At Pappus, at the beginning of each year, we carefully pay attention to trends forecasted to then decide what is real, and what is not! For 2024 we chose to explore these trends following an analysis presented by Andcards and other expert presentations. Overall 2024 trends look great until we dig deeper.
a) The Operator’s Lens: Scalability Takes Center Stage
Operators are keen on scaling coworking spaces to meet the increasing demand. However, this trend suggests a potential drawback as it underscores the commercial aspects, potentially sidelining the original ethos of creating vibrant, community-driven workspaces.
b) Shifting the Focus: Prioritizing User Experience
As the coworking landscape evolves, it’s crucial to balance the scales. Prioritizing the user’s perspective is imperative for fostering genuine communities within these shared workspaces. The success of coworking should not solely be measured in square footage and occupancy rates but in the strength of the connections formed and the support offered to individuals and businesses.
In conclusion, while embracing the trends outlined by Andcards, it’s essential to advocate for a more user-centric approach in the coworking industry. By doing so, we can ensure that the growth and evolution of these spaces align with the true spirit of collaboration and community building.
These two trends, combinded in one, our team has analysed and discussed at different coworking conferences attended earlier this year: The Coworking Symposium in Toulouse; The Coworking Alliance Summit and Coworking Portugal englighted our path:
Shaping the Future of Coworking: A People-First Outlook 👁🗨
1. Sustainability with a Human Touch
While the sustainability trend gains momentum, it’s paramount to infuse it with a human-centric approach. Coworking spaces can become sustainability champions by not only focusing on eco-friendly furniture and practices but also fostering a sense of environmental responsibility among community members. From recycling initiatives to shared resources, sustainability should be a collective effort that unites individuals toward a common cause.
2. Tech-Driven Spaces Rooted in Human Connection
Tech-driven spaces hold immense potential to enhance collaboration and efficiency. However, the tech should not overshadow the essence of human connection. Implementing cutting-edge technologies should go hand-in-hand with creating an environment that encourages interpersonal relationships. Smart workspaces should amplify the human experience, not replace it. Therefore Coworking Spaces have implemented even the need of new offerings such as podcast rooms or green screens – an attractive feature for many young entrepreneurs nowadays. Additionally, new niche coworking communities were born, gathering people around their interest of Web3. Poolside in Lisbon can be seen as one of the exciting examples.
3. Advocating for the Community-Led Model
At Pappus we think that the success of coworking spaces lies in embracing a community-led model. Providers should pivot toward placing the community at the core of their operations. This entails fostering a sense of belonging, encouraging collaboration, and actively involving members in decision-making processes. By championing a community-led approach, providers can create coworking spaces that truly enrich the lives of those who inhabit them. If you haven’t implemented a good community marketing yet, check this out.
Furthermore the cultivation of a ‘sense of belongingness’ must be supported while raising awareness about the negative effects of working from home.
4. The Shift Towards Membership Clubs – Exploring Niches
Interestingly, individuals prioritizing human connection are gravitating towards membership clubs like Soho House, Yayem, and Shespapiens, moving away from traditional coworking spaces. Companies offering space solutions as coworking retailers becomes an interesting phenomena. As a conclusion, coworking providers are urged to revitalize diversity and creativity within their spaces. This calls for a strategic effort to reintegrate the communal and collaborative essence that initially defined coworking. This being said, especially touched we were by a presentation at Coworking Portugal in which Pedro Reis (Founder of Largo Space and any other initiatives) explained why and how Coworking Spaces can become islands of sanity especially in local contexts.
Supplementing Insights with 2024 Coworking Trends and presenting Experts:
While discussing the importance of a community-led model, it’s valuable to align these insights with the projected trends in the coworking landscape for 2024.
According to experts, some key trends include an increased focus on private offices, the growing significance of community dynamics, and the integration of hospitality elements within coworking spaces.
Understanding and embracing these trends is pivotal for coworking space providers.
However, it’s essential to emphasize that these trends should not overshadow the core values of community and human connection. The envisioned future of coworking spaces should seamlessly blend the anticipated trends with a people-centric approach, placing the community-led model at the forefront of innovation. Tony Bacigalupo states at the Coworking Alliance Summit:
In a world increasingly plagued by isolation, the fight against loneliness emerges as a crucial endeavor. As individuals find themselves disconnected from various facets of life, there’s a pressing need to reignite community engagement.
Advocates champion coworking as more than just shared office spaces but as hubs of connection and collaboration. They propagate the notion that within these spaces lies the potential to create a microcosm of a better world, one where belongingness thrives. Emphasizing “belongfulness” becomes paramount, offering an antidote to the pervasive loneliness gripping society. City-wide initiatives, such as the “New to Town Meetup,” gain traction, backed by local governments and mayors, as they recognize the intrinsic value of fostering social connections. It’s a recognition of the profound impact social interaction has on mental well-being, underscoring the collective effort needed to combat loneliness and cultivate a sense of belonging for all.
If we take a look at the business market we can easily understand how businesses built with the sense of community at their core thrive throughout time toward success. Some accurate examples are Surfer SEO, Gymshark and the famous Starbucks.
Marrying trends with a people-first outlook transforms coworking spaces into vibrant communities. It’s a call to action for providers to not just follow trends but to lead a movement that places the community’s needs and aspirations at the forefront.
Thanks to Coworking Portugal; Spacebring; COST Action CA18214; The Coworking Alliance Summit and others to enlighten us the way.
Spacebring (former Andcards), a SaaS company specialising in coworking space management software, owns a platform that automates administrative tasks and enhances member experiences for coworking spaces worldwide. Andcard also developed software that aims to simplify administrative tasks while improving the overall functionality of coworking spaces. You can find more about Andcards on their official website!
Coworking Portugal is a project which was created to shed more light on the coworking scene in Portugal. We aim to unite all the coworking spaces in Portugal for the benefit of the market, ecosystem, and clients first of all. The team’s focus is the Portuguese coworking industry and market research; Meetups and events for and at coworking spaces in Portugal; an actual and updated coworking map of all spaces, their conditions and time of work. We also share the news of the upcoming spaces to open.
The annual Coworking Alliance Summit brings together coworking alliances, community leaders, collaborative organizations, and industry professionals from all around the world providing insights and market research results.
The COST Action CA18214 ‘The geography of New Working Spaces and the impact on the periphery’ is a EU-funded project aiming to produce and share state-of-the-art knowledge and engage with different stakeholders interested on the topic of new working spaces.
*Pictures: Nikita Kruglov
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