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!

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