This week, the MCS team will do a small detour from our beloved Spain to attend the world’s biggest remote work conference – Running Remote 2023. But, don’t worry, the detour is still in the neighborhood because this year, the Running Remote organizers chose one of the most appealing European capitals for remote workers and digital nomads for the conference venue – Lisbon.
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.
