10 Years of GCUC Magic

BY: Liz Elam

It certainly doesn’t feel like 10 years. It feels like yesterday when I was driving to the UT campus to open the first ever GCUC conference. I felt like an imposter, I was scared and nervous as hell. I remember being in shock and awe at the turnout. I had rehearsed my opening about 100 times and I was ready.

Thank god it came off without a hitch. I remember Don Ball, Benjamin Dyett, Adam Neurman, Iris Kavanaugh, Carsten Foertsch, my dad, Mark Gilbreath, Rebecca Brian, Steve King, Jean-Yves Huwart, Jeremy Neuner and so many more names that have now become my longtime friends. I can’t possibly name them all.

In those 10 year GCUC has hosted over 33 events around the world. We have hosted countless panels, sent thousands of emails, tweets and social media posts. We have written blog posts, We have built a donut wall, a post-it note wall in China and enjoyed tours all over the world. We have served meals, we have signed licensing agreements, we have facilitated relationships and we have made countless connections. We have launched a network of spaces and started a thriving membership platform.

We would like to thank all of our sponsors and supporters that make GCUC possible. We have hosted conferences in the US, China, Australia, Taiwan, Brazil, the UK and Canada. We could not have done these without amazing people on the ground helping us navigate their country.

We know that without GCUC, the world of Coworking would not be the same. Fora, Common Desk and Campspace founders are just a few brands that have told us that GCUC was pivotal in their decision to launch. We hear stories of connection and support that come out of attending a GCUC. We always hear the same thing as the best takeaway from every GCUC: the human connection.

As we make plans to bring GCUC back to North America in May and London this fall we are looking back at our journey and looking forward to our future. Just as coworking will flourish, so will GCUC. We’ve been through a long dark winter and we are emerging stronger and better than ever.

Just like you can’t put your finger on community, you can’t put your finger on the magic of GCUC. You just have to come to understand it.

Bonus here is a coworking video we did in 2012