Why now you ask?
Companies like Netflix, Schneider Electric, Paypal, Facebook, Amazon, Google and SalesForce have already announced their departure from the corporate cubicle life. It is only a matter of time until more follow suit. The pandemic accelerated the inevitable timeline of companies’ work from anywhere policies. The choice of workstation within the workplace structure is now in the hands of the employee and research shows they favor flexibility.
- 80% of company leaders plan to allow employees to work remotely at least part time post pandemic
- 47% of company leaders will allow employees to work from home full-time
- 78% of company leaders agree that remote collaboration is here to stay
- 65% want to be full-time remote employee post-pandemic
- 31% want a hybrid remote work environment
- 96% who desire some form of remote work
- 27% of workers say that the ability to work from home is so important to them that they are willing to take a 10% to 20% pay cut to work remotely
- 81% say they would be more loyal to their employer if they had flexible work options
- 35% to 40% of remote workers are more productive than their in-office counterparts
- 51% of remote workers report being more productive when working remotely
- 49% – 50% of working parents say they are more productive working from home
Now that the spotlight is on our industry, many landlords, investors, developers and budding entrepreneurs are looking to shift into the flexspace market. Is this good for our industry? It could be… if the new players enter the arena with a quality offering.
Much like the double edge sword of Wework entering a city, the giant was able to do the marketing and educate the masses on the benefits of “coworking” but also seemingly taint the name of coworking while offering cheap jam packed spaces that were not reflective of the industry as a whole. This new wave of flexspace offerings and operators will be much the same if not shown differently.
This is where we lean into our collaboration over competition roots and offer up our expertise. Rising tides lift all ships. The coworking world is a community with the interest of our members at heart, we want to make sure that the industry keeps community and collaboration at its core which is why we have set up a course to educate the new comers.
The details:
The Fundamentals of Flexspace course is led by industry professionals who will teach the critical learnings for Flexspace design, management structures, technology, operations, partnerships & community building all in one day in New York City.
Coworking and flexible workspaces are booming in today’s workplace trend and we are one step ahead with our Fundamentals of Flex at Convene in New York City this September. Let’s meet our Speakers!
Session One: Building Your Brand
TAUGHT BY: GARRETT TICHY – FOUNDER OF HYGGE
How do you differentiate your business and space from all of the rest? We will teach you. The objective of this session is for you to leave with an understanding of what not only sets your business apart from the rest but how to market it to sell to others. Attendees will walk away with an understanding of how to create a highly-engaged and loyal customer base by harnessing the power of a strong mission and how this sets up a brand for growth.
Garrett Tichy is the Founder and Owner of hygge coworking. A strong advocate for Charlotte, Tichy is well-known for his natural ability to build diverse and inclusive communities of professionals – both online and in-person – who appreciate and thrive on the power of connection to elevate an initiative, a workplace and a city.
Session Two: Finance
TAUGHT BY: FELENA HANSON – FOUNDER OF HERA HUB
The industry is evolving and so are the financing methods. Before you enter the space you need to get a good grasp on all of your options. Do you bootstrap, partner, buy outright, take investment or other creative options? Once you have that down, your proforma has to work. The objective of this session is for you to walk away knowing your options and feeling confident in creating a financial model that will not only work for you but show you the path to profitability.
Felena Hanson is the founder of Hera Hub, a female-focused coworking space and business accelerator. The company was founded in San Diego and currently has six locations. Hera Hub has a track record of building and scaling a thriving community. Over the last ten years the Public Benefit Corporation has supported over 13,000 female entrepreneurs in the launch or growth of their business. Members benefit from daily workshops, masterminds, eCourses, and one-on-one mentoring, giving them the acumen and confidence they need to build a successful business.
Session Three: Structuring the Real Estate Deal
TAUGHT BY: GIOVANNI PALAVICINI, PRINCIPAL – FLEXIBLE OFFICE SOLUTIONS, AVISON YOUNG
Understanding how to structure the deal is imperative to the foundation of your flexspace. Whether you assume the risk and go it alone or seek out a partner to operate your space under a management agreement you will need to understand what is different about flex.
The objective of this session is for you to understand a management agreement structure and some possible scenarios. At the end you will have a good understanding of what a partnership agreement could look like and how it will differ from a management agreement. Finding the right partner can be complex, we will give you some things to think about and look for in a coworking/flex operator partner. Location is different in flex/coworking. We will talk about what you need to know and how to maximize your business.
Giovanni has been in commercial real estate for over 17 years. He is passionate about working with companies to understand their real needs, creating a strategy and helping them implement. He values being an extension of his “clients” team.
Recently, Giovanni’s career focus has been on the flexible workspace industry. He has consulted and helped flexible workspace operators, companies and landlords with their business strategy, with a specialization in their overall real estate strategy. His work has included helping Executive Workspace, a startup operator and investor, launch and grow to 18 centers in less than 18 months. This growth was achieved through acquisition of existing operations and new spaces. Prior, Giovanni spent five years as the Regional Real Estate Director for Regus, where he first applied his retail knowledge to the flexible workspace segment. His experience with creating and implementing a real estate strategy helped him do over 55 deals for Regus across the country.Giovanni now finds his purpose in partnering directly with operators to achieve their business goals.
