The GCUC Flex Fest at Fora Spitalfields brought together some of the leading operators and experts in the sector where they discussed all things flex.
Enrico Sanna (Fora Space) , Charlie Green and Olly Olsen (The Office Group) were interviewed by Elliot Moss (Mishcon de Reya) where they discussed how they managed the pandemic and their views on the future of flex.
Paul Orrock (Yardi) moderated a very interesting session about the changing relationship between commercial real estate and the flex sector with Jonny Rosenblatt (Spacemade), Rob Stevenson (Techspace) and Abigail Groves (The Instant Group).
The day closed with fascinating new insights from James Geekie (Area) looking at the key influencers for designing a great office workspace and what factors are the most important, in discussion with Guenaelle Watson (360 Workplace), Zach Douglas (Orega) and David Kosky (Work.Life).
TOP TAKEAWAYS
1) The pandemic was tough but has had a very positive impact on the flex sector
• Real Estate has been in difficulty for years, well before the Pandemic
• Flight or fight response and many have fought and bonded during the crisis
• Provided the opportunity and stimulus for creative thinking
• The pandemic accelerated change, demand for flexible workspace, experts, and solutions
2) Redesign of office space will be required to accommodate new customer desires
• Real estate has needed to change for years and up until now the flex sector has been driving it, the pandemic has provided the catalyst for greater and faster change
• Operators will need to on focus on customer desires not just their needs
• Change used to be driven by the owners, but there has been a paradigm shift and it’s now driven by customers
3) Landlord/Owner/Operator mindset needs to change quickly
• The focus needs to be on the customer
• There is now a greater need to focus on the product
• Office providers need to create destinations, not just spaces to work
• Spaces need to be more appealing than what’s on offer at the workers home
4) Customer connection
• Service providers need to be connected to their customer
• Need to know who you are and who you are servicing and not who you aren’t
• The office is becoming a consumer experience
5) Wellness – it’s not just the humans!
• Covid has put a spotlight on wellness
• Importantly it’s not just the wellness of people, it’s also the wellness of the buildings too
• ESG and Government regulation will become an even greater responsibility
6) Time frame – when will we understand the new normal?
• There is still a real sense of uncertainty within the sector and no real pattern emerging
• It could take another 12-18 months to pan out
• Demand is different (different people viewing space e.g., HR now in attendance)
• Companies are now reducing space requirements and wanting more passes and greater use of communal space
7) Management agreements – are they a blessing or a curse?
• It must work for both parties, easy to have a disconnect
• Pay back appears to be more and quicker
• Most importantly it must have an upside for the operator
8) People are a vital component of the service delivery, but can you source them!
• They are at the heart of the business and service delivery
• However, in the last 6 months recruitment has never been more difficult
9) Site selection and sustainability
• ESG will have a major impact on securing the right site that can meet the new regulations
• Grey space will become under even more pressure as the quality of flexible space continues to improve
• Stakeholders must recognise that companies, customers, and buildings vary as should the approach to their usage and design
• Retail space maybe in abundance, but has many problems e.g. single aspect, deep floor plates and little natural light.
10) With office space being used in an ever more flexible way, the impact on design and the design process needs to be reevaluated
• Need to understand the influencers we don’t see that will help deliver the best designed space
• Design was operational focussed and now it’s product focussed
• Communal space is much more sought after
Check out the more detailed blog from AREA covering the design panel.
Finally a massive thank you to everyone who spoke at, or attended the event which confirmed