal has become a magnet for digital nomads who more and more consider long stays in the country to enjoy the Portuguese lifestyle. This growing population of international workers needs to integrate into the local economy. What are the best practices and best approaches to do so seen by Portugal experts and practitioners? The conversation will be the opportunity to go through it addressing all the benefits and challenges. Here are some questions the participants will be asked: What initiatives can coworking spaces implement to help integrate remote and hybrid workers into local communities? Should coworking spaces actively communicate about the net economic benefits that international workers bring, or should this remain a task for the authorities? How important the positive economic impact can be for the local economy? Could it bring international new opportunities for Portugal workers, SMEs, and startups? Can coworking spaces provide safe spaces for skilled refugees seeking to join the workforce? What role do language support and communication play in facilitating the integration of foreign digital nomads? How can coworking spaces measure the success of their efforts in integrating foreign digital nomads? The rise of remote work and hybrid work models has enabled workers to break free from the constraints of location and work from anywhere. However, as the number of remote workers continues to increase, new challenges have emerged.

• Gonçalo Hall (Digital Nomad Association Portugal),
• Ines Petiz (Synergy Cowork),
• Debora Nabais (Second Home)

Moderated by Julianne Becker, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Coconat

D. Maria Room

Keynote –

A testimonial on the challenges and triumphs of managing and growing a coworking business in war-torn Ukraine.

• Ilia Keniigshtein (Creative States, Ukraine).
• Anastasiia Gavrilova, Board member of the Ukrainian Coworking Association + Team Lead Ukrainian chain NAT COWORKING
• Anastasiia Kachan, co-founder and Supervisory Board Member, Ukrainian coworking association.

D. Luis Room

Keynote –

A focus on how to create a successfully merged entity looking at strategies, best practices, and considerations for successfully merging between coworking operators, including navigating cultural differences, operational integration, member retention, branding, legal and financial considerations, leadership, and lessons learned.

• Joao Simoes (IDEA Spaces),
• Thom Wernke (StartDock).

Porto Room

Take a break & network!

For many years, coworking operators in Europe have been asking us how we could support the implementation of a system allowing coworking space members to use the services of other coworking spaces in Europe while on the go, with a proper user interface and easy-to-use tracking system. It now exists.

Dozens of locations are now onboarding on the continent. Any local operator can all of a sudden become the provider of an international service to its members and customers. Space Roamer will be introduced with the testimonial of some first operators.

• Jean-Yves Huwart (Coworking Europe, Spaceroamer)
• Robert Faulhaber (Coworking Europe, Spaceroamer)

D. Maria Room

Workshop –

In this participatory workshop, we will collaborate to understand the attraction & retention strategies needed to secure 2 types of international customers: the individual digital nomad, and the company/team looking to ‘relocate’.

• Claire Carpenter
• Vanessa Sans (Happy Working Lab)

D. Luis Room

Keynote –

Plants have become an increasingly common sight in coworking spaces, adding a touch of nature and improving the overall ambiance of the workspace. However, maintaining a healthy and thriving plant collection can be a challenging task for even the most seasoned plant enthusiasts. What are the trials and tribulations of keeping plants alive and what tips and tricks can we learn on how to maintain a thriving plant collection in your space? – Testimonials by inspiring coworking spaces and successful plant lovers.

• Michael Poell (Rochuspark).
• Cornelia Bredt (ARE)

Porto Room

Last words and interactive last session

Join us for an amazing evening at Mercado Bom Sucesso on Day 2! We’ve reserved tables so you can explore and enjoy the diverse food and drinks from a range of stalls (1st floor Mezzanine). It’s a chance to relax, sample delicious treats, and soak up the lively atmosphere. Come along and make the most of this fantastic culinary adventure together! Your company will add to the fun. Food and drinks at your own cost