At a panel during GWA, three coworking operators demonstrated how brand consistency drives growth metrics, with Kelsey McKinny from Downtown Works achieving over 300 five-star reviews, Grant Barnhill at Shift Workspaces maintaining high renewal rates year-over-year while commanding $110 per rentable square foot for office space. John Herring from Fuse Workspaces tucked into how giving back is part of their local and regional branding. Founder of both PilotoMail and Piloto 151 moderated the panel and shared the origin story of the iconic pilot pigeon brand, which emerged when observing pigeons at their first location’s plaza in Puerto Rico.

Major takeaways? Consistent storytelling and memorable experiences at every member touchpoint enable operators to leverage brand for growth. In addition to consistency in delivering brand promises and creating surprise-and-delight moments. Second take away? Storytelling needs distribution. Submit your best content to TWIC here.

Darin Andersen from The San Diego CoWorking Alliance (SDCA) announced two major initiatives following their recent meeting: CoWorking Week (August 9-16), which will open member spaces to the local business community, and the AI Reinvention Initiative that will transform coworking spaces into educational hubs for workforce development.

Operating since 2011, the SDCA brings together workspace leaders dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship and innovation through collaborative environments. Eight member spaces Ansir Cowork, Aquillius Innovation Hub, CoWork + Connect, Firestation Innovation Cowork, Ivy Street Cowork, NEST CoWork, Downtown Works, and Hera Hub, will participate in these initiatives designed to showcase the value of shared workspaces and advance technological skills throughout San Diego.

Candace Vanderbilt hints at the upcoming opening of Downtown Works‘ Mission Valley location. The space, set to open in November this year does offer on-site parking and 24/7 access alongside private offices, coworking space, meeting rooms and lounge areas.

Read over the summary of OfficeRnD‘s recent webinar, in which Miro Miroslavov and David Adato, the CTO at Downtown Works, discuss considerations and observations about the technologies actively reshaping payment processes in flex spaces.