Top 5 Coworking Conferences to Visit in 2021-2022
The coworking industry is growing really fast these days. More entrepreneurs choose the freedom and flexibility of coworking spaces. We can even notice certain business trends aiming to provide a personalized approach to members' needs.
For instance, digital nomads and people on workation may use a rural coworking space, some women entrepreneurs prefer special amenities of female-centric coworking spaces, niche professionals like to work in the like-minded people environments, such as coworking spaces for chefs, coworking spaces for pet-supplies entrepreneurs, and so on.
The industry is getting more competitive. Being an ambitious coworking space owner you surely want not only keep your business afloat but grow and scale it. Coworking business success depends on many aspects. Tracking the global trends, technical innovations, promotion, networking, and partnership are some of them.
Visiting coworking conferences is a great way to keep yourself in excellent business shape (even if they are hosted online due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
Benefits of participating in the coworking conferences:
- It's a great opportunity to meet partners and investors.
- Learning about the latest market news and trends.
- Study efficient marketing strategies to finance spaces, attract new members, and achieve sustainable business growth.
- Of course, a conference is a source of inspiration as you hear real-life success stories and adopt best practices in your own business.
We, at andcards, don't neglect the opportunities coworking conferences reveal.
Igor Dzhebyan, CEO at andcards, running a workshop at Coworking Europe 2019.
Well, I guess now you are ready to plan your big post-coronavirus coworking events for 2021-2022?
Updated List of Top Coworking Conferences 2021-2022
This section features the best and most prominent events recommended for coworking space owners.
1. Future Workplace: Emerging Technology, Innovation & Intelligent Platforms
October 14, 2021 • Online
The conference is the fourth event in the 2021 series of Digital Workplace Experience. These professional virtual gatherings give you unparalleled access to the latest independent research and the people leading industry advancements.
Conference Topics:
- Fostering innovation, agility, and the revolution of work.
- The state of AI/ML and automation in the workplace.
- How learning experience platforms are evolving skills acquisition.
- Agents as coworkers and intelligent workplace platforms.
- Architecting future service, data, and information architectures.
2. Futurebuild 2022
March 1-3 • London
Net-zero pioneer Futurebuild is returning London’s ExCeL on 01 – 03 March 2022. Futurebuild connects over 20,500 specifiers, decision-makers, and disruptors with major brands and start-ups. Their mission is to cultivate cross-sector collaboration to inspire the transformational change needed to propel the construction industry to net-zero.
For the last 16 years, Futurebuild has been showcasing game-changing products and disruptive technologies and the event in March will see innovation elevated even further.
The curated exhibition and industry-renowned knowledge program will unite to provide education and solutions to address the biggest challenges facing the built environment covering six key topics:
- Buildings
- Energy
- Critical Infrastructure
- Interiors
- Offsite and Resourceful Materials.
3. Future of Office Space Summit
March 2022 • Sydney (Physical & Virtual)
The Future of Office Space Summit has been designed for senior executives involved in the commercial office space sector, including:
- Building owners/REITs
- Tenants
- Brokers/Agencies
- Fund Managers
- Property Managers
- Architects/Workplace Designers
- Consultants
- Technology providers
This year, the summit will explore all things related to COVID-19 impact on commercial property. The big questions to discuss will include:
- The meaning of the pandemic for the commercial office market in Australasia.
- The changing role of the workplace.
- The meaning of workplace changes for commercial property companies and tenants.
- The needs of individuals from their place of work.
- The role of workplace design and innovation in enabling employees to return to work safely.
- Office space optimization – repurposing office space to meet changing tenant needs.
- Reviewing tenant policy, strategy, and leasing arrangements.
- The role of technology in managing challenges associated with the risk of contagion.
- Leveraging digital technologies within office space to attract tenants and enhance their experience.
4. Gartner Digital Workplace Summit
June 21 – 22, 2022 • San Diego, CA
Gartner Digital Workplace Summit gathers a global community of digital workplace leaders and IT executives to advance your thinking as a strategic leader. As an attendee, you will have a chance to develop the skills and knowledge necessary for designing a digital workplace strategy and program that boosts workforce productivity and agility.
Organizations recognize the need to improve the digital resiliency of the workforce during and after the pandemic has drastically accelerated trends in digital workplace technology. IT leaders are scaling up their digital workplace technology stacks to ensure the long-term resiliency of their business.
Join Gartner Digital Workplace Summit to learn how to create a workplace built for collaboration to respond today and thrive tomorrow.
5. Coworking Unconference Asia 2022
CU Asia is an experience that brings together Asia’s best coworking space operators, workplace futurists, investors, tech folks, researchers, and members. Since 2015 all those pros gather every year in the prettiest places in South East Asia to have inspiring conversations, rich cultural experiences, curated connections, and unexpected adventures.
2021 with its severe Covid restrictions didn’t let the conference happen in real life and organizers decided to hold off and resume gatherings in 2022 instead of hosting the event virtually.
Here are a few reasons for you to join CU Asia 2022:
- 50+ workshops and inspirational and aspirational speakers from disciplines and industries all around the globe.
- Unconference meetups, experiential workshops, jam sessions.
- Active community sharing experiences that engage the hands, heads, and hearts.
- A smorgasborg of social activities to bring connections to a new level and meet people in new and different ways.
More Conferences for Flexible Workspace Owners to Follow
Well, it was my top list of coworking and flexible workspace conferences to visit in 2022. It is not comprehensive and I highly recommend you to check the resources featured down below for more information. 2021 was difficult for everyone and many of the global events still didn’t appoint any dates for upcoming events. But I believe they will do it soon and all of us will be able to experience a unity spirit that only physical proximity gives again.
- GCUC — The largest coworking conference series in the world that offers jam-packed days of keynotes, networking, an “un”conference, panel sessions, group dinners, and a partner showcase worthy of your time.
- Coworking Europe — The biggest industry conference in Europe offering exclusive industry-specific talks, interviews & networking.
- Coworking Symposium — A joint scholarly and industry half-day-long conference on coworking and flexible workspaces tackling various topics such as developmental aspects in the post-pandemic world, collaborative and networking perspectives, HRM, and more.
- Coworking India — The first dedicated event ever organized in India in 2016 (New Delhi) and featuring the rise of the coworking industry.
- CWSC — Reset-Rethink Coworking Spain Conference is the most important coworking event in Spain lasting 8 days and including online meetings with the whole coworking family.
- UCcowoCH — The first Swiss Coworking Unconference is a free, public event hosted by non-profit organization Coworking Switzerland.
- Coworking Germany — Cowork is an annual conference to meet the coworking scene and exchange ideas, take inspiration from exciting keynotes, and then discuss them, network with coworkers, space operators, and everyone interested in coworking.
To Take Away
Did you find some of the events on my list worth a visit or follow? Don't forget to tell your friends about the biggest coworking events in 2021 - 2022 as planning the coming exciting experience together is even more enjoyable.
As you understand, this recap is not exhaustive, I am going to add new items as soon as they appear. Stay tuned, sign up for our newsletter and you'll be aware of the latest updates.