Session Four: Activated Design
TAUGHT BY: VINCE PAN – FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL AT ANALOGUE STUDIOS
Hate to say it- but it’s not just about the community. Community thrives in a well designed and activated space. The difference between a well designed and activated space and just another space that looks good is make or break. It’s not all spec suites and it most certainly is not all open workspace.
The objective of this session is for you to understand how flexible/coworking space design is different from just designing a space that looks good. You will have a new understanding of the importance of wellness and why you need to invest in and how you can monetize it. You will understand some of the new trends and practices coming your way and which ones you can put aside.
Since founding Analogue Studio in 2011, Vince Pan has built the firm into an award-winning architecture and branding practice, with a growing roster of successful clients in the startup, education, and hospitality industries. As the firm’s Principal, Vince ensures that every project — from a brand campaign for a new fitness center to the renovation of a 25,000 square-foot startup accelerator — benefits from Analogue’s interdisciplinary approach and passion for design-based problem-solving.
Analogue Studio creates experiences that foster innovation, learning, and culture. They are an interdisciplinary studio that believes all forms of design have the power to solve problems and unleash possibility. Their projects are more than the solutions they develop; they are the relationships they build. They are fortunate to work with leading innovators, educators, and tastemakers to bring their ideas to life – and They are just as proud of the award-winning workplaces, campus centers, and restaurants that we have designed as we are of the brands, products, and graphics that they have created.
Founded in 2011 by Vince Pan, Analogue Studio has leveraged its unique approach to design-based problem solving in its work with clients including MIT, MassChallenge, Workbar, Legendary Entertainment, Raizlabs, Lumenpulse, Heartbreak Hill Running Club, Republic Fitness, and the Duck & Chicken Restaurant Group. Our firm was named one of the Top 50 architecture firms in the U.S. by Architect Magazine, and our work has been featured in outlets such as The Boston Globe, BostInno, Contract Magazine, Design Bureau, Women’s Wear Daily, and Eater.
Session Five: Community: Member Experience Matters
TAUGHT BY: CHRISTINE ANDREWS, PARTNER AT DECO GROUP & FOUNDER OF ACME WORKS
Member engagement and satisfaction is critical to your success as a flexspace owner. You will leave with an understanding of how the community aspect of coworking and flexspace sets it apart from traditional real estate offerings.
The objective of this session is for you to understand the “secret sauce” of coworking. You will understand what it takes to build community. You will learn why you need to invest in things like events, services and training that will activate the space, community and eventually your bottom line. This course hits the big 4: Hospitality, Amenities & services, Community and lastly People vs. space. Here at GCUC, not only will we teach you to build it, we will immerse you in ours. How’s that for a real time demo?
After 25 years working with multinational ad agencies and as Senior Director Business Development for the broadcast of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Christine found her true passion in 2013 when research led her to coworking. The concept excited her both personally and professionally and she immediately moved to open Acme Works, now one of Toronto’s most prominent coworking spaces. A founding partner of Deco Group, the world’s leading consultancy focused on the future of work, asset owners, real estate developers, operators and media seek Christine out for her expertise and reputation.. Christine is proud to be a member of Coworking Toronto and one of Canada’s coworking movement thought leaders.
Session Six: Technology of Flexspace
TAUGHT BY: MATTHEW WOESTEHOFF, DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY AT FOUNDATION TECHNOLOGIES
Unless you are an IT guru- technology can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate (SO MANY OPTIONS).The business is complex and so are the systems to run it. Let’s talk about where to invest and where to tread lightly.
The objective of this session is for you to leave with a clear understanding of the product roadmap for flexible space. You will have a good understanding on where to invest and how to pick the right technology for your business. We will also cover the pit falls, “gotchas” and areas we wish we would have guidance when building out our own spaces. This is an in depth one. We will discuss software, hardware, maintenance, security, monitoring, documentation, planning, wifi strength and more. Come prepared to take notes (and adjust your tech budget)
Matt Woestehoff has spent over a decade as a leader in the technology space. He’s currently the Director of Technology at Foundation, a managed service provider who has grown exponentially under his leadership and won several awards including multiple and consecutive years on the Inc5000, and local Fast50. He acts as a virtual CIO and CTO for numerous clients, while also overseeing the engineering and account management teams. Foundation has around 300 clients, across over 5,000 locations in North America including small and medium businesses, stadiums, retailers, and coworking spaces. He has spent time as an advisor on publications, including a field study on power consumption of small embedded data centers, and a named advisor to Apple Inc’s enterprise team. He also has been a volunteer president of a non-profit association, currently serves as a city councilmember for his hometown, and father of three.
For more information and times please take a look at the full agenda here. If there is someone you know that could benefit from this course, we would appreciate a referral.
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