Want better representation with the USPS, MTAC, the Inspector General, and Congress?
CoMRAA is the association for CMRAs, digital mailbox companies, virtual offices, and online notaries.
Carl Swanson, with the US Postal Inspection Service, recently shared that 15,000+ workspaces and other mail centers should be registered as Commercial Mail Receiving Agents.
Shouldn’t we have a seat at the table?
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✊ Coworking impact.
🇸🇩 Incubator reopens in war-torn Sudan #
TechCrunch reports that Savannah Innovation Labs have reopened after a six-month hiatus, after being forced to close their doors when a raging civil war broke out last April. Yousif Yahya, the founder of the incubator fled to neighboring Egypt, from where they were able to re-establish operations in the eastern region of Sudan.
👉 Read this.
🦎 The Station is Terre Haute’s coworking chameleon #
Another Chamber of Commerce is activating its downtown with coworking! One of the standout features of this midwestern space is its ability to cater to the diverse needs of its members, like a chameleon adapting to its environment. From remote workers to food entrepreneurs, The Station offers something for everyone.
👉 Read this.
📰 Coworking news & views.
🤷🏼♂️ What’s a flex broker to do? #
Michael Dubicki from Flex Engine shared some insightful thoughts in a LinkedIn post on the challenges of balancing relationships between operators and occupiers. While brokers are typically paid by the operators, their focus tends to lean towards benefiting the client by driving competition and reducing costs. This dynamic is great for clients but can create tension with operators, who invest in quality service and are reluctant to reduce margins.
👉 Read this.
🔔 Google Maps now shames profiles caught faking reviews #
Android Authority shares that Google Maps will now show a notice on any business profile found faking their reviews. So if you were ever thinking of throwing a few fake reviews onto your profile (and you really shouldn’t be thinking that), this is the literal sign not to.
👉 Read this.
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💻 Coworking technology.
📲 How a $27B market cap co gives their teams coworking access #
Remember how we shared that the ways people will book your spaces (aka booking interfaces) are constantly evolving? Well, here’s Gable being shown off by teeny-tiny $27B Hubspot. But what is being shown off, is not just a hybrid-team/HR app but instead a way for their employees to quickly find and book coworking space access with/alongside other hybrid team members.
Love seeing things like this! The way space is booked next year will look almost nothing like it did last year. We promise.
👉 Read this.
🇨🇦 Canadian booking platform sets sights on the US #
Canadian startup Just Meeting Rooms is rapidly expanding into the U.S., already offering over 300 professional meeting rooms for rent in more than 50 cities like Los Angeles, Miami, and New York. Launched in 2023, the company now has over 700 meeting spaces in Canada and aims to exceed 1,000 rooms by year’s end. They plan to extend their "Airbnb-like" marketplace to the UK and EU in early 2025.
👉 Read this.
🆕 UK-based tech platform adds new features #
technologywithin shared that their workspace management solution, called twiinworkspace, has received a few new features and updates. These include a new reception app, an updated sales pipeline view, additional membership options, and a meeting room booking app.
Notice the trend? Yeap, another platform investing in upgraded or new reception and meeting room functionality or tools.
👉 Read this.
💰 JLL acquires Raise to help innovate it’s agency business #
JLL is set to acquire Raise Commercial Real Estate, a tech-powered brokerage known for its digital platform that simplifies the leasing process. This move will combine Raise’s innovative technology with JLL’s global expertise, helping clients make smarter decisions. Raise’s co-founder, Justin Bedecarre, will lead its integration into JLL’s U.S. leasing business, further boosting JLL’s digital leasing capabilities.
While this is exciting news for the Raise founders, JLL has a long history of chasing innovation – something easier said than done. Over 10 years ago they were developing a similar product called HiRise and have since explored other pilot programs and partnerships. Expect more and more M&A where CRE and proptech overlap.
👉 Read this.
📈 Coworking data.
🇬🇧 Only 33% of UK office workers go into the office every day #
Alan Pepper from Orega shares their 2024 Future of Work Report titled "The Year Flex Went Mainstream." The report, their third annual survey, features insights from over 2,000 UK office workers and 500 business leaders gathered by independent pollster Survation Ltd. It explores the growing role of flexible workspaces and highlights key factors influencing office choices today, such as the impact of AI, technology, staff wellbeing, and sustainability.
Which other number caught our attention? 59%. That’s how many respondents "consider flex to be an equal option or viable option to replace traditional leasing". Yes mate!
👉 Read this.
🗺️ How far away are your on-demand bookings are coming from? #
Flexspace shared some really insightful data on the distance on-demand customers travel from where they make their bookings. Well above 30% of on-demand bookings came from people traveling over 100 miles away. Reservations made by people traveling 20+ miles added up to 55% of total bookings.
