Regus expects growth as labour models change

Picture the scene: a workplace offering services ranging from fully-equipped offices, video conference rooms and business lounges - set up in the middle of a shopping centre or a residential project in the suburbs of Hong Kong.

This could be one of the new business centres to be opened by serviced-office-provider Regus in response to the trend towards decentralised working environments, chief executive Mark Dixon said.

Regus has opened 10 offices in Hong Kong with most concentrated in office buildings in downtown business districts such as International Finance Centre in Central, International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon, and Hopewell Centre in Wan Chai. In total it has 34 business centres in Greater China.

Dixon said Regus would expand its business worldwide at a rapid pace in the wake of the belief that the current workplace model was unsustainable.

'The highest prospects of growth are in Asia, especially India and China,' he said. Demand would also increase in Japan and Cambodia.

Most of Regus' clients in China are mainland companies rather than multinational firms. They, such as a state-owned insurance company, had nationwide networks but did not want to set up branches in every major city, he said. Dixon said the company would open 150 new business centres around the world this year.