GCUC Blog

Top 5 Trends for Coworking in 2015

By Liz Elam On January 8, 2015 In Coworking•Community•Coworking Trends

Trend #1: Current Coworking operators will supply the majority of the explosive growth in the market.

This isn’t anything new, but just a continuation of what Emergent Research presented in 2014. If you want to see explosive growth just take a look at WeWork.

coworking growth — Selection of the annual “Coworking By the Numbers” presentation first released by Emergent Research at GCUC 2014.

Trend #2: It will rain money.

Thanks to WeWork being valued at 5 billion dollars last fall, investors are not just sitting up and taking notice, they’re pursuing Coworking operators. Get your books in order and get your share!

WeWork-Meatpacking-Large-Office — Image of WeWork’s Meatpacking District location in NYC. They now have over 35 locations in 13 cities with plenty more growth to come in 2015.

Trend #3: Specialization will continue to thrive.

Coworking spaces will continue to narrow their focus as the market grows. We’re seeing spaces for knitting, government contracting, medical and marijuana!

eastern foundry ribbon cutting — Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) (third from left), Eastern Foundry CEO Geoff Orazem (center) and Mitchell Schear, President of Vornado/CES (second from right) in a ribbon cutting ceremony for the DC region’s first coworking space and incubator focused on small businesses and startups in the $500B government contracting market.

Trend #4: Coworking in new physical locations.

We’re beginning to see what is the start of coworking popping up in non traditional locations such as retail centers, gyms, apartment buildings, schools, libraries and a variety of other spaces that aren’t a downtown office building.

201 E. Jefferson St. Syracuse — A view of 201 E. Jefferson St., a new coworking/co-living concept in downtown Syracuse, NY headed up by local developer Troy Evans.

Trend #5: Coworking growth is finally expanding to traditionally underserved markets.

We’re seeing a boom across Africa, South and Central America and Asia. Even during time of political upheaval in places like Tunisia, Coworking space operators are opening and helping bring change and hope. Another indicator of this trend is the rise of Coworking conferences around the globe, Deskmag covered this last month.

Hubud-Laptops-Ricefields960-960x500 — Coworkers getting their work on while overlooking rice fields at Hubud (Hub-in-Ubud) the first coworking space in Bali, Indonesia.

And if that isn’t enough proof that Coworking is on fire, there is now a reality TV show showing all the antics and interactions of the members of HuB Sarasota! Check out it out here.

Coworking isn’t just a trend; it’s the future of how independent workers will choose to work moving forward. If you want to learn more join us at the Global Coworking Unconference Conference in Berkeley, CA – May 6-8th, 2015. See you there!

Liz Elam
Executive Producer, GCUC