In partnership with The Future Laboratory
Despite unprecedented turbulence, the co-economy continues to blossom, redefining work, rest and play, transforming how we will drive profit, define “value” and unlock opportunity in the future.
It has been a turbulent year for the co-economy (co-living, co-working, co-sharing, co-leasing and co-culture). In 2019, co-economy brands like Airbnb were riding high – the property rental company had a valuation of USD 31 billion and enough cash for a private listing. But in 2020 the coronavirus pandemic took hold, the biggest disruption to the travel industry since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. By summer, the outlook for the co-economy wasn’t good, with public spaces turned into no-go zones, travel bookings decimated and much of the world forced to retreat inside. But while many assumed that the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic would herald an end to the co-economy – who wants to share something that might have been sneezed on?