Co-working in Causeway Bay

Nancy Yip, Area Director, IWG and
Thomas Hui, Co-founder & CEO, theDesk

#Culture #Lifestyle

For Thomas Hui, it’s all about building communities. He’s the co-founder and CEO of theDesk, a co-working brand with four offices in Hong Kong, and one upcoming office in Shanghai. For Nancy Yip, it’s about creating a welcoming environment. She’s the Area Director for International Workplace Group (IWG), an international co-working company that owns Spaces. Spaces also has five locations in Hong Kong. But for both these brands, Causeway Bay is key.

“Traditionally, a company like IWG likes to be in an area like Causeway Bay,” explains Nancy. “I actually started my career in a company that was one of the first generation of office tenants in Lee Garden One, so I’ve seen the changes here. It’s still a very balanced and well-rounded district. Central may have more of a business feel, but it’s not always easy to find somewhere to eat. Here in Causeway Bay, there’s something for everyone, whether it’s shopping or lifestyle. For instance, there are restaurants that cater to every taste and budget, and it’s all very walkable.”

Thomas is even more direct. “If you’re a co-working brand and don’t have a location in Causeway Bay, then you can’t really test how well you’re doing. It’s like if you’re in fashion and you don’t have a store in Causeway Bay or Tsim Sha Tsui, it means you’re probably not a very successful brand.”

Even the type of people who use theDesk in Causeway Bay are a little bit different. “Our members in Causeway Bay enjoy the fast pace here,” he explains. “They can’t afford to be too relaxed and there are a lot of fast-growing and innovative companies who are based here. The area also has a lot of larger companies that can partner with our members and really benefit them.” Other districts have a different feel: for instance, their location in Sai Wan attracts more people working in the creative industries.

Nancy agrees. “Traditionally, a lot of high-tech and IT companies like Causeway Bay. For example, Oracle and SAP are both based here. They in turn have attracted business partners and other companies in the same industry to congregate here.” And this is precisely why one of Spaces’ tenants, a fast-growing software company called Blue Prism, picked this location. Victor, the company’s North Asia VP, explains, “Located between Central and Quarry Bay, the Causeway Bay area is extremely convenient for business.”

“If you’re a co-working brand and don’t have a location in Causeway Bay, then you can’t really test how well you’re doing. It’s like if you’re in fashion and you don’t have a store in Causeway Bay or Tsim Sha Tsui.”

“A lot of companies know that if they put people that need creativity and innovation in a community where they can enhance their learning and their collaboration, their business will improve.”

Despite new players entering the co-working market every day in Hong Kong, Nancy believes that co-working has not reached its maximum potential yet. “Co-working isn’t just for one-person or small-scale companies. For companies expecting rapid growth over the next few years, or international companies looking to instantly establish a footprint in Hong Kong, co-working is their perfect option. What we do at Spaces is provide an environment which supports these companies that are looking to scale up, no matter whether they are 3 people or 30.”

For Thomas, the real driver for co-working is a shift in people’s attitudes because of the real benefits of the community that they provide. “You don’t ‘lose face’ from basing your office in a co-working environment now. Larger well-known companies are using them too,” he says. “A lot of companies appreciate that a good working environment is more than just the physical space. They know that if they put people that need creativity and innovation in a community where they can enhance their learning and their collaboration, their business will improve. It’s like if you want to go to Harvard, you don’t ask how many books there are in the library, you care about the community, your fellow students, the professors, the network you build. That’s the most valuable thing.”

To this end, both brands encourage their members to interact. theDesk uses an online platform that allows all their members to learn about each other’s companies, as well as the regular social events that allow people to mingle. theDesk also recently hosted a 2-week pop-up event with HSBC that provided private consultations to their members. At Spaces, regular community events are held that are tailored to their members’ needs. “Our goal is to create events that are both fun and functional,” says Nancy. “For example, we once had a Japanese sake workshop so that our members could learn more about Sake, and be able to use that as a conversation starter in their work-life. We also host seminars over a wide range of topics, for example, how to get government subsidies for startups. These are all aimed at helping our members grow their business.”

Co-working is definitely a trend that is becoming increasingly mainstream, not just in Causeway Bay but everywhere in Hong Kong. For Thomas, it’s only going to grow. He likens it to another ubiquitous feature of modern life: the mobile phone. “Before, a phone was just for communication. Then came the iPhone. Now, your phone is not just for calls, it’s your personal assistant. Right now, a lot of people still think about office space like they did about old Nokia phones. But co-working is like the iPhone – it’s a completely different way of looking at office space.”