Wojo has joined forces with Mama Shelter to develop the coworking brand of the Mama Works hotel chain. The flexible workspace specialist now has a brand licence to develop the brand. roll out Mama Works in France and Europeincluding the UK. It is a logical move, given that both companies are part of the Accor group: Wojo as a joint venture in partnership with Bouygues Immobilier, while Mama Shelter is part of Ennismore, the French group's lifestyle subsidiary.
Launched in 2017, Mama Works has so far grown at a moderate pace, with the coworking arm of the lifestyle chain now boasting two locations in France: near La Part-Dieu train station, in the Paris suburbs, and in the Paris suburbs. in Lyon and Bordeauxin the Bassins à Flot district. Owned by Keys REIM, with whom Wojo has signed new variable-rent commercial leases, these two sites are already part of the Wojo network.
Conversely, Mama Works was also present at Lille until recently, at the Euratechnologies high-tech campus. However, both because of its location and because Wojo already had a presence in the northern capital, this site is now the only one in the region to have been chosen. removed from the scope of Mama Works with the takeover of the brand. Outside France, a Mama branded coworking space had also appeared in Luxembourgwithin the walls of the Mama Shelter. Small in size and managed by the hotel to offer a business service to mobile professionals, this special Mama Works is not part of the direction the brand will take under Wojo's management.
A new dynamic for Mama Works
" Our aim is to develop stand-alone sitesindependent of Mama Shelter hotels, says Stéphane Bensimon, CEO of Wojo. Even so, we don't rule out developing Mama Works within the chain's establishments, provided that they can offer large spaces so that we can apply our expertise in operating and marketing private offices and meeting rooms."
With the support of the French leader in coworking spaces, fully focused on its core business, a new dynamic is set to expand the Mama Works range. " Wojo has demonstrated its ability to develop its network; to open and operate new flexible workspaces in Europe; and to attract and retain new customers. An expertise that Mama Works will be able to draw on to strengthen its position." said Cédric Gobillard, Managing Director of Mama Shelter.
Founded around the same time, Wojo and Mama Works share the same desire, each in their own way, to 'lifestylise' office life with contemporary workspaces and friendly meeting points. Like the Cafet Frichti, for example, recently developed within the new Wojo Paris Montparnasse. The fact remains that, with its DNA modelled on the atypical, contemporary ambience of Mama Shelter and its experience in event managementMama Works is adding new strings to Wojo's bow. " Mama Works brings us lots of things that complement our offer, and we bring them our organisational know-how, process and marketing" says Stéphane Bensimon.
By adding a second brand to its portfolio, in addition to the coworking spaces developed within Accor hotels, Wojo is broadening its range of possibilities to pursue its growth. Like one of its major competitors in the coworking sector - IWG, which is developing, among other things the Regus, Spaces and HQ brands -but also hotel groups which are multiplying the number of brands, Wojo will be able to play on more levels to reach customers and site owners. "Depending on the location, a Mama Works and its special spirit might be more appropriate.explains Stéphane Bensimon. What's more, if we already have a Wojo in a town, this opens up new opportunities." says Stéphane Bensimon. While the Mama Works development plan is still being worked out, there's no doubt that cities other than Bordeaux and Lyon will be seeing Mama Works outlets in the near future.
