HqO Tenant Experience Software to Launch at Willis Tower in Chicago

BOSTON, March 18, 2019 (Newswire.com) - HqO, a tenant experience (TeX) platform for commercial real estate, today announced that it will launch in Chicago’s Willis Tower, owned and managed by EQ Office (EQ), a U.S. office portfolio company wholly owned by Blackstone's real estate funds. After a comprehensive process evaluating TeX solutions on the market, EQ selected HqO to enhance one of its most iconic assets with software.

Over the past few years, the office experience and its sense of community have become significant measures of a company’s ability to attract and retain talent. As a result, building owners are placing a significant amount of resources into property amenities to become talent magnets. Due to the increased focus on providing best-in-class property amenities, demand for TeX software has boomed in the past year, as tenants expect tech-enabled experiences in the workplace. HqO has emerged as a leader in the TeX space by enabling landlords to create a more seamless property experience through a digital platform. In turn, this allows landlords to continually improve customer experience and, ultimately, tenant retention.

“We strive to create great experiences that allow our customers to thrive,” said Lisa Picard, president and CEO of EQ Office. “Tenant experience software has the potential to reduce friction and ease the essentials of our daily lives. Ultimately, the TeX platform allows us to gain deeper insights into what our customer wants so we can create the most desired tenant experiences. Willis Tower is a large and important asset and we needed a great partner and a savvy platform to address all our needs. HqO is the best software partner for Willis Tower.”

Leveraging TeX software at the Willis Tower – which is currently undergoing a $500 million renovation project that will add new retail, dining and entertainment space at the base of the tower – enables EQ to discover new value by creating a customer-driven experience.

“Leading landlords like EQ Office know that in order to stay ahead and provide great property experiences, they need to know and understand all of the different people who come in and out of their properties every day – not just the person who pays the rent,” said Chase Garbarino, CEO and co-founder of HqO. “With HqO, tenants can have a great experience wherever their workday takes them.”

Through the HqO partnership, EQ will leverage software to activate the amenities and first-in-class experiences at Willis Tower. The HqO platform improves the average day for a tenant by enhancing how they interact with the property:

• Control – Mobile access and entry to the building, parking facilities, fitness centers, amenity floors and more.
• Community – Insights and alerts to the real-world experiences bringing tenants together at the property, such as events, fitness classes, volunteering and more.
• Content – Information about everything available to tenants at the property, including transit data, retail promotions, security procedures and more.
• Commerce – Functionality to promote in-app purchases at on-site retailers or on-demand service providers, such as ordering lunch or coffee, purchasing event tickets, paying for parking, donating to charity and more.

HqO is backed by a number of the leading proptech funds, including JLL Spark, Navitas Capital, Pritzker Group Venture Capital and MetaProp, as well as innovative landlords such as Jamestown Properties and DivcoWest. HqO is used by many leading landlords, including Jamestown, DivcoWest, National Development, Bulfinch Companies and more.

About HqO
HqO is a tenant experience platform that enables landlords to create places people love. Headquartered in Boston, HqO partners with the leading landlords, property managers and brokers who want to attract innovative tenants, provide a premium experience and increase overall asset value. For more information, visit www.HqO.co or follow HqO on Twitter @HqOapp.

About Willis Tower
Located at 233 S. Wacker Drive in the heart of downtown Chicago, Willis Tower is an urban destination and state-of-the-art workplace that welcomes prominent businesses ranging from law firms to large airline corporations to insurance companies. Standing 1,450 feet and 110 stories tall, Willis Tower has the region's most breathtaking views of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Willis Tower's Skydeck attracts more than 1.7 million visitors each year with its inviting hospitality and memorable experiences, all under one roof. In early 2017, Blackstone and EQ Office announced plans for the biggest restorative transformation project in the building's 43-year history. The $500 million renovation project now underway will add more than 300,000 square feet of new retail, dining and entertainment space at the base of the tower, 150,000 square feet of new tenant amenity spaces and a 30,000-square-foot outdoor deck and garden. Willis Tower was recently named to the Illinois Council of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Illinois' 200 Great Places list. For more information, visit www.WillisTower.com and connect on Facebook and Instagram.

About EQ Office
At EQ Office, we partner with business leaders to find, design and manage balanced workspaces with the intention of helping to inspire talent. What began as Equity Office Properties more than 40 years ago, EQ Office has evolved to reflect a new kind of emotional intelligence required for the rapidly shifting workplace. EQ focuses on the experience of its 40 million square feet - how space feels, activates and performs. We're proud to work hand in hand with more than 1,800 customers of all sizes, from Fortune 100 companies to emerging startups, to bring humanity back to the workplace. Our diverse team of 200-plus professionals is responsible for creating inspired office environments in major cities across the country including Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. As a U.S. office portfolio company wholly owned by Blackstone's real estate funds, we have the resources to lead the changes happening in work space. Explore your space for greatness at www.eqoffice.com.

Source: HqO