Free accommodation for visiting creatives

Most of the free love we’ve written about so far has come in relatively small doses–free photocopies, free phone calls, free taxi rides, for example. A new venture from Swedish clothing brand Elvine, however, now offers select creative types nothing less than a free place to stay. Creators Inn is a fully equipped room with a balcony overlooking the city of Gothenburg, Sweden, and just a 10 minute walk from the city centre. Working with local independent organizers, Elvine’s aim is to use the room to host artists and creatives visiting Gothenburg at no charge and with no strings attached. Foreign visitors are given priority, but anyone can apply by making a case for why they should be allowed to use the room. So far, artist, songwriter and blogger Momus and soul musician Jomo are among the guests who have been accommodated. Elvine explains: “With Creators Inn by Elvine we tried to add some creativity to the equation, labeling what we do as CSR – Creative Social Responsibility. By offering visiting creators free accommodation, we hope to remind people of a lovely little thing called hospitality. And in addition to making the visiting creators happy and Gothenburg a more interesting city because of their presence, we hope this simple idea can be exported and implemented around the globe.” With the potential to generate a new, hip image and no small amount of goodwill among business partners and visitors, Elvine’s example may well be one worth emulating for creative brands around the globe. Just furnish a room with a view, set out a doormat, and you’re good to go! 😉 Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann