For Traveling Professionals, Coworking Memberships Support An On-The-Go Lifestyle

The rise of Skype calls, Slack and Webex meetings has made it possible for companies and clients to communicate across borders. These mechanisms have added a level of convenience to corporate communication, but many companies continue to invest in business travel for in-person meetings. Despite new technology that promotes communication across locations, investment in corporate travel is expected to reach $341B by the end of 2018, the Global Business Travel Association reported. 

But as companies grow their business operations and require more employee travel, workers are faced with a challenge. They need a flexible workspace that can support their travel itinerary. Global coworking memberships are beginning to meet this need, with opportunities for on-the-go professionals to work from different locations anywhere in the world. These workspaces provide refuge for mobile workers traveling across the globe. Global coworking memberships offer the flexibility that traveling professionals need to be productive and connected in between flights and business meetings, regardless of location. 

For workplace services provider International Workplace Group, the decision to provide global membership offerings in a variety of locations seemed like a natural response to the evolving nature of work and an increasingly global workforce. 

“The modern worker wants the personal productivity benefits to work where and how they want,”  IWG Vice President of Network Development Michael Berretta said. “For professionals that travel for a living, they need workplaces and communities that match their specific needs, and most importantly, they want to choose and control how they work.”

IWG has introduced several brands into the market to help meet the diverse needs of its 2.5 million customers. Regus, IWG’s corporate brand, provides professionals with more than 3,000 office and flexible spaces in over 900 global cities. Companies and professionals can choose from a selection of individual desks and furnished office spaces, allowing companies to scale their space depending on how many employees they bring on. For companies working on a contract or temporary project at a specific location, Regus offers the opportunity to set up a project office and cancel at a month’s notice. 

Spaces, another one of IWG’s creative coworking companies, offers a flexible environment with a focus on creativity, community and collaboration. Along with dedicated desks, fitted office spaces and meeting rooms for event and presentations, Spaces’ Business Club membership offers access to several locations worldwide. People who travel often can rent space in various cities around the world. 

Traveling professionals also benefit from the community aspect of these coworking spaces. All of the IWG locations host an array of knowledge-sharing events and networking opportunities. For instance, Spaces has designed its workspaces to cultivate conversations, whether that be while customers are waiting for coffee or eating lunch. The Spaces app also allows members to find each other virtually, and the company’s calendar of events, including “Monday Morning Mingle” and “Startup Academy: Marketing,” encourages people to meet their peers while learning a new skill. This can be particularly valuable for people visiting a city for the first time, who want a productive place to work and the opportunity to be surrounded by like-minded professionals. 

Global working platforms will increasingly be an effective way for employees to boost productivity and still feel at home while they jet-set from city to city. 

This feature was produced in collaboration between Bisnow Branded Content and IWG. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.