Last week I attended the 27th Annual Global Workspace Association conference in Buckhead, GA. I was interested to learn more about what companies value as well as their biggest concerns. Prominent speakers with global outlooks on work, shared space, and third space discussed issues, trends and challenges our industry is facing. The third space is a term used to refer to the social surroundings separate from the two typical social environments: home and the workplace. The third space is important for establishing a sense of belonging in our daily lives.

Workspace as a service is experiencing changes. There’s no doubt that workplace trends have affected how companies view real estate and community building. Many corporations are trying to gain more value out of their existing, often underutilized, office buildings. These sessions instigated me to re-examine ways Workspring can elevate community and help the existing system.

Another topic that captured my attention was serendipity. How do we create serendipitous encounters in order to build a diverse network for greater competitive setting? We offer opportunities to bring people together at Workspring, but how can we also create more serendipitous exchanges that offer rich and powerful community experiences?

Being a brand of Steelcase that emphasizes insight-driven design, Workspring is lucky to engage with companies experiencing transitions in their real estate strategy. We developed the Workspring brand to be a part of the solution, and we continue to craft and improve our insights in order to meet people’s changing needs. And this is the reason why I chose to attend the GWA conference.

It is so critical to attend conferences like GWA, allowing serendipitous encounters with other thought leaders that increase our learnings.

Danielle is the Managing Director of Workspring. She has a love of entrepreneurship, exploration and learning, and enjoys to write about her experiences. She has two children and a wonderfully supportive husband.