Traditional Flex Office vs. Hospitality-Driven Workplaces

Convene Creates Value for Landlords with Inspiring Destinations to Meet and Work

In 2024, flexibility is table stakes when it comes to the office - employees want flexibility in where they work and companies want flexibility in their real estate. It’s one of the reasons Convene has emerged as an industry leader. With our product offerings spanning event spaces, conference rooms, meeting rooms, and WorkSuites for teams of 10-100 all the way down to membership for individuals and small teams, we offer clients the ability to employ a dynamic workplace strategy.

But more importantly, Convene is a hospitality company first and foremost. Our team members come from the hotel, restaurant, and service industries and can expertly create a warm and welcoming environment for guests while cultivating impactful experiences on behalf of clients. 

Today’s world is largely an experience-focused economy, so when it comes to rethinking the office and the purpose it serves, flexibility - and flex office - is the minimum requirement; hospitality, or more specifically a hospitality-driven workplace, is the new gold standard for landlords and asset owners.

What is Flex Office?

Simply put, “Flex Office” is any dedicated workspace made available via flexible terms. This means without the long-term commitment of a traditional office lease, which historically could range anywhere from 10 to 20 years in length. While the concept has been around for decades, the rise of modern coworking brands has made flex office a more mainstream workplace strategy.

The term flex office might incite images of laptops around a large dining table or rows of offices that resemble glass boxes, but the truth is the category is much broader than that. It encompasses everything from private turnkey suites, to on-demand conference rooms, to large corporate event spaces. And though born out of demand for flexibility, flexible terms are no longer enticing enough for the modern office - today’s companies require a hospitality-driven workplace.

What is a Hospitality-Driven Workplace?

A “hospitality-driven workplace” is more than just a place, it's a fully activated, elevated, and amenity-rich experience. It's a departure from mundane office necessities - a desk, a chair, WiFi - to a noteworthy workday encounter that exceeds expectations. And it's what’s going to drive employees to the office on a more regular basis, and, in turn, help landlords and asset owners drive tenant attraction, retention, and engagement.

Convene pioneered the hospitality-driven workplace. We were founded in 2009 under the premise of running an office building like a luxury hotel and have been successfully operating that model for the past 15 years. Our core product offering is meeting and event space, which has much different margins than a traditional flex office provider that focuses on coworking, and that allows us to provide clients and members with a complex hospitality infrastructure that is unparalleled in the industry. Convene has full ownership of its key experiential components, with all services offered in-house including Executive Chef-led catering, on-site A/V and tech support, and dedicated management and service teams at each location.

With hospitality at our core, Convene has a proven track record of going above and beyond for clients and members to create a memorable experience. From exceptional design to on-site programming that surprises and delights, thoughtful menus that cater to all dietary needs, a seamless planning process, and everything in between, we’re taking all of our learnings to improve the greater workplace experience.

Creating Value for Landlords

It's no secret that Class-A and Trophy buildings are outperforming every other asset class. In order to remain competitive in today’s office market, landlords need to invest in providing a hospitality-driven workplace. Convene is the ultimate hospitality partner for landlords - we have proven expertise in: creating inspiring destinations to meet and work; driving tenant attraction, retention, and engagement; and monetizing amenity centers. For example:

• Having a Convene meeting and event solution on campus or in-building is an attractive proposition for prospective tenants. At 311 West Monroe Street in Chicago, Convene served as an anchor tenant for the building repositioning which drove leasing velocity and resulted in 100% occupancy within nine months.
• At Sancroft, St. Paul’s in London, Convene not only has a grand event venue, but was tapped by the landlord to manage the entire front-of-house operation for the repositioned asset, including the building reception. The Convene partnership proved to be a key factor in many of the tenants signing space in the new development; the building opened in Spring 2024 at nearly 100% occupancy.

For landlords or asset owners interested in learning more about how Convene can help you create a hospitality-driven workplace, click here.