I Work, You Work, We Cowork: Using Coworking Spaces for Events

One study estimates that by 2020, more than 40% of the American workforce (60 million people) will be independent workers--freelancers, contractors, and temporary employees. With this steady growth in the independent workforce, the market for short-term, temporary workspaces has boomed.

Coworking spaces are designed for short-term use by freelancers and small companies. These coworking spaces provide an interesting option for event space. Just like the diverse workforce they serve, these spaces vary greatly in what they offer. Some are open spaces with desks available for rent, others have closed offices, and some even offer child care.[Tweet "Coworking spaces provide an interesting option for events. #GovEventsBlog"]

These spaces provide great options for event organizers. From renting out a full suite, to reserving conference rooms, there are a number of ways these venues can provide a flexible meeting space for a variety of events. We've created a list of several different coworking options that are hospitable to event planners.

• Play, Work or Dash - Located in Vienna, VA, this space offers the unique benefit of childcare for the freelancers and small business owners it caters to. The facility is located in a townhouse-style office and while it is a small space, it offers several different room configurations and will even rent out the entire facility for events.
• Make Offices - With locations in the DC metro area, Chicago and Philadelphia, Make Offices provide a wide variety of spaces for meetings and events.[Tweet "A list of different coworking options that are hospitable to event planners. #GovEventsBlog"]
• Brooklyn Navy Yard Industrial Park -- Once the site of naval shipbuilding facilities, this facility is now home to over 300 industrial businesses. Its renovation included the creation of new green buildings and infrastructure and has become a model for sustainable urban industrial parks. Space is available for rent providing an affordable and unique option for events in New York City.
• WeWork - With locations across the U.S., WeWork spaces offer distinctive environments in each of their locations.
• Regus Offices - With a program designed to offer meeting rooms by the hour, Regus caters to meeting and event planners across the country.
• Atlanta Ponce City Market - Located in a former public market space, this unique facility has over 55,000 square feet of meeting and office space in one of Atlanta's up and coming areas. Features of the building include an indoor park.
• Carr Workplaces - In addition to meeting rooms, Carr facilities offer a wide variety of outdoor and rooftop spaces at their various locations across DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

[Tweet "I Work, You Work, We Cowork: Using Coworking Spaces for Events. #GovEventsBlog"]In addition to these formal coworking spaces, many organizations offer up their meeting space for event rentals. An app, similar in concept to Airbnb, was created to connect event planners with available space. Breather lists more than 300 meeting spaces in the U.S. and Canada giving people who need something "bigger than a Starbucks but smaller than a ballroom."

We'd love to hear from you - what non-traditional spaces have you seen work for business meetings and events? Let us know in the comments.