Although it was tough to pick, here are our favorite speeches/sessions from this year’s conference.

Impact of Building The Most Successful Remote Work Relocation Program in the World.

Speaker: Justin Harlan, Managing Director @ Tulsa Remote

Considering our personal and professional background, this was one of our most anticipated speeches at this year’s Running Remote conference. We already mentioned in our “preparing for the conference” article that we were eagerly awaiting this talk and we’re glad to say that it lived up to the expectations (and beyond).

Justin Harlan, the managing director at Tulsa Remote, shared with the audience some valuable insights on how Tulsa Remote became one of the most globally successful remote work relocation programs.

Over the last four years, they have attracted over 3000 remote workers and retained almost 90% of them, who extended their stays beyond the obligatory 12 months stipulated by the Tulsa Remote program. 

Justin spoke extensively about the environment they’ve created in Tulsa, which is conducive to up-and-coming entrepreneurs due to the abundance of resources available. He highlighted that 1 out of 5 individuals enrolled in the program ended up starting a business as a result of how well they assimilated.

He emphasized that none of this would be possible without the proper structure of the program, which was supported by investments, and thoughtfully laid out.

Particularly interesting to us was his discussion on scaling the community, highlighting the differences in managing 70 versus 3000 people and the need for a more structured approach.

Justin also touched on how these developments are impacting Tulsa’s economy in a bigger picture, with over $560 million brought in through remote workers’ salaries and more than 1300 local jobs created to meet the demands of the city’s new demographic. 

Finally, Justin introduced us to the launch of a new Digital Nomad Program that we can expect later this year, which will be meant to cater to those interested in shorter trial periods. This news left everybody excited, as it will make it much easier for many others to experience Tulsa in the future!

Tulsa Remote is only one of the relocation programs currently happening in the world, and it’s very interesting to see how governments and cities can leverage a more global talent for their economic and urban development.

How to Design Your Business on Your Own Term

Speaker: Mrs. Ilma Tikki – Co-founder & President @ Mailerlite

As we mentioned in the introduction of this article, the Deep Dive stage really made an impression on us this year. 

There is nothing as valuable as hearing a personal, raw, and transparent experience of a successful business owner or a professional, directly from them, almost as if you invited them for a coffee. 

All success stories are painted in challenges and struggles and we rarely get a chance to hear about them. Having the opportunity to look inside the brain of the decision-maker who takes you back on a journey when they made the decision is an incomparable insight and inspiration. 

This year, one of the stories we liked the most was that from Mrs. Ilma Tikki, the Co-founder and President of Mailerlite, who took us inside her mind to tell us a story of how she grew a business on her own terms that ultimately became a global success story. 

Not only did Mrs. Ilma share some of her personal and professional challenges along the way, but she emphasized that you can achieve anything if you dare to dream and step out of your comfort zone. 

The key takeaway from her speech was the idea that a successful business often reflects the extent of a person’s determination, and adjusting a business journey to your own life and personal story can only make it stronger. 

People often think that behind every successful business is a perfect business idea, but the truth is that more often there is determination, hard work, flexibility, and an unmatched motivation to make it happen. In that sense, tailoring a business to our terms helps us stay on that motivation track and helps us make sense of what we’re doing even in the toughest times. 

This is exactly what we take from Ilma’s story, as it is something that can be applied to any business and any industry.

Balancing Work Culture, Global Mobility, and Legal Responsibility

Panel: Masha Sutherlin – Director @ Deel, Mrs. Crystal Gaskin – Former CPO @ Mailchimp, Howard Wu – CEO @ Whereby  moderated by Gonçalo Hall – CEO @ NomadX

The RR conference is well-known for its insightful panels that gather global leaders in one place, always moderated by a hand-picked industry professional who knows how to engage the panelists. 

Like every year, there were many interesting panels at this year’s RR in Lisbon, with many amazing panelists and discussions, but this one especially stuck with us. 

It’s needless to say it gathered some very insightful individuals, but the main reason we loved it so much is how natural the flow of the conversation was.

Everything from the honest stories and experiences of participating panelists to the amazing moderation skills of Goncalo Hall who always knew how to shift the conversation in the right direction with his take on some of the topics, made this panel a top-notch listening experience. 

During the hour-long session, the panel covered a variety of topics, primarily focusing on the complexities of providing work flexibility at scale. This included tracking employee locations, managing political ramifications, and balancing legal responsibilities while nurturing an empowered company culture. 

