Complete Guide To Hosting Events That Build Your Coworking Community

Community is at the heart of the coworking movement.

But building an engaged community doesn’t happen overnight. It requires a strategic and consistent approach — one that centres around workspace events that bring people in from outside, and unite the people (members) who already call it home. 

Events can be powerful when planned properly. From simple, weekly networking lunches to one-off specialised workshops hosted by external speakers, the right events can infuse energy, deepen connections, and grow your community in an organic and lasting way. 

Let’s explore some tried and tested strategies for hosting coworking space events that keep people coming back time and again.

Events as a superpower for community and member retention

Events no longer fall into the ‘nice-to-have’ category. They’ve become an essential, strategic selling point, and thanks to analytics, their ROI impact is measurable. The right events calendar can boost satisfaction, entice new members and reduce member churn.

With so many more organisations switching from the office lease to the coworking real estate model, the coworking industry has never been more competitive. Your community events can give you a real edge. A thriving events scene is proof of a buzzing , and it acts as an effective — and free — promotional tool.

• While physical space and amenities are an important draw, people join coworking spaces to become part of a community. Events provide the perfect ground for building bonds beyond the desk. From coffee mornings to morning workshops, regular face-to-face time can foster a sense of belonging among the community.
  
• Workspace events have the power to turn purely functional offices into actual communities. They bring the pizzazz! Seriously though, they reduce member churn, because those who feel connected are more likely to stay. And reduced churn means healthier cash flow — and stronger revenue stability.
• Happy members don’t just stay in your space — they grow within it. Members who learn, connect and have fun are way more likely to succeed, and upgrade to a larger office as they expand. It’s what operators dream of: a single coworking membership in the first year to a five-person office a couple of years later.
  
• Nothing generates leads like word of mouth promotion. Host memorable events and people are likely to tell their friends and post about them in social media. The result? A steady stream of referrals that (ideally) convert to paying members.

The 4-step framework for buzzing events

Don’t rush into hosting an event — the proof is in the planning.

Consider which type of events your coworking space is able to run, both in terms of physical space and resources. How many people can you comfortably and safely accommodate, for example? Do staff have the time and skills to facilitate events?

That all-important member input is also key. Survey members to find out what they actually want. Whether you decide to run wellbeing workshops for members or an educational workshop for members and the wider community, this 4-step framework will help you plan buzzing events that support retention, engagement and growth. 

Step 1: Define your goals

First, think about what you’d like to achieve by hosting an event. Establishing a purpose will help you come up with a solid strategy — one that aligns with your wider goals. Even better, make your goal measurable, e.g. boost attendance by 20%.

Questions to ponder:

• How will the event boost member engagement?
• Do you intend to entice new members or activate existing ones?
• How will you showcase your coworking space?
• Do you intend to promote in-house expertise, or build strategic partnerships with local organisations?

Example goals:

• Boost Friday morning attendance with a weekly brunch
• Strengthen connections between different industries with a skills share
• Attract local small businesses from the community with an open day

Step 2: Understand your audience

An event might go down a treat in one coworking space and sink like a lead balloon in another. Know your audience: design coworking events with your members in mind. Have a go at compiling coworking space events personas, like you would marketing personas. 

Questions to ponder:

• Who uses your space?
• What sizes of business uses your space?
• When are members most likely to attend, and what will incentivise them?
• What type of events do your members want?

Example sources:

• Member surveys and suggestion boxes
• Advice and observations from your community manager
  
• Feedback and data analytics from past public or member events

Step 3: Pinpoint the budget and logistics

Dream big, but make sure it doesn’t break the bank. After you’ve sorted your goals and audience, it’s time to make it work. It’s always good to have a contingency plan in place too, especially if technology or the weather are going to play a part in the event. 

Questions to ponder:

• Are you hosting on-site or offsite?
• Do you have enough furniture? 
• If applicable, what are the facilitator fees?
• Will you be catering, and how?
• What equipment and technology are required?
• Who will be managing and staffing the event?

Logistics tips:

• Pick a date and time that aligns with your audience’s schedule
• Use your coworking integrations to manage RSVPs and registration
• Setup for maximum comfort, safety and accessibility
• Check the technology works in advance
• Configure email reminders and prep check-in

Step 4: Put together a promotion 

You could arrange the best event in the world, but without the right promotion all your hard work could be in vain. Start promotion early and be consistent to build momentum. Your members are busy, so reminders are also super important. 

Mediums to explore:

• Your member newsletter (+ reminders)
• Physical signage
• Community app announcements
• Social media
• Personal invites from the community manager
• Ask those involved in the event, e.g. speakers and suppliers, to share

What to include:

• What’s happening and how it’ll benefit members
• Time and location
• A link to RSVP
• What’s included, e.g. snacks.

