Five Takeaways from the Global Workspace Association Conference
September 5, 2026
Every time I return from the Global Workspace Association Conference, I feel energized by the conversations and reminded why I love this industry so much.
Throughout my career, I’ve had an insider’s view into many different industries. Rarely have I seen competitors take the stage and share their experiences, metrics and lessons so openly.
That spirit of collaboration is part of what makes the coworking and flexible workspace industry so special. We compete, but we also understand that growing the industry requires learning from one another.
If you missed this year’s conference, here are my five biggest takeaways.
Sofia Stolberg
CEO & Founder of PilotoMail
Sofia is the CEO and cofounder of Piloto 151 and PilotoMail. After launching her region’s first coworking space in 2013, she cracked the code to scaling beyond square footage through Virtual Offices and mail automation. Today, she helps operators unlock higher profits with her Freedom from Square Feet methodology.
1. Flex space has enormous room to grow, but growth requires capital
We’ve heard the prediction that flexible workspace could eventually comprise 30% of the U.S. office market. But wishful thinking alone won’t get us there.
Reaching 30% would require financing approximately 2.1 billion square feet of flexible office space. Unless the capital needed to support that expansion is unlocked, the industry is unlikely to reach that milestone.
Research from Yardi and JLL, presented by Will Sandford and Scott Homa, offered a more grounded outlook. Lenders appear to view 17% as a more realistic target, while 13% may be even more attainable.
That might sound less exciting than 30%, but perspective matters: reaching 13% would still represent approximately sixfold growth for our industry.
The opportunity is massive. The question is whether operators, landlords and capital partners can create business models that make that growth financeable.
2. The strongest operators share remarkably similar economics
A panel featuring three nationwide operators—Lucid Private Offices, Pacific Workplaces and Premier Workspaces—revealed surprising consistency across several important performance indicators.
Their lead-to-tour ratios, tour-to-close ratios and profit margins were remarkably similar.
One finding was less surprising to us at PilotoMail: the percentage of revenue generated by Virtual Offices and the outsized impact that revenue has on profitability.
Virtual Offices are one of the highest-margin products available to coworking operators because they allow a location to generate recurring revenue without consuming dedicated office space. Yet many operators still treat them as a secondary offering instead of a core growth strategy.
Even among successful national operators, I believe there is room to grow this category much further.
3. Better market intelligence can unlock Virtual Office growth
For operators serious about scaling their Virtual Office revenue, understanding the local competitive landscape is essential.
What are nearby operators charging? What does each plan include? Where are the gaps in the market? How should an operator position and price its own offering?
At the conference, PilotoMail launched VO Radar, an AI agent that gives operators market intelligence and insights into their competitors’ Virtual Office pricing and offerings.
It is designed to replace guesswork with actionable data—and help operators tap into one of the most profitable products in coworking.
You can get your market report at voradar.ai.
4. A responsible AI strategy starts with the problem, not the tool
I had the opportunity to lead a fantastic panel on building an AI strategy that teams and clients can trust. I was joined by Jessie Glew of WOTSO, Jennifer Billinger of the Ohana Network, and Tom Kaminski of Isofy.
They shared real-world experiences developing and implementing AI strategies, and one lesson came through clearly: operators should not begin by asking, “Which AI tool should we use?”
Start by defining:
- The problem you are trying to solve
- The result you want to achieve
- The sensitivity of the data involved
- The resources required to secure and maintain the solution
- The responsibility your organization assumes by deploying it
From there, operators can choose among four practical paths:
BUY: When the process is business-critical, regulated or involves sensitive or personally identifiable information. CMRA compliance is a prime example.
BUILD: When the solution is truly differentiating—and you have the resources to secure, support and maintain it over the long term.
HYBRID: When a trusted vendor can solve 80% of the problem, but you need an additional 20% of customization for your particular use case.
WAIT: When the problem, potential return or responsibility for the data remains unclear.
Waiting is not the same as ignoring AI. Sometimes it is the most responsible strategic decision you can make while the technology, use case or risks become clearer.
5. Hospitality is not determined by price point
Hospitality can mean many things as we saw in a panel discussion led by Bryce Hill from the Ohana Network, including Rob Archer from Codebase Coworking, Jate Hepinstall from Brick House Blue and Mauricio Vianna from Expansive. At its highest levels, anticipating member needs and delivering an elevated experience can allow operators to charge a premium.
But meaningful hospitality is accessible to every operator in our industry.
At its core, hospitality is about people. It is about making someone feel recognized, cared for and like they belong. A lower-cost coworking concept may not offer luxury amenities, but it can still create that feeling and sometimes do it better than a more expensive space.
The best hospitality is not always about what you spend. It is about how well you understand the people you serve.
See you in Puerto Rico
And finally, in case you haven’t heard: the first GWA Immersive of 2027 will take place in Puerto Rico!
We’re ready to welcome the industry to our island, our incredible beaches and, of course, our Piloto 151 spaces.
See you in Puerto Rico!