This Week In Coworking

Hector Kolonas
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Quick recaps and deep-dives from the popular ThisWeekInCoworking.com email newsletters

  1. 3 days ago

    Fit-Out ROI, Berlin’s Vacant Offices & Content Marketing That Converts | Week 38 (2026)

    This Week In Coworking

    Fit-Out ROI, Berlin’s Vacant Offices & Content Marketing That Converts | Week 38 (2026)

  2. 11 Sept

    Week 37 (2026) Recap: GWA Highlights, Credibility Shifts, Restroom Experiences & Tech Integrations

    Host Hector Kolonas recaps week 37 of 2026 with guest co-host Perla Caballero from Alliance Virtual Offices calling in from Monterrey after attending the GWA conference, where she led roundtables on excellence management and member loyalty, drawing on experience from WeWork and Airbnb. Follow along with the web-version of the free newsletter at https://thisweekincoworking.com/week-37-2026/ Perla shares Alliance revenue opportunities for operators beyond virtual offices, highlighting meeting rooms as a lead generator for new members. They discuss Sarah Travers’ view that companies now proudly use flexible offices as a hiring and operational advantage, and explore corporate demand for managed, amenity-rich private offices. They also cover Jamie Hodari’s point that restrooms and “hidden” spaces shape the overall experience, suggesting tours, photos, and potentially ratings for bathrooms and other amenities. Finally, they review OfficeRnD’s tech survey, which shows integration challenges rising to 68%, and discuss how well-built integrations and instant bookings reduce workload and improve responsiveness. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:36 GWA Denver Highlights 01:37 Perla Career Background 02:07 Alliance Revenue Streams 03:25 Coworking Credibility Shift 06:02 Enterprise Flex Office Benefits 09:21 Restrooms Matter Too 13:16 Tours Ratings and Bathrooms 16:39 Tech Survey Integrations 23:03 Wrap Up and Where to Meet

    Week 37 (2026) Recap: GWA Highlights, Credibility Shifts, Restroom Experiences & Tech Integrations

  3. 4 Sept

    essensys Goes Private Again: Agentic AI, Integrations, and the Future of Autonomous Flex Ops (Week 36, 2026)

    In the Week 36 (2026) recap of the This Weekend Coworking podcast, host Hector Kolonas and guest co-host Mark Furness discuss Mark’s reacquisition and take-private of essensys, his renewed focus on building faster with AI, and what “AI at the core” means: agentic capabilities across essensys Platform (network/WiFi), elumo (meeting room access and monetization), and Operate (lead-to-cash/ops system) via more autonomous operations and natural-language interfaces. They debate where AI agents should and shouldn’t replace deterministic workflows, rising concerns around data security as workers bring their own tools, and the need for interoperable, best-in-class stacks. They cover improving onboarding/activation journeys, insights from Flexspace data on full-day bookings (median eight seats), the importance of distinguishing buyer vs user, and why utilization data is a stronger signal than occupancy, including plans for MCP-enabled access to essensys data and a push toward autonomous flexspace operations.00:00 Welcome and Introductions00:41 Mark Reacquires Essensys02:44 AI at the Core08:50 Agents vs Infrastructure11:39 Security and Data Risks16:14 Autonomous Ops Use Cases19:37 Onboarding and Activation20:55 Flexspace Booking Data23:44 Fixing the Arrival Experience28:41 Occupancy vs Utilization32:15 MCP and Data Access35:25 Wrap Up and Thanks

    essensys Goes Private Again: Agentic AI, Integrations, and the Future of Autonomous Flex Ops (Week 36, 2026)

  4. 28 Aug

    Is Coworking Dead, or Just Getting More Specific? (Week 35 2026 Recapped)

