Last weekend, the 10th COWORK conference took place in Wuppertal and Solingen. From March 24 to 26, numerous presentations and discussion panels on exciting topics related to coworking awaited the participants. The event is organized by the German Coworking Federation e.V.
Coworking, also known as collaborative working, is a form of new work that has recently gained popularity in Europe as well. It involves several people sharing a workspace that is flexible in terms of time. The duration and frequency of use can vary greatly according to individual preferences: from a one-off for a day during a business trip to a monthly subscription for a workspace, there is usually an option to meet anybody's needs. Large open office spaces are characteristic of coworking spaces, and in many cases spaces also offer offices for long-term rental as well as meeting rooms and telephone booths. Coworking is particularly popular with freelancers and digital nomads, because here you can work without (long-term) commitment in a productive and collaborative environment. The meeting and conference technology provided, a reliable Internet connection, the option of using printers, shared kitchens and lounge areas, and mailboxes also make working in coworking spaces particularly convenient.
Of course, not only freelancers or business travelers benefit from this, but also start-ups and smaller companies. Compared to renting your own office space, working in a coworking space can save costs. On the other hand, startups can benefit from the innovative power of other young companies, because the exchange of knowledge is much easier due to the open working environment on the one hand, but also special events and coaching programs.
Given the advancing digitalization and the great change of work to New Work, it is no wonder that coworking is becoming more and more popular (this article discusses the transformation of the working world in more detail). At IOTIQ, we too not only work in a coworking space, but also work to make coworking even better and more enjoyable. Since we ourselves develop smart solutions for the modern working world, we are naturally interested in how other coworkers fare in their everyday work and what problems we can solve in the future.
That's why Saskia and Markus attended COWORK23 for IOTIQ and brought a lot of interesting input back to Leipzig. In the interview, Saskia talks about her experience at the conference.
What happens at a coworking conference?
Saskia, Marketing Coordinator: The event was mainly about networking and exchanging knowledge, for example about how coworking spaces master certain problems or tasks. In addition, of course, there is also the opportunity to find out what is happening in other regions of Germany besides our own in terms of coworking spaces.
Did you find anything particularly fun or positively surprising?
Saskia: It was great that the conference did not consist of pure lectures. Instead, everyone was allowed to bring a topic and this was discussed in small groups and short sessions.
I attended two of them: one session was about coworking (basically workation* with the team in a coworking space). This session was held by Vanessa from BraLI. The second was about the European Coworking Day 2023, which will be initiated for the first time this year and will act as a complement to the already existing International Coworking Day.
*Editor's note: Workation refers to the combination of work and vacation. The idea is to enable employees to spend longer periods abroad without having to take a sabbatical or annual leave.
Did you take away any new insights or food for thought?
Saskia: On Friday, there was a guided tour of the UTOPIA city in Wuppertal, which I found very exciting. The association behind it doesn't just focus on renovating an old building, in this case a train station, and then renting it out as economically as possible - but wants to create a place that is constantly evolving and remains open to all kinds of things. Coworking is just one part of that here.
One exciting thought that I take away from this is that the possibility of being able to actively shape one's own environment and, for example, to be able to prepare office space or workstations in such a way that they meet individual needs, could be a big factor in getting even more people interested in coworking.
Has your view of coworking / the working world of the future changed?
Saskia: What I wasn't aware of before is that it still seems to be relatively difficult to keep already established companies in coworking spaces or to convince them that this concept also brings them advantages.
Ultimately, coworking spaces can only survive with the help of regular rent payments. It must be honestly said that the individual coworkers are not funding the spaces. I think that coworking spaces should be more oriented towards offering good concepts for companies in the future. The big advantage of a coworking space should be that you just come and the workstation, printer and drinks etc. are ready. Additional services could be e.g. recruiting for start-ups or a fixed technical support. In general, coworkers need to have the feeling that they have something here that they don't have in a home office. Currently, the focus is very much on community, which is also part of it, without question. But I think everything else around it also plays a big role.