As we celebrate Abode Worldwide’s fifth birthday, the team has been busy reflecting on our achievements and looking forward to the future. Our mission has always been clear: to provide expert public relations and content marketing combined with high-level industry expertise and strategic thinking, to help hospitality technology companies develop their reputation, gain influence, build trust in their purpose and grow sustainable businesses.
Thoughts from our founder – Jessica Gillingham
“When I founded Abode Worldwide in 2017 as a specialist agency, the short-term rental (STR) industry was still very much in its infancy in terms of professionalization and the tech ‘tools’ available to property managers,” Jessica Gillingham, founder of Abode Worldwide, says.
“However, what excited me about the sector was the clear potential of the marketplace. I knew that what was developing in STR was something incredibly powerful and exhilarating. Fast forward five years and so much has changed – not just as a result of the pandemic, but also because that’s what happens with progress.
Alongside the industry and our clients, Abode Worldwide has also grown and developed. The next most obvious step for us as we continue to grow and develop is to follow the natural inclination of the market which has already merged with hotels and multifamily and expand into the adjacent ‘living’ sectors that also combine property and hospitality.”
We’re a transparent brand with honesty and openness at its core, so it only makes sense for us to share our goals as we move into our next phase of business. Here are our five goals for the next five years:
1. Develop as a business with purpose
Abode Worldwide is a business with purpose, and we like to work with brands that also have a strong purpose. We see business as a force for good in the world, and want to continue doing all we can to build trust and fulfill our social responsibilities.
We are making internal changes accordingly, and only strive to get better. We are currently going through our B Corp certification; certified B Corp status is awarded to businesses that meet very high standards in social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. In addition, we are changing our Articles of Association to ensure all stakeholders are considered and working on internal processes so that all work is aligned with our core values and social responsibilities.
2. Move into six new pillars of expertise
As our sector expertise grows, Abode Worldwide’s next phase will involve moving further into six core ‘pillars’. We’re excited to partner with technology solutions (both software and hardware) that are transforming the intersection where property and hospitality merge, working with clients in the following pillars:
- Short-term rentals
- Multifamily rentals
- Student accommodation
- Senior living
- Co-living
- Hotels
3. Provide industry-driven and data-led research
As the leading global technology PR agency for the hospitality and property sectors, it only makes sense that we continue to pave the way. This means providing transformative, industry-led data and research in the above six sectors.
We plan to move forward with a focus on our clients’ customers – property managers and asset owners – and collate useful, usable stories and data from the industry. Providing our clients with this data will enable them to continue leading the way in their sector, better understand their customers’ pain points, build authority in their industry and become thought leaders.
4. Continue building a team of B2B PR, content and social experts
At Abode, the team is the beating heart of our business. As you may know, Abode Worldwide is dedicated to building a solid team of PR, content and social experts in hospitality and property technology – and there are no plans to slow down. As the team grows, we’ll remain rooted in our heritage: a female-led, forward-thinking agency, with leadership and mentoring at its core.
The next five years will see us continue to invest in our team through specialist training, development programs and a strong focus on wellbeing – something we value highly. We will continue to grow leaders within Abode Worldwide, and look forward to broadening our talented and skilled team to bring our clients the very best service and support.
5. Fulfill our ambitious growth plans
Finally, it’s surely no surprise that we have ambitious growth plans. Over the last five years, we’ve grown our specialist team from one to ten, built a solid portfolio of successful clients, developed our content offering and survived the pandemic – just to name a few achievements.
We have a clear roadmap in place and as we move into our exciting new pillars, we look forward to partnering with new clients across the globe – including North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and Asia. By the end of this year, we’ll be active in four of our pillars and we’d like to double our client base.
It’s an exciting time at Abode Worldwide and we can’t wait to see what the future holds. As we celebrate our birthday, we’d like to thank our clients for choosing us – and we look forward to the next five years!
About Abode Worldwide
Abode Worldwide launched in 2017, with a focus on short-term rentals. Since then, we have expanded into various sectors including proptech, hotels and hospitality technology. In 2021 alone, our business grew 400%.
We are the only global PR agency that focuses solely on our sectors. With a team of industry specialists and experts on board, we provide clients with unparalleled expertise, access to meaningful relationships, insight, and strategic direction so they can build better, stronger and more sustainable businesses.
