15 Resources for European Coworking Space Operators

For all the headlines that the shared workspace and coworking world attract, there is little mention of the mass of long-running open source groups, wikis, resources and online collaborations that the coworking movement has created.

Every day, thousands of people share over a decade worth of knowledge about how to run a coworking space and what is coming next in coworking. (If you search hard enough in these groups you can find mentions of the first ever GCUC event at SXSW!) People in the coworking community curate these groups and protect them from overtly commercial interests and spam.

1. Coworking Google Group

Set up by my golf buddy Chris Messina in 2000-and-something, the Coworking Google Group is one of the best-kept secrets in the coworking world.

If you are like me you’ll read it every day. It’s a great place to ask a question and every week there’s a new person starting a coworking space. Fun fact: Chris also invented the #hashtag. Yes, that hashtag.

2. Coworking London Facebook Group

The Coworking London Facebook Group was set up by Rebecca Collins from 42 Acres in 2014. It’s a place where London community managers and operators can connect and ask questions.

3. Creating Diverse and Inclusive Coworking Communities Group

This Facebook group was created by space operators to instigate conversations around diversity and inclusion in coworking. The group helped inspire the recent London event GCUC UK took part in and wrote about.

4. GCUC

In September, GCUC, the largest coworking conference series in the world, makes its European debut with GCUC UK in London.

The Global Coworking Unconferance GCUC has long been a go-to source for information, connection and inspiration. Check out the GCUC Global Facebook page and GCUC Coworking Forum Facebook group.

5. Open Coworking.com

OpenCoworking.com is a website supported by places like Indy Hall in the USA, The Skiff in the UK and Seats2Meet in the Netherlands. It collects and curates thought leaders from all over the world.

6. Coworking Wiki

The Coworking Wiki is a decentralized movement of people who are building and joining collaborative communities all around the world. If you’re interested in starting a space, there are experienced folks ready to help you.

7. Coworking Library

The Berlin-based, Coworking Library project collects all the coworking research from around the world.

It’s on an Airtable database right now and the team are building it out into a searchable website.

8. Deskmag.com

Deskmag is the coworking go-to place to go for the annual Global Coworking Survey.

It also publishes thought-leading posts and information on coworking and the workspace industry.

9. Included.co

Included is on a mission to bring collaborative buying to coworking. What does that mean?

When a startup in our coworking space opened an office in Lisbon last year they bought four iMacs and shipped them to their new office in Lisbon for 40% less than they would have done elsewhere. (Included.co is also helping for GCUC UK with the tours of London coworking spaces.)

10. Coworkies

Curating coworking jobs and coworking spaces, Coworkies — Coworking Communities is the creation of Pauline, Dimitar and Rishi.

The platform builds connections between people and coworking spaces and space operators are able to list job openings in their space.

See all the jobs in London coworking spaces.

11. Research Group For Collaborative Spaces

RGCS is a group of academic researchers, hackers, slashers and entrepreneurs who research the future of work, coworking, fab labs and new economic models.

They run annual symposiums, the last one was here in London.

12. Coworking Europe Conference

Coworking Europe is the longest running coworking event in Europe. BTW, we have a special joint ticket with Coworking Europe and GCUC UK available until 15th July.

13. Copass Camps

Copass Camps happen at every Coworking Europe Conference and other times of the year. This is a video from one of the first in Lisbon in 2014.

14. European Coworking Assembly (ECA)

The European Coworking Assembly are coworking entrepreneurs and professionals who want to improve Europe’s economy and society via coworking and help and promote coworking to reach its full potential.

The ECA works with coworking spaces and policymakers to promote coworking businesses, activities and interests in the European Union.

15. Coworking Leadership Slack Group

The Coworking Leadership Slack Group does what it says on the tin! It is a place for coworking space managers to trade best practices and test new ideas.

If I’ve have missed something, let me know!

I hope to see you at GCUC UK, the European debut of the world’s largest coworking conference series in London at the end of September 2018.

>> Get tickets to GCUC UK <<

Originally published at uk.gcuc.co on June 25, 2018.