It’s the end of 2014 and like every year-end, it’s time to make balances, plans, and predictions. These days we are bombarded with blog posts about the future of big data, the future of wearables, or the companies we should keep an eye on. How will coworking spaces be like in 20 years? Will we have teleportation platforms to attend workshops in other coworking spaces in the other part of the world? Will we move around in levitating bikes?
How will these spaces look like? How will working there be like? How will coworkers communicate? With more people to take care of and more technologic innovations, coworking (and living in general) will move towards automated comfort, security and management, and more human interaction.
Coworking associations & networks
Coworking spaces will get together in regional and national associations.
Coworking conferences will still be organized, but coworking space managers will have direct links with each other and build trust-based networks of like-minded spaces on top of the other more geographically focused associations.
Exchange programs may develop and spaces will share knowledge and connect members to each other.
Coworking awareness
Thanks to these closer connections, spaces will get together in awareness campaigns – getting press, telling yet another person what coworking is about or getting the authorities and institutions to include coworking in their programs to impulse entrepreneurship. More awareness means a larger community and an increase in the demand for workspaces that cater to different needs, so I expect to see more coworking spaces.
The role of the space managers
Thanks to the standardization and automation of routine tasks thanks to tools like Cobot, smart thermostats and access systems and other IoT advances, the role of the coworking space managers will finally become more a coworking community manager role; an ‘advocate’ of freelancers and smb’s and a ‘facilitator’ that helps to provide resources and connections to enable community members to grow their businesses.
