Why the Global Coworking Unconference Conference (GCUC) is a Conference and an Unconference

Last year our friends at Loosecubes did a wonderful thing for the Coworking world.  They saw the need for some more structure around the gathering that naturally occurs around SXSW and the Coworking industry and created the Coworking Unconference 2011. In 2009 and 2010 there were a very well- attended meetups in Austin for anyone interested in Coworking.  I attended both meetups and was awe struck by the talent that formed all in one place.  It was critical for me to talk to someone who had already done it when I was in the planning stages of my own space.  I remember talking to a couple of space owners about the size of the space and they both said not to go too big in the beginning because and empty Coworking space is a bad for business.  I had been looking at 10,000 sq ft. and quickly downsized to 3000 sq ft.  which turned out to be perfect for my business.

When I was asked to lead the Conference for 2012, I jumped at the opportunity.  In retrospect if I had any idea of the size of the commitment, I would have still said yes, but I would have hesitated.  I thought about the Coworking community and how we now have spaces that have been in operation over four years and at the same time, a bunch of people are now interested in Coworking or just in the planning stages.  We have partners and potential partners that need to learn more about what makes Coworking so special.

The Unconference was the first Unconference I had ever attended and I loved it.  It was a free form, on-the-spot, magical mashing of ideas.  I attended another Unconference at the Coworking Owners Retreat in Santa Monica (Jerome from Blankspaces brainchild).  I also attended a hybrid of a Conference and Unconference in Berlin at the European Coworking Conference.  Clearly the Unconference model was being embraced by the Coworking Community and was a valuable tool.  We wanted to have an Unconference track at GCUC so that those that have already been in business and figured out the basics could get together and learn from each other.

I have also been following the Coworking Google Group for years and I’ve seen the same questions come up time and time again.  It made sense to tailor the Conference to those questions.  We will hit on space, design, landlords, technology, interns and much more.   We identified leaders in the field and asked them to participate so you can get all your questions answered in one day!

Attendees will be able to flow between the two so you can tailor your day to fit your unique needs.  We’re hoping that you find this unique format enticing and valuable.  Hope to see you in Austin, March 8^th for this ground breaking Coworking Unconference Conference.