A Fresh Look and a New Home: FLEXspace Joins with HETMA and Readies Its Portal Version 3.0
A lot of times in the audiovisual industry we lose sight of our true customers. We're manufacturers, or we're integrators. We get too much into the business and forget (inadvertently of course) those we're serving.
Grush: So this was a really good fit, based on the foundational values of both HETMA and FLEXspace?
Stephens: Yes, plus our two organizations have a shared history together. For example, Joe and I were able to combine forces at the recent Association for Learning Environments event and then at SCUP [the Society for College and University Planning]. HETMA and FLEXspace have stood side-by-side for a long time, with many mutual goals and shared visions.
HETMA and FLEXspace have stood side-by-side for a long time, with many mutual goals and shared visions.
Grush: Your mention of that makes me think about the wide range of users and reasons why they would be attracted to FLEXspace.
Stephens: Yes, take for example the architects. Not only are they catching on to FLEXspace as a resource; they are also very interested in the Learning Space Rating System. We've been advocating use of the LSRS as part of the "FLIPP" [FLEXspace Integrated Planning Pathway] in our presentations for a couple of years now — it's a great way to meet the vision that Joe just described.
Grush: And, there is the imminent release of the new portal version 3.0 — in about 3 or 4 weeks, I have heard.
Stephens: Yes, that's about right. Right now, we are finishing up the process of upgrading FLEXspace with the 3.0 portal, which introduces tons of new and enhanced functionality and collaboration tools. Now is a really good time to be having all the conversations about uniting the strengths of FLEXspace and HETMA — discovering many new ways to think about the process of integrating these two pillars of service to the AV and instructional design communities.
Now is a really good time to be having all the conversations about uniting the strengths of FLEXspace and HETMA — discovering many new ways to think about the process of integrating these two pillars of service to the AV and instructional design communities.
Way: There's a lot of growth in both organizations right now. In addition to HETMA becoming responsible for the support and growth of FLEXspace, we're also growing as a community. When you consider the 6,000-strong HETMA membership along with the FLEXspace global user base of 6,000, you have a really good reason to continue capitalizing on both brands. FLEXspace is an established, known quantity, and the new collaborative features in the 3.0 portal upgrade will only serve to strengthen the community's trust in the brand. Checking further into the numbers, HETMA also now owns the Higher Ed AV communication channel, which represents 36,000 EDUWIRE subscribers and more than a million impressions per month for our articles and podcasts.
FLEXspace is an established, known quantity, and the new collaborative features in the 3.0 portal upgrade will only serve to strengthen the community's trust in the brand.
There are lots of ways to analyze these types of numbers, but for us, it's all about the power behind the voice. It's what we stand for. And we still are here to ask the key question: How can we get a voice for those who don't normally have a voice?
Take for example, instructional designers who try to draw a connection between the pedagogy and the space design. How can we bring everyone together? This is why FLEXspace is really important to HETMA — because it was the missing piece. We could advocate, and we could connect, but how could we make it tangible?
We had an outward voice; we had an inward voice. What we didn't have was the glue that brings them together. And that's exactly what FLEXspace does.