New collaborative platform aims to create business opportunities in the region

● Millet World Trading Post is a “co-working space+” concept that goes beyond physical co-working spaces and emphasises connectivity and collaboration

● The Millet World Trading Post platform dentifies opportunities and matches them with members in countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, China and India

● Two memoranda of understanding (MOUs) to be signed with Temasek Polytechnic* and Australian developer San Chuan

A new co-working space+, Millet World Trading Post (MWTP), has been rolled out to target small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), micro businesses, and operators in the arts, culture and creative industry in Asia. 

Inspired by the trading posts of the past, the Trading Posts feature physical working spaces as well as a virtual network accessible through a mobile app for members across Asia. The Asia Pacific-wide online platform originating from Singapore connects the supply and demand dots by identifying opportunities and matching them with members across Southeast Asia, North and South Asia as well as Oceania. MWTP will also work on a membership subscription basis for access to a variety of spaces, ancillary facilities, events and activities.

“Beyond co-working spaces, MWTP’s greatest value-add is to be a business exchange platform for its members,” says Jimmy Soon, Executive Director of Millet Holdings, the parent company of MWTP. “We are confident that it is a scalable business model that will provide deal flows and create a virtuous cycle among small business owners, entrepreneurs and individuals. We hope to create 10,000 MWTP nodes in the region by 2020.”

Two MOUs were signed, with Temasek Polytechnic and with an Australian developer, San Chuan Australia. Soon said that Temasek Polytechnic will use MWTP to provide access to the region for current students and alumni members while San Chuan will give Millet Holdings "immediate access to the Australian market”.

Source: MWTP. From left: Victor Ng, Board Member of Millet Holdings; Jimmy Soon, Executive Director, Millet Holdings; Jorren Yang, Director, San Chuan Australia, part of the SANC Group of Companies; Annie Lim, Director, My Property Global.

Source: MWTP. Samuel Ang, Director, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Department of Temasek Polytechnic (left) with Soon (right) officiating the launch of MWTP node at Launchpad @ Temasek Polytechnic.

Dr Sharon Lim, Chairman Designate of MWTP added: “As business networking is the main pillar of MWTP’s value proposition, MWTP will facilitate a pipeline of activities such as workshops, talks and conferences on the latest innovations and trends, serving as a business exchange centre and a modern 'Trading Post’. This pipeline of interactive activities will support Singapore small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to ‘grow in a pack’ and create collaborative paths into new markets.”

The Trading Post concept has helped Millet secure interest of businesses such as IQkidz, which runs educational programmes for children; Malaysian chocolate maker 18C, and Garam Lada, an Indonesian bakery which caters to special dietary needs.

"Today, these small businesses from the region see an advantage in leveraging on the MWTP network here to create a footprint in Singapore. Likewise, local firms are excited about the prospect of using the MWTP platform to cross venture into regional markets. This kind of massive connectivity of Trading Posts and ecosystem of regional cross-ventures excites us,” said Dr Lim.

There will be seven MWTP “nodes” or venues in Singapore initially: at Temasek Polytechnic, 20 Temenggong Road, The Pavilion at Far East Square, 10 Square@Orchard Central, Northpoint City I and II, and Platform E by SIM.  The spaces currently range from 31 sq ft to 5,000 sq ft in size.  

MWTP nodes will soon roll out in key cities in the region as well, such as Manila, the Philippines; Kuala Lumpur and Malacca in Malaysia; Xiamen and Chengdu in China, as well as New Delhi, India. These will be followed by nodes in countries such as Australia, Laos and Vietnam in early 2019.

MWTP has found investors who are willing to turn their commercial spaces into Trading Posts. The earliest investor in MWTP’s business is Bobby Kok, MD, CJ Stamford Management. Kok will be driving the launch of MWTP in Manila.

Said Kok: “I was keen to invest in MWTP because I could see its potential to impact the lives of entrepreneurs and small business owners, and MWTP has the ability to scale up to serve the region as it gets more like-minded investors who want to make an impact with their investments.”

*SCAPE unveils youth co-working space

Source: *SCAPE. The Passion room at HubQuarters.

*SCAPE, a non-profit organisation and youth hangout in Singapore, has launched its revamped HubQuarters – an environment for budding entrepreneurs that covers approximately 4,000 sq ft, and is capable of fitting up to 120 youth entrepreneurs.

“The HubQuarters was first started in 2012 as a meeting ground for like-minded youth entrepreneurs to come together, network, collaborate and spread ideas in a safe and encouraging environment,” said Goh Kok Wee, Executive Director of *SCAPE.

