Welcome Home
It was not an event. It was a family gathering.
Hosts are the backbone of the Airbnb brand. Their efforts to provide a welcoming and authentic experience are major contributors to the brand’s growth in China. To celebrate this success, Airbnb decided to bring them together for an experience that would further instill brand loyalty.
Airbnb offers a unique experience that revolves completely around the home—uniting hosts (who are essentially Airbnb franchises) and guests (consumers) into a new kind of community. So, we decided to draw upon these themes of home and community to create an engagement program worthy of Airbnb’s distinct brand model.
The Welcome Home: Festival of Hosting was not an event, it was a family gathering bringing together 250 superhosts, hosts, press and influencers. Hosts participated in creative workshops designed to help them elevate their hosting skills with topics including: Maker classes (cocktail, mulled wine and candle), vintage key decoration, and photography to help improve their listings.
We also launched the first-ever Belo Awards—an awards program designed to emphasize Airbnb’s commitment to its host community and celebrate their individuality. There were three award categories: Best Co-Hosts (for a couple), Best Design and Best Hospitality. Winners were chosen based not on the most popular or expensive listings, but for the hosts who go the extra mile for their guests.
Impact
Through this experience, Airbnb successfully inspired brand loyalty by providing hosts with a platform to improve their skills and learn from each other. 100% of attendees said they would recommend the event to their friends and fellow hosts, and 96% believe the event demonstrated that Airbnb values their advice and opinions. Live streams of the experience were also highly received, garnering more than 14 Million views and over 12,000+ live discussions.
Additionally:
- 100% guests would recommend the event to their friends and other hosts.
- 96% of guests said they would use the skills they learned at the event inside their property.
- 97.55% of hosts said “I feel closer with Airbnb” and “I belong with the Airbnb family” or “I’m very proud to be an Airbnb host”.
- 98.54% of hosts believed the event was helpful in making them become a better host.
- 96% believe that the event shows that Airbnb listens carefully and values the advice and opinions given by them as hosts.
We also invited three Chinese live stream influencers and selected media, and live-streamed the keynotes, garnering impressive results:
