Work stations

Co-working spaces were already on the rise pre-pandemic and their usage is even more widespread now, but to get buy-in from staff the workspaces have to be in a convenient location.

Co-working is now popping up everywhere from inside supermarkets to old bank vaults, and while many co-working offices can be found in city centres, travel hubs offer both supply and demand advantages that provide a better alternative.

Not only are they by definition well connected and provide people on the move with down time if they need to say, power up, make a call or hold a meeting, they also provide people who are waiting for a connection with the workspace they need.

So, who would use a co-working space at a travel hub, and what is on offer already?

The users

Digital nomads are the oldest utilisers of co working spaces. While travelling around the world they pass through many travel hubs and will utilise co-working spaces to work before moving to their next destination.

Business travellers look for comfort and convenience in their travels and co-working spaces allow them to experience both in a professional setting with office facilities. This allows them to carry out their work without disruption either as part of a planned itinerary or during delays or unexpected changes in plans.

Local businesses may choose to set up shop at travel hubs to gain exposure by having office space at premium locations and networking with other businessmen and professionals.

Satellite office workers: Large corporations like Microsoft, Zoom, and Samsung operate satellite offices to allow employees to work from a more convenient location. Travel hubs usually have good links with public transport, making them an attractive destination for satellite offices.

Co-working pass holders: Some large scale co-working providers allow members to access their services across all worldwide locations by paying a premium (for example: WeWork's all access pass). This also includes having a flexi-pass to one of the large co-working operators or to one of the companies that offers memberships to a range of providers such as Hubble.

The locations

Airports
Seats2meet is a Dutch company that connects entrepreneurs with experts and allows free use of co-working spaces in exchange for social capital generated through interactions. Airports have a unique opportunity to attract skilled business travellers across a range of sectors on a regular basis and incorporating co-working spaces into airports provides a platform for these unique interactions to take place.

Train stations
With their premium locations and excellent transport links, railway stations are attractive co-working locations for both new businesses and big businesses with satellite offices. Train providers and station operators in France and Germany have been repurposing existing space into premium co-working areas for business travellers and businesses themselves.

Cruise ships
Nomad Cruise is a destination co-working operator that organises conferences and operates a cruise trip for digital nomads, remote workers, and entrepreneurs. Whilst on the cruise, the company organises several talks and networking events to allow users to form connections and learn from each other.

With the continuance of remote working and increasing digitisation, the interaction of travel space and workspace is bound to continue. As a result, both travel operators and space planners must look to incorporate some amount of co-working space into their offering.

Soham Nayak