WTCA’s Nordic Members Meet in Göteborg

On June 1, the WTCA’s Nordic Members reunited for their annual gathering to discuss the evolution of the workplace. WTC Göteborg (Gothenburg), proudly represented by Eva Hyllstam, Tom Rydell, Linnea Boestam and Emil Larsson, hosted this year’s edition on the theme of happiness, love and ongoing development as a key to success in the workplace. They strongly believe that in order to be good at your work, you have to feel good, and to have a strong team spirit, you have to lead by example, be united, and treat your coworkers and tenants with kindness. The feeling surely shows through when you walk around the building.

The day started with a tour of the WTC Göteborg premises, which now includes a new floor as its activities continue to grow. Participants then introduced themselves and their World Trade Center businesses, starting with Paavo Pilv of WTC Tallinn, followed by Heidi Saaristo of WTC Turku, Annelie Fischbeck and Jörgen Lindahl from WTC Malmo, WTC Helsingborg and WTC Lund, and finally Tine Wiinblad of WTC Ballerup.

The group discussed their common challenges and needs with regards to real estate development and operations. The aim was then to brainstorm on activation ideas, ways to support one another and to generate added value together. Community management is definitely a focus to encourage people come back to the office, using the latter to rebuild social capital. Sustainability ratings have already started to generate a premium for certified buildings, as market preferences and legislations are evolving, making it impossible for landlords to ignore the importance of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) agenda. This being said, fellow WTCA Members including WTC Rotterdam, WTC The Hague and WTC Ballerup have already paved the way in this region with their work on the 17 SDGs, that could easily be applied to other locations. Lastly, PropTech is also considered when it comes to ​involving more technology in commercial real estate’s operations to better adapt and ultimately increase profitability.

After a fantastic lunch at Heaven 23, on top of one of the famous Gothia Towers, the group came back for an update on the WTCA followed by a discussion on trade opportunities led by Cristina Sbaizero, CEO of WTC Trieste, WTCA Board Member and Honorary Consul of Sweden in Trieste. Through her own experience and vast expertise on the topic, she invited the Nordic Members to consider ways of providing trade services if their WTC businesses do not yet provide to their business members. This opened another brainstorming session where several collaborative opportunities were identified and links between the Members in the region can be reinforced. Progress results will be shared in the coming months.

On behalf of the attendees, we would like to thank Eva Hyllstam and Cristina Sbaizero for their dedication to our Association, and for always strengthening our amazing network with their continued efforts.