The coworking and coliving industry has been rapidly growing over the years, and the Coworking Spain Conference (CWSC) has been at the forefront of this evolution. Valencia is all set to host the twelfth edition of this renowned conference on May 9-10, 2023 and Travel & Tapas will be there to report as an official media partner.
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!
