Where Are the Decision Makers?

Why Politicians and Business Leaders Should Attend Bansko Nomad Fest 2025 – and What They’re Missing

Once again, I’ve packed my bag and made my way to Bansko, this small Bulgarian mountain village that, for one week, transforms into the epicenter of the digital nomad world. Here, hundreds—sometimes thousands—of people from every corner of the globe gather: entrepreneurs, freelancers, creatives, developers, global adventurers, and visionaries. They’re here to explore, share experiences, and shape the future—their own, and, I’d argue, the world’s.

But despite the festival’s abundance of optimism and practical innovation, one thing is glaringly absent. The decision makers—the ones who govern, influence, and often have the final say in how our society develops—are nowhere to be seen. Where are the politicians, public officials, business executives, and CEOs of major companies? Where are those who claim they want to understand the future?

Digital Nomads – Pioneers Without Recognition

It’s difficult to overstate the significance of what’s happening in Bansko and similar places. Here, the future of work is being tested; businesses are born global, flexible, and digital from day one. Generations, nationalities, and disciplines mix freely. The changes happening here are already affecting the labor market, cities, real estate, education systems—in fact, the very concept of life and career as we know it.

Yet, in Sweden and much of Europe, digital nomads are still viewed as curiosities, a hippie trend, or an eccentric hobby for privileged millennial travelers. The truth, however, is that many here are pioneers in a world where the borders between work, living, and freedom have already faded. They’re creating systems, companies, and collaborations that challenge traditional ways of thinking about the economy and society.

When Decision Makers Are Absent

So why are decision makers missing? It’s easy to blame disinterest, ignorance, or the sense that “this isn’t for us.” But in reality, it goes deeper: a fear of the unknown, an unwillingness to let go of old power structures, and a reluctance to step outside one’s comfort zone.

I’ve spoken to many attendees at the festival, and the same reflection comes up again and again: “If only politicians and business leaders could see what’s happening here. They’d realize that much of their talk about innovation, digitalization, and the future of work is just empty words—while the real work is happening here and now, right outside their window.”

Conferences for the “Already Converted”

Sure, there are plenty of conferences about the future of work, innovation, and digitalization. But who attends these conferences? Usually, it’s the same people who already “get it”—consultants, IT entrepreneurs, maybe a communications officer with “future responsibility” in their title. The real decision makers—the ones with the budget, mandate, and power—rarely step outside their usual circles. Instead, they flock to Almedalen, the World Economic Forum, or similar events where the conversations are polished, the panels predictable, and nobody is ever truly challenged.

In Bansko, it’s different. Here, real questions are on the agenda—and here, real solutions are found. There’s open talk about failures, mental health, the dark sides of work, the opportunities and challenges of AI, labor law, and what “freedom” truly means. People experiment, build prototypes, fail, and start over—in a constant cycle of iteration where boundaries are blurred.

What Are They Missing Out On?

So what are politicians, public agencies, and business leaders missing by staying home? Here are some insights they could gain by actually being present:

1. A Direct Channel to Tomorrow’s Workforce
   Digital nomads are tomorrow’s specialists, project managers, entrepreneurs—and sometimes even future community leaders. Understanding what motivates, scares, and attracts this group is crucial for shaping attractive workplaces and communities.

2. True Insights Into Digitalization
   Many companies and politicians talk about “digital transformation”—but often, they mean new IT systems or Teams meetings. In Bansko, you see what true digitalization means: real-time global collaboration, service automation, AI in practice, and genuinely flexible workflows.

3. A Glimpse Into New Social Models
   From co-living and co-working to the sharing economy and international taxation—nomad life puts pressure on outdated laws and regulations. Those who participate in the conversation can help shape future rules and systems, instead of just reacting to them later.

4. An Understanding of Real Innovation
   Innovation isn’t just about creating a new app or tool—it’s about changing behaviors, structures, and values. That happens here, among ordinary people who test, rebuild, fail, and try again.

5. A Network Outside the Comfort Zone
   When decision makers dare to leave their usual environments and enter spaces where real change is happening, they build relationships with people who think differently. It’s in these unexpected meetings that truly groundbreaking ideas are born.

International Events You Should Attend – If You Lead, Govern, or Shape the Future

Bansko Nomad Fest is just one of several global meeting points for the future of work. Here are some other world events where CEOs, politicians, and decision makers should participate—not as speakers, but as listeners and participants:

• Remote Work Summit (USA, India, and more):
  The world’s leading conference on remote work, AI, and the future workplace.

