Marriott International is committed to advocating for LGBTQ+ equality, welcoming all, and supporting those creating spaces for inclusivity, belonging, and self-expression. During this Pride Season and beyond, our objective was to amplify our longstanding commitment to welcoming all and drive deeper bonds with our consumers over shared support of LGBTQ+ equality.
This Pride season, we launched a new campaign within the LoveTravels platform: “The Ballroom is Open.” The timely and relevant theme highlights Marriott’s Welcome All approach and commitment to the LGBTQ+ community. At Marriott International, we welcome all, and our ballrooms are open for inclusion, belonging, and self-expression.
Brought to life by philanthropic partnerships with Center for Black Equity and PFLAG, a creative partnership with House of Garçon, influencer and celebrity talent amplification, experiential events production, digital microsite creation, custom photoshoot content, earned PR placements, and more, the campaign began with our strategic manifesto:
Ballroom isn’t just a room.
Ballroom is history: a vibrant story of Black and Latinx members of the LGBTQ+ community creating inclusive and welcoming spaces.
Ballroom is in the moment: driving culture, rallying a global community, and serving as an enduring platform for creative expression.
Ballroom is the future: a way in which the work of LGBTQ+ pioneers is ushered forward through an empowered expression of movement and identity.
And Ballroom is open to all - Marriott International is proud of our longstanding commitment to welcoming the LGBTQ+ community and supporting those creating spaces for inclusivity and belonging in our ballrooms and beyond.
For social good, we created a call to action to support PFLAG and The Center for Black Equity, which funds Black Prides across the world. We made it simple for Marriott Bonvoy members to donate Marriott Bonvoy points on the campaign microsite www.theballroomisopen.com, and the Marriott philanthropy site, https://giving.marriott.com/.
Through “The Ballroom Is Open” campaign and our philanthropic partnerships with Center for Black Equity, PFLAG, and House of Garçon, we proudly reinforced our shared values and further bonded with our consumers by celebrating, honoring, and amplifying “Ballroom”: an essential space in the LGBTQ+ community for self-expression, community, and belonging.
Through our Marriott Bonvoy channels, we invited our massive member network to join us in support of philanthropic partners Center for Black Equity and PFLAG, key organizations driving impact in the LGBTQ+ community.
We proudly returned as the presenting sponsor of the Capital Pride parade in Washington, D.C., showcasing support for our associates and the local LGBTQ+ community.
13.5K+ consumers were driven to our microsite from in-person, digital, and social touchpoints to learn more about Center for Black Equity, PFLAG, and House of Garçon.
Ballroom Legend Dashaun Wesley amplified our campaign message of inclusivity, belonging, and self-expression on social media and in-person at Capital Pride, resulting in 16.5K impressions, 6 pieces of coverage, 2.35M views, and a 3.4B audience.
Five LGBTQ+ influencer creators also joined us at Capital Pride and shared their connections to Marriott International and “The Ballroom Is Open” campaign on social media, resulting in 886K+ impressions, 50.6K+ engagements, and a 95% comment sentiment score.
