ATLANTA -- Even “duffers” can be the envy of golf buddies if they’re swinging the latest hybrid golf club or returning from Augusta with a fresh tan. IHG’s Priority Club Rewards, the first hotel loyalty program to bring professional sports merchandise, tickets and once-in-a-lifetime experiences to its members, recently introduced a dedicated Golf Auction on its Priority Club Rewards Auction site, allowing avid golfers to join Major League Baseball® and NASCAR® fans in acquiring sought-after items.
Priority Club Rewards’ Golf Auction coincides with the kick-off of various golf-themed events and promotions leading up to the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial PGA TOUR® Golf Tournament, taking place May 24-27, 2007 in Fort Worth, Texas. The tournament boasts a $6 million purse with $1,080,000 million going to the tournament champion. In addition, the tournament winner will take home 1 million Priority Club Rewards bonus points. Tickets to the tournament “go live” for auction this week.
To participate in the auctions, Priority Club Rewards members simply register at www.priorityclub.com/auction, review the listing information for items of interest and use their Priority Club Rewards points to “Bid Now.” Similar to other popular auction sites, once a bid is entered and confirmed, members have the option to increase bids at anytime and will receive notice if they’ve been outbid. Winners are notified by e-mail at the close of the auction.
“Any loyalty program can auction merchandise, but we have taken the Priority Club Rewards Auctions to the next level by leveraging our brand sports sponsorships to give our most loyal members access to exclusive experiences they couldn’t buy with cash or otherwise would not have access to,” said Steve Sickel, senior vice president of Multibrand and Relationship Marketing for IHG. “Priority Club Rewards is the most flexible and dynamic frequent guest program in the industry, with more options for point redemption than any other hotel loyalty program, and now we’re building out our auctions as yet one more way for our members to use their points,” Sickel added.
In 2006, Priority Club members had access to more than 1,500 auction items, with more than 29 million points redeemed for auction items. Bragging-rights went to top bidders of unforgettable experiences, including a VIP package for the 2006 Major League Baseball® All-Star Week®; World Series® tickets; an Honorary Pit Crew Membership at the NASCAR® Busch Series® for the No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet; and having No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS driver Jeff Burton’s racing suit delivered to their door. Recent golf auction items have included two all-access passes to the Masters tournament in Augusta, Ga., and a chance to compete along with a PGA TOUR® pro in the upcoming Hogan Pro-Am at Colonial. Training equipment and performance golf clubs are also available on the Priority Club Auction site for golfers who want to correct their slice and increase their driving distance on home courses.
For must-have items sports fans can’t resist, members can purchase up to 20,000 additional Priority Club points, which can be used for redemption within 48 hours of a transaction.
Enrollment in Priority Club Rewards is free, and in addition to the Auction members benefit from flexible features like no points expiration and no blackout dates on Rewards Nights. To enroll in Priority Club Rewards, visit www.priorityclub.com, call 888-560-5660, or register at the front desk of any IHG branded property, including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts®, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts®, Hotel Indigo®, Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts® or Holiday Inn Express® properties and IHG’s extended-stay brands, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®.
For more information about the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial golf tournament in May, visit www.crowneplaza.com/invitational.
