Unreasonable Connection Live! The London Coworking Assembly Forum
The System is Failing. We Don't Have To.
You're running yourself into the ground.
I know this because I see it every month at our gatherings. You're the cleaner at 8 AM. The therapist at lunch. The CEO at midnight, answering emails you should have answered yesterday.
You've cut every cost. You've cancelled the cleaner. You're doing the boiler yourself now.
And still, the margins get thinner.
Rents rise. Energy bills climb. Business Rates letters land on your desk like little grenades. You dread the day the government's proposed changes become law, turning a tough situation into an impossible one.
Here's what I need you to hear: This is not your fault.
You're not failing. The system is designed to squeeze you.
On February 24th, we're going to stop running. We're going to stop fighting alone.
We're going to start organising.
This Isn't a Conference. It's a Day of Work.
Forget what you know about industry events.
No boring panels. No sales pitches. No sitting silently in rows whilst someone tells you about "the future of work."
This is a one-day engine room for 150 of London's most resilient operators, community builders, and local authority allies.
We're gathering to do the work. To build a united front. To create a playbook for survival and growth that actually works in the real world—not in a LinkedIn post.
At our January gathering, one of you said: "I think we should be a movement."
We agree.
You Won't Be Listening. You'll Be Working.
From the moment you arrive at 9:30 AM for coffee, you're not a passive attendee. You're a participant.
At 10:00 AM sharp, we begin.
You'll get your wristband and join your crew for the day—a small, dedicated group you'll work with from start to finish. Not strangers passing business cards. Actual people you'll solve actual problems with.
This isn't a day of watching others talk from a stage.
This is a day of rolling up your sleeves and talking to each other. We'll guide you and your crew through a series of structured working sessions designed to tackle the biggest issues we're all facing.
We'll build the day's priorities together, based on the real-world fires you're fighting right now.
Not the theoretical ones. The actual ones.
The rates bill you're dreading. The retrofit you can't afford. The member who's struggling and you don't know how to help without burning yourself out.
You'll spend the day in conversation, in collaboration, and in search of concrete solutions.
By the time we wrap up the formal day at 5:00 PM, you'll have a new support network, a clearer strategy, and a tangible action plan.
What You'll Leave With
A Peer Network That Gets It
A crew of fellow operators you can call on for advice and support long after the event is over.
Not the LinkedIn kind of network. The kind where you can text someone at 10 PM and say, "My boiler's gone again, who did you use?" and they actually text you back.
A Practical Playbook
Real, actionable solutions to your most pressing problems, co-created with people who've already faced them.
Not "five trends to watch." Not "thought leadership."
Solutions that work on Tuesday morning when the internet goes down and a member's crying in the kitchen.
A Unified Voice
The start of a coordinated movement to advocate for our sector with local authorities and MPs.
Starting with the fight against the proposed Business Rates changes that could close half the independent spaces in London.
This isn't just about saving your business. It's about proving we're civic infrastructure, not just landlords with better coffee.
After Hours
The formal day ends at 5:00 PM.
But if you want to stay, we'll keep the space open until 6:00 PM for informal conversation, connections, and the kind of problem-solving that happens when the structure comes off.
Some of the best ideas come from the people who stick around.
Who This Is For
The Independent Operator
You're in the trenches. You're unclogging toilets AND doing the P&L. You want validation that your struggle is systemic, not personal failure.
The Community Manager
You're the emotional safety net for your members, but no one's supporting you. You're at burnout risk and you need strategies that actually work.
The Local Authority
You have a budget to "save the high street," but the traditional methods aren't working. You need real partners who are actually in the buildings, doing the work.
💚Bernie J. Mitchell
Producer, London Coworking Assembly