INTERNATIONAL COWORKING DAY
Every year on August 9th, International Coworking Day celebrates the impact of the coworking movement. It’s also a day to realize we are all part of something greater than ourselves.
You know what a co-worker is, right? It’s someone that works at the same company as you. Coworking, however, is a little bit different. Coworking occurs when workers from different companies share the same space. It could be defined as a shared but independent working environment. Some of the best coworking spaces around the world include Crew Collective Café in Montreal, The Work Project in Hong Kong, Patchwork in Paris, and Dojo in Bali.
Oftentimes, coworkers bring together professionals that normally work from home. A coworking space might include independent writers, programmers, and graphic designers who gather together a couple of times a week. Besides just getting together for work purposes, they also bond in other ways. A day of coworking might start off with having breakfast together. Their workday might also include a short meditation and walk breaks.
One of the greatest benefits of coworking is that it provides a wider range of networking opportunities. Other benefits of coworking include:
- Increased productivity
- Boosts creativity
- Provides collaboration opportunities
- Offers greater flexibility
- Provides a sense of belonging and purpose
Another advantage of coworking is that it is more cost-effective for business owners. Instead of having to pay all the expenses on their own, they get divided. Since its inception, more than one million people around the world work in coworking spaces each year.
HOW TO OBSERVE #InternationalCoworkingDay
On this day, coworking spaces join forces and celebrate the day together. Some of the coworking spaces offer free coworking for those who want to try it out.
To participate, find a coworking space and check it out. You could also gather a group of people who normally work from home and invite everyone to share a local space together for the day. Post your coworking space or experience on social media with #InternationalCoworkingDay.
INTERNATIONAL COWORKING DAY HISTORY
The concept of coworking goes back to 1995 when hackers in Berlin wanted to find a space where they could share thoughts and information. The concept of coworking didn’t really take off, however, until 2005. This is when software engineer Brad Neuberg blogged about inviting creators to gather together as a community. On August 7th, 2010 Tony Bacigalupo, cofounder of New York City’s first dedicated coworking space, New Work City, posted his own blog. In the blog he stated, “Next Monday will be 5 years since Brad Neuberg talked about coworking for the first time. I think that date should be the official Coworking Day.” From that day on, August 9th has been celebrated as International Coworking Day.