The panelists shared their personal experiences, offering both humorous and insightful anecdotes, but mostly, the audience was able to take some crucial aspects of employing remotely that we often forget about.

It is not an easy task for companies to maintain the same culture, happiness, and legal implications when operating remotely. It is a big conversation to unpack and we were glad we had a chance to hear it and develop a better understanding of the challenges.

The post Running Remote 2024 Recap: Exploring Growth, Connections, and Communities Through our Favorite Sessions appeared first on My Coliving Space: Spain.

These days, we are preparing for what is now becoming an annual detour to Portugal – can you guess the reason?

Well, of course, it’s that time of the year—Running Remote is once again coming to Lisbon, and My Coliving Space: Spain (T&T) is joining as a media partner. 

After another year working in the coliving sector, we have witnessed many changes in 2023-2024 on the remote-work front ourselves.

We are living in a historical moment in which such a wide variety of professionals are able to be location-independent. With such a shift that happened over the past 5 years in how we look at work and what we value, the world is still only paving the path that will later become a standard—or to put it another way—this is still only the beginning of the new working culture. 

And like with many other beginnings, changes and shifts are happening quickly, and it is not any different when it comes to remote work. 

What we have been noticing through the coliving sector is also a shift in tendencies and a change of personas. We have been seeing a new wave of coliving visitors with not fully remote or flexibile jobs, such as those with 2-3 weeks/year WFA models. 

During the past 2 years many companies have experimented with work models and a lot of them chose hybrid as the best option. Surprisingly, many professionals did as well. 

After a few trial years of many people working fully remotely, it seems that there is an increased need for stability, routine, and team connection in the workplace—something that most of us were willing to give up on for more flexibility and independence just a few years ago. 

However, many still believe that the shift we experienced is permanent. It’s been almost 100 years since humanity was introduced with the 9-5 model; is the remote era going to be the end of it and show how productivity and human innovation thrive with more flexibility (time and location wise), or will the history books remember it as a only as a trend or an experiment?

Well, all these questions are the reason we’re excited about this year’s Running Remote. 

As professionals from the sector that is highly dependent on location flexibility, we’re curious to see how it can be shaped into the future to answer the newly emerging (and sometimes even conflicted) needs of the new work-life culture.

What will the future of work be – Remote, Hybrid, or In-office? 

As previously mentioned—this is the biggest question. The truth probably lies somewhere in between – in some type of hybrid model that we might not even have in our minds at this moment.

Flexibility is not something that can be taken back, but stability and in-person connections are something that we’ll want to have back. 

On the other hand, a big part of this tendecy comes from productivity. Where are we more productive and where do we set the best work-life balances?

We’ll explore all these questions and many other on RR 2024, and here are some speeches on this topic we’re especially interested in hearing:

Office at the Offsite – Future of All-Remote Organizations

Speaker: Mr. Prithwiraj (Raj) Choudhury, Professor @ Harvard Business School

On April 23rd, from 10:20 – 11:00 local time, on Radical stage, Mr. Raj Choudhury, a professor at Harvard Business School, will share his thoughts on what hybrid work could mean in the future. 

When we say hybrid, what most of us think is “a few days from the office and a few days from home”. However, Professor Choudhury proposes the idea of a hybrid work that meets the in-person connection needs in a third location. As he says himself, “his research suggests that teams are innovating on both where to meet and when to meet”. 

Companies are increasingly exploring team retreats as one of the offsite community outlets for their employees, but we are also interested to hear if there are more possibilities other than an annual company retreat? Dr. Choudhury will talk about different locations and situations where and when remote teams can meet. 

Once again mentioning Dr. Raj’s own words, his research “shows that even brief periods of being in-person together help individuals innovate, especially when they meet team members from different time zones or different cultures”.

For us, this speech seems very interesting as it shows us that the future will birth new solutions to meet the needs of this new wave of hybrid work. Downtown offices and coworking solutions will not suffice, and this definitely gives space for new models of coliving spaces specialized for remote teams.

Panel – Productivity Measurement of Co-located vs Remote Teams

Panelists: Jenny He, Founder & CEO @ Ergeon; Dart Lindsley, Strategic Advisor, People Experience @ Google; Michael Cockburn, CEO & Co-Founder @ Desena; & Rosie Sargeant, Project Leader @ Boston Consulting Group

April 23rd, from 11:40 to 12:20 local time, after the first break and networking while refueling with coffee and sandwiches, we will be back at the Radical stage to attend a panel discussing a crucial point of the future of work—productivity.

