“Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come to the OuiShare London Summit and change the world?”

“Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come to the OuiShare London Summit and change the world?”

I’d like to be cooooooler but I am over the moon about the OuiShare London Summit next week in, er, London.

There are over 100 people coming from across Europe to hangout for a few days Echo, 90 Mainyard and Work Hubs.

We will plan, talk, Scrum, argue, hug, eat, write, film, blog, photograph, explore, walk, cry, challenge, laugh, eat some more, cowork – ok I think you get the picture.

This is hot on the heels of the Copass Camp in Lisbon for the European Coworking event.

What is the summit?

OuiShare has this MAD way of working where everyone involved gets together every six months to decide what we are going to do, this is my 3rd time at one and suddenly in a burst of YAHOO! Elena and I were running it! Luckily we always carry a co-working space so we were ok. It looks easy and I hope it looks effortless, it was and it was not.

As I sit here and write this it is Sunday and I am adding this finishing touches to the plan for next week. Don’t be impressed by my ‘working on Sunday’ Elena has saved the day several times and day for the last few weeks. if you have ever worked or been married with me you will know I am AMAZING at ideas, talking, laughing and making connections and crap at finishing things. Elena is like the ‘Harvey Keitel’ of event organisation and community.

All the details are on the site but here is the “Skinny” on the week ahead. (See links above to book)

Wednesday people start to arrive so we are having a very unofficial ‘Bring and Share’ breakfast at 90 Mainyard. Then I am going to hide at my desk. Join in Below:

Thursday Day is ‘connectors training’ hosted by Economy of Hours at their home in London Legacy offices in Stratford. There are now 30 connectors in the OuiShare community and they are people like me (most are MUCH smarter than me) who ‘make stuff happen’ in their city, they also run research projects, events and consult – over all they connect people and ideas. I am REALLY looking forward to Doug Shaw coming in for a few hours to work his magic on the day!

After this we’ll all bomb down to Central Working in White Chapel for the ‘public kick off event’, already there are 100+ people heading for a tiny bar and people still need to sign up! If you ever went to one of my Late Late Breakfast Show events it is like that but will be a OuiShare Radio Live! Event. Because I am hoping to record it and podcast it ASAP!

The mic situation might not work – but hey – who knows SUGGESTIONS WELCOME.

What next?

Friday and Saturday are the main Summit days you are welcome to attend, heads up this is how it works!

For two days in a Bar Camp / Un-conference / community debate format the OuiShare community will decide what to do for the next six months.

You are welcome to watch and if you want to be involved you are very welcome. However, this is a decision making process so if you are a fan of turning up to things shouting and being all enthusiastic and then quickly moving onto something else please just come and watch.

It is worth pointing out that this is the sixth OuiShare Summit and from the last five have come projects – the best known is the OuiShare Fest and the community decides as a whole. We like to talk about each point in depth and even I have to nap in the corner at some stage in the process.

In fact it is fucking agonising for someone like me that can’t sit still and is impetuous about most things in life. It would be much easier to shout at everyone and make them do stuff. However, this is not how a community develops together and people shouting at other people without asking their opinion or permission is why the economy and society is such a load of turmoil and imbalance.

Saturday you can join us at the Verge Bar on Brick Lane, run by my mate Mark this has been the meeting point for many Cocktails and Shenanigans over the last 10 years and I really looking for forward to having the whole OuiShare world in the bar – we will be there from 7pm – 1am and CoPass are buying the Pizza! Come on down!

Monday – Come and say hi at Work Hubs where we’ll be doing an open wrap up of the Summit and handing out lost property. This is a great place to meet and follow up before you head home. Work Hubs is one stop from the Euro Star at St. Pancras!

Tuesday – London OuiShare Un-conference – I was making this up as I went along along and luckily Elena pulled in Elena and Francesco to make it happen. The over all goal is to ‘defragment and connect’ the London OuiShare community and the Sharing / Collaborative community in London.

Tuesday’s event is one of the most important days of the Summit for the London Community. (I’ll update this section later in the week with firm details) You are welcome to register!

We are nearly out of time for round tables, panel discussions, photo opportunities, kissing the arse of people in the Houses for Parliament while we sip Champagne and flap about austerity.

Before the #Sharingeconomy becomes the “Cool Britannia” of our era we need to connect in our coworking spaces and companies.

For me change does not happen in reading endless reports by the same people then quoting those reports at the next panel with the same people.

It happens in people DOING THINGS like Copass, Economy of Hours and Grub Club, 3Space, Lift Share and the amazing Food Assembly and many more.