Coworking Québec symposium: from mutual inspiration to “coopetition”?
2024 will be a milestone year for Quebec’s coworking spaces. For the first time, on April 24, the non-profit organization Coworking Québec brought together a substantial part of the ecosystem, with no fewer than some thirty representatives gathering at Montreal CoWork, at 4388 rue Saint-Denis. Is it really just a small step from competition to cooperation? Meanwhile, the market is evolving, and competition from office landlords is making itself felt.
“What we want to do is engage in coopetition, collaborate rather than barely talk to one another, if at all,” explains Ian-Patrick Thibault, president of the Coworking Québec association for 5 years and owner of Coworking Rive-Sud for 8 years.
He has long championed the idea that coworking spaces should work together, in their own interests. Organizing a symposium with all the players in the same room was the best way to get to know one another and discuss successes, best practices and challenges.
First symposium, first connections
The day gets underway at 9 a.m. Representatives of coworking spaces arrive from Montréal, Québec City and regions throughout the province. While some know one another well, others know one another only by name: Hedhofis, Ecto, Nomad Coliving, Cascara station, Station Québec... The names circulate, and the list is long. It is a chance to finally put a face to their neighbours/competitors.
“It’s certainly interesting to see the realities of other entrepreneurs and other coworking spaces. It lets us gauge where we stand in relation to those people and learn about what worked and what didn’t. For me, it’s a time for sharing and learning,” sums up Patrick Loiselle of Aubureau.co.
The first presentation begins with the story of Frédéric Deshaies of Hedhofis and his account of a successful Quebec coworking space. His anecdotes are both realistic and colourful. Like all entrepreneurs, you have to start somewhere, take risks and even begin to have doubts. “I had no idea how I was going to fill those office spaces,” he shares about getting started. It is a feeling many in the room recognize, having already been through it or still experiencing it today.
Next came a crisis management panel highlighting three distinctive stories. Geneviève Boisvert of Cascara station spoke about the management challenges she faced while running the operation alone, right from its first months. Riad Terki of Ecto, meanwhile, was forced to close his coworking space for 2 years following a devastating fire.
Finally came Maria Kinoshita of Nomad Coliving’s extraordinary “manhunt” story. She found herself having to address the mental health issues of her coworkers/colivers (room tenants) when one of them, whose mental health was fragile, disappeared without a trace. Finding him then became her personal responsibility. Police searched for the individual throughout Quebec, and he was eventually located in Ontario.
The added value of coworking spaces
When you manage a coworking space, you have to consider almost every possible scenario. Ultimately, though, it becomes what you decide to make of it. For Laura Coulary, community manager at station Québec, the strength of coworking spaces lies in the human face they put on a business.
“What keeps coming up in our discussions is the friendly atmosphere, with breakfasts, 5-to-7 gatherings and workshops. It’s the extra something we bring entrepreneurs or self-employed workers that’s different from working behind their computers,” she explains.
“We are a strong pool of entrepreneurs who put a great deal of energy into building other people’s businesses and who, through their experience, shape a concept that balances entrepreneurs’ well-being with maintaining a viable business,” she adds.
During the workshops, participants tossed a cube-shaped microphone to one another, startup-style, to discuss precisely these questions, as well as member management, best practices and which software to use.
The magical hidden world of brokers
One of the symposium’s pleasant surprises was the presentation by Nari Aznavour of CBRE on brokers’ unexpected yet strategic role in business relationships.
Their role is to find their clients the best solution at the best price. Needs, challenges—nothing escapes them; they know the market landscape very well. This valuable information makes it possible to identify and connect with new clients.
She notes that, since the pandemic, office tenants have been looking for less space. “Companies that used to take, for example, 30,000 square feet now take 10,000 square feet because many more employees work from home; working from home and hybrid work are the norm,” she explains.
The advantage coworking spaces offer is a turnkey concept, with a human touch as a bonus, halfway between the office and home. Society is evolving, and work environments are following the trend.
However, a lack of understanding persists between coworking spaces and brokers. Each knows little about the other or underestimates the other’s work. “Do brokers know you exist, how you differ from someone else, why they would refer clients to you? Educating them about who you are and how you stand out—that’s the key,” she sums up.
Meanwhile, Nari Aznavour believes coworking spaces all complement one another, as does Francis Talbot, co-founder and head of Montréal CoWork. “The variety of coworking spaces is entirely relevant. Our space can’t appeal to everyone; it will appeal to certain types of people in the industry. Every space owner creates their own atmosphere, and that’s where all the magic happens,” he emphasizes.
So, is it just a small step from competition to cooperation?
“I deeply believe there is an interesting path forward for coworking that is about much more than just workspaces—it’s really about the community aspect,” concludes Francis Talbot.
Photo credit: Hélène Lequitte