Executive, shared office space is all the rage among many businesses. Proof:Regus has seen significant growth among clients looking to expand their businesses while saving money and outsourcing functions (think IT/telecommunications, administrative, and reception services). We chatted with market director Scott Nelles out of Chicago (or is it Platform 9 3/4?), where Regus has 33 centers, is opening two more in July, and another two by September for a total of 750k SF of ready-to-go space across the city. Thats 5,000 tenants-- from single practitioners to Fortune 500 companies--he says.

Having so many tenants on the same floor does come with unique challenges, according to Scott. To handle them, Regus employs one onsite manager and two client service reps per center. When it comes to common space (like at John Hancock Center, above)there are house rules, like no excessive noise. While most clients get along, there's sometimes ones who dont mesh. (Never put execs from Puma and Jaguar on the same floor; they're natural predators.) Thanks to Regus size, it has the ability to move tenants to another area in the center or even around the market, Scott says. But it also has a unifying factor: Clients get together to support charitable causes, while Regus will host community events like bringing in subject matter experts to speak to tenants.

Catie Dixon and Amanda Marsh contributed to this issue. Send story ideas to amanda@bisnow.com.