Coworking events not to be missed in 2019

There are not many conferences on coworking. The few that exist are therefore rare opportunities to be among like-minded people. Here you don’t have to explain what coworking is. You get the feeling of being on the right track. At these events, you feel confirmation and no doubts. That can feel very nice. You also meet people who also have experience in coworking and usually share this with each other.

My following list of coworking events is anything but complete and is not subject to any objective criteria. It’s just the list of events I want to visit this year. Some of the events I know from the last years, I have never been to others, but I have heard excellent reviews from friends. All these events are in Europe, which is due to my travel budget and should not be a rating of other conferences.

COWORK 2019

From 22 to 24 March 2019 in Mannheim | coworking-konferenz.de

Without the COWORK I can’t do it. On the one hand, because it is the only conference on coworking in Germany. On the other side, because since 2016 I belong to the team that co-organizes this event. It would be strange not to go there myself. Especially since we will be reaching entirely new standards this year. With Markus Albers and Anja C. Wagner, we have already won two fantastic keynote speakers.

The traditional Barcamp on Saturday is my personal highlight every year because here you meet the so-called hardcore of the German-speaking coworking scene and experience how they discuss everything openly with each other and help each other. This is where coworking is lived. If you don’t speak German, this conference can be a bit challenging, but most people speak English and prepare for non-German speaking guests.

COWORKING NOW 2019

From 4 to 5 April 2019 in Gdańsk | coworkingnow.eu

Already for the third time, the Coworking Now takes place. The Polish coworking conference is the best chance to get to know the Polish coworking scene because there are no comparable events in Poland yet. The team of the local coworking space O4 Coworking brings together year after year interesting coworking people from Poland and the rest of the world to exchange ideas about coworking in sessions and workshops.

I haven’t been to a Coworking Now before, but I know the O4 Coworking and some Polish coworking spaces. Every year it gets more and more, and you feel that the country is on the move, especially in the cities. At the same time, in Poland, for example, the Idea Hubs of the Polish Idea Bank and its coworking train Idea Hub Express are exciting coworking projects that do not yet exist anywhere else. You can learn something from Poland.

COWORKING UNCONFERENCE BANSKO BULGARIA 2019

In September in Bansko | coworkingunconferencebanskobulgaria.com

If you’ve been to a coworking conference in Europe before, you certainly know Uwe Allgäuer and Matthias Zeitler. They are the founders of the Bulgarian Coworking Spaces Coworking Bansko and the heads behind the Coworking Unconference Bansko Bulgaria, short CUBB. I wasn’t there yet, but friends who already visited a CUBB didn’t only speak enthusiastically of the Pirin mountains.

At the CUBB, everything the audience wants to know about coworking is discussed in the classic Barcamp style. In itself perfect for diving into the topic, to refresh its basics or, through Coworking Bansko itself, to deal with topics such as digital nomadism, location-independent work and coliving. The Barcamp is very international, also regarding guests, and the working language is English.

COWORKING & COLIVING CONFERENCE SOUTH EAST EUROPE 2019

From 9 to 11 October 2019 in Belgrade and Mokrin | cccsee.com

The Coworking & Coliving Conference South East Europe 2019 will take place for the first time this year. Almost one year in advance the conference has already a program with over 40 confirmed speakers. The focus will be on the people and the community as it should be in coworking. The exchange about coworking is supposed to show a way to creatively overcome obstacles to make another future possible, not only for South East Europe.

There has long been a desire for a coworking conference in Eastern Europe. Miroslav Mijatov of Smart Office makes it possible, and Belgrade is the perfect place for it. In September 2016 I was in Belgrade for the European Creative Hubs Forum and got to know some local coworking spaces. There is nothing in the coworking world that there is not to see and learn in Serbia. They also have a great coffee culture there.

COWORKING EUROPE 2019

From 13 to 15 November 2019 in Warsaw | coworkingeurope.net

The Coworking Europe is something like the class reunion of the European coworking scene. Here you can meet every year well-known and new faces from the coworking world. At the same time, the focus of the lectures is not exclusively limited to Europe. Many of the guests and speakers come from North America and even Asia to Coworking Europe. This makes it one of the most important events in Europe to discuss coworking.

Personally, I also like everything that takes place parallel to the conference on a trip to a Coworking Europe. The team around Jean-Yves Huwart organizes that you can also visit the local coworking spaces in the different cities, which is excellent. The last conferences took place in Amsterdam, Dublin, Brussels, and Milan. Beautiful towns, with great sights, cafes and many coworking spaces to visit.

Before I forget, …

… if there’s another Techfestival in Copenhagen in 2019 with a Coworking Summit, then, of course, I also recommend this event. Because I am sure that Ryan Chatterton would be responsible for it again and it will be just great. Last year it was at least my favorite coworking event I attended. 🙂

Header Image: Techfestival, Copenhagen 2018