Analysts cite a jobless recovery and global economic concerns for the increase in vacancy rates as businesses are reluctant to commit to space they are not sure they will need in the future.  Bucking the downward trend is New York City — the nation’s largest and most expensive office market. Second quarter vacancy rates dropped in midtown and downtown locations, and were well below the national average — a possible sign economic green shoots are starting to take root in the Big Apple.

Uncertainty is probably the most obstructive hurdle businesses are facing today.  Signing a long-term lease when a business can’t adhere to a long-term plan doesn’t make sense.  Companies should be careful not to repeat the property decisions of the past that left them straddled with underutilized space today.

Technology and the rise of the mobile worker are the top factors impacting the real estate decisions in the 21st Century.  The ability to get work done anywhere at any time will allow business to quickly capitalize on business opportunities.  Long-term lease agreements do not complement this new way of working.

Art has New York City as one of its greatest sponsors.  With seemingly unlimited access to the creations of renowned artists from all over the world, how should New York companies looking to have their work environments designed select from such a vast artistic pool?

For my company, OfficeLinks, a New York City office space provider of next generation workspaces, it was an obvious choice.  We recruited a local artist, Andrei Petrov, who has developed a unique, identifiable style that can be described as “layered abstract painting.”

When Andrei first told me he believes “the brush is mightier than the pen,” I begged to differ as a writer.  However, after visiting his Lower East Side studio and observing this creative mastermind in his natural environment, I understand his mantra.  Over the past few years I’ve admired Andrei’s work in our hallways; colorful, abstract looking pieces which I now know are based on memories, more specifically moments of clarity and passages of distortion meant to trigger lucidity in viewer’s minds.  For some people, like me, writing is our source of expression.  But for Andrei, as evidenced in his work, visuals are more powerful.

Andrei’s career as an artist began at age five; he remembers copying cartoon characters as a child.  The talented artist honed his skills at Laguardia High School and SUNY Purchase University.  His mentors include his uncle, a surrealist painter, and his father, a set designer, which Andrei views as his father’s very own canvases.  Finding inspiration in moments, Andrei notices the way a puddle hits the curb or how snow melts or the essence of people.  A highlight of Andrei’s career was his appearance on Donald Trump’s popular show “The Apprentice.”  On air, Andrei led his team to victory by teaching them to sell his art which I wasn’t surprised to hear given the consultative role he took in the placement of his pieces within OfficeLinks’ work environments.  He uses all different scales and shapes and believes it’s important to know and understand the spaces where the art will be placed.  For example, Andrei suggested that the oil-based panoramas be positioned in the conference rooms and the vertical pieces in the stairways.

Outside OfficeLinks’ halls, Andrei’s art can be viewed at Hotel Plaza Athenee, The Anthem, The Four Seasons Washington, and of course private residences.  For more information about Andrei’s art or to get in touch with him, please visit Andrei’s website at www.andreipetrov.com.  I know Andrei would love to hear from you; he told me that one of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is observing people taking the time to experience his paintings.

The Museum gives visitors an insider’s look at the history and traditions of the largest police force in the country and its role in the history of New York City. Visitors find out the reason police precincts around the nation are marked with green lights outside their doors, why officers are called “cops,” why their bosses are called “brass” and which came first, the Model T or the Highway Unit.

Opening on Tuesday, September 7, 2010, is The 9/11 Responders, a powerful exhibition of sketches and watercolors that depict first responders selflessly at work in the clean up and recovery efforts by Aggie Kenny, an Emmy award winning artist.

Other exhibitions, which are currently featured, include The Life & Legacy of Lt. Petrosino, Policing a Changed City, 9/11 Remembered, and The Police in our Community, a collection by three award-winning courtroom artists that is only open through September 2010.

The New York City Police Museum is open Monday through Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm.  Admission for adults is $7, for seniors, students and children is $5.  Children under 2, members of the service and Museum Members are admitted free.

This is a great local gem that OfficeLinks’ Wall Street location clients can walk to and enjoy on their lunch break – and bring friends and family back to on the weekend!  For more information about the New York City Police Museum, click here.

Federal employee travel and commuting account for the largest category of what the administration calls indirect sources of pollution.  The White House is encouraging workers to travel less for business and to use mass transit for their commutes.

Today, most businesses understand their responsibility to limit their impact on the environment and are leveraging available technology like video and audio conferencing as an alternative to business travel.

Among the many benefits of this technology are: a decrease in business travel expenses, a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and increased productivity.  Individuals can have face-to-face meetings with colleagues or clients anyone anywhere in the world allowing them to collaborate as effectively as if they were meeting in the same room.
 
Access to this technology is no longer a luxury but a necessity for businesses of all sizes. Companies find themselves managing a distributed workforce with limited budget for business travel. Videoconferencing eliminates geographic boundaries and is an easy way for businesses to be environmentally conscious.

Allegiance Capital Corporation has experienced significant growth, even during the recent challenging economic times – 20% a year over the last five years!  And there’s no end to that growth in sight – they are projecting 30-50% growth in 2011. 

I imagine you’re asking yourself the same question I asked myself: HOW?  In a recent conversation with Omar Diaz, Managing Director of Allegiance Capital Corporation, he told me that their drive and “will-do” approach separates them from the competition. They’ve personally experienced many of the same challenges business owners face on a daily basis, so they take this operational experience, and then combine it with financial acumen and relentless hard work to deliver results beyond clients’ expectations.

