On April 11, lifelong Chicago Bulls fan Virgina Labellarte and her granddaughter Danielle Divito became the first people to spend the night at the United Center, home of the beloved basketball team. The unusual stay was part of a promotion hosted by community-driven hospitality company Airbnb. To spread brand awareness in Chicago, the company hosted a contest through which 7,000 people clicked on an Airbnb listing for the executive suite at the arena, and submitted an answer to the question: "Why would you like to spend a night in the home of the Chicago Bulls?"
In her entry, Divito explained that she would like to bring along her grandmother, who had recently celebrated her 80th birthday and is a die-hard fan of former Bulls player Scottie Pippen. Named the winner, Divito and her grandmother were treated to an evening that included V.I.P. tickets to a Bulls game, courtside seats during pregame team warm-ups, dinner, a movie screening on the United Center's Jumbotron, free Bulls merchandise, a tour of the locker room, and a meet and greet with Pippen himself. The overnight stay took place in the suite, which had been turned into a plush bedroom for the evening.
The activation was part of a larger Airbnb campaign that, according to a company rep, will "create larger-than-life hospitality experiences at iconic locations around the world, encouraging people to imagine a world where anything is bookable through Airbnb." One such experience took place in Oslo, Norway, in March, and invited a guest to sleep the penthouse at Holmenkollen sports arena. Another promotion last month let Airbnb users win a stay in an apartment along the route of the Sepang Circuit race in Malaysia.