Vantage Space Global Trends Report: Q2 2024

1: Global Average Occupancy

Q2 2024 shows a modest global occupancy increase to 39.0% (+3.0% from Q1). However, regional trends diverge significantly. APAC leads with a remarkable 15.0 point jump to 46.0%, suggesting a strong return-to-office momentum or seasonal peak in that region. Conversely, EMEA experienced a decline of 4.0 points to 38.0%, potentially reflecting extended holiday periods or shifts in work patterns. AMER remained relatively stable with a slight dip to 33.0% (-1.0%). The increase in global passive occupancy hints at continued reliance on assigned spaces even when employees are not physically present.

Table 1: Average Occupancy by Region. Note: The percentage changes are calculated based on the previous quarter’s data.

2: Average Occupancy by Space Type

The divergence in regional trends is also evident across space types. APAC saw significant increases across the board, particularly in Work Spaces (+16.0 points) and Other Spaces (+19.0 points). Globally, Meeting Spaces saw the largest relative increase (+5.0 points), reaching 35.0% occupancy, perhaps indicating a rise in collaborative tasks. Work space usage also grew slightly to 41.0%. EMEA saw declines in Work and Other spaces, while AMER experienced drops in Work spaces but a notable increase in Meeting Space occupancy (+7.0 points), suggesting a potential shift towards using the office primarily for collaboration in that region.

Table 2: Average Occupancy by Space Type. Note: The percentage changes are calculated based on the previous quarter’s data.

3: Meeting Room Occupancy

Meeting rooms are spaces designed for collaborative activities, such as team meetings or client presentations. The efficient use of these often high-value spaces remains a key focus for workplace optimization.

Table 3: Average Meeting Size by Region. Note: The changes are calculated based on the previous quarter’s data.

Q2 2024 presents an unusual spike in average meeting sizes globally and particularly in EMEA. The global average jumped significantly to 4.9 attendees (+2.5), driven almost entirely by an extraordinary rise in EMEA to 11.8 attendees (+9.1). This EMEA figure seems anomalous and may warrant further investigation into specific study data, potentially reflecting large-scale events or training sessions during the quarter within the observed portfolio. APAC and AMER remained consistent with previous trends, showing small average meeting sizes (2.4 and 2.0 respectively).

The meeting room capacity vs. usage data reveals a continued global pattern: meetings predominantly involve only one person (58.6%), despite only 12.1% of rooms being designed for single occupancy. The spike in EMEA’s average meeting size doesn’t translate into efficient use of larger rooms; single-person meetings still dominate observed usage (52.1%), while over 40% of rooms cater to 5+ people. AMER shows the most extreme mismatch, with 67.4% of meetings being single-person, while over 50% of rooms are built for 5 or more attendees. This persistent inefficiency highlights a critical need for organizations to rethink their meeting space portfolio.

Conclusion

As of July 1, 2024, the workplace continues its dynamic evolution. Q2 data reveals stark regional variations, with APAC showing strong return-to-office trends while EMEA potentially experiences seasonal or policy-driven dips. The global rise in meeting space occupancy, contrasted with the unusual spike in EMEA’s average meeting size yet continued dominance of small meetings overall, paints a complex picture. The key takeaway remains the significant mismatch between the supply of large meeting rooms and the demand for smaller, focused collaboration spaces. Organizations should prioritize analyzing their specific utilization data to right-size meeting environments and better support prevalent work patterns, focusing on flexibility and technology enablement for both individual and small group needs.