EDITOR'S COMMENT
• Happy new year to all our readers around the world! And it may be a particularly exciting new year for Sonder as the lodging startup moves a step closer to going public via a SPAC merger, with a shareholder vote meeting scheduled for next Friday.
In my 2022 predictions piece, I highlighted that there would be sustained investment in the short-term rental space, following a period of heightened activity that saw companies merging with special purpose acquisition companies [SPACs] or going public through traditional IPOs [like Airbnb], as well as major portfolio growth through mergers and acquisitions [M&A].
We'll have to wait and see if the SPAC train continues at its current acceleration, but it is clear that the short-term rental segment resonates with investor sentiment, thanks to its ability to evolve with shifting consumer preferences and to innovate to cater to new traveller demographics. Inspirato, OYO and Mondee are all due to begin trading publicly in the next 12 months and they are unlikely to be the only ones.
• In December, we launched the 2022 Shortyz Awards and you can now submit your entries for free for as many of the 20 awards on offer here. View the full list of categories here [including three new categories for 2022].
The 2022 Shortyz Awards will take place on Wednesday 18 May 2022 as a hybrid live in-person and digital awards ceremony - stay tuned for more details very soon!
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