Airbnb is helping event planners provide lodging ideas for attendees – and is hoping to make some money along the way – with the launch of Airbnb for Events.
In a blog post, the company said that event planners will share the details of the event, and then Airbnb will use that information to create a custom event page and embed a widget that will enable attendants to find a place to stay.
“With Airbnb, people attending your event will have a broad range of options, from work-friendly to fun and funky,” Airbnb said in the post. “Setup is a snap. Just provide a few details and we’ll create a custom event page and widget for you.”
The latest service comes at a time when Airbnb is pushing into new areas to boost revenue and drive growth. In January, the company it announced it would be investing $5 million in the U.S. to develop, support and promote entrepreneurs through Airbnb Experiences. The goal is to expand to 200 cities across the country this year.
“By attracting travelers from around the world who seek to see cities through the eyes of a local, Airbnb Experiences bring real economic value to neighborhoods and non-profits that previously would not have benefited from tourism,” Airbnb wrote in the blog post. “Even more, it provides a unique opportunity for people to earn extra income by showcasing their knowledge and talent with an audience of millions.”
Since launching Airbnb Experiences, the company said it has seen a lot of growth, with global weekly guest bookings up over 2,000 percent and the number of active experiences growing by 500 percent. Currently, the company offers more than 4,000 experiences across 50 cities around the world. In the U.S. alone, it has more than 1,000 experiences, and that number is poised to grow.