The strengths that keep a single-site coworking space full are the same ones the biggest brands are reaching for as they move into regional cities. That was one of the clearest signals from a full day of recording at GCUC UK in Manchester, a series we made in collaboration with the GCUC UK team. 

Across the day Graham and Anne-Marie sat down with operators and industry leaders from across flex, coworking and real estate to compare notes on where the industry is heading.

Data ran through every conversation, though the tone around it was measured rather than anxious. The grounded view in the room was that AI and better measurement exist to support the human work operators already do. 

You cannot automate a community manager who knows their members by name. The same themes kept returning across the day: hiring local, getting agreements right from the start and finding the language to talk honestly about how a space is really performing.

What To Expect From The Series

• Honest conversations about data and measurement and how smaller operators can use the same signals the bigger brands track without getting overwhelmed.
• A closer look at hiring local and building teams you can trust to run a space well.
• Practical talk on management agreements and leasing models and getting the framework right from day one.
• The human side of the industry throughout, from community building to the role engaged members play in a space.

This preview sets up everything to come. Here is who Graham and Anne-Marie recorded with across the day and who to stay tuned for as the season rolls out:

• Paddy Kennedy | EP2
• Jonny Rosenblatt and Alexandra Livesey | EP3
• Emma Harvey and Kreena Pithwa | EP4
• Garry James | EP5
• Stacey Sheppard and Felicia Fai | EP6
• Katy Tennant and Ben Newton | EP7
• Michael Ingall | EP8

These conversations are brought to you in collaboration with GCUC UK!