October 14, 2016
Australia’s first Asian co-working space launches in Chinatown
Support for expansion into Asia is Haymarket HQ’s point of difference as Sydney;s first Chinatown co-working space.
The 650sq m space in the heart of Chinatown at 63 Dixon Street, launched on Tuesday and supported by City of Sydney council and Greater Sydney Commission chief commissioner Lucy Turnbull, will provide co-working space for startups to rival those of newly launched WeWork in Martin Place and Fishburners in Ultimo.
Except that it does it differently.
Haymarket HQ mainly accepts startups with an “Asian growth ambition”, founder and developer Banna Property Group’s Brad Chan said.
“We will provide local companies with information about Asia so that instead of having to fly to China, you come here as a first step,” he said.
The co-work space will not only provide startups with a desk and amenities, it will also provide a panel of Chinese-Australian mentors who have first hand experience in working in China, including Aus-China conference organiser Basis Point’s David Chin, Airtasker’s Tim Fung and Chinese language communication consultancy China Ambition’s Melissa Ran.
Mr Chan said the space should attract innovative businesses in tourism, “edutech” and even the e-commerce “daigou” or personal shopping industry.
Mr Chan’s family, through Banna Property, owns the building at 63 Dixon Street and until recently the building’s second floor, where the co-working space is located, was provided to a Chinese community group gratis.
The space, which will now charges competitive rates of $300 a month for a part-time 12-day desk or $450 a month for a full-desk, will remain not-for-profit, Mr Chan said.
In comparison, Fishburners, around the corner from Haymarket HQ charges $375 a desk for two desks.
“The co-working space is what makes the Sydney economy interesting… we encourage the ecosystem,” Ms Turnbull, who attended the launch, said.
The City of Sydney has the same opinion.
“It is very appropriate to put a co-working space here especially because [Australia’s] largest trading partner is China, a huge market to tap into,” Councillor Robert Kok who also attended the launch said.
Read more: http://www.afr.com/real-estate/australias-first-asian-coworking-space-launches-in-sydneys-chinatown-20160207-gmnon3#ixzz4N0q7WwVU