We are looking forward to this systematic discussion among global leaders on how they measure productivity and whether remote work shows more positive or negative results on productivity. 

Opinions have been changing throughout the years, but many think that productivity is actually increased with remote work. A typical struggle seem to be more on the side of the leaders and companies, who need to adapt by setting tools and work models that would support and measure productivity in a remote setting. 

With so many years of WFO models, models for measuring work seem to already be set in stone, but can they actually work in remote settings?

For leaders and companies, this might be the biggest challenge yet, as well as the most frequent disinclination towards giving their teams the flexibility to work remotely. However, if with time tools and models for leading, supporting, and measuring the productivity of remote teams become more available, will more companies and leaders feel confident to step their toes into those waters?

There is definitely something to think about there, and where better to dissect it than in a panel discussion made of industry leaders?

How different locations are attracting remote workers?

Another interesting perspective for us is the global trend of countries’ and cities’ goals to attract digital nomads. 

This is a very two-sided topic that can be perceived from both positive and negative perspective. On one hand, globalization and more flexibile borders are definitely a thing of today (and the future), not only from perspectives of knowledge-sharing that happens via international networks of travelers or foreigners in new places but also from the perspective of economic leverage of international talent that countries are tapping into.

However, on the other hand, where the borders open, gentrification comes in. Many countries have rushed to open their borders to generate more economic value only to pose economic challenges to their own people.

The idea of bringing (wealthier) people to countries that are facing economic challenges is a double-edged sword and the best approach on how countries can do it is something that is being tested in real-time and will take shape only in the future.

In general, if done carefully and by protecting the local habitants, bringing remote workers to the countries or cities that face challenges and low population, or just a decrease in popularity, definitely has a lot of benefits to it. 

With that said, we are glad to see a few topics close to this on this year’s RR, and here are the discussions we’ll definetly look into:

Impact of building the most successful remote work relocation program in the world

Speaker: Justin Harlan, Managing Director @ Tulsa Remote

At 12:20 – 12:50 on April 23rd, on the Deep Dive Stage, we will hear from Justin Harlan, the Managing Director of Tulsa Remote, a relocation program to Tulsa aimed at remote workers. 

This is a very interesting concept and definitely something that we will see more in the future—cities or countries creating special programs aimed at remote workers to enhance the local economy and reshape and modernize the local environment. 

In the past years, we have already been seeing countries such as Greece, Italy, and Switzerland, offering these programs aimed at populating rural areas with the decline of population, but we definitely expect to see more of these programs aimed at professionals and remote workers, such as Tulsa Remote. 

What is especially interesting is not the program itself but the infrastructure and the community of remote workers that will reshape the city. It will be very interesting to see what Tulsa Remote is offering beyond the 10000 USD incentive and how this is expected to change the city in the future. 

The program has already attracted around 3000 remote workers who moved to Tulsa and contributed more than $560 million to the local economy.

We’re very excited to hear Justin speak about this program and the impact that is already being generated from it.

How to enable your next remote experience in Buenos Aires?

Speaker: Mauro Alejo Guevara, Director of Int’l Relations @ Visit Buenos Aires

From 16:10 – 16:40 on April 24th, on the Radical Stage, we will join the speech from Mauro Alejo Guevara, Director of International Relations at Visit Buenos Aires. 

Last year, we also tuned it for the speech from Visit Buenos Aires and learned some things about the city and what makes it attractive for digital nomads. 

This year, we expect the focus to be more on the possibilities for remote workers and companies to visit or settle in Buenos Aires, as well as the infrastructure that makes this city a true hub for remote workers. 

There are many other speeches we are looking forward to but we’ll leave those for real-time reactions and a post-conference summary. 

What speeches have you written down in your schedule and what are you looking to get from this year’s Running Remote?

The post Getting ready for Running Remote 2024: Sessions We’re Most Excited About appeared first on My Coliving Space: Spain.

The first event of this year’s CWSC was the casual meetup set in Fabrica del Hielo, an old ice factory right on the gorgeous Valencian city beach.

Travel & Tapas arrived on the 8th, like most folks, and headed out to the Fabrica del Hielo to have a few drinks and check out the atmosphere of this year’s CWSC.

To welcome the guests and attendees, there was Manuel Zea, one of the founders and organizers of the Coworking Spain Conference. Manuel proved to be an amazing host, welcoming all guests with smiles and warmth as if he was welcoming us to his home.

