A recap of the 2nd Swiss Coworking unconference
Thanks Bern Impact Hub for Welcoming Us!
Proper summer weather and a day full of inspiring reviews from the swiss coworking scene were expected in Bern at Impact Hub, where the 2nd swiss coworking unconference took place a few days ago.
the swiss Coworking scene is growing and inventing new formats
Jenny Schäpper-Uster, a board member of Coworking Switzerland, a swiss coworking association welcomed roughly 50 attendees. Why is this number special?…well, almost each guest represented a new coworking space in Switzerland — an impressive accomplishment, not only for the Swiss association. There is no doubt that the swiss community is growing rapidly. We learned that countryside coworking spots are up and coming along with interesting niche spaces, like veterinarian or even landscape gardening services for example. It’s great to see how coworking can adapt to a country’s local culture — we will keep an eye on other places that follow this path, too.
what was up on the session board
the topics presented in the two parts of unconference sessions, ranged from “what do you need to set up a coworking space” to “what can the swiss coworking association do for their members and new candidates”. We were happy to present how to use a management software for organizational tasks like member onboarding, invoicing and room bookings. And if you have any questions that were left unanswered, please don’t hesitate to reach out to support@cobot.me.
To see some more results and photos of the unconferences sessions, please follow this link: www.facebook.com/coworkingCH
Building unlikely allies — a keynote from Collaboratio Helvetica
Erik Gloerfeld and Sidsel Andersen of Collaboratio Helvetica delivered the day’s keynote presentation. “Collaboratio Helvetica was set out in early 2017 to revive the Swiss spirit of collaboration and help to create a world we all want to live in”, Erik said as he explained the intention behind this Engagement Migros-funded initiative. “We build a community; bring together unlikely allies, especially in Social Labs, help rethink the role of coworking and other collaborative spaces; and hold trainings. {we} document our methods to build capacity for collaboration and transformation”, he added. Sisel, in turn, nailed the meaning of coworking as we understand it by tracing a parallel between those who write coworking with and without a hyphen. For her, “co-working” involves sitting next to other people working on different projects in an appealing work environment whereas. “coworking” (without the hyphen), suggests the act of using one’s professional expertise to engage with unlikely allies. Certainly, there is still a place to discuss what the benefits of coworking can be.
Coworking Switzerland’s goal to extend their network with other business partners and social asscociations resembles a typically Swiss utilization of networks to collect and compress national expertise and resources. In some ways their success stories have already had some influence on the international coworking scene. Coming from Germany, we notice analagous coworking concepts, introduced by the German Coworking Federation, which aims to be the guide for any concerns around the German coworking community.
Even this was only a short one day trip to Switzerland for us, it was a pleasure to have joined the event. We want to say thanks to the organization team, our old and new friends for making the day so beautiful.
See you soon (maybe in fall as your 10 years anniversary of coworking in Switzerland will be celebrated). Until then we wish you a happy coworking!
