Global business network with workspaces for members

Business-focused social networks and being spaces for mobile workers are both familiar concepts by now, but not until recently had we seen them united and offered jointly through a single global brand. Hub Culture is a private social network aimed at helping members connect, exchange knowledge, forge deals and create value. With primary bases in several urban hubs—including London, New York, San Francisco, Bermuda, Singapore and Hong Kong—Hub Culture has more than 60 representatives in major cities around the world dedicated to assisting other members with advice and knowledge in their home areas. Membership is free but requires invitation; benefits include personal online profiles, the ability to form groups with file sharing and wikis, knowledge brokerage to help drive deals, and invitations to private events. There’s even a private digital currency dubbed Ven that’s used to allow members to pay for knowledge, favours and other soft areas that it might be difficult to charge money for. What makes Hub Culture especially interesting is where it enters the physical world. Hub Culture Pavilions are currently being developed around the globe to provide a shared physical space, support services and online collaboration tools that help members connect and work together. The first permanent one just opened on Carnaby Street in London, and temporary ones are already up and running in Amsterdam, New York, Ibiza and other locations around the world. Free wifi and broadband, luxury workspace, online storage and work tools, and premium snacks, coffees and teas are among the benefits enjoyed by Pavilion members. Membership is limited; at the new London Pavilion, individual members must pay anywhere from GBP 29 per month for a full membership to GBP 59 monthly for one that includes VIP valet services. Hub Culture is managed by Hub Culture Services, a London-based consultancy. By combining global social networking with the flexibility and environmental benefits of a shared local workspace—effectively blending the best of online and off—Hub Culture may just have hit upon the model that’s needed to support the new breed of globally minded, heavily wired, eco-conscious and cost-cutting workers around the world. One to try out in a Hub near you…? (Related: Meeting rooms, upgraded.)