The Flexible Space Association (FlexSA) is excited to share the rebranding of its long-standing Virtual Office Forum (VOF) to the FlexSA Compliance Forum (FCF). This change reflects a broader focus and new legal measures of relevance to the flexible workspace industry.
The Virtual Office Forum began in 2010 as a closed group of government bodies and around a dozen workspace operators. Over the years, it has grown significantly, becoming an essential platform for collaboration between the flexible workspace sector and key regulatory and law enforcement bodies.
The FlexSA Compliance Forum remains the only forum of its kind in the UK, uniting the flexible workspace industry with government and law enforcement bodies to address compliance and economic crime issues.
The rebrand comes at a pivotal time, with new measures from the Economic Crime and Transparency Act 2022 being implemented. These changes increase Companies House’s powers to combat economic crime, a key topic for upcoming forum discussions. The FlexSA Compliance Forum also addresses the alarming rise of scams and fraud, equipping workspace operators to play a proactive role in preventing such activities.
The FlexSA Compliance Forum is open to all FlexSA member workspace operators. The forum will hold four meetings annually, alternating between two in-person and two online events.
As long-standing Chair of the Forum Peter Radcliffe, who also runs virtual office company Office Front, explained, “The topics discussed have always been relevant to the entire sector, and provide an important bridge between us and government departments and law enforcement agencies. Renaming the forum ensures all operators appreciate its value.”
Stephen Yates, Vice-Chair of the Forum and Compliance Manager at Argyll (which runs 25 flexible workspaces in London) added, “This change makes clear that the forum’s purpose is to support compliance and address critical issues affecting all workspace providers and the services they offer.”
Regular attendees include representatives from:
- Trading Standards (with input from councils nationwide).
- City of London Police.
- HMRC.
- Companies House.
- The Insolvency Service.
- The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
- The National Crime Agency (NCA).
For more information about the FlexSA Compliance Forum and how to participate, please visit FlexSA’s website.
