Meet the World’s Coworking Ambassador: Liz Elam

A special collaboration with GCUC

“People deserve to have a community, it is critical for our society” - Liz Elam

Liz Elam, Executive Producer and Founder of GCUC, joins Bold founder Caleb Parker to kickoff Season 8 of the #WorkBold Podcast with a COLLAB for episode 1. The tag team discuss what the future holds for Space-as-a-Service and how the pandemic has accelerated the success of GCUC, the largest coworking and flexible workspace conference network in the world.

 

In this episode Caleb and Liz discuss the five pillars of Space-as-a-Service and the importance of focusing on the needs of customers when creating a coworking space. Caleb and Liz talk about the significance of brand on customer’s buying habits and how the valuation methodology in real estate needs to change so it can accommodate the demand for growth.

 

Connect with Liz on LinkedIn

Connect with Caleb on LinkedIn 

 

If you have any questions or feedback on this episode, email podcast@workbold.co

 

Value Bombs:

We need to put people at the centre of the universe in commercial real estate - Caleb

You’ve got to have fun and you’ve got to push the boundaries, that is what you can expect from GCUC - Liz

In our research we found that coworking networks are a top source for getting work. So our tagline for coworking is, “it's just not where you work, it's where you find work” - Liz

I think the real estate world has had a great awakening, they've figured out that what they've always done is no longer going to work - Liz

If we change the valuation methodology in real estate then we can accommodate more coworking, more flexibility and happier people - Liz

 

Timestamps: 

[3:20] What defines Space-as-a-Service versus flex versus coworking?

[4:04] What are the five pillars of Space-as-a-Service?

[5:20] Why is being part of a community critical for our society to thrive?

[7:20] Why the focus needs to shift away from making money to giving customers what they want. 

[8:25] How traditional landlords are trying to accommodate flex space without understanding what’s required. 

[9:42] Why is creating coworking spaces more complicated than it needs to be?

[11:06]  How has the pandemic increased interest from the traditional real estate world?

[12:20] How the investor profile will change as the demand increases for Space-as-a-Service.

[13:21] Mergers and acquisitions happening between companies in the current landscape.

[15:02] How much does brand play a role in a customer's buying habits?

[16:47] People need to try different types of coworking spaces to find what works well for them.

[18:47] How should we measure community and hospitality in coworking spaces?

[21:57] What sort of topics are GCUC going to be discussing in the future?

[24:30] How does GCUC strive to be different?

 

Resources:

The 3 ways landlords are succeeding in flex office sector - PlaceTech Article

GCUC Mailing List

 

Shoutouts: 

LExC

Venture X

Benjamin Dyett

Iain Holden

 

About Liz Elam:

Liz is the founder of the largest coworking conference in the world GCUC, she has built it up from the foundation to its current success and expansion across the world.

Liz founded Link Coworking in 2010 and sold the company in the spring of 2019 when it was the 4th largest in Austin, Texas. She is the first woman in the world to exit her brand in the coworking industry successfully.

Connect with Liz on Twitter

 

Sponsors:

Headline Sponsor: TSK

TSK creates inspiring workplaces for some of the world’s biggest brands across the UK and Ireland. They've been working for 25 years to deliver the best employee experiences and the vision of their clients. Not only do they create great places to work, TSK share workplace content every week from the latest data to inspiring spaces they’ve designed and built. You can read their latest insights at www.tskgroup.co.uk or check out their LinkedIn and Instagram pages to become a follower, fan and friend.

TSK publish weekly thought leadership, research and content featuring their team, clients and partners about workplace, commercial interiors, hybrid working and how others have prospered from investing in workplace. You can check their latest publications and video content in the show notes by signing up to their weekly ‘work made better’ newsletter or visit tskgroup.co.uk.

 

Fortune Favours the Bold

Bold merges property management & Space-as-a-Service to help office customers grow faster and drive asset value. Bold is a real estate brand owned and operated by NewFlex (www.workbold.co) 

 

Future Proof Your Portfolio with NewFlex

NewFlex delivers and manages a range of branded solutions for every type of building, in every type of location, for every type of occupier. Including the flexibility to develop your own brand. All enabled by flexible management contracts where we are invested in making money for you. (www.newflex.com)

 

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