Unfold goes to Rio de Janeiro
After an exciting but intense year of growth, we were all in need of a proper getaway for our annual company trip. A chance to get inspired, spend some quality time together, and plan for the future. And what better place to do it than Rio de Janeiro, where the sun always shines and the Caipirinhas never stop flowing?
The part about the sun always shining turned out to be a slight exaggeration, as we arrived in the city on a grey and rain-soaked morning. That certainly didn’t stop us from jumping straight into the pool of our hotel, which was ideally located on the beach.
And not just any beach, but the one and only Ipanema beach, home of sunsets and surfing. Needless to say, this is where we spent a considerable amount of time over the next couple of days, scheming and planning for the year ahead over a refreshing coconut or two.
When you truly love the beach life, one beach is just not enough. That’s why we were also just a five minute walk away from Copacabana beach. This is where we all got to try our skills at riding the waves, and most importantly; taking loads of photos of our ourselves posing with surfboards.
Our trip obviously wasn’t all about surfing and sunshine. One of the many reasons we chose Rio de Janeiro as our destination is because of the exciting developments that’s happening within design and technology in the city. More specifically how the physical and digital world can be merged into innovative experiences and services, which we see great potential for amongst many of the companies we work with.
To learn more about the subject, we went to visit the Museum of Tomorrow, an impressive building designed by neo-futuristic architect Santiago Calatrava. Its main exhibition is almost entirely digital, mixing science with innovative design to address the future of our planet. Through immersive audiovisual environments, interactive installations and games, the museum provides a personalized experience that enables you to learn something new with every visit.
Not only did we go to see the museum, but also the people behind many of the digital displays that goes into it. SuperUber combines art, technology, architecture and design to create ‘multimedia interactive environments’, and have done some great work for clients like Nike, Coca-Cola and The United Nations. Not to mention the closing ceremony of the Rio Olympics!
We met Russ and Liana, the founders of SuperUber, at their Rio office, where we got to hear more about their creative approach and fascinating experiences from an impressive range of projects. Listening to them talk left us truly inspired, and hoping we’ll also get to work with Beyoncé sometime in the future.
All this learning and inspiration made us hungry, but luckily there’s no shortage of great places to eat in Rio. Like every other city break we got to experience everything from hidden gems to tourist hotspots, each with its own charm.
Other activities included visiting Brazil’s largest favela, going to a local football match, and experiencing the city in a helicopter from above.
It was a trip filled with experiences where we all got to know each other better, and that have definitely prepared us for the exciting year that lies ahead. And whenever we feel a bit stressed and miss that warm Rio sun, we’ll just mix some Caipirinhas and put on Stan Getz in the office.
About Unfold
With a strong entrepreneurial mindset we partner with businesses and new ventures to help them become relevant, efficient and more profitable. Through strategic planning, design thinking and suited technology we create immersive brand experiences and digital products with a clear purpose — to make every day better for its audience.
If you want to get to know us better, visit unfold.no or follow us on Instagram!