The night went on for a few hours, but after a few drinks and good talks, we called it a night. Of course, we wanted to be fresh and ready for the real deal tomorrow morning – and we know that’s what you’re here to read about so, let’s dive in – but, first, let us tell you about the venue.

The venue and organization

The conference took place at the cultural-sport complex La Petxina, located on the outskirts of the city center.

The venue was addressing the needs of the conference, providing ample space for networking and comfortable surroundings for attendees, as well as two conference rooms.

The organizers made a concerted effort to cater to non-Spanish speakers by ensuring that 80% of the sessions were available in English. This made the conference more inclusive and accessible, allowing attendees from diverse backgrounds to benefit from the knowledge and insights shared during the event.

In between the rooms, there was a large area for networking with coffee and snacks available throughout the day, as well as an expo zone for the conference sponsors.

What we most liked about the venue was that, even though it was very professional, it also provided a comfortable relaxed atmosphere that encouraged connections, handshakes, and sharing conversation over a hot coffee.

Our favorite sessions

Each year, CWSC delivers an incredible and diverse program for the coworking industry and this year was not any different.

As a media platform for coliving in Spain, our interest fell a bit more on those sessions that were a bit closer to the world of coliving.

Coliving and coworking worlds can be incredibly close or incredibly far away from one another, depending on their location, type, target customers, and many other factors. In that sense, we can find a lot of similarities when it comes to management in some coliving.

So, some of our favorite sessions at this year’s CWSC delivered insights and tips relatable and valuable for both industries – coworking, and coliving.

The Anatomy of Coliving: Jon Hormaetxe

We began our focus on coliving with a session on the “Anatomy of Coliving” delivered by Jon Hormaetxe, a renowned coliving experience designer and co-founder of one of the oldest nomad colivings in Spain.

Jon started the session by sharing some insightful statistics regarding the living situation in Spain and the prevalence of coliving arrangements in the country. He showcased how coliving is a growing trend and an important solution for social challenges faced by many people in Spain.

Jon introduced the concept of coliving and shared some definitions, inviting the audience to share their opinions on what constitutes coliving and sharing his own opinions on different definitions. Different answers from the audience only emphasized Jon’s most valuable point and that is the importance of differentiating between types of coliving spaces. He then shared his knowledge of how to distinguish different spaces and their customers based on the average length of stay and the level of community connections in the space.

Jon also provided examples of various solutions, including Nomad coliving, Rural coliving, and different types of Residential colivings.

Overall, Jon’s presentation was engaging, informative and insightful. He shared his vision of the future of coliving and coworking, providing valuable insights for anyone interested in the industry.

Rural Coworking Roundtables

During the second day of the CWSC, attendees had the opportunity to participate in two engaging roundtables that focused on the topic of rural coworking. As we previously mentioned, rural coworking solutions are gaining popularity, but there are still some challenges that need to be addressed for this business model to be sustainable.

The roundtables highlighted the importance of collaboration between the private and public sectors, with suggestions such as organizing events with public libraries or using public spaces. The speakers shared their experiences of not having public sector support initially, but after demonstrating the positive impact of their work in bringing people to the villages, the support changed.

The main goal behind rural coworking is to bring back talent to the villages, as many young people leave for urban areas for better work infrastructure. Remote work and improved infrastructure could help reverse this trend.

The speakers also acknowledged challenges such as limited transportation in rural areas and difficulty in marketing their spaces.

To overcome these challenges, they shared strategies like creating rural coworking networks and a specific strategy called a rural pass, which allows people to switch between rural and urban coworking spaces.

The speakers also emphasized the need to proactively market rural coworking spaces by educating people about what coworking is and how it can be used. They pointed out that no one will understand what a coworking space is unless they are informed about it, so it’s important to go out and approach people to educate them.

Overall, the rural coworking roundtables provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities of this business model and highlighted the importance of collaboration and proactive marketing to make rural coworking sustainable.

An interactive roundtable on conflict resolution

The final session of the conference was a highly engaging and interactive roundtable discussion on conflict resolution, where attendees openly shared their experiences and anecdotes as coworking operators.

The conversation covered a wide range of topics, including dealing with strange requests, struggles faced by female operators in being taken seriously, disrespectful behavior, non-payment of fees, conflicts between coworkers, and setting boundaries with long-term coworkers who have become friends.

