Lokrum, Dubrovnik's Island Conference Pearl for Work. Place. Culture.

All the World’s a Stage, said Shakespeare. But I wonder how The Bard would have rated Dubrovnik on that stage?

Although I have visited the city many times, the Work. Place. Culture. conference earlier this month showcased the city in a new light for me, adding yet one more competitive advantage to this magical destination already blessed with extraordinary history, heritage, beauty and personality. The event design and venue selection by organiser Saltwater Nomads, brought an extra dimension to the conference.

The conference (a collaboration between the City of Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik Tourist Board, Saltwater Nomads, Total Croatia News, Digital Nomad Association Croatia, and Dubrovacka Bastina), which brought together leading voices and destinations in the world of remote work, was based in the former quarantine quarters of Lazareti, conveniently located a few metres from the historic old town and Banje beach. But the dynamic and enterprising programme took advantage of the fabulous surroundings to showcase the magic and diversity, demonstrating that a Dubrovnik conference offers much more than the presentations between four walls.

From the opening welcome at Sponza Palace (sponsored by the Croatian National Tourist Board) to a keynote speech on the UNSECO Old Town walls, panel at Banje beach, and pre-dinner cruise on a 16th-century wooden sailboat, the surroundings provided as much stimulation as the excellent speakers. But Day 3 promised to be even more special – workshops at one of the very finest places in all Croatia and a veritable jewel in Dubrovnik’s tourism armoury – the island of Lokrum.

As if Dubrovnik did not have it all already, a short 10-minute boat ride on a fully-renovated 50-year-old wooden boat took participants to what is the second most popular attraction after the historic walls. And yet it never seems to be overcrowded.

Easily the cleanest island I have come across in Croatia (I have never seen any rubbish there), Lokrum is a haven for those escaping the crowds escaping the city (the trip was sponsored by Lokrum Nature Park), but with plenty to offer visitors, including the most peaceful and picturesque workshop locations, as Yvette Pelgrom of Lifebook discovered as we went to scour a location. Where else in the world could you hold a workshop in the cloister of a monastery turned Game of Thrones filming location, with strutting peacocks providing an audio backdrop just metres from an original GoT iron throne? I asked Yvette how it had been for her:

“I was really honoured to host a session on “How to Consciously Design Your Work & Life” on the dreamy island Lokrum. During this session, I guided them through a powerful framework which has been successfully proven to change lives of hundreds worldwide. This got them to unravel core beliefs that guide (and sabotage) their current choices and lifestyle, in order to craft their practical strategies on aspects like career and health.

“It was really beautiful to experience their proactiveness and how participants, now still days after, are reflecting and acting on it. Mission accomplished! And what a memory altogether given this was hosted at Lokrum Island. Picture stunning botanical gardens, crystal clear water and peacocks around! The island definitely did its magic, too. Lokrum was one of many outstanding highlights for me and when you visit/stay here, the perfect getaway to retreat for walks, strolls, reading, swims and leisurely sunbathing.”

There are no cars on Lokrum, no inhabitants (save two firemen from Lokrum Fire Brigade), and smoking and plastic are banned. The botanical gardens are a delight, and Dubrovnik schools often hold classes out in the open on Lokrum. As do – increasingly – conferences such as Work. Place. Culture. I asked Yvette how the conference had been for her.

“Inspired! My impression in one word. I myself am highly conscious of how I design life and work, greatly as I was raised and worked across the globe. At the conference however I got to connect with many – who blew me away with inspirational examples within this realm of flexible working and living. I left excited having met peers in the same industry, connecting with other leaders who prioritise wellbeing and freedom while investing devotedly in their talent, – and all the way to connecting with millennials with a curious hunger to explore all corners of the world while making an impact.

“Moreover, the talks gave valuable insights on new advancements around remote working, sustainability around travel and DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging). And… it was fun! A dynamic schedule from talks, sunset dinners, boat trip and being shown around in special Dubrovnik on the walls where Games of Thrones were filmed. Time flew!”

After lunch on the island, it was the turn of Mandy Fransz, one of LinkedIn’s top 10 voices on remote work, to lead the afternoon session:

“After opening the Work. Place Culture. conference with my keynote “How To Work Remotely & Travel As A (Part-Time) Digital Nomad” I was honored to end the conference with the final session about “How To Build Your Personal Brand on LinkedIn” on beautiful Lokrum island — a Game of Thrones venue! During this session, I shared my top tips about how to optimize your profile to truly showcase your authentic, online personal brand to attract your dream (remote) business opportunities. (pssst… download your free LinkedIn Banner Image template here to get started!).

“Lokrum is truly a magical place with a botanical garden surrounded by nothing but nature, the ocean, and the beautiful (and, loud!) peacocks. It’d definitely a must-visit when you’re in Dubrovnik and a perfect way to escape the hustle and bustle — it’s been a fantastic experience hosting a session here!”

The session over, participants went off to explore the island before heading back to the city for a farewell dinner. And there is plenty of heritage to explore. Dubrovnik is the birthplace of quarantine, and the remnants of a large quarantine complex (100m x 100m) can still be visited today. It is also the island where King Richard the Lionheart took shelter from a savage storm, vowing to build a church at the location which saved him – the church he donated was the pre-cursor to the current Dubrovnik Cathedral.