The major takeaway from these stats are that yes – local marketing, brand awareness and overall community visibility is important, but a growing segment includes travelers that are more often than not looking to make find options and make bookings quickly.
👉 Read this.
🤝 Coworking market moves.
📲 Global real estate leader launches portfolio-wide flex network #
Hines, a globally recognized real estate leader has been a head of the pack on flex workspace strategy for quite some time. And now, it looks like it’s once again taken another big leap. Leveraging their own proprietary app, they have launched The SQ Collection (pronounced square). Here, they can offer direct to consumer access to a variety of services (flex workspace, onsite community teams, health and wellness amenities and even food and beverage.
This is a GAME. CHANGER. If you’re interested in learning more about this exciting and innovative play, be sure to check out our quick behind-the-news interview with Annie Draper here (or in the discussions section of the newsletter).
👉 Read this.
🇪🇸 Spain’s largest real estate company expands coworking brand #
LOOM, a Spanish coworking brand owned by the countries largest real estate company, MERLIN, will have 14 locations open by the end of 2024, with more on the way.
👉 Read this.
🇺🇸 Flex management co. announces new Denver location #
Flex Workspace Solutions (FWS) announced a new 10-floor Strive Workspaces location in Denver, Colorado.
👉 Read this.
🇮🇪 They’re back, and reopening spaces #
WeWork share that they’ve reopened the doors to their 5 Harcourt Road location in Dublin, Ireland. We’re glad to see locations reopen and restore confidence in the sector for the members who were based there.
👉 Read this.
🇦🇺 Network opens first unstaffed satellite location #
In what is a change in typical operations, WOTSO is opening a satellite location with private offices, but no hot desks or meeting rooms, just 3km from one of their traditional ones. The space also won’t have a permanent full time host on site – as the location will be tended to by staff close by.
There is a trend we are witnessing in autonomous/unmanned spaces that are activated using more developed tech stacks. This is a concept that fits squarely in where the industry seems to be headed.
👉 Read this.
🇵🇹 Coworking brand’s first Portuguese location opens #
Congrats to the team behind Venture X‘s first location in Portugal! On the heels of blazing hot international growth, the brand just added a location on the Avenida da Liberdade, in the heart of the city of Lisbon. Parabéns!
👉 Read this.
🇫🇷 French VC opens their own coworking space #
Motier Ventures is opening La Maison, a new space for founders and their communities, set to launch in early 2025 in Paris. Spanning 1,800 sqm across the top floors of the Lafayette Gourmet building near Opéra Garnier, it will feature a lounge with a coffee shop, cocktail bar, meeting rooms, and accommodations for distributed teams. Designed to host events like conferences and hackathons, it will also offer office space for early-stage AI companies. This move comes as Motier Ventures has rapidly grown its portfolio to 85 tech companies over the past three years.
No, you aren’t imagining it…this is yet another trend we’ve see over the past few weeks. It makes a lot of sense for VC firms to house portfolio companies in one space and can even be seen as a value prop for when they woo potential investments to stand out from the crowd of other potential investors.
👉 Read this.
🎙 Coworking conversations.
Hector Kolonas chats with Annie Draper about the idea behind The SQ, how/why it’s evolved into The SQ Collection and how Hines is thinking about flex from the perspectives of product, tech, utilization and scalability on the the new and official TWIC LinkedIn page.
(PS. you can now also use this page to tag the team in interesting posts, ideas, or discussions you think we should share with the wider audience).
Eric Gutierrez, US Sales Manager at Accessia, joined Gio and Jamie on the Flex Uncensored podcast to discuss how tech is transforming the coworking experience for so many.
Zoe Ellis-Moore joins the Coworking Values Podcast to break down Spaces to Places‘ recent London Flex Brand Index Report.
Kane Willmott (iQ Offices) joined the Vancouver Commercial Real Estate Podcast to discuss how the Canadian coworking landscape has evolved, and where it is headed.
We’re excited to see (and hear) the return of Cat Johnson‘s Coworking Out Loud podcast! Showcasing a new format "hot takes" providing shorter insight-packed episodes alongside community-focussed interviews.
In this engaging episode of the 453 Podcast, Nick and Weston from Kiln explore the paradox of remote work freedom and the loneliness that often accompanies it, sharing personal stories on the importance of community and how their spaces foster genuine human connections.
The discussion also covers Kiln’s recent expansion, their unique approach to supporting local economic development, and their vision for creating community-centric workspaces across the U.S. It’s a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of coworking and building stronger workplace communities.