Well, that sure sounds good enough, but how do they continue to identify clients so that they continue to grow and turn profits?  Well, they are certainly not rushing that part of their process – the Allegiance Capital Corporation team invests a significant amount of time “peeling back the onion,” as Omar put it; that is, identifying who the ideal client is.  They focus efforts on entrepreneurs and family-owned businesses, not public companies or companies owned by private equity groups, because at the end of the day, the entrepreneurs and family-owned businesses need help getting transactions executed and they need someone to walk along side them as they do it – and that’s where Allegiance Capital Corporation excels.    Omar also credits Allegiance Capital Corporations’ employees’ tenaciousness for their continued growth; the same entrepreneurial tenacity their clients unleashed to create their own successful businesses is what helps Allegiance Capital Corporation continue to grow, year after year.

So long as they deliver what they promise to their clients – the best service possible – their positive reputation carries on and their business continues to grow.  A simple formula for success, if you ask me!

For more information about Allegiance Capital Corporation, click here.

From simple beginnings as part of a “Family Day Celebration” in 1959, the show has grown to the oldest and largest free admission air and water exhibition in the United States. With audience numbers reaching an average of 2.2 million annually, it is one of the largest spectator events in the world.  This year, performers include U.S. Navy Blue Angels, U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Nights and many more!

With Chicago’s magnificent skyline as a backdrop, free admission, and so much to see, the Chicago Air & Water Show is sure to be a show that is perfect way for the entire family to spend a summer weekend in Chicago!  For more information, click here.

Yves opened the doors to DQMPR, an award-winning (including the 2009 HSMAI Gold Adrian Award) and Emmy-nominated full service, boutique marketing and public relations firm that specializes in travel and lifestyle, in 2003 and has since helped numerous clients, including Quebec, The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and Marriot of London Grosvenor Square, navigate their way through an ever-changing market.

In recent years, Yves has noticed that clients are looking for more direct consumer contact – and at a good deal – which makes emails and use of social media (such as Twitter and Facebook) two incredible options to get their word out in a convenient and inexpensive way.  Their clients also want to reach more people, potential clients, quicker and with more ease – which is exactly what is achieved using email and social media: these services provide businesses with the opportunity to reach the masses with a click of a button for little or no charge.

There are marketing and public relations tools that go beyond social media that are useful for getting a business exposure, gaining new clients, and turning profits: media events, press releases, trade shows and road shows, promotions and special events.

Yves emphasizes that these tools are available to all businesses out there – you just need to know how to use them properly, which is where DQMPR comes in.  It’s not having/investing money that matters right now – it’s properly using your resources to make a difference and get the word out.  And DQMPR can help you develop the right public relations and marketing plan for your business to help you thrive.

To learn more from DQ Marketing and Public Relations, click here.

The curtailment period will begin at 12:15 pm and continue through 2 pm. During this time, Willis Tower hopes to reduce power usage by shutting off or lowering non-essential common area and lobby lighting, reducing the temperature of hot water throughout the building and raising the temperature of outside air distributed through the building’s HVAC system. Clients at OfficeLinks Willis Tower location may feel the effects of our reduced electrical usage in the form of a slight degree increase in the temperature in your space, cooler water available from kitchen and restroom faucets and reduced lighting throughout the common areas of the building.

The team at OfficeLinks is delighted to support and applaud Willis Tower in their efforts to curtail energy usage in our building.

If you have any questions, please contact the Office of the Building at 312.875.0066.

Upcoming movies include: 

August 9: The Goodbye Girl

August 16: 12 Angry Men

August 23: Bonnie and Clyde

The gravel area surrounding the Lawn opens at 4:00pm. The Lawn opens at 5:00pm. You can enter the Lawn Area at the 6^th Avenue side of the park (Wheelchair access to the Lawn Area is accessible through ramps at both 40^th and 42^nd Streets).  The film begins at sunset (typically between 8 and 9 pm).

Why not do dinner before the movie in the park? ‘wichcraft is providing picnic pickups on Summer Film Festival nights. All you have to do is:
1. Call or go online to place an advance order (212.780.0577 or wichcraftnyc.com)
2. Pick up at our kiosk when it’s convenient for you.
3. Sit back and relax over a classic film and your ideal summer meal.

This is the perfect way to enjoy summer in the City after working in the OfficeLinks’ Bryant Park and Avenue of the Americas locations. 

For more information about the HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival presented by Time Warner Cable , call the Film Festival Hotline at 212-512-5700 or click here.

Survey results likes these highlighting a boost in worker productivity and satisfaction when workers have more autonomy over how, where and when they work, is leading companies to implement strategic technology solutions empowering employees to work in a more mobile and efficient way.

We all know the continuum of people working outside of conventional corporate boundaries will only rise in the future – shifting the focus from fixed office space needs to technology needs.  Most experts agree the number of professionals working in a virtual environment could constitute 40 percent of the workforce within a few short years. As workers access information through different devices and need to collaborate and share content with colleagues across time zones, companies need to ensure they have a technology platform, which allows workers to be connected – professionally and socially.

New technology is fundamentally redefining work. Businesses that align their technology strategy to these new work styles will improve their overall performance while providing an ideal virtual work environment for their employees.