Others headed for a swim at Lokrum’s very own Dead Sea, once a cave but still very much part of the Adriatic Sea. Mandy also reflected on the last few days at Work. Place. Culture:

“I absolutely loved the overall conference — from the stunning event venues including Lazareti (see photo below) and Lokrum island, the fun activities including a Karaka sunset tour and “Netwallking” the Dubrovnik Walls, and of course the world-class line-up of speakers full of interesting keynotes, workshops and panel discussions with topics ranging from wellbeing, sustainability, and DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging). It’s been an honor to have been a part of this event and to finally meet many industry peers and (virtual) friends in-person — I already can’t wait for next year’s event!”

While the conference has now finished, both Mandy and Yvette are still in Dubrovnik, currently enjoying the role of Digital Nomad Ambassadors for Dubrovnik and Korcula (a programme designed and run by Saltwater Nomads), a role they are clearly enjoying:

“I’m honored to spend the next couple of weeks exploring the digital nomad lifestyle in beautiful Dubrovnik and Korcula as an Ambassador,” said Mandy. “I am currently writing this from our wonderful home office set-up at our big, sunny terrace with a breathtaking view across Old Town and Lokrum Island. We start our days doing a workout at sunrise, do a couple of deep-dive focus hours, and then we’ll go for a dip in the sea or a walk outside during lunch break and after work.

(Mandy with conference organiser, Tanja Polegubic, CEO of Saltwater Nomads at Lazareti)

“For the next few weeks, we’ll host a few events to bring together the digital nomad community and collaborate with co-working spaces such as Lazareti (yes, you can even work from there!) to help take the remote work lifestyle to the next level as I truly believe that Dubrovnik has the potential to become one of the most popular destinations for digital nomads and remote workers worldwide.”

Yvette was also clearly excited, and with a little gift for anyone interested:

“It is such a gift to experience and contribute as Ambassador to the digital nomad scene in Dubrovnik and Korcula, sunny Croatia. We are making the most out of it, read: early wakeups, workouts with ocean view and the sun rising as it shines first on Old Town, power hours of working, sea dips to refresh, and candlelight dinners with the tasty catch of the day in the authentic alley streets in Old Town or overviewing the sea.

“And those around, stay tuned – we’re hosting events in the next ~3 weeks to connect digital nomads and locals, for leisure and business. My upcoming session on Work/Life Design will be this Friday, May 20th, at 15:00 PM. I’ll be passionately facilitating as Coach & Trainer with another aspect around Work/Life Design. Usually $1200+ but now as no-cost gift (YES!) as a humble way to contribute as Ambassador and bring together like-minded peers. I am being received with open arms so this is the least I can do! Limited spots though as it is interactive – please RSVP as soon as possible – connect on Instagram / LinkedIn / email to [email protected]. That said, curious but not around?

“My door is open to share about digital nomad life, to connect deeper around things like Life/Leadership/Mindset Coaching or… to have you join one of the upcoming wellness & personal development retreats in 2022 in London/Amsterdam/Lisbon!”

So what do you say, Mr. Shakespeare: if all the world is a stage, would Dubrovnik and Lokrum take centre stage? Learn more about idyllic Lokrum on my first visit a few years ago.

And there the Work. Place. Culture. conference might have ended, had the energy not been so positive. Energised by the Lokrum experience, conference speaker Dr. Irene Cop offered to hold an extra session the following day over brunch back in Dubrovnik. In Irene’s own words:

“It was such a pleasure to lead a brunch workshop on SOS Tools for Success Over Stress at the Work. Place. Culture. Conference in Dubrovnik. You can’t beat transformation, great people and wonderful food for the the perfect recipe of an awesome day!

So many digital nomads and remote workers (and those who want to be part of the Great Resignation) are still feeling lonely, stressed and miserable.

Perhaps they’d thought that, if they could just make this switch to a freer lifestyle, then they’d be happy.

The thing is that success, happiness, and freedom are inside jobs first.

Why?

You can’t be stressed and in success mode too.

So, the first crucial step that most people miss is to use fast, easy, powerful SOS tools to shift out of survival mode.

Only then can you think logically, come up with the creative solutions needed, and act on them to succeed.

Throughout our hands-on session, everyone learned several SOS tools to make them feel calm, cool, and collected in times of crisis.

It was the perfect complement to the other amazing sessions that showed the conference participants how to create a powerful vision of the life they wanted, and then practical ways to take action and make that vision reality.

I learned so much from attending the different sessions myself, and I was jazzed to be able to add value to such a phenomenal conference!”

For more information about Work. Place. Culture. in Dubrovnik, visit the official website.

For an overview of the opening from Sponza Palace.

Day 1: Dubrovnik Connects as Global Remote Workers Bond at Work. Place. Culture

Day 2: Dubrovnik Showcases Its Credentials, as Nomad Trails Head East in Europe

For more news and features on digital nomads in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section.