[Updated] AO15 Contest: Airbnb Open Stories Contest now Closed

[Stories]

[Updated] Launched back in November at Airbnb Open 2015, the AO2015 Stories Contest is now closed. Thank you for all your fantastic submissions, we look forward to announcing the winners soon!

To view the Contest overview see below: 

We welcome you to share your story as a host or share your experience traveling as a guest. Whether it’s life-changing, heart-warming, silly, big, or small -- we want to hear from you!

DETAILS

This contest is only open to hosts who attended Airbnb Open 2015.  Share your story starting November 12, 2015. The contest deadline for submissions will be January 15th, 2016

Submit stories or read stories. Learn more about the contest rules attached. Stories must have a minimum of 200 words, must contain a title, two photos, and use the hashtag #AO2015contest.

PRIZES

One 1st prize of $15,000 USD

One 2nd prize of $7,000 USD

One 3rd prize of $3,000 USD

SELECTING WINNERS

Winners will be selected based on the spirit of the submission. How does it relate to hospitality, social impact and experiences on Airbnb?

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.  Open only to attendees, 18 or older, registered at Airbnb Open 2015 in Paris.  Skill contest.  Judges’ decisions determine winners.  Entry deadline 11:59:59 p.m.  San Francisco time on 01/15/2016.  Submitted stories may be used by Airbnb for promotional purposes.  Additional terms apply.   See Official Rules below.

FAQS

Q: How many times can I submit a story?

A:  Please only submit one story.

Q: Can I edit my story submission?

A: Not at this time.

Q: How can I confirm my submission was received?

A: You will see a notification confirming receipt of submission once you click Post.

Q: Is there a limit to the number of photos I can upload or video link submissions?

A: Not at this time. We look forward to what you have to share!

Still have questions? Feel free to post your questions in this thread and we will try to get them answered as soon as we can!

See full rules below: 

[Roberto10]

Hello, Roberto here.

Just know if possible insert videos or not please.

Thanks, Bye.

[Keith0]

After the content section there is a link to youtube. I have not tried it but why wouldn't it work? Let us know...

[Rada0]

I've just send you a story but the computer replied that the something went wrong.I don't know what the hashtag is.

Please tell me if you received my story.

Rada

[Lizzie]

Hello @Rada0,

Lovely to meet you and thanks for letting me know about the error message. I have had a look for your story entry for the contest and checked with the Team and it doesn't appear we have received it. I am really sorry, but I think the error message meant that it didn't go through, therefore I wonder if you would mind submitting your story again? 

I am sorry again about this and the extra time you have spent. If you have questions please do let me know and if you just let me know when you have submitted it again I would be happy to confirm with you about its arrival.

Thanks so much 🙂 

[Karine0]

Hi @Lizzie ,

I've noticed after posting my story last night that I had forgotten to write #AO2015contest ... How can I add it now to my story ? Will it be a problem for my story to be read ?

I hope there will not be any trouble with that omission...

Thank you so much for answering xx

[Bronwyn0]

Hi, just wondering if we get a receipt that you have received our stories. Thanks Airbnb.

Cheers Bronwyn

[Lizzie]

Hello @Bronwyn0,

Great stuff, yes all receive safe and sound. Thanks so much for submitting you story. 

Good luck. 

[Ben-And-Jamie-L0]

Is the contest open only for customers who attended to the event in Paris? or can we also participate??

[Lizzie]

Hello @Ben-And-Jamie-L0,

Thanks for posting this, it is nice to meet you. I am afraid the AO2015 contest is only open to hosts who registered/attended the Airbnb Open 2015 in Paris. 

It is great to hear that you would like to share your story though, perhaps you would be willing to share it will the rest of the Community in the CC, as I am sure others would love to hear about it?

Sorry about this. Thank you.

[Martina3]

Ciao Lizzie

I have submitted my story today. I was just not really sure where I was supposed to enter the hashtag so I put it both in the title and the text XD Can you please just check I entered everything correctly? Because the first time the system gave me an error so I hope it got registered.

Thanks a lot 😃

Martina

[Lizzie]

Ciao @Martina3,

Great to hear you have submitted your story, I can confirm it has been received and the hashtags are perfect. 

Thank you so much and good luck. Enjoy your evening. 🙂

[Sherri0]

I have spent over four hours trying to get your story submittal form to work.  There has got to be a better solution.  I have read many comments from many hosts who struggled as well. 

I went to all the trouble to make a you tube video just to subnit the photos required, but it keeps telling me to submit a valid link.

If you really wanted to encourage people to submit stories, it just should not be this hard.

[Lizzie]

Hello @Sherri0,

I am really sorry you are having such problems with submitting your story. We did fix the bug that hosts were experience with the form before Christmas and I thought we had cracked it, but your issue does sound a little different. 

Just to check is the link you want to include from youtube and have you removed the http before the www when you enter it into the video link box? This shouldn't make a difference, but just a thought. 

So that you don't need to spend any more time on this, if you are able to submit you story without the link and are happy to add your link to this thread then I can add it to your story. 

I am really sorry again about this. Together I am sure we will get there. Thank you so much and speak to you soon. 

[Sherri0]

Thank you for your reply.  Can you confirm that my story was indeed submitted  (Chicken Lives Matter) and that the link below takes you to the you tube video I thought I had to create since it would not take the story without the youtube link.  Sorry for expressing my frustration, but spending three extra hours to create a video to be able to submit a story seems a little crazy to me, and then when the link would not take, I felt like a salmon swimming up stream! 

Video to accompany Chicken Lives Matter #AO2015Sherri Davison

Clicking reply is the ONLY time that the tool bar became visible.  Something is definitely wonky.

I also submitted my story in a word format with photos embedded and sent that to an airbnb rep who was trying to help me on the superhost hotline. 

Thank you Lizzie

[Lucille-and-Alan0]

#AO2015contest 

The Guest with Oud.

When I received the request to book from Nick, who described himself as a vegan and ‘a dedicated campaigner for humane education and a greener world’ I was a bit worried that he would give my omnivore ways a rough time. I really had nothing to worry about as he was truly pleasant and definitely rates as one of our most interesting guests.

During his stay with us he joined us each day for our morning walk along the lakeshore and chatted about his interesting life. He showed us how to eat stinging nettles without getting stung. Nick liked to peruse the food markets and often came back with interesting toothpaste in unusual flavors and various types of spice mixtures and salts, smoky alder wood salt etc. I also like to try different salts and spices so we shared our salts with each other.

Then on this second day with us, I gave him a lift downtown, and he told me all about his essential oil collection which he called ‘ouds’.  These are plant and wood oils, often used in perfumes, often very rare and often very expensive. He told me that he carried his vials of ouds with him and promptly pulled a little box of vials out of his knapsacks. So at every stoplight he would open a vial and hold the glass rod that was in each, under my nose and asked me what it smelled like and then told me what each was and where he got it. This has to me my most fascinating drive and certainly one I will never forget.  Thanks Nick!