Airbnb Open

Inspired by the storytelling of Sundance, the world-class innovations of TED, and the awe of Burning Man, the annual Airbnb Open festival became a must-attend cultural event for Airbnb hosts around the world, with activations in Paris, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Defying traditional event marketing vernacular, Airbnb Open unites people and experiences in the travel and hospitality world, serving as part developers conference, part user group, part internal event, part consumer activation, part street fair, and part influencer event. RWE partner Chris Cuddy’s mobile agency, Utility, was the lead digital experience partner of the Airbnb Open, designing and developing all mobile app and web platforms surrounding the event, from online registration, itinerary planning, and dynamic micro-event ticketing to various on-site engagement tools and immersive social experiences. The Airbnb Open, with lead agency Civic Entertainment Group, demonstrated the immense power of community-driven experience design and is helping to inspire and inform RWE projects to come.

Airbnb Open LA saw more than 150 hyper-local city-wide excursions and meet-ups never scaled to this level by an event. L.A. Airbnb hosts and restaurants across the city opened their doors for explorations, neighborhood tours, and community dinners, with hosts sharing their experiences. The festival culminated with Open Spotlight, presented by American Express, an unforgettable night of musical performances headlined by three-time Grammy-winners Maroon 5, as well as the Bélo Awards. Produced at the Orpheum Theater and hosted by late-night host James Corden, the Awards recognized the best and brightest from the Airbnb community.

Airbnb Open LA content was amplified by 29 million views, and an additional two million hosts and 70,000 guests watched the stream of the opening keynote live. Earned impressions hit 80 million and more than 2,000 media hits were generated.