May 17, 2011 // Franchising.com // NEW YORK / ATLANTA - The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), announced today a new multi-year marketing partnership that will make its upscale boutique brand, Hotel Indigo® the Official Hotel Partner of the WNBA. The partnership will begin in 2011 and will mark Hotel Indigo's first affiliation with a professional sports league.
"At Hotel Indigo we're very proud to bring the local neighborhood to life within our hotels and we are committed to providing our guests a refreshingly local experience and access to some of the best in food, cultural experiences and surroundings," said Jim Abrahamson, president, The Americas, IHG. "This partnership gives us the unique opportunity to encourage WNBA fans that may not have stayed at Hotel Indigo before to give us a try. We know that once they stay with us, they'll love us."
Hotel Indigo will showcase its portfolio of more than 30 U.S. properties to the WNBA's passionate fan base of women and families through national marketing promotions that will include WNBA.com, team websites and social networks. In-arena promotions and player appearances will launch the summer of 2011. As part of the partnership, WNBA teams and league personnel will stay at IHG hotels for all games.
"The WNBA is thrilled to partner with IHG, a successful brand that is committed to investing in women's sports by reaching our valuable basketball fans through this partnership," said Mark Tatum, NBA Executive Vice President, Global Marketing Partnerships. "As the WNBA enters its historic 15th season, we look forward to developing innovative marketing programs that will further engage both their customers and our loyal fans."
In addition, Hotel Indigo will be a participating partner of the league's sixth annual WNBA Inspiring Women Luncheon in New York, where more than 300 prominent attendees from entertainment, sports, business and politics will gather to honor an individual who inspires others through her commitment and dedication to work, family and community. Previous honorees include ABC News' Robin Roberts and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Hotel Indigo is an upscale boutique brand that delivers a refreshing and inviting guest experience that is truly reflective of the local community. From the locally-inspired murals to the renewal program where the images, music, scent, and menu items change throughout the year, Hotel Indigo delivers a vibrant, engaging and genuine boutique experience that gives guests the confidence to step out and explore the local neighborhood. Each Hotel Indigo property is unique and designed to reflect the local culture, character and geography of the surrounding area while brand hallmarks ensure consistent and reliable service from location to location. Hotel Indigo participates in IHG's guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards. With 56 million members worldwide, Priority Club Rewards is the industry's first and largest guest loyalty program. Guests can enroll for free by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of this hotel or any of IHG's more than 4,400 hotels worldwide.
The WNBA - which features 12 teams and is the most successful women's professional team sports league in the world - is a unique global sports property combining competition, sportsmanship, and entertainment value with its status as an icon for social change, achievement, and diversity. Following a 2010 season that included a fourth consecutive year of attendance growth, surging WNBA Finals ratings, and strong increases in traffic to WNBA.com and WNBA Mobile sites, the league will tip off its historic 15th season on June 3.
Media Contacts: Monica Smith, IHG, monica.smith@ihg.com, +1(770) 604-5562 Dina Skokos, WNBA, dskokos@nba.com, +1(212) 407-8840
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global company operating seven well-known hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®. IHG also manages Priority Club® Rewards, the world's first and largest hotel loyalty program with 58 million members worldwide.
IHG is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms and IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns, through various subsidiaries, a portfolio of over 4,400 hotels and more than 652,000 guest rooms in 100 countries and territories around the world.
IHG has more than 1,200 hotels in its development pipeline and expects to recruit around 160,000 people worldwide over the next few years.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.
Hotel Indigo is the industry's first branded boutique hotel experience.