Minor League Baseball announced Thursday that the Pensacola Blue Wahoos have been selected as a finalist for the prestigious Golden Bobblehead Awards, given by Minor League Baseball for the most creative and successful promotions held by Minor League teams each year. The Blue Wahoos Stadium Airbnb, the first ever in professional sports, is one of seven finalists in the “Best Non-Gameday Event†category and a finalist for “Best Overall Promotion†with winners scheduled to be announced at the end of the month at Minor League Baseball’s annual Innovators Summit.
“We’re very excited to be a finalist for a Golden Bobblehead,†team president Jonathan Griffith said. “The Blue Wahoos Stadium Airbnb was truly the first of its kind, and we’re proud to have helped highlight our beautiful community and bring tourists to the city of Pensacola. We had baseball fans reach out to us from states across America and even from other countries saying ‘I heard about Pensacola, Florida on the news tonight!’ and garnering that attention for our city helps us meet our mission of improving the quality of life in our community.â€
The 2020 Golden Bobbleheads, the 10th annual presentation of the awards by Minor League Baseball, will be given to a winning franchise in three separate categories: “Best Non-Gameday Eventâ€, “Best Digital Campaignâ€, and “Best Community Promotionâ€. In addition, a “Best Overall†Golden Bobblehead Award will be given to the top promotion from all finalists in each of the three categories. The winners in each category will be selected by a nationwide vote by all 160 Minor League franchises.
The Blue Wahoos listed their full stadium on Airbnb in May, the first time a sports stadium has ever been offered on the vacation rental app. Within 48 hours, two full months of stays had sold out. The listing received both national and international acclaim, being featured in over 350 media outlets across the globe including coverage in six foreign countries on four continents. To date, guests have traveled to Pensacola from 16 states across America to stay in the Airbnb.
The Airbnb experience includes private access to the playing field at Blue Wahoos Stadium for guests including a batting practice set-up that includes bats, balls, and helmets. The players’ clubhouse at Blue Wahoos Stadium is also available to guests for private use, giving fans never before offered behind the scenes access to areas of the stadium typically only reserved for professional ballplayers. The players’ dining room at the stadium has been converted into a comfortable bedroom with 10 beds for guests. Larger groups can also utilize the visiting clubhouse at the ballpark, which holds an additional 10 beds. Guests also have exclusive access to the stadium’s batting cage for the entirety of their stay.
The Blue Wahoos Stadium Airbnb holds a perfect five-star rating on Airbnb’s website. The team recently opened available dates throughout the fall (September-December) for guests to book their stay.
Additional Golden Bobblehead finalists can be found at this link.
