Getting out of home and working from WOTSO Hobart a couple of days each week has been a “game changer” for Marcus FitzGerald, who relocated to the southern capital a year ago from Melbourne, where he co-founded (and manages) thriving events business The Bite Project.
Marcus grew up in Hobart, leaving at 18 to study hotel management in the Blue Mountains, before building an events career in Sydney and Melbourne over almost two decades with the notion of potentially moving back to Tassie when he retired.
“But then our first daughter came along and my wife, who is from the UK, and I decided it would be a much better quality of life for all of us to have family around us,” Marcus explains.
“Previously I hadn’t really thought it was an option for someone working in corporate events, but the world has changed a lot. A mix of remote work plus coworking spaces and travel has made it feasible.”
The original plan was to work from home “but we’ve got a toddler so we decided it would be best to have a couple of days at a coworking space, especially for the day where I’m on regular team and client calls”.
Connecting with the Tasmanian business community was another key consideration.
“I found myself feeling like I was in a bit of a bubble at home, and it was great when I headed to Melbourne to see the team, but I felt the need to mix up my week and create some separation between home and work in the weeks that I was not travelling.”
So, after researching the city’s best coworking options, Marcus landed at WOTSO in the Hobart CBD, close to Parliament House, Salamanca Place and Battery Point.
“I love it – straight away I felt the warmth and connection,” Marcus says.
“A big part is the conversations you have – there’s such an eclectic mix of people, it’s quite fascinating to talk with other small business owners and freelancers from a range of industries.”
Marcus commutes to Melbourne every two or three weeks for client meetings, site inspections and corporate events managed by The Bite Project, recently nominated for ‘Corporate Event Agency of the Year’ at the 2025 Australian Event Awards.
Founded almost five years ago, The Bite Project now has a full time staff of eight.
“It was a big decision to move away from the team, one which my co-founder fully supported, and the onus is on me to keep that connection,” says Marcus.
“Making sure I stay connected to the team is so important for the business – you just can’t replace in-person time and the incidental moments, like having lunch or catching up socially.”
The business is growing, with large clients such as Atlassian, Jeep, Toll Group, BAE Systems and Vanguard.
He says technology has changed how and where many businesses and their employees work, which means bringing staff together has never been more important.
