Host Days all around the world!

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

While November brought thousands of hosts to Los Angeles for Airbnb Open, our global festival of hosting, the weeks leading up to that were filled with local gatherings of hosts around the world. Host Days brought some 2,000 hosts to events in Chicago, New York, Portland, Melbourne, Bangkok, Milan, Rio, Seoul, Madrid, Tokyo, Mumbai, Hamburg, and Sydney. We cheered for 42 host-award winners, laughed, and learned together in host-led sessions and from special guest speakers. The most popular sessions addressed taxes and host-guest communication.

I have shared some photos from some of the days here, but I also thought it would be great to share some comments from some attendees had to say about Host Days:

• "What makes Airbnb meetups different than others is how much effort you put into them. Most meetups are not well organized, and you feel like you didn't really get much out of it. Airbnb meetups, however, are the complete opposite. I always feel like I made new friends, learned a lot and my admiration for the company always grow." (NY attendee)

• "Exactly the kind of thing needed to bring hosts and Airbnb staff into closer communication." (Portland attendee)

• "Host Days changed my thoughts and made me say to myself, 'I should do a better job being a Host'. " (Seoul attendee)

These gatherings brought out the best in each community. In Mumbai, famous Indian travel and food enthusiasts, Rocky & Mayur brought their unique perspective and tips to 100 hosts from 10 cities across India. Another Indian host @Jeet0 showed that you can form amazing friendships with hosts around the world, by showing a video from @Momi0 in Hawaii. Two hosts at Host Days in Tokyo, Yoshiko and Ikuko, were reunited after 13 years had passed since they worked together at a local Tokyo company. They live 280 miles apart, and were both host-award recipients. And in Portland, Steve, a local artist and host handmade belo awards for the winners.

These are just a few of stories from these meetups. If you were at a Host Days event, share yours below! And if you’d like to get involved in meetups with your community, see what's going on near you. 

Because I believe you can never have too many photos, here are a few more (click on the city links above to see more from those specific Host Days).

Enjoy! 🙂

Host Day in Thailand:

Host Day in Korea: 

Host Day in Japan:

[Momi0]

@Lizzie  Hey Lizzie....sent you a couple of private messages in the last 45 days but never heard back from you,

Thank you so much for your wondeful post here. Didn't get a copy sent to me via emaill, but I did check to see if my name appeared in the most recent community post and sure enough found your post.  That was so sweet of you.

Hope you get my private messages and write back soon.  By the way, hosted a UK young lady the last few days and had such a blast with her...took her with me to a company Christmas party and then later went on a fun adventure to see all the amazing lights and decorations around our downtown area...we took some VERY silly photos....and made memories for life together.  Maybe I'll post the one with Hawaiian surfer Santa on the CC she and I took. Make you laugh for sure. 

[Momi0]

@Lizzie Oh forget to tell you....I WILL attend next years Airbnb Open, hope to meet you then...now that I know its every November....today I got a booking for Sept 2017....so it seems people want to stay at my place for sure booking so far in advance.  LOL

She found me on Instagram first..joined Airbnb to book my place...but I will make sure to block November 2017.  hahaha

[Lizzie]

Hello @Momi0,

It is great to hear from you. I am sorry you did not receive my replies, as it is a relatively new feature I wonder if you could double check your new Community Center Inbox, found by hovering your name in the top right-hand corner of the CC. Plus, you should have also received an email notification to your own personal email account (perhaps this went to spam?). As hopefully you have seen, we have been working on launching a new DM system so perhaps this has distrupted my replies. I am so sorry about this though. 

Great to hear you are planning on going to the Open next year, I wonder where it will be? 🙂

[Niki16]

Hi everybody, Niki Here... I am in Bali now for the last three months and heading to Thailand tomorrow.. I have both my Airbnb places rented out in Los Angeles.. Wondering if any one wants to meet up or such? I am going to be in Chiang Mai area also.. Anyone around? You can also reach me at [personal information hidden] thanks in advance.. I am also looking for a place to stay in Los Angeles as seems I rented out my place for a long time.. hahaha (this will be January 20th or so forward) Peace...

[Momi0]

@Lizzie  Hey Lizzie.....yeah I know about the INBOX...I use it quite often as other hosts have been reaching out to me that way.  But nope....its not working out too well.  One host wrote me , and the date appeared, but it didnt pop into my INBOX for 5 days....after they wrote it.  That's how I know something is wrong. Sure wish I could read what you wrote.  Did you know I wrote you back a few times too?

I'm doing great....and wish I couldve met the Airbnb co-founders when they came to Hawaii last week, but I do know they are enjoying my Instragram account since I am getting a few LIKES 🙂

#AirbnbHawaii is how they found me....hahaha 

Received a beautiful box of gifts from Airbnb office in Florida and I so love posting pics of me using those gorgeous Glass Margaritas glasses they sent me with my Awesome Airbnb guests......hope I can make a Momi Marvelous Mango Margarita for you too one day!

or maybe.....I can bring a cooler of mangos with me to the next Airbnb Open....hahahahaha

[Bonnie45]

I would love to know when the next host event is in NYC or south Florida?

[HomeSuiteHome0]

Hi Lizzie, How can I lead such an event in Jamaica? Unfortunately, I feel as if we are being left out and think the hosts on this side need some more involvement and support! 

I'm readaaay!!! 

Kimberly 

[Dewi5]

Hi

We been hosts with Airbnb since 2011. We used to come to events held in Bangkok but now our name seems to have dropped off the list and we did not hear about them 😞

Can we be posted on the next event? 

Best wishes

Dewi ****

[Lizzie]

Hello @Dewi5,

Lovely to meet you. 

At the moment, I would recommend keeping an eye out on the Airbnb Meetup page, as this is where all Airbnb organised meetups will be shared: Airbnb Meetups. It may be that they are in the process of organising the next set of meetups. 🙂

I hope you get to attend one soon.

Thanks,

Lizzie

[Keila0]

Oh @Lizzie

I missed photos of Host Day in Rio! It was so nice. I'll try to find some and post them here 🙂

I hosted a workshop about Experience x Business: a relationship and it was a success 🙂

But from my workshop I have no pictures, lol

Nice memories 🙂

[Lizzie]

Wow that sounds amazing @Keila0, what an interesting topic. I would love to hear more about your workshop, what did you cover? 🙂

[Keila0]

Hello Lizzie

My "class" was basically about how my initial goals with airbnb became an "experience" and then transmuted to a "business experience" during the 1y9mo i had at that time. And not only about it but also about how to keep the "human touch" to something that many people now consider like a "service". 

I see that some hosts, new and even experienced ones, lose (or don't get) the "belong anywhere" spirit or even what's the core values of this company, that is what still make it different from other huge corporations. In fact, there is some point where the company is just the company but we, like individuals, are having a great opportunity to become entrepreneurs ourselves, so... that was a little bit of what i tried to condense in a 45 minutes presentation.

It was a great training for what came after that day: the Airbnb Open workshop, where i could speak about my "Life Balancing and Hosting" experience with other great american super hosts 🙂

I'll look for photos and post them for you 🙂

[Laura836]

When will we have a host day in Mendoza, Argentina?

Looking forward to your proposal, but make sure you do it in Mendoza, not in Buenos Aires..... hosts from Buenos Aires love coming to Mendoza... and we can share some wine too!

[Lizzie]

This sounds wonderful @Laura836, I would certainly join! 🙂 I've passed your note over to a teammate who looks after this area...you never know. 🙂 

Have you been to many host events in your area in the past?