What set this roundtable apart was the level of participation from the audience, which made it the most engaging session of the conference. The discussion was honest, raw, and at times even funny, reminding all the attendees that such problems are a part of operating a coworking space.

We believe that more of these interactive formats would be extremely beneficial for future conferences, as they provide a valuable opportunity for networking and learning from one another’s experiences.

Other sessions we enjoyed

Despite not being directly related to coliving, there were other sessions that we found particularly engaging.

IOS Office: Leading the industry in Mexico by Javier García Iza

“IOS Office: Leading the industry in Mexico” was one such session, where Javier García Iza, CEO of IOS OFFICES, shared an honest and humble story of their journey from opening a single space to becoming the industry leader in Mexico.

This inspiring session served as a reminder to new entrepreneurs to remain patient and steadfast, as success often takes time and effort. García Iza also emphasized the importance of maintaining a passion (and happiness) for one’s work as that is what customers will recognize.

Space as a Service: Spaces under Management by Óscar García Toledo

Another session we enjoyed was the session entitled “Space as a Service: Spaces under Management,” during which Óscar García Toledo, CEO of First WorkPlaces, provided insightful tips on the advantages of acquiring a management contract instead of renting a space for operators.

He outlined the necessary steps to take and emphasized the importance of considering legal and financial implications during the negotiation process.

Additionally, he shared his company’s successful approach to acquiring management contracts and discussed crucial elements to include in the contract when making a contract with a landlord. His expertise provided invaluable guidance to attendees, making the session feel like a comprehensive consultation filled with concrete advice.

State of Coworking in Spain 22-23 by Manuel Zea

Lastly, an additional compelling session was “State of Coworking in Spain 22-23,” presented by Manuel Zea, the CEO of CoworkingSpain.es.

The session included extensive data on around 1000 coworking spaces in Spain, covering aspects such as their geographic locations, quantity, occupancy rates, comparisons with other Spanish cities, variations in space types, payment options, and more, which was incredibly insightful.

The post CWSC 2023: A summary of the 12th edition of Coworking (and Coliving) Spain Conference appeared first on My Coliving Space: Spain.

The two-day event will feature the presentation of the State of Coworking 2022-23 report, highlighting the size of the market and competition between major operators.

With 32 presentations by national and international experts from Europe and Latin America, the program will cover new coworking locations, the automation of spaces, and the development of coworking in the rural world.

The conference will bring together over 200 attendees from the coworking, coliving, and flexwork sectors, including real estate professionals, entrepreneurs, startups, and HR managers.

Over the years, CWSC has positioned itself as the second oldest and most important coworking conference in the world, attracting industry benchmarks, startups, and freelancers alike. This conference is an excellent opportunity to network with influential players and learn about new trends and business models in the rapidly growing coworking industry.

Other than that, we expect even more focus on the coliving sector this year, with some presentations especially focused on it.

Here is our breakdown of this year’s program:

Coworkings & Flexible Workspaces

First and foremost, there’s going to be a lot of talk on coworking and flexible workspaces. Of course, nothing surprising, but as per usual, most of this year’s conference will revolve around flexwork and coworking solutions. From spaces for small groups to those for enterprises, from management style to creative solutions, this year’s CWSC has prepared a rounded talk about coworking.

This year, we see some major topic areas surrounding flexwork, which we can use to group the speeches into 3 big categories:

• How to manage the space
• Unusual coworking solutions
• Rural coworking

Best practices for managing a coworking space

If you’re new to the coworking industry – maybe you’ve just opened a space or you’re thinking of doing it – you will see that one of the most complex parts of the process is figuring out how to manage it. 

If you’re attending CWSC this year, then you probably know that coworking is much more than a space with a few desks and chairs, and you want to learn how to create an experience from it. 

Luckily, CWSC puts a lot of focus on management and is bringing a lot of answers and insights based on the type of space or experience you strive to create. Let’s see what’s in for the first day:

Day 1 – 9th of May

(12:30h, Room 1) Xavi Bassons take on Managing the community in a coworking

In the past few years, coworking spaces have become partially a third place – a point for socializing, building a community, and surrounding yourself with people who share your lifestyle and routine. But how do you make your space community-focused?

Xavi Bassons, the Co-founder, and CEO of Monday Working Spaces, will give his take on creating a community in a coworking space that receives a very diverse pool of people, from freelancers to teams, and get real about the challenges behind managing them.

We anticipate this session to be very insightful from the community perspective and open discussion about some possible solutions for managing a diverse customer pool.

