Hear from some of the biggest names in flex at the FlexSA Conference

With the recent news that flexible workspaces have hit record highs in occupancy – 83% on average, according to the Instant Group – now is a great time for our industry to come together. On Tuesday 23 May, it will have the opportunity to do just that at this year’s Flexible Space Association Conference and Exhibition, which is taking place at etc.venues’ County Hall conference centre in central London.

As well as gathering to meet, delegates at this year’s event will be informed, educated and inspired by a variety of sessions, ranging from fireside chats to panel debates, that will delve into some of the biggest issues affecting the flexible office sector at the moment. Here are the sessions that promise to be particularly thought provoking:

Valuations: why flex buildings aren’t worthless

Do investors still overestimate the risk flexible offices could bring? The rise of management agreements has been accompanied by the rise of uncertainty in valuations. Should our industry be learning from others such as hospitality – a sector where there’s a lot more flexibility but the risk is deemed to be far less? It’s a topic that’s been hotly debated in recent times, and during this session, operators and investors will rake through the issues and present their arguments.

Featuring The Instant Group; Orega; RBC Capital Market; GPE; JLL and PATRIZIA.

How can coworking support the growth of local economies?

We’re delighted to welcome Emma Hardy MP who will be addressing how the coworking industry can boost economic growth. Fresh from highlighting her Work Hull Work Happy initiative, which aims to make Hull the ‘coworking capital of the UK’, she’ll participate in the debate on the financial benefits coworking can bring – which can be significant. Indeed, during straitened economic times, coworking has proved pivotal to many small and new businesses, as well as larger, established corporates.

Featuring Luke Pulford from Warwickshire Business Centres, Emma Hardy MP, Freddie Fforde from Patch and Katy Tennant from Clockwise Offices.

How hybrid working is shaping the future of flexible workspace

Andrew Cooke from Bruntwood is shining the spotlight on hybrid working at a time when many commentators predict hybrid will become the new normal. In fact, a recent survey showed that in 27 countries, people currently work an average of 1.5 days from home, with the UK workforce edging closer to two.

Hybrid was once a sticky topic for the industry. However, it’s now something that flexible workspace operators are starting to embrace. Many are seeing the benefits of office sharing and micro-bookings and some are even developing successful hybrid-specific brands. Andrew, who has previously covered the importance of connection, social interaction and flexibility in hybrid working, will give us his take on this fascinating topic.

Fireside chat with Enrico Sanna

Finally, a special mention goes to Liz Hamson, BE News editor-in-chief, who will be interviewing Enrico Sanna, CEO of The Office Group, one of the standout successes of recent times. We’ll also be acknowledging the company’s success by presenting the lifetime achievement award to Olly Olsen and Charlie Green, who this week announced he was stepping down.

This is just a taster of our jam-packed programme. I hope to see many familiar faces in person (or online) at the conference, as well as making new connections, and I hope it will provide us with a window into the future of this exciting, evolving space.