It's April, and that means GCUC (pronounced "juicy") USA is around the corner. Formally it's the Global Coworking Unconference, but whatever you call it, the coworking industry is growing fast, and this is the largest coworking conference series in the world.
For the first time ever, GCUC is repeating a venue. The 2018 event returns to New York City and Convene for the second consecutive year. Another first, Greetly is sponsoring the conference!
We look forward to seeing you in The Big Apple. Before we meet though, here is everything you need to know to premier for this important annual coworking conference.
- First, the name. Yes, the conference series is truly global. Here is a list of 2018 events:
- USA, New York City, April 22-24
- Australia, Sydney, August 15-17
- UK, London, September 25-26
- Canada, Banff National Park, October 1
- Dubai, November 11-13
- Mexico, Mexico City, dates have not yet been announced
- China, location and (winter) dates have not yet been announced
- As for the rest of the name, an 'unconference' is like a conference, except instead of the entire agenda being set ahead of time. Coined by Dave Winer, at an unconference, attendees nominate and vote on discussion topics. This format is designed to facilitate the free exchange of ideas with the other participants. Much like coworking, the freedom allows people to better get to know the other attendees and talk about what matters most to them.
- Liz Elam started a coworking space in Austin, TX in 2010. The next year, she attended the first Coworking Unconference. Seeing the industry's potential she bought the event, re-branded it, and grew it's reach to facilitate the growth of what is now estimated to be a $5-10 billion industry.
- GCUC isn't the only game in town. The Global Workspace Association (GWA) is a trade organization supporting the serviced office industry. Recently their annual conference has broadened to include all shared workspaces, plus real estate investors, service providers and workplace strategists. Instead of competing, expect to see lots of GWA members in New York.
- Coworking's premier event has worked together with a number of different organizations, including All Good Work, Deskmag and Sparxo. The goal is to work with other parties rallying in support of coworkers and coworking spaces around the world. 89% of people who switched to a coworking space were happier afterward, and these groups wish to promote the community elements of this work environment.
- This year's event features the second annual Coworky Awards. For the second year in a row, Greetly has been nominated for best coworking software. Vote early and vote often!
Summary - See You in New York
Coworking is all about connecting. And all of the big names in the shared workspace industry will be doing that in New York later this month. Stop by our booth to talk about Greetly's digital visitor management system -- you may qualify to get 6 months free!