(13:15h, Room 1) Alessandro Nacci on Automation, Simplification, and Opportunities

Speaking of the management solutions, on the same day just before lunch, at 13:15, attendees will have the opportunity to join an interesting session from Alessandro Nacci, the founder of Sofia Locks, focusing on automation and simplification in space management. Alessandro will bring up some interesting solutions that “reduce workload and friction between members, as well as more effectively monetize the space.”

(15:30h, Room 1) Javi Moral’s take on The 10 Most Common Questions when managing a coworking space

If you are interested but still not sure which questions to ask and which answers to seek, then we highly recommend Javi Moral’s session on the top 10 most common questions when managing a coworking space. As the founder of one of the first coworking spaces in Spain and a moderator of CWSC’s Discord group, Javi knows exactly what coworking operators struggle with the most.

Other than being super interesting for those who are just entering the industry, we expect Javi’s talk to be very insightful for coworking consultants, thought-leaders, but also different providers of management solutions.

Day 2 – 10th of May

(10:30h, Room 1) Óscar García Toledo talks about Management Contracts and How they can be Beneficial for your coworking

After registration and coffee, one of the first sessions attendees will be able to join is “Space as a Service: Spaces under Management”, a session by Óscar García Toledo, the CEO of First Workplaces.

Oscar will focus on the growing trend of management contracts in the flexible workspace market, which has up until now been the exception in the Spanish market.

Attendees will hear about his company’s experience in managing different spaces under this type of agreement and learn when it is a good idea for an operator or property to reach this type of agreement instead of resorting to a conventional lease. As the flexible workspace industry continues to evolve, it’s important to understand the various options available for managing spaces effectively and efficiently and we expect this session to provide valuable insights for operators and property owners who are looking to optimize their operations and achieve long-term success.

(12:30h, Room 2) Ben Kolp asks “Can a man who does not exist manage Coworking?”

In the session curiously titled “Can a man who does not exist manage Coworking?” Ben Kolp will take us through a journey of automation and optimization. As the creator of a bot named Ken Bensley, Ben will share his experience with automating tasks related to member management.
Attendees will have the opportunity to hear about the specific actions that can be automated, the level of technical expertise required, and the benefits that can be achieved through automation.

This will undoubtedly be an amazing session for operators who are looking for insights on how to streamline their operations and improve member experiences through automation.

Unusual coworking spaces

One major area topic of this year’s CWSC will be some unusual/special coworking establishments. Whether it’s reinventing a function of popular spaces, using spaces we already have at our disposal, or taking a challenge and taking the coworking space outside urbanism, attendees will have the chance of hearing a lot of different perspectives this year.

Here are the main sessions talking about this:

• (Day 1 – 9th of May, 12:00h, Room 1) Coworking in historic buildings by Marta Gracia
• (Day 1 – 9th of May, 16:15h, Room 2) Coworking in Shopping Malls by Carlos Gonçalve

Rural coworking

Lastly, we will have the opportunity to hear about a category that has become a movement over the past few years – rural coworking. A fully equipped working setting surrounded by tranquility and nature has become an ideal for many digital nomads, but is it challenging to create a space that will answer the needs of both worlds?

This year, we will have two round tables, one after another, which will address the reality, challenges, and specifications of running a rural coworking.

The round tables will gather speakers from Cowocyl, Codinse, ANDA Cowork, Cowocat_Rural, OpenOrbi, Vortex Coworking, Aurora Coworking, and El Taller Coworking.

Our suggestion is to stick around for both round tables to make it into a full story. They are happening on the second day and the specific times are below.

• (Day 2 – 10th of May, 15:30h, Room 2) The development of Rural Coworking
• (Day 2 – 10th of May, 16:15h, Room 2) Coworking in special places. The Reality of Rural Coworking

Coliving concept

And lastly, as a media platform and number one source for colivings in Spain, we’re especially excited about this (still) small part of the CWSC conference. Not every coworking is tightly connected with coliving, but vice versa – yes. Coliving operators are often coworking operators as well. Sometimes, it’s an enclosed service open for residents only, but other times, coworking is a way of connecting the residents with an external community.

This year, we’re especially eager to hear the talk from Jon Hormaetxe, a coliving experience designer, and the co-founder and operator of one of the pioneers in the coliving and coworking industry in Spain – Sun & Co. Jon will give an overview of the coliving concept, “the different models of coliving that exist today, specific problems they solve, and who they mainly address”.