• Running Remote (Austin, Texas & Lisbon, Portugal):
  Focused on leadership and organizational development for distributed teams—with real case studies from companies already living it.

• Nomad City (Las Palmas, Canary Islands):
  A European hub for innovators, companies, and community builders around digital nomadism and sustainable development.

• Coworking Europe Conference (rotating locations in Europe):
  Meeting place for urban developers, decision makers, real estate companies, and coworking pioneers.

• South by Southwest (Austin, Texas):
  Perhaps the world’s most important festival for technology, entrepreneurship, creativity, and societal trends.

• Digital Nomad Festival (Bali, Indonesia):
  Where some of the world’s most innovative thinkers on freedom, remote work, and future business models meet.

There’s no excuse not to go. And yet—it’s still mostly “the already converted” who attend.

Highlights From Bansko Nomad Fest 2025

What could decision makers and CEOs have learned at this year’s Bansko Nomad Fest? Here are some of the most talked-about sessions and speakers from the main stage:

• Nomad-Ready Google Ads: Building a Personal Brand That Sells (Even While You Travel):
  How to build a global personal brand online—insights from people actually living it.

• From Boring to Breathtaking: How to Create Real Estate Content That Sells:
  Digital transformation of the real estate sector—showing that even “old economy” industries are changing.

• I Helped Generate 40+ Billion Organic Views – What Did I Learn?:
  On virality, AI, and creativity in the new attention economy.

• Demystifying Who Digital Nomads Really Are – and How the World Is Adapting (Panel):
  A panel on who nomads really are, how they are transforming local communities, and why they are the workforce of the future.

• 3 Quick and Easy Hacks to Tune Your Business Numbers:
  Efficiency, AI, and automation for SMEs—directly applicable for business leaders.

Plus workshops, roundtables, and spontaneous meetings about AI, health, psychology, networking, leadership, investing, and how to build sustainable global businesses—all in an informal, open environment.

“We Talk About AI Taking Our Jobs – Be Here to Understand!”

Perhaps the greatest misconception among today’s decision makers is that “digital nomads,” AI, and remote work are peripheral, affecting others but not themselves. This is a dangerous naivety.

Consider AI: Right now, a global shift is underway where AI is already integrated into workflows, decision-making, and business development. At this year’s festival, participants could join talks and discussions on:

• How AI is changing recruitment and corporate culture.

• Automation of everything from customer service to content creation.

• Practical AI tools already used by small startups and global companies alike—without waiting for some “future reform.”

• Risks and opportunities with AI, from both human and business perspectives.

• Ethical dilemmas: What happens when AI gets so good that you can’t tell if your next meeting, report, or investment proposal was created by a human or a machine?

If you want to really understand what happens when AI takes over—step into reality, not just another distant panel.

An Open Letter to Decision Makers

So, dear decision makers—why do you remain in your offices, watching the future through the rearview mirror? Why don’t you dare to be where the action is? Here’s some advice from someone who’s in the middle of the change:

1. Come here and listen!
   Book a flight to Sofia, take the train or bus to Bansko, and participate—not as a speaker on stage, but as a participant. Listen, learn, and dare to ask questions.

2. Dare to be challenged!
   Let go of your titles, prestige, and ready-made answers. In Bansko, you’ll hear things you’ll never get in your office “break rooms.”

3. Take insights home
   The best ideas emerge when different worlds meet. Bring back perspectives, solutions, and maybe even new collaborations to your own organizations.

4. Be part of the movement
   The future isn’t created at headquarters—it’s created where people meet. Be a part of this—that’s where true leadership lies.

Bansko – More Than a Festival

Bansko Nomad Fest isn’t just a festival—it’s a living laboratory for new ideas and ways to live and work. It’s a place where failure is valued as much as success, where experiences are shared over a drink, and where you meet people already living what others only dare dream of.

Let me end with a personal reflection:
It’s easy to sit at home and criticize what you don’t understand. It’s harder, but so much more rewarding, to step out of your comfort zone and meet the future head-on. When I see decision makers, politicians, and business leaders miss the chance to understand—not just through reports and statistics, but through real conversations and experiences—it frustrates me. Because what is leadership if not being first on the scene where change is happening?

So next time you’re invited to Bansko Nomad Fest—or any of the international events above—I hope more decision makers have the courage to actually show up. Otherwise, those who govern our societies will continue to make decisions about a world they’ve never truly set foot in.

For the rest of us, the conversations, networking, and experimentation continue. The future doesn’t wait for anyone’s approval—it happens here and now. The only question is whether the people in power will ever catch up.