“Today, we have transformed the area into a coworking space, to better facilitate the interaction between entrepreneurs, mentors, and coaches. This is in line with our vision and mission of providing youths with the right platforms and opportunities, to help them develop, grow and achieve their dreams.”

Located in the heart of Singapore, with low rental rates, the HubQuarters Youth Co-Working Space is aims to be an environment where youths are able to experiment with ideas and try things out without the fear of failing. HubQuarters also represents community where youths can work with like-minded people, meet key industry players, and participate in seminars, workshops, and fellowship programmes, to further develop themselves and launch their startups.

One of the key activities lined-up at HubQuarters is Startup Weekend Singapore (SWSG) 2018 – one of the largest and most anticipated 54-hour hackathons in Singapore. The event will see designers, developers, marketers, and startup enthusiasts come together to share ideas, form teams, and launch new businesses.

Participants of SWSG 2018 will be invited to join the Fellowship Programme at HubQuarters, which aims to support youth startups and cultivate an innovative and enterprising youth ecosystem at *SCAPE. The programme, which *SCAPE will launch with Reactor Ventures in October 2018, will also bridge SWSGparticipants into a longer six-month journey of guidance and growth.

Details:

*SCAPE is at 2 Orchard Link, Singapore 237978.

Call +65 6521 6565 with enquiries.

Hashtags: #scapesg, #swsg2018

Outpost wins awards for both co-living and co-working spaces

Source: Outpost. Co-workers at Outpost Ubud.

Outpost has received market recognition with a double win in the 2018 Coworker Member’s Choice Awards run by Coworker.com. Coworker connects people and coworking spaces in over 115 countries.

Both of Outpost’s spaces were awarded the top spot for their locales, with Outpost Ubud winning in Bali, Indonesia, and Outpost Cambodia winning in Cambodia.

Member’s Choice award winners were determined based on thousands of reviews, votes and opinions collected in a single year from coworking members worldwide.

“What's really meaningful to us is that this award comes from a direct vote from our members – the incredible location independent and purpose-driven entrepreneurs, professionals and creatives who form our global community. It’s a huge vote of confidence that we’re successfully providing spaces that not only meet their needs, but exceed them,” says David Abraham, Outpost co-founder.

Outpost, celebrating its second anniversary this week, established its first neighborhood in Ubud, Bali in 2016, followed by an Outpost popup in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in 2017. Both offer integrated coliving and coworking, making them one of the largest coliving companies in the region, managing nearly 40 rooms.

“Our next big step forward is opening an additional colive-cowork space in Canggu, Bali this June,” adds Bryan Stewart, Outpost co-founder.

Leanne Beesley, CEO of Coworker, says: “Coworker is excited to announce the winners of the 2018 Members’ Choice Awards and celebrate the coworking spaces around the world that are making an impact in their community. By putting a spotlight on coworking spaces that are providing a great environment and creating a community for their members, Coworker gives coworking spaces both large and small the ability to shine and attract new members.”

The Executive Centre introduces TRIBE by TEC in Singapore

Source: The Executive Centre website. A view of the coworking centre.

The Executive Centre, a premium serviced office provider in the Asia Pacific region, has launched TRIBE by TEC, its first dedicated coworking centre in Singapore. The space will open on November 3.

Set in a historic conservation shophouse dating back to the late 1800's, TRIBE by TEC is designed to unite professional forces and provide them with a community experience to work side-by-side, collaborate and share ideas. The Executive Centre also organises regular networking events.

Interested?

TRIBE by TEC is at 51B/52B Circular Road in Singapore. Circular Road is now the soft front to Singapore's Central Business District. A day costs S$50 and includes Wi-Fi as well as monochrome printing services plus access to the pantry. Locker services are at an additional cost.

Booqed lists workspaces for hire

Online marketplace Booqed has launched its meeting room and workspace search, booking and transaction phone app of the same name on the Apple App Store. Providing a faster way for anyone to leverage an available meeting or working area in a city, the app allows users to locate available areas, place an immediate or forward reservation, then pay for the usage of the space from a smartphone or tablet.

The service also benefits businesses with meeting or conference rooms that can sit vacant through the day. Booqed allows such companies to monetise the facilities instead.

Source: The Hive Kennedy Town, Hong Kong, a co-working space and a Booqed venue partner. Space at The Hive Kennedy Town can be booked via the Booqed app.

“The new economy is one that is both dynamic and mobile. Business people travelling overseas might need to host a meeting that requires more privacy than what a nearby cafe can offer. Freelancers, students, associations or just about anyone that requires a bit of space and discretion for a quiet discussion or simply get some work done, will find Booqed easy and convenient to use,” said David Wong, CEO, Booqed. “We are disrupting the traditional way meetings and work happens you might say.”