Lastly, Jon will also explore the relationship and coexistence between coliving and coworking looking into the future. The exact time and date are below:

• (Day 1 – 9th of May, 12:00h, Room 2) Coliving Anatomy by Jon Hormaetxe

Other than Jon, on their take on the shared living concept, the attendees will have the opportunity to hear from Naiara Chaler, Chief Innovation Officer and Partnerships Manager at Aticco Ecosystem, Michael Erd, the CEO of Enso Coliving, and Carlos Perez Fur, a Product Manager at Suiters.

These are only some of the sessions you will definitely find us at this year’s CWSC 2023.

We’re also looking forward to exploring some other topics and sessions!

The post What Can We Expect from the CWSC 2023 in Valencia appeared first on My Coliving Space: Spain.

The 6th edition of Running Remote will take place at Pestana Palace Lisbon and SUD Lisboa over 2 and a half days. Starting with the expo and networking on the 24th, the first live sessions and panel discussions will happen on the 25th and the 26th.

Even though it’s the 6th edition, the excitement is the same as if it’s the first one simply because the insights we have on remote work have been changing rapidly since the pandemic. Every year, we’re presented with a whole new perspective and a fresh set of valuable insights.

This year, we expect the focus to be on employee well-being and satisfaction, balancing flexibility and productivity, and on the quality of the processes when it comes to managing remote teams.

As an official Media Partner, My Coliving Space will be on-site to cover the event and bring you a closer look at some of our top picks for must-see sessions at the Running Remote 2023 conference.

With a primary focus on coliving as a product that was indirectly derived from remote work, and Spain as one of the top destinations for foreign remote workers and digital nomads, we will join in the sessions that will help us understand how countries and governments address and support remote work, as well as sessions that will address the new needs and challenges of workers in a remotely-focused culture.

Let’s dive into our top picks then!

Welcoming International Remote Workers: Programs, Incentives, and Approaches

Although the main perspective of Running Remote is from the corporate level, it’s also crucial to speak about the remote work implications from the government or country level.

While more companies open their doors to fully remote employees, we will be seeing a much higher movement on the international level. We are already seeing this in the last couple of years, with some of the more popular countries for remote workers or corporate nomads needing to take steps to create new laws and programs to support the incoming foreigners under new circumstances but also protect its existing laws and residents.

Here are the top sessions on this year’s Running Remote that we think might allow us a closer look at the steps and tools certain places take to attract and support remote workers in a multi-beneficial way.

How Portugal welcomes remote work

Speaker: Ana Mendes Godinho, the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security of Portugal

On the 26th, from 8:55 AM – 9:05 AM local time, at the Radical stage, we will join a short speech from Portugal’s Minister of Labour, Solidarity, and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, who will share how Portugal approaches and welcomes remote work.

We will see if Ana will focus mostly on the Portuguese residents working remotely or international remote workers coming to Portugal, but either way, we’re very excited to hear a short breakdown of it, especially since Portugal is one of the European hubs for remote workers.

How Buenos Aires became the most popular global destination for remote workers and digital nomads

Speakers: Alina Gonzalez, MICE Manager at Visit Buenos Aires & Mauro Guevala, the General Director of International Relations at Visit Buenos Aires

On the 25th, from 11:40 AM to 12:10 PM local time, at the Deep Dive stage, the attendees will have the opportunity to learn from Alina Gonzalez and Mauro Guevala of Visit Buenos Aires, who will share insights on how Buenos Aires has become the most popular global destination for remote workers and digital nomads.

Alina Gonzalez is a certified public accountant with a Master’s degree in Public Policy and the General Manager of the Buenos Aires Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Mauro Guevala is the General Director of International Relations at Visit Buenos Aires.

Together, they will cover key aspects of the city, including information digital nomads might find interesting and the international projection strategy of BA frames of the digital nomad program. They will dive deeper into the Nomads BA program and provide information regarding the immigration process (visa).

Buenos Aires has indeed become a very desirable destination for remote workers and digital nomads, so we’re very curious to hear more about the programs and what the city does that makes it so attractive.

Alina and Mauro will also invite attendees to share their thoughts and enrich the policy together.

Why certain government remote work programs work better than others

Speaker: Gonçalo Hall, the CEO at NomadX

On the 26th, from 10:00 AM to 10:40 AM local time, on the Deep Dive stage, we will have the opportunity to dive deeper into the topic of remote work on the governmental level with Gonçalo Hall, the CEO at NomadX, an international community of slow traveling remote workers, and the creator of the Digital Nomad Villages in Ponta do Sol, Madeira, and Cape Verde.

