Airbnb Set To Host The Music, Film And Arts Community During North By Northeast As Official Accommodation Partner

TORONTO, May 20, 2015 /CNW/ - Airbnb, the world's leading community driven hospitality company, today announced it is teaming up with North By Northeast (NXNE) to host the arts and music community in Toronto as the official accommodation partner, June 17 - 21.

Toronto has become one of the top destinations in Canada for home sharing on Airbnb. With over 350,000 people estimated to descend on the city for NXNE, Airbnb is poised to help welcome guests into over 3,000 affordable listings throughout the city, many of which are in neighbourhoods close to NXNE venues.

"Home sharing is an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable approach of hosting during big events such as NXNE," said Aaron Zifkin, Country Manager – Airbnb, Canada. "NXNE is a marquee event for Toronto where Airbnb can add elastic accommodation capacity to a world class city. Many of our hosts in the Toronto area are connected to the music and arts community, which makes this partnership a natural fit for us."

Airbnb has a long history of supporting big events, not just in Canada, but internationally. It was a major design conference in San Francisco in 2007 that inspired Airbnb's founders to open their own home to travellers, planting the seeds that would eventually grow to become Airbnb.

"As a festival that has experienced tremendous growth and now generates an annual economic impact of over $50 million for the City of Toronto, the addition of Airbnb as the accommodation partner is a great value add for festival goers from out of town," said Sara Peel, Managing Director, NXNE. "NXNE spans the city and the flexibility and diversity of accommodation options available with Airbnb suits the needs of our diverse audience."        

NXNE is a five-day festival that takes place from June 17 -21 encompassing different events centred around music, film and art. Now in its 21^st year, NXNE takes over Toronto with showcases, screenings, panels, parties, installations, and more. NXNE is the premier destination for bands, filmmakers, innovators, comedians, artists, and fans.

About Airbnb
Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world – online or from a mobile phone. Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 34,000 cities and over 190 countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions.

About NXNE:
Seen as the most anticipated summer music event in Canada, North by Northeast Festivals and Conference (NXNE) are an essential gathering for artists, industry, and fans. It's based in Toronto, but brings a global perspective to its programming. In all, NXNE draws over 350,000 attendees, and generates an annual economic impact of approximately $50 million on the city of Toronto. The 2015 festival will mark its 21st anniversary.http://nxne.com/information/

SOURCE Airbnb

Meghan Edwards, North Strategic (on behalf of Airbnb), [email protected], [phone]