Last week it was a big one for flex: the Flexible Space Association Conference & Exhibition came to London.
Many of the sector’s leading minds made an appearance to debate all things flex, from the current state of the market to their predictions for the future – and naturally, NCG’s very own sales team were itching to get involved too.
So, here’s a few of their takeaways on the three big discussions that made the rounds at FlexSA 2024.
All eyes in business have been on it for some time now, so it came as no surprise that one of the big topics of the conference was the ever-evolving world of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
In flex we’re just scratching the surface of what AI can do for us, but it’s fast becoming an essential part of an operator’s technology stack. It can already, for instance, play a critical role in gathering and analysing data produced by occupants – think AC, lighting or access control data points – allowing operators to amend and improve their service.
Potential occupiers searching out flex solutions as their workspace of choice are putting sustainability at the top of their wish list.
Data shared at the conference showed that 80% of businesses said that ESG was at the top of the agenda when deciding which option best suited them. This was something that was particularly true of larger businesses, who are most likely to have their own targets to hit, with their workspaces being a part of that strategy.
Clearly, operators can no longer afford to view sustainability as a luxury. Rather, it’s become nothing short of a commercial necessity.
And when hiring, operators observed that many of their candidates were sizing up the company's ESG credentials when deciding if they were a suitable fit. Again, this shows that operators must be committed to an ESG plan if they want to hire the best minds in the business.
When we picture flexible workspace, as you might expect, we would typically picture it housed in an office building – however, with other sectors in real estate increasingly eyeing up flex, that could in fact change.
From hotels to university campuses and even retailers or airports, a whole range of different businesses and landowners are seeing flex’s potential, looking to capitalise by producing their very own workspace offerings wherever they have underutilised real estate space.
Mark our words: operators should expect to see the number of workspaces outside of typical office buildings soar as flexible workspaces and mixed-use real estate continue to gain popularity.
If there’s one thing these key themes from FlexSA 2024 really underscore, it’s just how ripe with opportunity the flex market truly is. From AI and ESG to new types of spaces, it’s clear that the sector’s got its eye trained firmly on the future.
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