Inside the Rapid Growth of Premium Co-working Firm, The Great Room, in Asia

Asia’s elevated co-working firm, The Great Room, is adding to its growing regional network of high-end spaces with a new flagship location in the heart of Hong Kong’s Central CBD area. Opening shortly in winter 2022, the firm’s second Hong Kong office will open in the prestigious Cheung Kong Center, with a net floor area of about 21,000 sq. ft. space, after the overwhelming success of its One Taikoo Place location’s disruptive experience-driven business model.

Capturing the growth of The Great Room in Hong Kong and regionally, general manager of The Great Room Hong Kong, Tina Herms McAfee, shares her thoughts with The Beat Asia on Hong Kong’s revival as a financial and business hub, the evolution of business with the popularity of co-working spaces, and The Great Room’s future for regional growth.

What influences The Great Room’s expansion in Hong Kong?

We have always planned to expand into the core CBD since we launched our first flagship in One Taikoo Place in 2019. We believe in controlled growth in a sustainable way, and we prioritise launches in markets that our members want to do business in.

We will only open our second location when we feel all the factors come together. Now is impeccable timing for us, as HK has just eased travel restrictions, which will encourage companies to return to the city for business and hopefully bring back office leasing momentum.

With the move to Cheung Kong Center seen as revolutionary for the firm, what will be offered at the new venue that is unique compared to other The Great Room locations?

Located in Central with convenient access to shopping and transportation services, The Great Room, Cheung Kong Center, will offer everything from well-appointed amenity and event spaces, tailored furniture and lighting in the dedicated offices, to the inherent hospitality-inspired co-working experience.

Cheung Kong Center is one of six Grade A-1 office buildings in Central. This 62-storey building offers financial and professional services, as well as flexible workspace options in a prestigious address where top industry players reside, not to mention its prime location with blue-chip global tenants.

What role does The Great Room play in changing work habits and environments resulting from COVID-19?

Companies are embracing the hybrid model of working. Employees are demanding more flexible arrangements for the future, according to various reports, after experiencing a certain degree of flexibility during the pandemic.

The future of work is about flexibility, freedom, and experience, giving employees the freedom to choose where they work, when they work, and how they work best.

Flexible workspace operators like us will thrive as companies outsource the building of valuable communities and provide access to a distributed network of workplaces designed for collaboration, productivity and deeper engagement. Pre-pandemic, this was a ‘nice-to-have'. In the post-COVID era, there is no return to before - it is imperative for companies to provide this level of workspace solutions. 

How are you seeing the hybrid work model expand in Singapore and Bangkok?

Covid-19 is a catalyst for the acceleration of co-working industry growth, and with that the hybrid work model, because companies are realising that agility is the counter to uncertainty as a result of pandemics, volatility in business environments, and shorter business cycles. Singapore and Bangkok are no exceptions.

As a co-working office provider, The Great Room aims to accommodate the needs of our members and exceed their expectations.

Where will The Great Room’s role be seen in the opening of Hong Kong, growth of Singapore, and shifting work culture in Bangkok?

With a big ambition in Asia, Cheung Kong Center is The Great Room’s 8th location in Asia and is one of three locations opening across Asia in the coming months. Since the acquisition by Industrious in the middle of this year, The Great Room is now part of a global platform of over 150 premium flexible workspaces across 65 cities.

We believe The Great Room is here not only to provide the perfect workplace solution to support companies adapting to the ever-changing working model, but also to provide value to the landlords we partner with and the members we serve, to ensure the long-term viability of our operations in APAC.