50+ Coworking Space Event Ideas to Dazzle Your Community
The best coworking space event ideas of 2024
November 1, 2024
Blog
Whenever we talk to coworking space operators about their best tips to build community, the one tactic that comes up again and again is events.
Coworking space events, both online and in-person, are one of the most effective tools you have at your disposal to cultivate that oh-so-coveted sense of community. But as every coworking operator knows, coming up with an event idea that will resonate with your members can be…a challenge.
That’s why we put together this extensive guide on the best events you can run in your community right now with over 50 ideas to help you get inspired (55 to be exact).
In this article, we’ll show you exactly how events can benefit your business, the art behind creating a great event, and all the ideas for events that you can hold in your coworking space.
Promote your coworking events with Optix
Why are coworking space events important?
Coworking events help you provide value beyond just space access and amenities. In the last few years, holding member events has become a standard in the coworking industry.
A great coworking event can help you:
- Build community and provide opportunities for members to meet, interact, and form meaningful connections.
- Improve member retention by keeping members engaged and satisfied with the coworking experience.
- Attract new members by hosting events like open houses and networking socials open to the public.
- Improve brand visibility by elevating your coworking space’s brand visibility within your local business community.
- Generate more revenue by hosting paid events, workshops, or renting event spaces to external organizations.
Some coworking owners and operators have been so successful with events, that they’ve become a key part of their business strategy. For Mark Eaton, Founder at The Corner Coworking, events are integral to building community. Learn how Mark uses events to build community in our guide to building community, according to nine coworking leaders.
How do you create a great event in your coworking space?
The secret to creating a great coworking space event is to start with your members. Think about what they want and what would benefit them the most, and design an event around just that.
The best way to get these insights is to ask them directly via a coworking survey. Here are a few questions you can ask:
- What past events have you enjoyed the most? The least?
- What kind of events would you like to see more of?
- Do you prefer online or in-person events?
- What are you interested in learning about?
- What’s your preferred way of networking?
Use these insights to craft a coworking event that you know your members will love, whether it’s a virtual happy hour or an evening networking event.
Having a great event will also come down to creating engaging content and activities, hitting your clearly defined goals, and promoting it effectively.
How do you promote events in your coworking space?
Once you settle on an event (or series of events) for your coworking space, you’ll need a way of promoting them. How you promote your event will depend on the size of the event and whether it is public or not.
Some ideas for promoting your event include:
- Sending out a message, push notification or email to your members
- Posting a sign in your space
- Including a sticky banner on your website
- Advertising it on social media – organic and paid
- Including it in your member community feed or in your in-app events calendar
Don’t be discouraged if these first couple of events have a low turn-out. Focus on creating an amazing experience for your members and word of mouth will help you do the rest.
We wrote a complete guide that covers everything you need to know about promoting events in your coworking space if you’d like to learn more.
50+ coworking space event ideas
There is no shortage of events you can host in your coworking space. Here are 55 ideas to get your wheels turning and inspire your next great event!
1. Art Exhibition
What it is: a day, night, or week dedicated to hosting art from a variety of local artists and/or members in your space.
Transforming your coworking space into an art gallery for an exhibition is a creative and engaging way to infuse energy, stimulate creativity, and build a sense of community among your members.
2. Book Club
What it is: monthly meetings to discuss a relevant or trending book.
A book club is a fun, old-school way of coming together over shared interests. Choose books that encourage personal and professional growth, as well as New York Times Bestsellers to drum up excitement and interest.
Pro tip: Try holding an “anything book club” where members can come together once a month to discuss any book they are reading or recently enjoyed. It’s a fun way to learn about new books to check out, while still creating a communal experience.
3. Community Potluck
What it is: a food event where members each bring a dish to share with the group.
Potlucks are a great way to learn more about your members over a shared culinary experience. Encourage each member to bring a dish that they feel represents them best.
4.Cooking or Baking Classes
What it is: group cooking or baking sessions held in your communal kitchen.
Transform your kitchen into a cooking class for a night! Bring your community together over a shared love of learning about food.
5. Co-Workouts
What it is: morning or evening dedicated fitness time for members.
A co-workout is a shared workout experience — unlike a group fitness class, people aren’t being led by an instructor. They’re self-leading workouts in a shared space, together. This is best if you have a fitness facility on site, like KWENCH!
6. Cowork & Coffee Mornings
What it is: early morning coffee and pastries to start the day productively.