As a leading industry expert and with a big understanding of the needs of, those he addresses as, “the corporate nomads”, we are expecting Gonçalo to, once again, share valuable insights into the world of remote work from that unique perspective.

With the rise of this new type of digital nomad, Gonçalo thinks companies are being forced to adapt and find ways to comply with the nomadic lifestyle, meanwhile, governments around the world are competing to attract digital nomads with various visa and program offerings.

We see examples of this being true on every corner, such as countries launching special visas specifically for these personas, with one of the latest big launches like this – the digital nomad visa in Spain.

In his session, Gonçalo will explore the profiles of corporate nomads and share his expertise on how companies can stay relevant in this changing landscape.

Furthermore, and something especially interesting for us, Gonçalo will dive into the specifics of various government programs and visas designed to attract nomads to new locations, examining what makes some programs more successful than others.

Explore the Expo Zone and Virtual Sessions

Except for the live talks and panels happening on the 25th and 26th, the attendees will also be able to explore the Expo Zone and Virtual Session for more insights, information, tools, and much more.

Staying on the topic of receiving/attracting foreign remote workers, we would single out the following exhibitors and virtual sessions:

Tenerife: Working from Paradise, made easy!

By: Tenerife Work and Play

In the past few years, Tenerife has become the ultimate Spanish hub for remote workers. Some might choose it because of its all-year-round summer weather, and others for its tax incentives.

Whichever the reason is, it’s not doubtful that Tenerife is one of the leading destinations for remote workers, digital nomads, and digital immigrants.

Tenerife Work and Play is an all-in-one platform that provides support to foreigners coming to Tenerife and helps remote workers from all over the world have a soft landing on the island.

There are many benefits to choosing Tenerife as a remote worker and this is a great opportunity to learn what they are. Also, Tenerife Work and Play is a good example of a clever initiative that helps regulate remote work while attracting foreigners.

My Coliving Space: Spain spent quite some time in Tenerife and other islands in the Canaries collaborating with coliving operators and surrounded by remote workers, so we’re very eager to visit Tenerife Work and Play and learn more about the newest updates for digital nomads on the island.

In front of this event will be Nacho Rodriguez, the founder of Repeople, an organization that builds ecosystems for remote workers, and a familiar figure to anyone who is in the coliving and coworking industry, so we’re very excited to connect with him and hearing his thoughts on the future of remote work in the Tenerife and beyond.

Costa De Sol: Make the Sun your Workmate

By: Visit Costa De Sol

Once (and still) a popular tourist destination, Costa De Sol in Southern Spain is exploring the opportunities of attracting a new type of tourist – remote workers and digital nomads.

We will definitely be visiting Costa De Sol’s expo because MCS: Spain was born as a media platform about Andalusia. Once we started focusing our efforts on topics related to digital nomads, our focus switched to other parts of Spain simply because the southern part of Spain was still not as popular for this type of visitor. Having that in mind, we’re very excited to hear some new strategies that would make Andalusia attractive for the working nomad as well.

Join us virtually or in the Expo Zone to find out what new approaches Costa De Sol will take to attract remote workers, especially after the digital nomad visa was introduced in Spain this year.

Buenos Aires Your Rock!

By: Visit Buenos Aires

Additionally to the session that will be hosted by Alina Gonzalez, MICE Manager at Visit Buenos Aires & Mauro Guevala, the General Director of International Relations at Visit Buenos Aires, visitors will be able to ask questions and explore some more about Buenos Aires for remote workers and digital nomads on the Expo.

Visit Buenos Aires is the official international tourism marketing organization of Buenos Aires whose mission is to maximize opportunities for international tourism in the city. Working closely with the Buenos Aires Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Visit Buenos Aires team will be happy to share more details about their work and the city.

These are only some of the sessions you will definitely find us at this year’s Running Remote.

We’re also looking forward to exploring some other topics in sessions such as Rowena Hennigan’s “Staying productive when you combine remote work and travel”, “The paradoxical concept of self-management and remote work” by Mr. David Allen and Mike Vardy, the panel “Fostering connection and culture in distributed teams”, and many more.

The post Getting ready for Running Remote 2023: A preview of our top picks for must-see sessions appeared first on My Coliving Space: Spain.