Marriott And The NBA Announce New Partnership To Take Fans #AroundTheWorld

BETHESDA, Md., July 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Marriott International, Inc. and the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today a partnership that makes the global lodging company the Official Hotel of several marquee NBA events around the world, including NBA Global Games 2015-16, NBA Africa Game 2015, and NBA Canada Series 2015.  Marriott is the first company to partner with the NBA across international games on five different continents.

The partnership tips off in Johannesburg, South Africa during NBA Africa Game 2015, the first NBA game in Africa, and includes NBA events in 11 other cities across Brazil, Canada, China, Italy, Mexico, Spain, and the UK.  Together, Marriott International and the NBA will give Marriott Rewards members exclusive access to NBA games and events in these markets.  The partnership will showcase Marriott's award-winning Marriott Rewards program by bringing the excitement of the NBA directly to its 50 million strong member community. 

Spanning Marriott's global portfolio of 19 brands, including The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, Renaissance Hotels, Marriott Hotels, Protea Hotels and AC Hotels, Marriott Rewards will host a series of private meet-and-greets with NBA legends and players for its Elite members and invite fans to take a virtual trip in the #AroundTheWorld photo and social sharing experience.  The first Marriott Rewards NBA legends meet-and-greet will be co-hosted by The Protea African Pride Melrose Arch Hotel in Johannesburg.

Additionally, Marriott Rewards members in the U.S. can look for the opportunity to enter in an upcoming sweepstakes for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to win a trip and 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 Karin Timpone, Global Marketing Officer, Marriott International. "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."

"For our fans around the world, there is no opportunity more exciting than when live NBA games are played in their home countries," said Emilio Collins, NBA Executive Vice President, Global Marketing Partnerships.  "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."

NBA Global Games 2015-16, a series of preseason and regular-season NBA games around the world, includes a total of six NBA teams playing seven games in seven international cities.  Additionally, NBA Africa Game 2015 will take place Aug. 1 at Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg, South Africa, and the NBA Canada Series 2015 will feature a record five teams playing an all-time-high four preseason games in Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, and Winnipeg.

NBA Global Event Schedule:

NBA Africa Game 2015:

• Aug. 1 – Johannesburg, South Africa

NBA Canada Series 2015:

• Oct. 4 – Vancouver, Canada
• Oct. 10 – Winnipeg, Canada
• Oct. 14 – Ottawa, Canada
• Oct. 23 – Montreal, Canada

NBA Global Games 2015-16:

• Oct. 6 – Milan, Italy
• Oct. 8 – Madrid, Spain
• Oct. 11 – Shenzhen, China
• Oct. 14 – Shanghai, China
• Oct. 17 – Rio, Brazil
• Dec. 3 – Mexico City, Mexico
• Jan. 14 – London, United Kingdom

About Marriott International:  Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, with more than 4,300 properties in 81 countries and territories.  Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton^®, to Bulgari^® Hotels & Resorts, EDITION^®, JW Marriott^®, Autograph Collection^® Hotels, Renaissance^® Hotels, Marriott Hotels^®, Delta Hotels and Resorts^®, Marriott Executive Apartments^®, Marriott Vacation Club^®, Gaylord Hotels^®, AC Hotels by Marriott^®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn^®, SpringHill Suites^®, Fairfield Inn & Suites^®, TownePlace Suites^®, Protea Hotels^® and Moxy Hotels^SM. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards^® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards^® program, which together surpass 50 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com.

About Marriott Rewards:  Marriott Rewards is Marriott International's award-winning loyalty program spanning 16 brands and 4,000 properties worldwide. Marriott Rewards is free to join and has no blackout dates and members can earn and redeem points at Marriott International properties around the world and at Marriott Rewards exclusive luxury partner The Ritz-Carlton®.  Members can also redeem points for frequent flyer miles, cruises, car rentals, merchandise and more. By making rewards accessible with a modern, easy approach, Marriott Rewards continues to be a leader in the industry. Marriott Rewards has won the Freddie Award for "Best Hotel Rewards Program in the Americas" eight years in a row and the 2011 and 2010 Frequent Travel Award for "Best Hotel Rewards Program." In addition, the program has been named best hotel rewards program by the readers of U.S. News & World Report, About.com, Business Traveler, Global Traveler, Executive Travel and BusinessWeek magazines. To enroll and for more information about Marriott Rewards, guests can visit MarriottRewards.com.

About the NBA:  The NBA is a global sports and media business built around three professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women's National Basketball Association, and the NBA Development League.  The league has established a major international presence with offices in 13 markets worldwide, games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 47 languages, and NBA merchandise for sale in more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on 6 continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2014-15 season featured a record 101 international players from 37 countries and territories.  The NBA is the No. 1 professional sports league on social media, with more than 850 million likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league and its teams and players have donated more than $260 million to charity, completed more than 3.3 million hours of hands-on community service, and created more than 970 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play.

About Protea Hotels:  Protea Hotels is the leading hospitality brand in Africa and boasts the highest hospitality brand awareness in the continent. With 105 properties (9,864 rooms) in South Africa and six other Sub-Saharan African countries as of June 30, 2015, Protea Hotels has the largest strategic footprint throughout the continent and is highly committed to delivering every guest with a personalized service experience. Protea Hotels is comprised of the mid-up market Protea Hotels (including the lifestyle hotels Protea Hotel Fire & Ice!) and the superior deluxe African Pride Hotels, Lodges and Country Houses. Marriott International, Inc. acquired Protea Hotels on April 1, 2014.

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