Freelance Weekend 2018
A 3 day unconference in the mountains, excellent connections and the best way to learn from others
When
4th to 6th May 2018 - the whole weekend
Where
Coworking Bansko
A home for nomads, freelancers and location independent entrepreneurs
Limit to 30 tickets, get one before they are gone!
Register NowFor three days,
we cover all aspects to be more successful at freelancing
Regardless if you just getting started or already freelance for a long time, most freelancers deal with the same topics again and again like: How do I find new customers? How can I be more effective and productive? How can I work with others to get involved in bigger projects? How can I balance shifting workloads? Which tools should I use? And many other topics.
At the Freelance Weekend unconference we help you to discuss these and other topics with other freelancers and learn from them how they deal with the ever changing demands of the freelance business.
Our event is a mix of formal and informal sessions that are driven by participants and best practice examples. Of course there will also be plenty of time to connect with the participants on a personal level and have fun together in the inspiring mountain resort of Bansko.
How to get started
Leaving a safe job to start your own freelance business can be daunting. Learn from others that already did the first step on how they overcame the initial challenges. Freelancing is not so hard when you follow some best practices
Increase your income
Finding well paying customers and retaining them for follow up projects is probably the most important aspect of a successful freelancing business. We will share ideas and experiences to help you grow your business.
Tools and technologies
Are you using the right tools and processes to increase your productivity and make your customers happy? You will learn about the best solutions for promotion, time management, invoicing, issue tracking, prototyping and many more.
Topics
We cover lots of different aspects of Freelancing and Remote Work
Most important: Learn from others
How to make money with freelancing: Promotion, Pricing, Positioning, Platforms
We all love what we do and are quite passionate about our work. But how do we convince customers to trust us with their projects?
This is an unconference. Share your experiences with other freelancers and learn from them. Maybe even find someone with complementary skills, so that you can get offer larger projects to bigger customers.
Design
& Creatives
Ideas into products
Promote your portfolio, use prototyping and collaboration tools to discuss your work and scale your services
Software
Development
The highest rates
Working in remote teams and on ever changing requirements to build scalable solutions.
Content
Creation
PR, Writing and Journalism
Helping customers to communicate their message to customers.
Virtual
Assistants
The hero in the background
Supporting a huge range of tasks and a master of all trades.
Sales
& Marketing
Bringing home the money
Help companies to position and promote their products to increase revenue
Location
Independence
Working from anywhere
Built your business in a way that allows you to work remote.
Customer
Service
Dealing with questions
Ensuring a positive customer experience even when things go wrong.
Teaching
& Consulting
Sharing your knowledge
helping others to learn a new skill or to improve their knwoledge
Event Schedule
packed with high quality and lots of fun
Registration opens
Coffee and small snacks available.
Coworking Jelly
get to know early arrivals and enjoy the coworking space
Checkin for your accommodation
Zasheva House or similiar
Drop off your bags at the guesthouse and maybe have a quick shower after your travels
Lunch Break
We order some pizza for everyone in the coworking space or walk to a nearby lunch place
KEYNOTE
Thalassa van Beek is sharing her personal freelance story and experiences on how to kickstart your freelance business
Banski Han
We will enjoy a delicious meal in one of our favorite restaurants in Bansko. Lots of meat, but of course also healthy vegetarian choices to tickle your taste buds.
Coffee & Snacks at Family Cafe (next door)
Welcome and introductions
Matthias
How we ended up in Bansko and why it could be interesting for your freelance businesses.
Session Planning
Unconference Sessions
Share and learn. Exact session schedule to be confirmed during session planning
The unconference format creates space for peer-to-peer learning, collaboration and creativity.
At the start, the whole group will gather together and be guided through creating an agenda using open space technology. The exact process is not important to understand in advance – the process will become clear as it happens. The important part is that all those gathered will have the opportunity to put conference sessions on the agenda. No session will be voted off or ‘won’t happen’ for some other reason. All sessions are welcome.
The sessions convened will range from the formal to the informal:
From the well thought out pre-prepared talk reflecting years of research and practice to the spur of the moment ‘new idea’ that would be fun to talk about.
From the demonstration of a working tool to the whiteboarding of something completely new.
If this is your first unconference: Here is a great overview of the format: Unconferences: How to Tap into the Power Of Your People
Lunch at Momini Dvori
Quick lunch to recharge our energy levels
Unconference Sessions
6 additional slots to share, discuss and learn about topics that interest you.
Unconference Sessions Wrap-Up
What did we learn in the multiple sessions today? Each session owner gives a quick summary.