5 Proven coworking event ideas to get you started

We didn’t have to look far to find examples of inspiring coworking event ideas. 

From mindfulness sessions to pitching workshops, check out what the following Nexudus users are doing to keep their communities engaged:

Hybrid meetups

HRKNSScowork made events more accessible by using Nexudus’ Zoom integration to help them transition from in-person to virtual events during the pandemic.

This was down to the success of a monthly Zoom event called 1 Million Cups.

HRKNSScowork partnered with the Kauffman Foundation, UNH Cooperative Extension, and Making Matters NH, to bring entrepreneurs together, the goal being, “To develop a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem by connecting entrepreneurs to each other and their local communities so they can receive support, develop their ideas, and collaboratively solve the challenges they face.”

Now that in-person events are on the agenda again, they’ve decided to continue running various hybrid events so anyone can join, regardless of their workplace situation.

Themed events

Established in 2007, The Melting Pot in Edinburgh is one of the world’s longest-running coworking spaces. It’s specifically designed for people working in the charity sector.

As well as gaining access to a productive work environment, members pool resources, make connections and receive valuable support. Every month The Melting Pot adopts a theme for their events, keeping things fresh, interesting and diverse.

Check out their lively events page hosted by Nexudus.

Mindfulness workshops

With over 100 locations in more than 50 countries, Impact Hub is a household name in the world of coworking and entrepreneurship.

Each individual coworking space under the brand umbrella has its own identity and is founded by local innovators who want to have a positive impact on their community.

Impact Hub in King’s Cross hosted a mindfulness event led by one of its members, the entrepreneur-turned-coach, Ashmeet Kapoor. This event equipped attendees with strategies to overcome conflict, exploring why simple mindfulness inspired practices, like pausing for three seconds, can completely transform situations of conflict.

Showcasing members in this way helps them cultivate meaningful connections within the space, and shows the world your coworking space attracts successful professionals who value community. 

Masterclasses

Level39, owned by the Canary Wharf Group, helps fast-growth tech companies scale by providing them with access to space, support, talent and infrastructure. Its events calendar is jam-packed with sessions and seminars with mentors and experts.

Skills workshops are often invaluable to coworking members who want to take their business or know-how to the next level, without having to sign up for an expensive course. 

Skills and specialisms

Fusebox coworking space is run by Wired Sussex, a not-for-profit membership organisation in Brighton. It supports companies operating in the digital, tech and media sectors through a variety of industry events, meetups, job postings, and access to flexible desk space.

The event below was designed for technologists and UX designers with an interest in live music events. The panel and networking get together will explore how new technologies – including virtual reality and 5G – could affect the way we engage with gigs.

Combining education with networking is a great way to add value to the member experience (and attract potential new members into your space). 

Community engagement ideas

Don’t underestimate the power of the wider community to strengthen your micro-community. 

If you’re based in a residential area, think about how locals could benefit. Regular events like food markets or craft fairs can support local businesses, make you some more money and introduce your space to people who might not be familiar with the coworking concept. 

It might help to think of your coworking space as a town hall; a place where people from different walks of life can meet, learn and form friendships.  

Using technology to manage events

Coworking software platforms like Nexudus make it easier for you to plan, manage and evaluate events at scale. It removes the boring manual work from events management — so say farewell to spreadsheet juggling and RSVP chasing, and hello to automation! 

With the logistics taken care of, you and your team can focus on planning and running exciting community events. Here’s what Nexudus can handle for you:

1. Events pages 

Nexudus enables you to build navigable events pages in your branding in an easy-to-read format. You can add images, registration information and all the details using a template, so no coding knowledge is required. 

Members can access your events pages via your website or through the members’ portal.

2. Ticket sales

You can sell tickets to events using Nexudus. You can also integrate your payments platform, so you won’t need to process payments separately, and ticket sales are tracked so you can see how quickly they’re selling. (You can set capacity limits too.)

3. RSVPs

There’s no need for lengthy email chains that get lost in your inbox, because members can RSVP directly through the members’ portal or Passport by Nexudus app. You set the boundaries; you may decide to provide access to members who are on a certain plan, for example. You can make events public or members-only.

4. Reminders and confirmations

We’re all busy juggling a million things at once, so event reminders are super important. Nexudus can keep registered event goers in the loop by sending automated confirmation emails, calendar invites and reminders in the runup to the event. 

5. Post-event feedback

Nexudus has a feature that enables you to send automated feedback forms to anyone who attended the event. These valuable insights can spotlight what went well and shed light on what didn’t, allowing you to improve as you iterate. The statistics relating to your events, such as how many people attended, are visible on a tidy analytics dashboard. 

Happy planning!