Claudia Teixeira Sales Director, Blumar agency

Does your agency specialise in incentives?

Claudia Teixeira - We are first and foremost a generalist agency with a MICE department representing 10 to 15 % of our business. Our foreign clients are first English, then American and finally French. Last year, we handled five major incentives involving more than 100 people.

What is your typical programme?

C. T. - We're obliged to do the must-sees in Rio, but we try to do them differently. For example, we go up to Corcovado by Jeep and Sugarloaf, on the first part at least, by hiking trails. In the Santa Teresa district, you can take a tram for private hire. But it can only carry 36 people. Which limits the attraction.

Which programmes are the most successful?

C. T. - A cruise along the south coast of Rio and all that revolves around samba: a visit to a school, a mask-making workshop... But also, much more simply, the organisation of a perfect morning of Carioca in the middle of Copacabana. First, you cycle from the hotel, buy a swimming costume, then go to the beach bar, play beach football, play volleyball, relax, have a massage... In short, what every self-respecting Carioca does.

Every self-respecting Carioca thinks of carnival...

C. T. - It's obviously part of all the programmes, especially the gala evenings. We take over a colonial villa and party all night long, usually on carnival themes...