Confessions of a Digital Nomad: Why I’m Attending GCUC Australia in Melbourne

Published on August 18, 2017 - By Robert Kropp

If you don’t already know, the next Global Coworking Unconference Conference or GCUC (pronounced “juicy”) is in Melbourne, Australia, on August 24th and 25th, 2017.

GCUC is all about coworking and the future of work!

Held multiple times a year at different venues around the world, these “un-conferences” have proven to be the most important events for coworking professionals and industry leaders.

I’d heard about these events during my travels the last few years. If you aren’t already familiar with my story, I left Tampa, Florida, a year ago and traveled as a digital nomad around the U.S. for about 8 months living and working in a new city and coworking space almost every week. It was a powerful experience that connected me with a tremendous number of coworking owners, managers, and leaders. All of them spoke regularly of GCUC.

I love the way the GCUC experience is described on their site:

“…just wise words from big brains, carefully curated to give you your money’s worth. Hear from thought leaders paving the way and bringing you with them, shaping the future of work and giving you what you need to carve out your space in it.”

So how do I fit in?

After all, I don’t own or operate a coworking space. So what attracts me to GCUC?

As a digital nomad who writes about working remotely in coworking spaces and what makes them tick, my primary goals when visiting a new space are to get work done and engage with the community. I am also absolutely driven by the growth of coworking. I believe it is the future of work, and I want to share my experiences and what I’ve learned so we can all grow.

These goals are also what brings me to GCUC.

While the agenda is full of amazing panels with people speaking on engaging topics, I look forward to connecting to the worldwide coworking community. Currently, I chat with many of them through Facebook and Google Groups, a few meetups, and even Twitter. However, connecting in person is powerful.

So how has GCUC grown into such an important event?

#1 Always Bringing Value to Attendees

The goal, from what I understand, is for each attendee to gain enough knowledge and value from attending one talk or session to pay the GCUC fees.

#2 Community

Having brought together an amazing group of speakers and leaders in the coworking industry, GCUC is at the forefront in workspace changes and the future of work. This experience and knowledge will attract the most engaged and passionate people who are deeply rooted in helping to create change and push the industry forward.

Whenever this many thought leaders and experts in the field come together, serendipity often occurs for the benefit of all the attendees during and after the event.

And, of course, in addition to all of the tangibles of learning and connecting with new people, it looks like most people have a wonderful time.

We’re all in this together, and I thoroughly look forward to attending my first ever GCUC and experience everything it has to offer.

Enjoy Melbourne!