    In this Week 35 recap of This Week in Coworking, Hector Kolonas is joined by Ken Koh from Nexudus to unpack the latest shifts shaping coworking, flex, and community-led workspaces. See this week's full summary at https://thisweekincoworking.com/week-35-2026/ They discuss Nexudus’ new Members Portal and Passport app updates, embedded storefronts, AI-powered member experiences, why coworking websites need to show real community, the rise of niche spaces like QUBE, and what Dublin’s flex market data reveals about larger companies adopting coworking. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome and intro with Ken Loh from Nexudus 00:53 Nexudus Members Portal updates 02:20 Passport app and mobile member experience 02:43 AI tools, chatbots, WhatsApp, email, and calls 03:36 Embedded storefronts and ecommerce for coworking spaces 04:14 Schema, agentic search, and bookable workspace data 05:16 What coworking websites get wrong with imagery 08:12 On-demand use, community discovery, and workspace fit 11:36 Occupancy data, vibe, and useful workspace signals 13:10 Is traditional coworking dead? 14:45 The rise of niche coworking and media-focused spaces 17:28 How AI is changing why people use offices 20:13 Collaboration, whiteboards, and coming together intentionally 21:15 Dublin flex data and mid-market demand 24:34 Why coworking metrics vary by location and audience 25:00 Upcoming Undercurrents deep dive: which metrics matter? 25:44 Closing thoughts and thanks Featuring: Hector Kolonas, Syncaroo https://www.linkedin.com/in/inztinkt/ Ken Loh, Nexudus https://www.linkedin.com/in/i-am-ken-loh/ Topics: Coworking, flex workspace, Nexudus, member experience, workspace technology, AI in coworking, embedded storefronts, niche coworking, QUBE, Dublin flex market, coworking metrics, community-led workspaces

    Is Coworking Dead, or Just Getting More Specific? (Week 35 2026 Recapped)

  5. 21 Aug

    Sydney Keynote: Occupancy vs Utilization, Smarter Metrics, Better Revenue, and the Future of Coworking Tech

    In this recorded keynote-style discussion, Hector Kolonas (Syncaroo co-founder) is quizzed by Jessie Glew (CEO at WOTSO) and Andrew Rothstadt (CEO at Clarence) on what coworking operators should optimize for beyond software; shifting focus from occupancy to utilization, revenue, reduced churn, and staff efficiency. Hector elaborates on why “not all revenue is good revenue,” sharing an example of public meeting-room bookings that appeared successful but lost money once service overheads and commissions were included. He highlights scalable SKUs, such as virtual offices and day offices, to address uneven weekly demand, and discusses adding digital services that members need. The conversation explores what great software should do, why operators often stop building their own platforms, and what’s coming next: stronger data ownership and zero-trust thinking, better capture of institutional “context,” evolving roles such as data governance, and expanding AI agents that affect both operator workflows and member experience.00:00 Podcast Setup00:27 Beyond Occupancy Metrics01:12 Ending Productivity Theater02:13 Bad Revenue Traps04:20 Profitable SKUs Ideas07:09 What Great Software Solves09:20 Why Build Tools Fails12:05 Data Ownership Futureproofing14:10 Capturing Context Knowledge19:15 Avoiding Overlapping Systems21:34 Australia Leads Quietly23:57 Ignore Overseas Hype25:08 Jobs Shifting With AI26:52 Member-Facing AI Agents28:50 Utilization Beats Occupancy31:02 Dynamic Pricing Reality Check33:05 Closing Thanks

  6. 19 Aug

    Sydney Flex Workspace Takeaways: Data Benchmarks, Hospitality, and Frictionless Access (with Eyal Lasker)

    Hector Kolonas and Eyal Lasker recap traveling to Sydney for the Flexible Workspace Association’s annual conference, including long flights, jet lag strategies, and speaking engagements. Eyal summarizes his panel on the industry’s need to standardize metrics and publicly share benchmarks so landlords, lenders, and banks can understand flex performance and support scaling goals. They compare global markets and note that operators across continents assume others have already solved taxonomy and data challenges. Both were impressed by Sydney’s polished coworking products, strong hospitality, coffee culture, and frictionless building access with minimal security friction, plus activated lobbies with food and beverage. They discuss on-demand booking, virtual office demand, an unstaffed workspace concept, high-quality lounges, landlord-funded fit-outs, upcoming lease renewals that create an inflection point, and evolving deal structures where flex operators manage broader building amenities.00:00 Welcome and Setup00:39 Flights and Jet Lag Hacks02:30 Conference Panel on Data04:35 Global Benchmarking Gap05:26 Sydney Space Quality Tour06:49 Frictionless Buildings and Lobbies09:31 Coffee Culture and On Demand11:21 Unstaffed Spaces and Lounges15:22 Views Servcorp and Lease Cycles18:05 Landlords Tech Stack Leverage19:04 What the US Can Learn21:19 Biggest Takeaway Hospitality23:39 Wrap Up and Global Future

