Our 2023 Year in Review - Part 2 | Republic of Work

Welcome to the second instalment of our year-in-review blog. Join us as we finish our trip down memory lane. In this instalment, we'll be rewinding to the latter months of 2023 and reminiscing about all the interesting experiences we had.

July

We started off July by hosting the Ireland Portugal Business Network at our venue. It was a great opportunity to learn about the incredible work they are doing to support Portuguese businesses in Ireland and vice versa. Our B2B networking event allowed participants to share their experiences and provide helpful advice. Our member's night this month was absolutely fantastic! We had a blast learning how to create our own mocktails and cocktails with the talented team from Foxglove Cocktail Company. The vibrant colours and delicious flavours left us all feeling like amateur mixologists when we left.

August 

August 9th marked International Coworking Day! We were so thrilled to celebrate this special day by opening our doors to the public for free coworking and treating everyone to an abundance of delicious donuts. It was a fantastic opportunity for people to experience the vibrant atmosphere and collaborative spirit that our coworking space offers. We decided to take our members’ night to a whole new level of creativity in August. We organized an exciting event called 'Brush & Brewskis'. It was an incredible evening where our talented team and members unleashed their inner Picasso and let their artistic talents shine. With paintbrushes in hand and a glass of their favourite brewskis, they created marvellous masterpieces on canvasses. 

September

Republic of Work had an incredible September! Our Grow Room hosted the first-ever 'Cork Meetup for Startups', and let us tell you, it was a game-changer. This much-needed platform provided an opportunity for Cork-based entrepreneurs to connect, exchange ideas, and find solutions in the most welcoming and supportive atmosphere. And guess what? These meetups have become an eagerly anticipated monthly event since September, growing in popularity with each passing month. But that's not all! We had a members’ night that took everyone on a trip down memory lane with a nostalgic 'Back to the 90s' theme. Can you imagine the sheer excitement of reliving the iconic sounds of the Spice Girls, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, No Doubt, and more? To add to the incredible experience, we even had authentic Sega Mega Drives for everyone to indulge in, transporting them back to the golden era of gaming. 

October 

In October, we had a jam-packed month filled with exciting events and collaborations! We kicked things off by attending the highly anticipated Cork Chamber Digital Marketing Awards, where we celebrated the incredible achievements of our talented marketing team. Unfortunately, we didn't leave with the winning award, but we were delighted to celebrate with everyone. Next up was our Teamwork Catalyst Cohort-5 Demo Day, where 12 innovative startups were showcased to an eager audience of investors, fellow founders and business enthusiasts. We then hosted our NDRC Pre-Accelerator Showcase, giving 20 aspiring entrepreneurs a platform to shine and present their business concepts. To top it all off, we organised a spooktacular Halloween party in aid of Jigsaw, a wonderful cause close to our hearts, and we raised over €500 euro. 

November

November met us with an amazing opportunity that we couldn't pass up! Eoin from Octane Headshots paid us a visit and captured stunning business headshots for all our members. We couldn't be happier with this fantastic perk that caters to the diverse range of professionals in our office. We also hosted our very first 2050 sustainability event, titled 'Future of Fashion: 2030 & Beyond'. This event was nothing short of super cool and incredibly interesting. The main goal of the 2050 ecosystem is to unite the broader sustainability community, offering participants the chance to collaborate on climate-focused initiatives. We achieved this through engaging workshops, thought-provoking roundtables, and an annual forum that serves as a hub for learning, uncovering synergies, and fostering groundbreaking innovations. It's amazing to see such a platform taking shape!

December

And that brings us to the present month, December! Like most, we've slowed down a little as we approach the end of the year, but of course not fully. We hosted our Winter Wonderland Christmas Party for our members. We had an amazing time and had the opportunity to connect with all the new members of our community. Our final event of the year 'eCommerce Essentials: From Launch to Growth' was a great success. This event was designed to empower local entrepreneurs, business owners, and e-commerce enthusiasts with the knowledge and tools needed to grow their e-commerce businesses. It was an incredible opportunity for everyone to learn from industry experts and gain valuable insights into the world of online business. 

That pretty much sums up everything that happened this year. And let's not forget about our growing RoW team, the remote management of our new space in Clonmel, the massive renovation in our Cork location to improve the air conditioning system (imagine running a coworking space with constant loud drilling!), and all the amazing new people we welcomed in. We truly have to be passionate about what we do to handle all these wild things, and fortunately, we are.