Interested?

Currently available for download on the Apple App Store, the service presently lists rooms in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, and will soon include Singapore.

The app will be on Google Play for Android users in early 2017. Sydney will be available by the end of the year and other markets including Beijing, Shanghai, Melbourne and Tokyo will be supported in phases over 2017.

We are up on the Apple Store! Let's check us out! A lot of exciting things coming up next week! #booqed

A photo posted by Booqed (@getbooqed) on Sep 21, 2016 at 12:06am PDT

Hashtag: #booqed

PwC's Venture Hub partners with Collective Works in Singapore

Source: PwC Singapore. PwC Singapore has launched Venture Hub, the world's first one-stop shop to help investors and entrepreneurs succeed in the startup and innovation space.

PwC has partnered with Collective Works, a co-working space operator, enabling its newly-launched Venture Hub to have a presence at the co-working spaces located in the heart of Singapore’s central business district: at Capital Hub Tower on Robinson Road and The Globe along Cecil Street. PwC’s Venture Hub will also co-host a series of events with Collective Works for entrepreneurs and investors.

PwC’s Venture Hub goes beyond catering to the traditional realm of fintech and will look at all disruptive technologies in areas such as biomedicaltech, regtech, wealthtech, and legaltech. Said Patrick Yeo, Venture Hub Leader, PwC Singapore: “The startup and innovation space is highly dynamic and rapidly evolving. To make a difference in this space, we have first disrupted ourselves and are taking bold steps in contrast to the way we traditionally operate and do business.

“With our presence at Collective Works, we are now able to engage with entrepreneurs at every step of their journey – from concept, to acceleration and commercialisation, to scaling up and expansion; on top of looking at new and innovative ways to collaborate with them.”

Added Ken Ching, Asia Pacific Head of PwC’s Global Financial Services Innovation Centre: “With the combination of our expertise in the Venture Hub and Global Financial Services Innovation Centre, we look forward to collaborating with startups and investors to help them springboard into the wider Asian region and the rest of the world.”

Interested?

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog posts about the launch of the Venture Hub and Collective Works' opening at Capital Tower

ERC launches multi-city co-working space in Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam

• Under the University Mentorship programme, lecturers will serve as mentors to provide guidance to the BIG Work community 
• Users can benefit from ERC's core competencies in their business domains, as well as consultations with incubator programme managers and resource management advisors 
• Guests of the BIG Hotel, which hosts international and startup business travellers, will be the first to be exposed to new products and services that are hospitality-related for research purposes

Entrepreneur Resource Centre Holdings (ERC) has launched BIG Work, the first co-working space that spans Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Screens at the top left show live celebrations in the other two locations.

Entrepreneur Resource Centre Holdings (ERC) has launched BIG Work, the first co-working space that spans Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. BIG Work is conceptualised to springboard the ideas of students and aspiring entrepreneurs into the regional economies with guidance from established mentors, available resources and infrastructures under the purview of ERC.

BIG Work is a co-working space concept that is supported by ERC’s domain experts in the hospitality, education, entrepreneurship, and real estate sectors. The concept allows users to maximise their access to experts and resources in each domain in a timely and efficient manner in developing their products and services.

In addition to the hot desks that BIG Work offers, users are also able to gain access to the private offices, lockers, mailer services, rental of meeting and seminar rooms, free Wi-Fi, printing and photocopying services, and free flow of tea and coffee.

As part of the ERC ecosystem, members of BIG Work can take part in a University Mentorship programme. Lecturers from ERC’s partner universities, which include the University of Greenwich, University of Wolverhampton and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, will serve as mentors to BIG Work’s community. Regular sharing sessions between academics, students, and BIG Work users will be scheduled for information and expertise exchanges to heighten the startup experience. 

Users of BIG Work can also benefit from ERC’s core competencies in their business domains, including expertise in the local and regional business landscape. Consultations with incubator programme managers and resource management advisors can be arranged to determine the feasibility and functionality of ideas.

Seven random facts about BIG Work.

The affiliated BIG Hotel can also act as a test bed. Hotel guests can be exposed to new hospitality-related products and services for beta research. 

“BIG Work is a unique concept of a co-working space that offers immediate access and resources to students, aspiring entrepreneurs, freelancers, designers, business travellers or anyone in between who are keen to kickstart their entrepreneurial journey. Our regional approach would allow users and the community to have immediate support in furthering their offerings within Southeast Asia,” said Yen Ong, Group Chief Marketing Officer of ERC Holdings. 