    Sydney Flex Workspace Takeaways: Data Benchmarks, Hospitality, and Frictionless Access (with Eyal Lasker)

  7. 14 Aug

    Week 33, 2026: Cape Town, power resilience, elevating African Coworking Leaders, and other trends

    Hector Kolonas hosts the Week 33, 2026 recap with returning guest co-host Antonette Benting (Workshop 17, Cape Town), who is helping bring GCUC Africa to Cape Town. They outline the conference structure across three operators (AfricaWorks welcome event, Workshop17 main conference day, and Neighbourgood evening), plus programming including local government on economic growth and foreign investment, panels on African flex/coworking, geopolitics, wellness, and social activations like a rooftop cocktail and optional beach run and cold plunge. Follow along at https://thisweekincoworking.com/week-33-2026/ They discuss a TWIC partnership to create leader profiles for attendees to boost visibility and podcast/speaking opportunities, celebrate Ikigai Kenya’s 10-year milestone, debate coworking vs flex terminology, cover Cape Town demand for backup power amid load shedding, and note growing coworking demand for shared media/podcast studio spaces like Salt Hub. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:14 Antonette and Workshop 17 02:08 GCUC Africa Host Venues 03:14 The "Sanibonani" Partnership 08:35 Conference Program Highlights 12:17 Earlybird Ticket Deadline 13:20 Ikigai Kenya Anniversary 16:01 Coworking vs Flex Debate 20:05 Backup Power in Cape Town 26:23 Studios and Media Spaces 29:01 Amplify Member Stories 30:30 Closing Thanks and Signoff

    Week 33, 2026: Cape Town, power resilience, elevating African Coworking Leaders, and other trends

  8. 8 Aug

    Week 32: Yardi Kube’s AI Sales Agent, IWG’s Africa Acquisition, and the Rise of Managed Flex

    Host Hector Kolonas recaps week 32 of 2026 with co-host Sagar Morabia from Yardi Kube, discussing industry shifts in distribution, product (managed offices/landlord partnerships), and AI-driven operations. They introduce Yardi Kube’s customer-facing AI Sales Agent that handles after-hours inquiries and can guide prospects through booking workflows, plus Yardi’s Virtuoso AI strategy around agents, in-product assistants, and upcoming cloud connectors starting with Claude, with ChatGPT and Copilot to follow; pricing is currently included in licensing. They cover IWG’s acquisition of Accor’s WOJO network in Africa and what Accor’s exit signals, then explore data and conversations highlighting rapid growth of managed deals in London and broader flex expansion in the UK and Ireland, including pricing inefficiencies. They close on how technology can enable human connection in hybrid work by improving intentional attendance, booking, and usage insights. 00:00 Welcome and Setup 01:25 Guest Intro Sagar 02:34 Topics for Week 32 03:06 Yardi Kube Sales Agent 07:55 AI Governance and Platform 12:02 Pricing and Token Costs 13:42 Africa Acquisition IWG 15:03 Consolidation Trends 17:29 UK Flex Convergence 18:13 Landlords Drive Flex 20:03 Why Managed Deals Win 22:19 Operators Become Service Brands 23:22 UK Flex Market Snapshot 24:01 London Density And Pricing 27:01 Pricing Inefficiency And Elasticity 29:32 Tech For Human Connection 31:29 Convergence And The Tenant App 33:33 Closing Thoughts

    Week 32: Yardi Kube’s AI Sales Agent, IWG’s Africa Acquisition, and the Rise of Managed Flex
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Quick recaps and deep-dives from the popular ThisWeekInCoworking.com email newsletters

Information

  • Creator
    Hector Kolonas
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    142
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Hector Kolonas
  • Show Website
    This Week In Coworking