After an appropriate weekend to strengthen ties between the participants and with the host city of Zadar, it was time to formalize the start of a week with a program rich in workshops, keynotes, master classes, and panels. We met on the morning of Monday, June 13 at the Hotel Bastion Cafe, in the old town of Zadar. Tanja Polegubić from Saltwater Nomads, Jan de Jong from Digital Nomads Association Croatia, and Franjo Pehar from Zadar University led the press conference.
Photo: Jose Alfonso Cussianovich/Total Croatia News
Jan de Jong used the occasion to make a balance of the great progress and success of the digital nomad visa more than a year after its introduction in the country, which started with an open letter from Jan to the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenković. Jan revealed that statistically speaking, at any given moment we have some 6,000+ digital nomads in the country, making this already a 100 million EUR industry annually for Croatia. He expressed his joy that a city with very good infrastructure is following in the footsteps of Zagreb, Dubrovnik, and Split in attracting these digital nomads.
For her part, Tanja Polegubić said that the reasons behind the Zadar Digital Nomad Week are personal, which can be evidenced in perhaps one of the most ambitious and diverse programs that have been carried out as part of the promotion of Croatia as a destination for digital nomads. Tanja also highlighted Zadar as a city that, in addition to its modernity and infrastructure, can boast of being surrounded by a lot of nature due to its proximity to national parks.
Finally, Franjo Pehar thanked the organizers for bringing this event to Zadar, considering it the most central city in Croatia due to its proximity to the capital, the northwest and the south of the country, and expressed his wish that more events take place in the city to promote it as a destination for digital nomads.
Photo: Jose Alfonso Cussianovich/Total Croatia News
After the press conference, we found ourselves at the next venue, just across the street. The Garden Lounge was the location chosen for the first panel of the Zagreb Digital Nomad Week, with a lineup that included Romana Konjevod from the Digital Nomad Association Croatia, Franjo Pehar from the University of Zadar, Jan de Jong from the Digital Nomad Association Croatia, Tanja Polegubić from Saltwater Nomads, Albert Anthony, and Josip Zurak from Authland Croatia. The panel was moderated by Marlee McCormick, one of the 10 winners of last year’s Dubrovnik Digital Nomad in Residence, and panelists shared their experiences and insights on local businesses and nomads.
Photo: Jose Alfonso Cussianovich/Total Croatia News
There is no big event in Croatia without a space to taste good wine, and that is why we went to the Fiolić winery, where in addition to trying some of its internationally renowned wines and some delicious appetizers, the attendees would be part of a masterclass offered by Marlee McCormick and her husband Jeff Burke on how to podcast like a pro. The Texans used their extensive knowledge from their radio and podcast backgrounds to deliver a great class that covered everything from conceiving an idea to creating a podcast, to the tools needed to produce it.
Photo: Jose Alfonso Cussianovich/Total Croatia News
The master class could not have been better accompanied, as Ana Fiolić from the Fiolić winery allowed the attendees to try an excellent red wine, white wine, rose and even a delicious homemade rakija.
The last venue of the date would be Code Hub Zadar, a coworking space located on the campus of the University of Zadar, where different workshops would take place. KPMG delivered an in-person speed networking tax session from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and digital nomads were able to learn more about the tax system in Croatia, and specifically for remote workers like them. An online masterclass by Maya Middlemiss followed, in which virtual attendees were able to learn a little-known side of the podcast world, on how to create one that fits the business world.
Photo: Jose Alfonso Cussianovich/Total Croatia News
Finally, the day closed at Code Hub Zadar with a LinkedIn masterclass with Mandy Fransz, one of the LinkedIn 2022 top voices, who with her co-host Emanuel Stojanov, delved into the dos and don’ts in that platform. Mandy emphasized that LinkedIn is no longer a platform solely for job searching or posting job offers, but beyond. Now, LinkedIn allows its users to connect with thousands of other users with whom they can find diverse opportunities for collaboration or even as an educational platform. Mandy, at the end of her presentation, gave attendees the opportunity to analyze their profiles to see how they can improve their ranking on the platform.
It was definitely a day that had it all: panels, networking, wines, podcast masterclasses and LinkedIn… and there was still a long way to go to get closer to the end of Zadar Digital Nomad Week.
For the latest news and features about digital nomads in Croatia, check out the dedicated TCN section.
