Open 2017 aims to accelerate the development of alternative organisational models to increase democracy.

The first major international event on ‘Platform cooperativism’ was held in New York in November 2015. The Open 2017: Platform Cooperatives conference aims to develop this theme within the UK.

The conference is organised by The Open Co-op LLP, a partnership between United Diversity, Focal Point Event Management and Defacto Design.

The Open Co-op was founded in 2004 with the purpose of “building a world-wide community of individuals and organisations committed to the creation of a collaborative, sustainable economy”.