Team-building, relocations and off-site meetings are part of the new strategic direction for Airbnb For Work as it looks to capitalise on its "exponential growth" in providing accommodation to business travellers.
A few weeks ago it announced that some 700,000 companies have had employees sign up and book with Airbnb for Work, with more than 275,000 enterprises directly engaged with Airbnb to help manage their travel. Today's announcement about the expansion plans says that there are now 300,000 companies directly engaged.
Of the three new offers, the idea of promoting Airbnb inventory as a venue for off-site meetings could be the most disruptive in pure business volume terms and its potential impact on the traditional hotel sector. "Sterile conference rooms aren’t motivating and don’t foster creativity....People need more than whiteboards and colored post-it notes," it said, adding that it will be showcasing homes which are suitable for this type of activity.
The team building component appears to be a repositioning of its leisure-focused Experiences product for businesses. It argues that current team-building activities - "trust falls" or afterwork drinks - are less likely to create an engaged workforce than its experiences products. It currently offers experiences in 800 cities and is highlighting those which are suitable for team building.
Finally, its take on relocation is that staying in an Airbnb is an effective way for employees to familiarise themselves with a new neighbourhood. It says that the inability to acclimatise accounts for up to "40% of failed international assignments."
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tnooz talked to David Holyoke, head of Airbnb For Work, as part of tnoozLIVE@GBTA. Here's the ten-minute interview in full.