Bring your early birds together over croissants and coffees. Set the first hour of every Wednesday to be cowork and coffee to encourage productivity and easy conversation.
7. Coworking Game Nights
What it is: board games or trivia for relaxation and fun.
Invite your members to bring their favorite board game to play with the group. Set up a few different stations and encourage members to move around to meet more people (and have more fun!).
8. Creative Brainstorming Nights
What it is: group brainstorming on new business ideas.
Do you have an entrepreneurial or creative group? Host a brainstorming night where members can come with their best business ideas or discuss the problems they’re trying to solve and get feedback from others.
9. Demo Days
What it is: members showcase products or services they are developing.
Demo days are a popular event choice for incubators, accelerators, and other spaces that cater heavily towards budding entrepreneurs. They can even be a launching-off point for members to get ideas off the ground or conduct market research.
Pro tip: Turn your demo day into a member showcase by inviting those outside of the community to come and participate. Not only can it grow your business, but it can also be highly valuable for your members to receive external feedback on their ideas.
10. Film Screenings
What it is: screening of a popular film or documentary.
Is there a big movie coming out on Netflix that everyone has been talking about? Stream it in your space on a projector…bonus points if you provide popcorn!
11. Financial Planning Workshops
What it is: practical advice on personal/business finances.
We often see financial planning workshops in our coworking spaces for women or spaces geared towards young adults. They’re also great for solopreneurs and those new to business to help them learn more about finance.
12. Freelancer Fridays
What it is: a dedicated time for freelancers to meet potential clients.
Do you have a lot of freelancers in your space who are looking for new clients to work with? Organize a networking event in your community aimed to match qualified freelancers with potential new work for a win-win situation.
13. Goal Setting and Accountability Groups
What it is: monthly sessions to set and track goals.
Everyone wants to stay on track with their goals. Create organized goal setting and tracking meet-ups to hold your members accountable to what they want to achieve most.
14: Group Fitness Class
What it is: morning or evening workouts to energize members.
Inviting an instructor to come in and guide your members in an organized physical activity is a great way to break up the work day and give your members that midday endorphin rush.
Pro tip: In the outdoor months, take your group exercise classes outdoors to make the most of the summer season. You could organize a group hike, kayaking session, bodyweight bootcamp, or even just a simple neighborhood walk to get things moving.
15. Guest Chef Lunches
What it is: bring in a chef to prepare lunch for members.
Everyone appreciates a catered lunch. Take it one step forward by inviting a chef to come to your space and professionally prepare a lunch for your community.
16. Hackathon
What it is: a 24-48 hour event to develop new projects or solutions to a set problem.
While a Hackathon might be more involved, it’ll definitely draw a crowd. It’s an especially powerful tool if you’re looking to target freelance designers or a more technical crowd.
17. Happy Hours
What it is: host weekly or monthly happy hours for members to socialize in a casual setting.
Happy hours are one of the simplest and most enjoyable events you’ll find in a coworking space. They also tend to be the most popular — who doesn’t want to unwind with cocktails and conversation after a long day of work!
18. Health & Wellness Challenges
What it is: organized challenges designed to encourage healthy habits and friendly competition.
If you have a wellness-oriented group of members, consider creating a health and wellness challenge. This could mean anything from walking 10,000 steps a day to a week-long social media detox.
19. Industry Roundtables
What it is: discussions for specific industries (tech, marketing, etc.).
Roundtable discussions are helpful for crowdsourcing solutions to challenges your members may be experiencing, be it how to best leverage AI or how to get more leads via Google ads.
20. Language Exchange Sessions
What it is: casual language learning and conversation practice.
Invite your community to learn a new language with one another. This event works best if you have two or three community members who are willing to teach others a new language in a group setting, or two or three members who want to practice a new language together.
21. Lunch & Learns
What it is: learning session led by members, staff, or external parties during the lunch hour.
Lunch and learns are typically an open invitation where people are able to eat as they listen to a lecture and learn a new skill.
Pro tip: Keep things active by kicking off your lunch and learn with an exercise or activity that gets the audience mingling and engaged. Even a quick five minute ice breaker can go a long way!
22. Lunch Roulette
What it is: randomly pair members for lunch to meet new people.
Ask your members if anyone is interested in making new friends over lunch. For those who are, use a random generator online to pair them together for lunch roulette.
23. Lunch Swaps
What it is: members bring lunches and swap for variety and connection.
