The first Coworking Europe conference in Brussels last year focused primarily on the development of communities in European coworking spaces. This year there are more topics on the table, particularly about the visibility of the movement. The first day will be devoted to exploring external connections between coworking communities and other institutions such as universities, cities, start-up movements and large companies.
How coworking spaces are differentiating themselves, and the external challenges that face the coworking movement, will be among the other big themes of the first day.
This includes a discussion about business centers, which for many space operators represent the antithesis of their concept. What is the difference between a business center and a coworking space, and is there any common ground? The location for this discussion is ideal – it will be held at Berlin’s Club Office. There, traditional corporate offices sit close to small private rooms, a business center and large coworking areas.
The second day of the conference features an internal Coworking Camp for the movement, and takes place at Berlin’s Betahaus. Coworkers, activists, managers and tool providers will discuss coworkers needs, various business models, web services, and their own issues through a Barcamp.
The Coworking conference will end on Saturday with an “open doors” day, during which participants can visit a variety of many different coworking spaces in Berlin which will be open to give short tours of their spaces, giving inspiration and creating better connections with international visiting space managers.
For members of the coworking movement, there is a special early bird ticket for €85. This will be on offer until August 31, and includes food and beverages during the event.
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Berlin, November 3-5, 2011
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For those participants who wish to visit as many coworking spaces as possible during their time here, we recommend staying in the districts of Kreuzberg or Mitte, close to stations on the U8 underground line. This train line has the biggest number of coworking spaces along the route. It also offers direct connections to all lines, which lead to the other coworking spaces.
Those looking for more information about the city and travelling here should go to:
Tourist information: Visit Berlin
Public transport: BVG
Airport information: Berlin Airport
German railways: Deutsche Bahn
Berlin calendars: BerlinUnlike, Exberliner, Berlinlist, Zitty