“We understand the importance of nurturing the startup ecosystem in Asia, and believe that entrepreneurs should be equipped with the necessary resources that help bring their ideas to life. As such, in the upcoming months, we are channelling our efforts into building BIG Work Resource Hub where users can leverage the available resources from all platforms that we own.”

All three co-working spaces are strategically located in the business districts of Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, and Bangkok, boasting office spaces of 3,200 sq ft, 1,860 sq ft, and 3,500 sq ft respectively. BIG Work expects to expand to a total of 10 cities in Asia within the next three years.

Inspirational quotes at BIG Work Singapore.

Inspirational quotes at BIG Work Singapore.

Interested?

Prices range from S$9 for the day in Ho Chi Minh to S$500 a month in Singapore.

posted from Bloggeroid

Business district-based Collective Works is launched in Singapore

A common co-working space within Collective Works Capital Tower.

Singapore’s first CBD-based coworking space Collective Works has launched its second space, a joint venture with CapitaLand. The 22,000 sq ft, high performance ‘office of the future' occupies the entire level 12 of the 52-storey Capital Tower in Tanjong Pagar.

Collective Works has become known for its design aesthetic and superior attention to detail such as ergonomics, ambience, lighting and acoustic sound profiling. Technology infrastructure includes secure on-site server hosting, videoconferencing, IP telephony and redundant fibreoptic broadband.

Designed by interior architects Contrast Design, the office interior is based on the concept of unfolding space, with surprises around every corner. The office is divided into different zones, each tailored to boost productivity, facilitate connections and encourage collaboration.

Solutions for businesses range from hot desks, dedicated spaces as well as formal offices of different sizes. Quiet, secure meeting rooms, spaces for conference calls and brainstorm areas have all been built into Collective Works. There is also a studio for creation of media such as podcasts.

Jonathan O’Byrne, founder of Collective Works called co-working a "personal mission" that was born when he started his own business, but could not find "the right kind of workspace". "As a designer from a design background, I could create spaces and create solutions that could solve human problems," he said. "(It is about) improving the quality of work and improving the quality of workspace.

"Interest has been very strong and from a broad range of industries. We are in discussion with more than 60 companies looking to join Collective Works Capital Tower over the next few months. We are paying particular attention to mix of the community and Collective Works Capital Tower is proving to be diverse but consistently premium.”

Members in the new space include global venture capital firm 500 Startups as well as a number of marketing, computer programming and data analytics companies. There is interest from global financial, technology and law firms too.

O’Byrne added: “Across Asia we have witnessed an exponential surge in demand from entrepreneurs seeking more personal business solutions. Our new space and our premium community create a unique ecosystem for our clients within the prestigious Capital Tower.”

Wen Khai Meng, CEO of CapitaLand Singapore, said the two companies look forward to providing more exciting spaces to meet all business needs in future. He called the new Collective Works space a flexible, high quality working environment with opportunities to network, collaborate and share. “CapitaLand is a progressive and forward looking real estate developer and our coworking partnership with Collective Works exemplifies this," he said.

"This partnership leverages CapitaLand’s market leadership and extensive network. Besides reaching out to a vibrant new market, Collective Works Capital Tower will augment CapitaLand’s offerings to existing customers and corporate partners. To date we are excited to welcome a number of high profile members to Collective Works Capital Tower including 500 Startups who will undoubtedly bring new buzz to the Capital Tower community. Coworking is in line with CapitaLand’s ‘office of the future’ vision, where people work in hubs of collaboration, community and creativity. We will be watching this space keenly as it evolves.

"We will take care of your every need. Just sign up, and focus on your work," he said.

A living wall greets visitors at the reception area.

One of the many offices within Collective Works. All offices come with glass walls and similar furniture but are of different sizes to accommodate different business requirements.

The office has been designed with discussion areas in nooks and corners to stimulate creativity and collaboration.

Many of the common working areas have impressive views of the city.

Tables marked with the 'CO' sticker - for co-working - are meant for common use.

The Standing Room, so named because it is meant for discussions to take place among people who are standing, was conceived to change the dynamics of decision-making. 

Each meeting room has a touch panel outside showing when it has been booked.

Lockers for Collective Works members come in different sizes. Each locker has a combination lock of four digits instead of the standard three for extra security, and a slot at the top for mail.

Sound-proof phone booths for conference calls.

Coffee quality may seem like a small detail for a co-working space, but Collective Works came up with Custom Blend B from Colombian Arabica and Ethiopian Sidamo Cherry Red coffee varieties. The beans are blended and roasted by a boutique roaster in Singapore, processed in batches of only 20kg batches a month for freshness. Three blends were originally developed but Blend B was the favourite.

posted from Bloggeroid