Brian Tolman

Brian Tolman has helped Convene leverage hospitality metrics for the workplace.

Opposite: a Convene location in Chicago

Convene’s senior vice president of design and construction is powering the company’s expansion through finely tuned creative strategies and feedback systems. By Dora Vanette

In 2019, the workspace design and service company Convene is slated to open about 20 new locations and four extensions, totaling approximately a million square feet of meeting, event, and coworking space. this feat, which more than doubles Convene’s portfolio, would strike fear in the most seasoned of designers. Brian tolman, Convene’s senior vice president of design and construction, hardly bats an eye. in the six years that he has worked with Convene, beginning as an outside consultant whose firm was later folded into the company, tolman has honed a nearly foolproof method for designing, executing, and assessing each project that comes his way.

For tolman, the strategy lies in not expending his team’s energy on elements that can be systematized and repeated across Convene’s locations. “the room should function exactly the same way every time–the light fixture should give the same quality of light, the conference table should perform the way you expect it to,” tolman explains. “once we’ve made sure those basics are perfectly executed and standardized, we can focus on the storytelling and the nuances of the spaces in between.” Having developed the system that underlies the design process, tolman’s in-house team of 25 can work on setting the tone and narrative of the offices, while doing much of the development in collaboration with outside design partners.

Convene’s rapid growth would not have been possible without a set of highly sophisticated input systems, including consumer research, occupancy sensors, and customer feedback. “We lean heavily on metrics such as Net Promoter scores (NPs), which tell us how likely customers are to recommend our products and whether they plan on returning to our spaces,” tolman says. “this type of feedback doesn’t tell us how to solve a problem, if one exists, but it flags an opportunity for us to improve the experience.” Whether Convene’s assessment strategies draw the designers’ attention to which conference room is reserved last or to the fact that users of an event space prefer to dispense with the provided seating, they provide valuable lessons that can be carried through to future projects. At the same time, having access to an in-house design team gives Convene the unique ability to redesign its spaces almost in real time.

Yet strict adherence to metrics runs the risk of fostering uniformity. For tolman, each location should tell a different story and offer a unique experience— a quality that sets Convene apart from brands such as starbucks. “starbucks made the decision to come up with a series of devices and aesthetics that can be executed across all of their spaces,” tolman explains. “this approach is fast and easy and allows for rapid growth. But then, when’s the last time you were surprised by a starbucks?” instead, tolman believes, people remain loyal to Convene precisely because of the element of surprise. “it’s similar to having a favorite chef who is opening a new restaurant—you’re going to want to check it out,” he notes. “You know the food and the experience are not going to be the same, but what you do know is that it’s going to be good. that’s exactly the kind of loyalty we’re trying to create with our workspaces at Convene.” M