This Week In Coworking

Hector Kolonas
  • 4.5 (4)
  • Business News
  • Updated Semiweekly

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

  1. 2d ago

    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)

  2. Aug 21

    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

  3. Aug 19

    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)

  4. Aug 14

    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

  5. Aug 8

    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

  6. Aug 3

    Storytelling over Square Footage with Chris Baszto

    Chris Baszto Joins Vast Coworking Group as CMO | Behind the News (This Week in Coworking) Host Hector Kolonas interviews Chris Baszto on a special “Behind the News” episode announcing Baszto’s new role as CMO of Vast Coworking Group. Three weeks into the job, Baszto shares first impressions, notes Vast also hired a new CFO, and recounts his path into coworking—from being a second-generation ad professional to leading growth and broader marketing functions at Industrious through its CBRE acquisition. He explains how a serendipitous reconnection with former boss Craig Robinson led him to Vast, and why the timing is compelling as Vast builds its path after breaking off from United Franchise Group and expanding via Office Evolution, Intelligent Office, and Venture X. Baszto outlines priorities: franchisee enablement, efficient seat-filling, and telling the investment and member stories, while innovating with lean teams and tech/AI-driven tools.00:00 Welcome and Big News00:46 First Weeks at Vast02:07 Marketing Roots and Career03:45 Finding Coworking via Industrious05:55 Industrious Growth Playbook07:17 Bike Ride to Vast09:14 Why Vast Why Now11:51 CMO Priorities and Franchise Support14:09 Future of B2B Marketing and AI16:59 Industry Message and Closing

    Storytelling over Square Footage with Chris Baszto

  7. Jul 31

    Airbnb, Coworking Demand & Supply Growth, and Yardi Kube’s AI/MCP Strategy with Will Stanford

    Host Hector Kolonas and guest co-host Will Stanford (Head of Coworking at Yardi Kube) recap This Week in Coworking Week 31 2026. Follow along at https://thisweekincoworking.com/week-31-2026/ They note positive industry momentum in margins and location growth and revisit Airbnb’s experiment offering day passes and meeting rooms, discussing its advantage in capturing traveler intent, potential risks of aggregator economics, operational costs, and the structural complexity of defining and selling “space,” while viewing it mainly as ancillary revenue unless it moves into higher-value office demand. They cover demand signals from rising small-business formation, arguing AI tools enable more solo founders and small teams that can drive coworking memberships, virtual offices, and mail services. On supply, CoworkingCafe Q2 2026 data shows U.S. inventory near 9,400 spaces (+2.7% QoQ) and 166.3M sq ft (+1.5%), with growth led by new entrants and renewed expansion by larger brands. Finally, they discuss AI, open APIs, and MCP connectors, including Yardi’s approach to openness with security, governance, and predictable pricing. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:00 Week 31 Agenda and Sponsor 03:00 Airbnb Day Passes Debate 10:05 Travel Demand and Pricing 12:24 Demand Growth from New Businesses 18:20 Supply Growth Q2 Numbers 21:50 Market Shifts and Deal Structures 24:36 Open APIs MCPs and AI Agents 30:02 AI Pricing Security and Moats 34:38 Events Travel and Wrap Up

    Airbnb, Coworking Demand & Supply Growth, and Yardi Kube’s AI/MCP Strategy with Will Stanford

  8. Jul 24

    Week 30: Sonder Coworking, AI Bundles, Childcare, and Selling Memberships with Blaize Randell

    Host Hector Kolonas welcomes Blaize Randall to the This Week In Coworking podcast to discuss her transition from operator to owner with the launch of Sonder Coworking and Events, focused on management service agreements and events, starting August 1 in Kingston, Ontario with plans to expand across Canada. They highlight the support Blaize found through the Future Leaders of Coworking (FLOC) network and promote TWIC’s global coworking tenure survey, sharing that results will begin releasing next week from 314 locations across five countries. Follow along with this week's newsletter at https://thisweekincoworking.com/week-29-2026/ The episode also covers news from Nigeria where Cafe One bundles AI tool access into memberships, debates using AI for hospitality without eroding trust, explores why coworking sells memberships rather than square footage, revisits challenges and demand for coworking with childcare, and discusses creators choosing coworking over hype houses and the boundaries needed for content creation in shared spaces. Follow Sonder Coworking & Events: https://www.instagram.com/sondercoworking 00:00 Welcome and Agenda 01:17 Sonder Launch Story 02:23 From Operator to Owner 04:19 FLOC and Community Support 06:22 Coworking Tenure Survey 08:35 AI Bundled Memberships 14:20 Selling Membership Value 20:10 Coworking With Childcare 25:20 Creators vs Hype Houses 30:50 Wrap Up and Where to Connect

    Week 30: Sonder Coworking, AI Bundles, Childcare, and Selling Memberships with Blaize Randell
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About

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

Information

  • Creator
    Hector Kolonas
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    139
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Hector Kolonas
  • Show Website
    This Week In Coworking

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