Similar to lunch roulette is a lunch swap. Have members sign up if they’re interested in receiving lunch from another member. It’s a fun and exciting way to try something new and break the ice!
24. Mastermind Groups
What it is: monthly deep dives with small groups on specific topics.
Masterminds connect experts on a topic with other equally passionate individuals. This could be a cool idea if you have a niche coworking community who share the same interests and have a lot to learn from one another.
25. Meditation Breaks
What it is: short guided meditation sessions to help members relax.
Chances are, you may have some members who need a moment to slow down. Organize meditation breaks to encourage members to take a moment for themselves on a busy work day.
26. Mindfulness Workshops
What it is: workshops designed to help your members learn basic mindfulness techniques.
Mindfulness is a hot topic these days. Bring in an expert to give your members the tools they need to be more mindful in their everyday lives.
27. Networking Mixers
What it is: casual evening events for people to connect.
Bringing people together over some refreshments and good conversation is a timeless strategy that will never go out of style. The best part is, they’re easy to put on.
Pro tip: Consider organizing themed mixers, like “Tech Tuesdays” or “Creative Collaborations Thursdays” to organize the networking opportunities around specific industries. Encourage attendees to share their business goals or challenges to spark meaningful and fruitful conversations.
28. Office Hours with Experts
What it is: invite legal, financial, or HR experts for Q&A.
Do your members have a lot of questions around a specific topic? Maybe your community of small business owners are struggling around tax time? Invite an accountant to come in for an hour long Ask Me Anything for your members to get all of their questions answered.
29. Open House
What it is: tour and showcase the coworking space for potential members.Open houses are powerful for marketing your space to the community, showing off the culture to prospective members, and demonstrate the perks of being a member.
Pro tip: When hosting an open house, encourage your current members to invite their friends and colleagues. Incentivize this behavior by offering a referral discount for every new member that joins.
30. Open Mic Nights
What it is: fun nights where members can showcase talents (comedy, music, poetry, etc.).
Open mic nights can be an excellent opportunity for team bonding and expressing creativity. They also serve as a fun way to invite people to let loose in a safe space and show off some of their talents outside of their professional lives.
31. Panel Discussions
What it is: organize panels with industry experts on relevant topics.
Bringing insightful people together in one space for a lively discussion sparks conversation and creates connection to your space. It’s one of the reasons why Luke Jones, Chairman at 1880, says they host a variety of people in their space on a regular basis. Learn more about Luke Jones in our Future of Work conversation.
32. Parent and Child Activity Day
What it is: set up creative activities for kids while parents work.
For our coworking and childcare spaces, a parent and child activity day is a super fun way of bringing joy into the workdays of parents! Organize a simple parent and child activity, like an hour cookie decorating session just before the holidays.
33. Parent Meetups
What it is: support meetups for working parents to share resources.
If there’s one thing that we can all agree on, it’s that being a working parent is hard. Organize meet-ups for parents to swap resources and learn valuable lessons from one another.
34. Personal Branding Sessions
What it is: sessions to help members refine their personal brands.
A refined personal brand can help members launch their careers to the next level. Bring in a branding expert to help members craft their ideal personal brand online.
35. Photography Sessions
What it is: free headshots for members to use professionally.
Do you have a more professional crowd? Invite them for a photography session for free headshots. As a bonus, you can even hire a photographer from your community to do the shots for an added networking benefit!
36. Pitch Nights
What it is: allow members to pitch business ideas and get feedback.
Create a supportive environment where members can present their projects or startups ideas and gather feedback from professionals with a dedicated Pitch Night.
Pro tip: Invite external, volunteer investors to offer constructive feedback and potential opportunities for collaboration.
37. Podcast Club
What it is: like a book club but focused on discussing a selected podcast.
Perhaps the modern day version of a book club is a podcast club. Invite your members to join in on a shared discussion about a popular recent podcast to share their thoughts and learning.
38. Productivity Sprints
What it is: hold Pomodoro sessions for focused work, followed by networking.
Productivity sprints have become popular online. Invite members who need a focused work session for a productivity sprint to help them get more done with their time.
39. Public Speaking Workshop
What it is: help members improve their speaking skills.
Many people have a fear of public speaking, but it is an essential skill to thrive in the professional world. Hold a public speaking workshop to help members conquer their fears and learn new skills.
40. Seasonal Craft Days
What it is: organize craft activities based on the season or holidays.
