Millennials and Gen Z cohorts are driving workforce trends, with a PwC survey noting their preference for technology use, CSR values in employers and the concept of “competitive socializing” when it comes to jobs. Cushman & Wakefield’s “Edge” Magazine recently published an article on this trend which has generated two results: providing much-needed out-of-the home experiences with friends and co-workers; as well as offering landlords a unique opportunity to revitalize assets while filling large vacancies.
Competitive socializing goes beyond wining and dining to interactive activities such as miniature golf, axe throwing or beer ping pong – even Chicken N Pickle concepts serving up wood fired chicken alongside pickleball paddles are growing in popularity. Ideal locations for these activities include urban environments with dense populations that offer walkability plus large format spaces not typically found at night clubs or bars. An example is Virgin Hotel’s 22,500 square foot space located in New York City managed by London based competitive socialization company Swingers featuring three nine hole golf courses plus multiple bars and an elevated dining area.
When done properly competitive socialization offers landlords benefits such as more diverse tenant mix; stronger branding; improved placemaking; use of formally vacant spaces generating more foot traffic for retailers – all potentially finding its way onto various platforms like Instagram due to this generation’s affinity towards media sharing sites..
