Coworkies' one-of-a-kind book launch and partnership with SALTO

1. Congratulations on the launch of your book! Can you briefly introduce “Around the World in 250 Coworking Spaces” to our new readers?

Thanks for your kind words! “Around the World in 250 Coworking Spaces” is a coffee table book we’ve launched after travelling the world of collaborative workspaces for the last 6 years, visiting over 430 of them across 48 cities around the globe.

It features 250 unique spaces, communities and interiors and gives the teams behind those new work environments an opportunity to share their incredible stories with the world. 

2. What does it mean to you to see the book being embraced by the global coworking community and beyond?

It’s such a special feeling to see people from all walks of life embracing the book. 

When we started to work on the concept, we knew we wanted it to be as inclusive as possible. What does inclusive mean in this context? It means that whatever prior knowledge readers have on coworking and new ways of working, the book has been designed as a journey they can build for themselves, choosing where they want to start and what they want to learn.

For instance, if someone has no prior understanding of what coworking is, the first part of the book will be very helpful and will bring him/her up to speed for the rest of his/her journey.

On the other hand, people who already operate coworking spaces might want to dive right into concrete knowledge and examples, choosing the type of learning they seek among the ones we’ve highlighted through the tags reading system we’ve developed. 

3. What was the biggest challenge faced and best highlight experienced in creating the book?

Without a doubt, the biggest challenge for the book was the pandemic.

This is not something we’ve shared a lot so far but we actually started working on the book at the end of 2018 and our initial intention was to release it in early 2020. But then, COVID-19 entered the world and it had a huge impact on coworking spaces. Although we were almost ready to roll, we thought that releasing a book in the midst of the pandemic without even talking about it would diminish its entire purpose.

So, we started all over again. 

We reached out to the spaces featured in the book to ask them how they were adapting and what was their outlook for the future so we could update their stories and be the closest possible to the reality they were living when the book came out.

The idea was not to create a book all about COVID-19, which means we had to find the right balance between stories that would talk about it and stories that would cover other topics.

But in the end, the pandemic was also an opportunity for us to reconnect with spaces, to be close to them in hard times and support them, remotely, with knowledge, connections and moral support too. 

4. What do you want people to take away from “Around the World in 250 Coworking Spaces” and how do you see the future impact of the book?

Very often, people believe that if they are not freelancers or startupers they don’t belong in coworking spaces.  That belief has driven our mission to “make coworking better” by educating more people and companies on its principles, but more importantly, to the different shapes coworking takes.

So, to answer your question: we hope that by flipping through the book, readers will feel that coworking is, as we often say, “the same dish everyone cooks differently”, and that it serves so many more communities than just freelancers and startups. 

5. How have access control solutions impacted the coworking industry? Why did you choose to join forces with the team at SALTO Systems? 

On the operators’ side, access control solutions have allowed them to (1) design better experiences for their users but also, (2) relieve some of the operational work that is often very heavy on coworking teams. Being able to provide easy-to-manage solutions allows them to focus more on creating value for their members and less on managing lost keys :)

On the users’ side, access control solutions allow them to live better experiences within spaces. No need to carry yet another key or fear losing it. Right now and more often than not, users can access their workplace from the comfort of their smartphones and that’s convenient.

As said previously, having the aim to “make coworking better” also meant that the book needed to be full of resources operators can use to evaluate where they stand in terms of community, operational management and experience offered. Joining forces with SALTO Systems means that the book can offer unique insights, coming from experts (you guys!), who have a far deeper understanding of the topic than any of us, and who can help our readers to learn from your experience and expertise.

We feel grateful to Christian Schmitz, your Head of Coworking, Coliving and PBSA, for having shared so much in the book about using access control systems to enhance the overall members’ experience.

6. How did SALTO Systems cross paths with you in the making of the book?

It all happened at the Coworking Spain Conference back in 2018. 

(If Manu Zea, the founder of coworking, is reading this, thanks again for inviting us back then!)

We were invited to speak and share our story with participants and SALTO was one of the sponsors. We had never crossed paths with you guys before but meeting at the conference felt like fate. When we started telling the team on-site about our ambition for the book and showing them the concept behind it, they got so excited that they immediately connected us with the right people within your team.

The rest is history :) 

7. Can you describe the relationship between the coworking community and SALTO Systems? 

We always feel so happy when we tour around a space and see them using SALTO Systems. You guys have such a vast array of options. You can really support spaces at any given part of their [a user’s] journey, which is amazing.

Whether they [a user] are starting with one space or growing tremendously, SALTO Systems is there to make their life easier when it comes to designing their “access control systems strategies”.

Beyond the technology, SALTO Systems has an incredible team of passionate people, dedicated and committed to integrating access control systems into community strategies, using it as yet another way to bring people together because as you guys say so well, “Community is the key”.

8. What were the highlights of the book launch in Berlin and the online community launch?

The Berlin book launch felt so magical for so many reasons! First, Berlin is our home, so being able to host an in-person event after everything we’ve all been through was quite something.

Then the venue: The Student Hotel, which is featured in the book, was just the perfect place for us all to reconnect. Spacious, beautiful, flexible, centrally located. Working with them in preparing the event was a stress-free experience and they really helped us focus on what matters: bringing people together.

Due to the context and COVID-19, we had no idea how many people would actually show up to the event. It’s one thing to get a ticket on Eventbrite or say “attending” on Facebook and it’s another to come and attend. So seeing close to 100 people throughout the night come and celebrate this life achievement was just incredible. Above all, their eagerness to (re)connect with one another was super nice to witness. Many people shared that the book launch was their first in-person event since the pandemic started. We feel very grateful that they chose our event as their first!

Last but not least, the cake you guys surprised us with was (quite literally!) the icing on the cake.

I (Pauline) really didn’t expect it. When I saw it coming, I almost felt like crying. Such a nice gesture and it was very yummy too. Thanks again to you and the team for contributing to the night in the way you did.

9. Can you give us a glimpse of the next steps for you and Coworkies? What would you like to accomplish next with SALTO Systems? 

Right now most of our efforts are focused on the book and its promotion - so expect to read and hear about it across many outlets worldwide!

As per what we would like to accomplish next with SALTO Systems, there are many things we are currently discussing together, from events to an eventual volume 2 of the book — many doors are open :)

Stay tuned for updates on our partnership with Coworkies by following us on LinkedIn and Instagram!

Looking for more? Click here to discover more on SALTO’s access control solutions for Coworking and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn for the latest updates. 

SALTO KS provides a flexible access control management system that requires no software installation or the added expense of a fully-wired electronic product. Modern cloud-based, wireless access control systems are easy and simple to use for businesses including Coworking Spaces, Shared Living Spaces, Retail, and many more. Our best in class wireless access control solution and smart locks help make your business more secure and efficient. Integrate smart locks into your access solution and start easily managing wireless access control now!