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When we wrote about Meet a few weeks ago, one of its cofounders noted that the meetings industry has been in desperate need of some innovation. Continuing on that upward trend, office furniture manufacturer Steelcase is gearing up to launch a new meeting space in Chicago that will not only host meetings but also serve as a testing ground for future products. Situated within walking distance of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, Workspring is the brainchild of a team of work experience experts at Steelcase who imagined a network of extraordinary spaces designed to inspire and support creative collaboration, productive retreat and transformative exchange. Workspring is surrounded by the quiet natural beauty of an urban courtyard, with bright modern studios and a raft of collaborative tools. Five work studios are available with ergonomic seating, in-room storage, natural lighting and a ready supply of paper, pens, sticky notes and other supplies. Lighting can be adjusted to complement changing activities, and all studios are equipped with Springboards, or layered movable planes of tackable and writable surfaces that encourage teams to create, share and rearrange content. Common areas, meanwhile, include a cafe, forum and oasis space, with services including healthful food and beverages and a resource library stocked with inspirational books and objects, printouts and photocopies. Finally, and perhaps most interesting of all, Workspring will also serve as an ongoing “lab” for new products from Steelcase designed to enhance communication and collaboration among teams, the company says. Launching in mid-November, Workspring can be booked for morning, afternoon or evening sessions, with pricing of USD 140 per person per session. There’s no doubt the time was ripe for the meetings industry to be reinvented, and what better agent to make that happen than a company that’s already involved? Never mind killing two birds with one stone–this is reaping two profits with one venture. A concept to emulate whenever possible!