Photo courtesy of Thinkstock
Marriott International has announced a partnership with the National Basketball Association that makes it the official hotel of a handful of upcoming international NBA events.
Through the partnership, Marriott and the NBA will provide eligible Marriott Rewards members with exclusive access to NBA events throughout a dozen cities worldwide, including Johannesburg, South Africa, which will play host to the 2015 NBA Africa Game Saturday.
Other upcoming event destinations include Milan, Italy; Shanghai, China; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and London, England.
Marriott Rewards will also host a series of private meet-and-greet events with NBA legends and active players. Those events will be made available to its Elite members. The first will be co-hosted by The Protea African Pride Melrose Arch Hotel in Johannesburg.
Meanwhile, U.S.-based Marriott Rewards members will be able to enter in an upcoming sweepstakes for a chance to win tickets to an upcoming NBA global event.
"Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world, and our partnership with the NBA gives us an opportunity to tap into a passionate fan base and communicate the breadth and depth of our portfolio," said Marriott International's Global Marketing Officer Karin Timpone in a statement. "Similar to what we are doing with music and entertainment, our NBA partnership helps us create memorable experiences for our Rewards members and amplify the benefits of the program for both new and loyal guests."
In a statement, NBA executive vice president of global marketing partnerships Emilio Collins said, "Marriott International is a renowned brand with extensive global operations, and is the ideal partner to help broaden the reach of our games and engage more fans."
After this summer's NBA Africa Game, the league will head to Canada for the 2015 NBA Canada Series in October. The 2015-16 NBA Global Games will also get underway in October, continuing through January 2016. With the announcement of the new partnership, Marriott International will be along for the journey.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
