Post by High Priestess on Mar 14, 2017 15:56:31 GMT
I got invited to go to Airbnb Headquarters to an orientation about offering "Experiences", and wanted to share info about that here.
Yesterday I attended the orientation on hosting Experiences at Airbnb HQ. There was good info given on how hosts design experiences and what Airbnb is looking for in the Experiences. Here is a summary of the information presented:
The Experiences dont' have to be for guests to an area, they could be for locals as well.
The Experiences are of two types:
() Single Experience -- usually 3 hours or less.
(2) Immersion -- could be 6 hrs, or 2 or 3 days.
Airbnb has "Host Standards" for what they are looking for in the Host Experiences:
(1) Host is Empathetic -- can anticipate guests' needs and feelings. you keep in mind that each group you host will have varying levels of famiilarity with your subject.
(2) Genuine -- you are passionate about hosting and meeting people and aren't just pretending to be excited about the subject. Authenticity. But you need not be an extrovert.
(3) Credible --you are deeply knowledgeable about your subject or skilled at your activity and can demonstrate this to guests. A staffer gave the example -- you might be a yoga practitioner, but if you don't have training to teach yoga, you may not get good reviews if a very experienced yoga student takes your class and you have nothing to offer them.
Jonny Styron, who was formerly with the Airbnb Community Center, is now helping run the Experiences program. He said that one of the things that makes the Experience best is if the host can present the experience in a completely original way that is unique to them, so that even if there are others who are skilled at this or could teach a class on this, only this particular host could offer the experience in just this way.
Pricing -- they gave tips on pricing that most people who host already know -- but many of those wanting to offer Experiences, do not host accomodations, so this is a new thing for them. (1) You and only you control your pricing and can change it at any time, (2) Cover your costs (3) Price effects expectations: a higher price sugggests a luxury experience (4) Lowering your price helps you earn more (5) Experiences that cost less are booked by more people, (6) Experiment with price.
Airbnb has "Experience Standards" that they expect of all Experiences:
(1) Acess -- provide an Experience that guests wouldn't be able to find on their own. Eg, taking guests to the San Francisco Zoo is probably not a good Experience since people can do this on their own.
(2) Participation -- your guests should be able to fully take part in your experience by participating in at least 2 activities. Not just observe them. So this means the Experience can't be something like a history talk presented in a class setting, -- as fascinating as the subject is, the guests are supposed to be able to take part in something.
(3) Perspective -- every Experience should have some sort of personal meaning. Offer an original perspective that your guests might not have considered before.
They gave us booklets with worksheets to come up with ideas for experiences:
Hosts can submit an idea for an Experience if they live in an area where Airbnb is producing Experiences -- currently this is happening in only some areas, not everyplace in the world (more on why that is in a bit). To submit an Expereince, go to www.airbnb.com/experiences and go down to the bottom of the page and click on "hosts an experience" which takes you here:
www.airbnb.com/host/experiences
There is more info on this page, including a link to this summation of Quality standards for Experiences:
www.airbnb.com/help/article/1451/what-are-the-quality-standards-for-experiences?topic=906
If you click on "Create an Experience" you'll be asked to enter the city where you will be hosting it. Currently Experiences can only be offered in these metropolitan areas (which include adjacent areas)
Amsterdam
Athens
Barcelona
Beirut
Berlin
Boston
Bangkok
Buenos Aires
Buffalo
Cape Town
Cartagena
Chicago
Delhi
Detroit
"Dubai
Dublin
Florence
Havana
Ho Chi Minh
Lisbon
"LOndon
Los Angeles
Madrid
MExico City
Miami
Milan
Moscow
Nairobi
Nashville
New Orleanns
New York City
Oahu
Osaka
Paris
Portland
Prague
Provence
Queenstown
Rekjavik
Rio De Janeiro
Rome"
San Francisco
Sao Paolo
Seattle
Seoul
Shanghai
Singapore
Sydney
Tel vaiv
Toronto
Tokyo
Vancouver
If you are in another area you get this message:
When Airbnb allows you to set up an Experience, initially this is done with photos from you. But after you get 3 reviews of your Experience, if you have an average 5 star rating, Airbnb then has a professional photographer do photos of your Experience and create a video. They say this costs them $5000 per each Experience. If you don't have a 5 star rating yet then when you get 5 reviews you are reevalauated for the option then. If you don't make it you don't get Airbnb photos and video on your Experience but it will stay up. They will allow Experiences to stay up as long as they have greater than a 3 star average rating.
Airbnb does offer insurance for these experiences -- say if you are leading a hike and someone twists their ankle. I spoke to a staffer and they have paid out on this insurance. Someone in South Africa did a motorcycle trip and a guest fell over and twisted their ankle and Airbnb paid out. However Airbnb only covers those who sign up thru Airbnb so it's very important that you not allow anyone to come who hasn't signed up through Airbnb, as insurance won't cover them.
