Vantage Space Global Trends Report: Q3 2023

1: Global Average Occupancy

Q3 2023 saw a slight dip in global average occupancy to 35.0% (-2.0% compared to Q2 2023). This decrease was reflected in EMEA (-4.0% to 35.0%) and APAC (-6.0% to 39.0%), regions often affected by summer holidays or seasonal variations. AMER, however, remained stable at 31.0% (0.0% change). The overall picture suggests a potential seasonal slowdown in office attendance, particularly in EMEA and APAC, while AMER maintained its Q2 levels. Passive occupancy remains a significant factor globally.

Table 1: Average Occupancy by Region. Note: The percentage changes are calculated based on the previous quarter’s data (Q2 2023).

2: Average Occupancy by Space Type

Reflecting the overall trend, Work Space occupancy decreased globally (-3.0% to 37.0%) and particularly in EMEA (-5.0%) and APAC (-6.0%). Meeting Space usage saw a marginal global dip (-1.0% to 25.0%), with AMER experiencing the most significant drop (-4.0% to 18.0%), while EMEA saw a slight increase. Interestingly, Other Space occupancy increased globally (+3.0% to 40.0%), driven mainly by AMER (+5.0%). This could suggest that while focused work and formal meetings decreased (potentially due to holidays), informal collaborative or social spaces saw relatively more use, or perhaps different types of studies were conducted.

Table 2: Average Occupancy by Space Type. Note: The percentage changes are calculated based on the previous quarter’s data (Q2 2023).

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 2023).

Average meeting sizes remained relatively stable globally at 2.5 attendees (-0.1). EMEA saw a similar slight decrease. APAC experienced a more noticeable drop to 2.4 attendees (-0.6), suggesting smaller collaborations in that region during Q3. Conversely, AMER saw an increase in average meeting size to 2.9 attendees (+0.5), despite lower overall meeting space occupancy, indicating that when meetings did occur, they involved slightly larger groups than in Q2.

The capacity vs. usage analysis for Q3 reinforces the long-standing trend: a significant surplus of large meeting rooms compared to demand. Over half (51.3%) of global meetings were single-person events, while only 11.7% of rooms are designed for one person. This pattern persists across regions, though EMEA shows slightly lower single-person usage (41.3%) compared to APAC (55.1%) and AMER (50.9%). Rooms designed for 4 or more people represent over 60% of the global portfolio but hosted less than 15% of observed meetings. The data consistently points towards a need for more small, private spaces.

Conclusion

Q3 2023 data suggests a seasonal dip in overall workplace occupancy, particularly in EMEA and APAC, bringing the global average down slightly to 35.0%. AMER remained stable. Work space and meeting space usage generally followed this trend, although ‘Other’ spaces saw an increase, primarily in AMER. Average meeting sizes remained small globally, reinforcing the trend that most collaboration happens in small groups or individually within meeting rooms. The starkest finding remains the significant mismatch between the high proportion of large meeting rooms available and the overwhelming usage pattern favouring single or two-person meetings. Organizations should continue to prioritize adapting their space portfolio to provide more appropriately sized spaces for prevalent collaboration styles and individual focused work.