The popular MOW concept continues to grow
MOW, short for Mothership of Work, the coworking community on Pieni Roobertinkatu in Helsinki, celebrated its first anniversary at the beginning of February. The occasion was made even more special by the announcement of the MOW concept’s expansion to Ruoholahti at the end of the summer. Both creatives and more traditional companies have been very enthusiastic about this new way of working.
Launched in February 2016 by Sponda, the MOW community has been a smash hit and the demand for the popular Mothership of Work concept has grown during the first year of operations. The ever-increasing variety in how work is done leads to a growing demand for flexible and adaptable workspace. The usability of premises is increasingly determined by the attitude toward work rather than the industry.
“MOW’s customers are a highly heterogeneous community that comprises creatives as well as more traditional companies,” says Tiia-Maria Koivusaari, Sponda’s Business Unit Manager in charge of the Coworking Offices unit.
MOW members gain access to all of the benefits and comprehensive advantages of the coworking space and its community, including lobby services, meeting rooms based on need, ICT infrastructure and local support, various community events as well as refreshments such as coffee and popcorn.
MOW adapts to the worker’s needs
The members of MOW particularly appreciate the energy of the community. To them, the essence of MOW comes down to not only workspace that adapts to their needs, but also the atmosphere and vibe created by the community.
“MOW is especially well suited to companies and entrepreneurs who value convenient and flexible turnkey solutions as well as the professional network created by the community,” Koivusaari explains.
At MOW, members don’t need to pay for unnecessary square metres. Instead, they only pay for the space and services they use.
Expanding the concept westwards
The idea for MOW started from Sponda identifying a gap, or underserved target group, in Helsinki’s office market. As the service has been very well received in its first year, the decision has been made to expand it. The new premises will open in Helsinki’s Ruoholahti district in late summer.
“Ruoholahti combines excellent transport connections and comprehensive services. There are many large companies in the area that can use MOW to increase the flexibility of their space in response to changes in the number of personnel or projects,” says Pia Arrhenius, Senior Vice President, Corporate Planning and IR at Sponda.
The MOW concept serves companies of all types and sizes. It provides excellent value to solopreneurs who are just getting started as well as established companies.
“In future, large companies will increasingly utilise flexible workspace in addition to their own office premises,” Pia Arrhenius says.
Space-themed first anniversary celebration
The first birthday of MOW was celebrated in style on Pieni Roobertinkatu at the beginning of February. In the spirit of MOW, the theme of the party revolved around space, the future and saving the world.
“We celebrated MOW’s first birthday with some bubbly beverages, a vegan menu and plenty of glitter. Our guests enjoyed good music and an intergalactic space adventure that included a speakeasy as well as a space selfie wall,” explains Nina Ruotsalainen, Captain of MOW.
The popular concept achieved excellent success in its first year. According to Nina Ruotsalainen, much has been accomplished in the first twelve months, which meant there was good reason to party.
“We have created a fantastic hub that is being developed in collaboration with the community. We’ve organised events ranging from hackathons to coffee cupping, and we’ve also engaged in great cooperation with events such as Slush and Design Week. We also won the Best Office Space award for Finland at the Nordic Startup Awards.
The birthday party also celebrated the growth of the concept and its upcoming expansion to Ruoholahti. The new space will feature many familiar elements, but also something new.
“The new MOW is different as a location, so the concept for the new hub will be designed in accordance with the space, environment and surrounding area. Like here at the first MOW, creating the right vibe and atmosphere will be key. The spatial design and the MOW service offering will provide seamless support for it,” Nina Ruotsalainen adds.
Published 15.2.2017