Yesterday I attended the orientation on hosting Experiences at Airbnb HQ. There was good info given on how hosts design experiences and what Airbnb is looking for in the Experiences. Here is a summary of the information presented:
The Experiences dont' have to be for guests to an area, they could be for locals as well.
The Experiences are of two types:
() Single Experience -- usually 3 hours or less.
(2) Immersion -- could be 6 hrs, or 2 or 3 days.
Airbnb has "Host Standards" for what they are looking for in the Host Experiences:
(1) Host is Empathetic -- can anticipate guests' needs and feelings. you keep in mind that each group you host will have varying levels of famiilarity with your subject.
(2) Genuine -- you are passionate about hosting and meeting people and aren't just pretending to be excited about the subject. Authenticity. But you need not be an extrovert.
(3) Credible --you are deeply knowledgeable about your subject or skilled at your activity and can demonstrate this to guests. A staffer gave the example -- you might be a yoga practitioner, but if you don't have training to teach yoga, you may not get good reviews if a very experienced yoga student takes your class and you have nothing to offer them.
Jonny Styron, who was formerly with the Airbnb Community Center, is now helping run the Experiences program. He said that one of the things that makes the Experience best is if the host can present the experience in a completely original way that is unique to them, so that even if there are others who are skilled at this or could teach a class on this, only this particular host could offer the experience in just this way.
Pricing -- they gave tips on pricing that most people who host already know -- but many of those wanting to offer Experiences, do not host accomodations, so this is a new thing for them. (1) You and only you control your pricing and can change it at any time, (2) Cover your costs (3) Price effects expectations: a higher price sugggests a luxury experience (4) Lowering your price helps you earn more (5) Experiences that cost less are booked by more people, (6) Experiment with price.
Airbnb has "Experience Standards" that they expect of all Experiences:
(1) Acess -- provide an Experience that guests wouldn't be able to find on their own. Eg, taking guests to the San Francisco Zoo is probably not a good Experience since people can do this on their own.
(2) Participation -- your guests should be able to fully take part in your experience by participating in at least 2 activities. Not just observe them. So this means the Experience can't be something like a history talk presented in a class setting, -- as fascinating as the subject is, the guests are supposed to be able to take part in something.
(3) Perspective -- every Experience should have some sort of personal meaning. Offer an original perspective that your guests might not have considered before.
They gave us booklets with worksheets to come up with ideas for experiences:
Hosts can submit an idea for an Experience if they live in an area where Airbnb is producing Experiences -- currently this is happening in only some areas, not everyplace in the world (more on why that is in a bit). To submit an Expereince, go to www.airbnb.com/experiences and go down to the bottom of the page and click on "hosts an experience" which takes you here:
www.airbnb.com/host/experiences
There is more info on this page, including a link to this summation of Quality standards for Experiences:
www.airbnb.com/help/article/1451/what-are-the-quality-standards-for-experiences?topic=906
If you click on "Create an Experience" you'll be asked to enter the city where you will be hosting it. Currently Experiences can only be offered in these metropolitan areas (which include adjacent areas)
Amsterdam
Athens
Barcelona
Beirut
Berlin
Boston
Bangkok
Buenos Aires
Buffalo
Cape Town
Cartagena
Chicago
Delhi
Detroit
"Dubai
Dublin
Florence
Havana
Ho Chi Minh
Lisbon
"LOndon
Los Angeles
Madrid
MExico City
Miami
Milan
Moscow
Nairobi
Nashville
New Orleanns
New York City
Oahu
Osaka
Paris
Portland
Prague
Provence
Queenstown
Rekjavik
Rio De Janeiro
Rome"
San Francisco
Sao Paolo
Seattle
Seoul
Shanghai
Singapore
Sydney
Tel vaiv
Toronto
Tokyo
Vancouver
If you are in another area you get this message:
When Airbnb allows you to set up an Experience, initially this is done with photos from you. But after you get 3 reviews of your Experience, if you have an average 5 star rating, Airbnb then has a professional photographer do photos of your Experience and create a video. They say this costs them $5000 per each Experience. If you don't have a 5 star rating yet then when you get 5 reviews you are reevalauated for the option then. If you don't make it you don't get Airbnb photos and video on your Experience but it will stay up. They will allow Experiences to stay up as long as they have greater than a 3 star average rating.
Airbnb does offer insurance for these experiences -- say if you are leading a hike and someone twists their ankle. I spoke to a staffer and they have paid out on this insurance. Someone in South Africa did a motorcycle trip and a guest fell over and twisted their ankle and Airbnb paid out. However Airbnb only covers those who sign up thru Airbnb so it's very important that you not allow anyone to come who hasn't signed up through Airbnb, as insurance won't cover them.