BBQ on our patio
We will have a sumptuous feast on our outdoor patio and share a wine or two.
Coffee & Snacks at the Family Cafe (next door)
Panel: How to move your Business to Bansko
We have invited an accountant and lawyer as well as some of the Coworking Bansko members to share their insights into the advantages and practical steps to move your freelance business to Bansko or Bulgaria.
Showtime
Everyone has 5 minutes to present their services and success stories. Bring a short slide deck, show your website or freestyle it. This is a great opportunity to showcase your work and make business connections with the other participants. Often larger projects require the collaboration of multiple freelancers, so this is your opportunity to find partners for your next projects.
Lunch at Taverna Opa
Before everyone goes home, we will share a final meal at yet another amazing restaurant in Bansko.
(Optional) Relax in the natural hot springs of Banya
If you are still in Bansko at the end of the weekend, then we offer to join the organizer team to soak in the nearby hot springs of Banya. A great way to recover some energy. (10 lev entrance plus transportation)
Why is this conference for you?
Stay Ahead of the curve
What do other freelancers do to be successful? Often it is not only about the skills in your profession, but also about how to run a growing freelance business. Marketing your skills, using the best tools and having the right processes in place often make a big difference.
Find new ways of thinking and problem-solving
Freelaning is great, but one of the disadvantages is that you are often workign alone. Together we will be able to gain new perspectives and insights.
Networking opportunities
To be able to win bigger projects, you need partners with complementary skills. At Freelance weekend you will be able to meet them.
Strengthen Your Skills
Attend one of the workshops on Sunday to get introduced to new tools, learn new skills and broaden your protfolio.
The Sisters have described their experience at one of our past unconferences on their blog. Check it out if you are still undecided: What’s an unconference and why you totally need it in your life
Pricing & Registration
Only 30 available seats Get your conference tickets early.
We <3 freelancers and entrepreneurs, this is why we invite you to meet other freelancers to network and share experiences to our home in Bansko. We like to make meaningful connections during our events and this gets harder if there are to many people, so please register early to ensure that you have a ticket before all seats are taken.
Amazing experience guaranteed! If you feel for any reason that this event didn't live up to your expectations, we will refund your ticket - no questions asked.
Everyone is welcome - if money is tight please message us and we will find a way to make it easier to attend!
Fill out your information
If you like to extend your stay in Bansko for a week, we are happy to provide a special coworking & accommodation package for €100 (guesthouse) or stay a whole month for €300.
Please msg us after registration and we will set you up :-)
If you would like to attend the event, but money is an issue, please message Irina. We are looking for 1-2 volunteers that help us to promote and run the event in exchange for a free ticket.
There are no refunds, but you can request a name change for your ticket. We have a code of conduct and an anti-harrassment policy. So far nobody violated it at any of our events and we aim to keep it that way.
€111
Late Bird after April 15
This is a great deal. It includes the unconference, tasty food (2x morning snacks, 2xlunch, 2x dinner), the Sunday workshop and 2 nights shared accommodation in a local guesthouse. Single room upgrade €25.
€149
Regular Ticket after May 2nd
A good value for everyone. It includes the unconference, tasty food (2x morning snacks, 2xlunch, 2x dinner), the Sunday workshop and 2 nights shared accommodation in a local guesthouse. Single room upgrade €25.
€199
Comfort Ticket
Stay in a nice hotel: It includes the unconference, tasty food (2x morning snacks, 2xlunch, 2x dinner), the Sunday workshop and private accommodation in a nearby hotel
€50
Local Ticket
If you do not need accommodation.
It includes the unconference, tasty food (2x morning snacks, 2xlunch, 2x dinner), and the Sunday workshop
Sponsors & Partners
Interested in becoming a sponsor or to present your software/platform? Get in touch
Location and Venue
area full of great hotels and restaurants.
Spend three inspiring days in the Bansko, the mountain capital of the Balkans. This cozy village is full of history, large mountains and a growing community of location independent freelancers and entrepreneurs.
Venue
Coworking Bansko
Toma Vishanov 2 & 6
Bansko, 2770 - Bulgaria
accommodation
We will book a (shared) room for you in a nearby local guest house:
Additional details
We will be in touch with you after registration to coordinate your arrival, deal with any room preferences or upgrades and answer any questions you might have. There is also a private Facebook group for everyone that you will get access to.
Also if you want to stay longer, either before or after the conference, we can recommend suitable accommodation.
To get to Bansko, please check Ryanair and Wizzair for cheap flight to Sofia. Hoppa offers easy airport transfers and there is also a public bus from Sofia
