5 Key Takeaways From Skift Short-Term Rental & Outdoor Summit
Skift Take
Airbnb's IPO was a talking point across the two days, but this summit dived into rich and diverse sectors that have weathered the pandemic surprisingly well. The best is yet to come.
The short-term rental and outdoor sectors are having their defining moments. As airlines and hotels battle government restrictions and, in some cases, unimaginable losses, Skift switched its attention to the highly fragmented but important industries over two days with a dedicated summit.
Coinciding with the Airbnb IPO, the short-term rental behemoth could have dominated discussions. But rather than casting a shadow over the summit, what turned out to be a record-breaking listing is rather a reminder of how crucial tourism will be to people, and governments, in the years of healing ahead.
Respect Your Elders — And Let's Work Together
Part of Airbnb's success was down to some sage advice. Chip Conley, its strategic advisor for hospitality and leadership, shared his take on life at the startup in its early days at the summit.
Hotel trade groups didn't like what they saw as an unregulated competitor seizing market share, Conley recollected. So leaders of some of the world's largest hotel companies were brought in for open discussions.
"Part of the reason we did this is you can't hate up close — that was one of our premises," said Conley, who founded the Modern Elder Company, added. "We will be perceived as the bad guy, but what we wanted to do is share information with these companies."
Covid-19 has also softened some of the hostilities between cities and short-term rental players. Experts speaking during the "Regulating the Short-Term Rental Economy: What's Working and What's Not" panel expressed hope for crafting short-term regulations that work for all involved: the city, the public sector, the tourism industry, and communities.
The lesson to be learned? Collaboration is more important than ever before for these two sec