Themed craft days are fun for members of all ages, especially around the holidays. Organize a gingerbread house decorating class in the winter or a stained glass workshop in the summer to get your members’ creative juices flowing and bond over a shared craft experience.
41. Show and Tell
What it is: an opportunity for members to show off something important to them
Remember show and tell days as a kid? What about organizing a show and tell as an adult? Invite your members to bring in an item that’s important to them, and tell a story about it. It’s a great ice breaker and a fun way to get to know more about your members!
42. Skill-Swap Events
What it is: members offer short lessons in their area of expertise.
One fun way to learn new skills is to organize a skill-swap event! Here, members will teach other members a skill for a set amount of time — and learn from many others in the process.
43. Social Events
What it is: any low-pressure event designed with the sole purpose of bringing people together to have fun.
Bringing members together in a low-pressure setting will help the conversation flow and will foster that all-important sense of community. It also takes the pressure off of you to plan something spectacular, and could be a great place to start with your events.
Pro tip: If you really want to make your social event stand out, get your community to work on something together, like painting a mural on one of the walls in your coworking space or planting a garden together. Creating in tandem is an ideal way to build connections between members.
44. Speaker Series
What it is: invite guest speakers to share insights on various topics.
Speaker series are an exciting opportunity for members to learn from subject matter experts, especially when it is highly relevant to them. Identify your members’ skill gaps and areas of interest and bring in local speakers to share their expertise.
45. Speed Networking
What it is: quick, structured networking sessions for members.
You’ve heard about speed dating, but what about speed networking? Help your members get to know each other quickly with organized speed networking sessions. It can be a fun way to connect professionals with others in a new and exciting way.
46. Startup Legal Basics
What it is: offer legal advice sessions on IP, contracts, etc.
Do you have a group of entrepreneurs in the very early stages of their journey? Consider hosting a workshop for startups to learn the basics of legality in setting up their business.
47. Startup Stories
What it is: invite founders to share their startup journeys.
There’s nothing more inspiring during your business journey than hearing from others who have been through the same thing. Organize an evening dedicated to hearing the stories of startup founders who are crushing it to help inspire entrepreneurs in your community.
48. Sustainability Workshops
What it is: workshops on sustainability practices for businesses.
Sustainability is a crucial topic for everyone, and something that every business needs to be considering. Host sustainability workshops so others can learn — it’s a good one if you have small businesses working in your space.
49. Tech Talks
What it is: host tech-focused discussions or talks on emerging tech trends.
Tech is a fast-changing industry with lots to learn about at any given time. Talks dedicated to exploring trends in technology can be interesting and helpful for those in the industry who want to stay in the know.
50. Vision Board Session
What it is: session dedicated to setting your vision for the future.
A popular event around the first of the year could be a vision board session. Bring in some old magazines and encourage members to set their vision for the future, focusing on personal and professional growth.
51. Volunteer Days
What it is: organize team volunteer activities for community service.
Make giving back to your community fun. Organize volunteer days that align with causes your community cares about most.
52. Web Development Day
What it is: teach the basics of web development or coding.
You’ve probably heard someone say that the future is coding. Well, that is probably more true now than ever before. Organize a day to teach the basics of this essential skill to members interested in learning.
53. Weekly Sharing Circle
What it is: a safe, supportive space for members to share updates or challenges.
Sharing circles are a great way to allow members to bounce ideas off one another and collaborate on their challenges. Plus, it creates a mutually-supportive environment and might even lead to more collaboration on future initiatives.
Pro tip: Bring some light mediation and discussion questions to each session to ensure the discussion stays on track and everyone that wants to participate has the opportunity to do so.
54. Wine and Cheese Nights
What it is: a social event with wine tasting and cheese pairings.
Do you love wine and cheese? More importantly, do your members love wine and cheese? If you answered yes to both of those questions, then consider organizing a wine and cheese night for your members to connect in a low-key setting over shared bites.
55. Writing Workshops
What it is: for members to improve blog or copywriting skills.
So your members want to become better writers? Organize a writing workshop to help them learn this key skill and share their work with others.
What events work best in your space?
As you discover the events that work best for you, remember to always tailor them to your members needs, first.
What do they enjoy? How do they want to engage with their community? How often would they like these events to be held?
When you have the answers, it’ll be easier to create events that really bring your community together, enhance their member experience and, ultimately, grow your space.
Need help with promoting events in your coworking space? See how Optix Events app can support you.
