In our latest inCROWD interview, we catch up with Jazz Side’s Pedro Opice on creating memorable moments in Monaco and London, discovering destinations through early morning runs and what luxury means to him.

As co-Founder and managing partner of the Brazil-based creative events and experiences agency for the last 11 years, Pedro is responsible for designing travel itineraries and events filled with unique and creative experiences, for both leisure clients and corporate VIP groups.  

The thing I am most looking forward to at this year’s inVOYAGE is…
This will be my first #inVOYAGE moment, and I’m really excited about it and very grateful for the invitation. I’m really looking forward to sharing expectations on how the industry will recover and to learn from people all around the world. It’s also a great opportunity to widen the spectrum on things we can offer and partners we can rely on.

The thing I most love about working in events is… being able to think over and over about how to write a story on people’s lives, and to create elements that elevate the experience for guests and make a big difference to the trip or event they are attending. And, of course, to be there with them and see these things coming to life, the impression they make and the sensations they generate.

Luxury to me means… live experiences that take you out of your comfort zone and daily life, and to interact with people, culture and places in a genuine way. Live experiences that give us the sense of how big the world is, and that sets new parameters for our ways of seeing things – that is true luxury.

The earliest travel memory I can recall… was a road trip driving down from Calgary, Canada, to San Francisco, California. We didn’t have any hotel plans and the whole journey was based on sleeping in road motels, with “Vacant” signs. We stopped at several natural parks and enjoyed amazing quality time packing and unpacking and running around.

City slicker or beach bum?
Beach bum, for sure. Living in São Paulo, Brazil, I have to deal with big city routine 24/7. So, being able to “escape” from this crazy rhythm, and to be in touch with nature is something to be valued.

It I could get on a plane right now… this will sound like a real cliché, but I would definitely make the “Disney Trip”, to Orlando. Being a father of 2 daughters (1 and 3 years old), “princesses, castles and fairytales” are a part of my daily life.

When the pandemic first begun in March 2020, and airline companies offered really attractive deals, I bought tickets to Disney World, hotels and promised my daughters that they would finally meet Mickey and all the princesses they love. I think I was a little too optimistic and now, I have to hear them asking me every day “when is Coronavirus leaving Mickey Mouse’s house, so that we can go?”

Suitcase essentials…
I always travel with a running gear. I believe that running offers a unique and amazing way to experience the way of life in different destinations. I love pounding the pavements early in the morning, getting to see the sun rise and people starting their routines. Being able soak up early morning life, either along the beach, through the countryside or in a big city, to me, is something spectacular.

Your favourite hidden gem?
I’ve been fortunate enough to provide an amazing experience in London, at the Holland and Holland Shooting Ground, for some of the groups we have worked with. The amazing staff managed to design a workshop and “hand’s on” experience, teaching Brazilian’s techniques of clay shooting, a sport that is not very traditional in our country. It felt like a very authentic British experience – with people practising in traditional outfits, the fog over the hills, and tea served in the great outdoors.

Most memorable event moment…
We organised a trip to Monaco for a corporate client, where our challenge was to make them feel exactly what F1 drivers feels, when they are in Monaco for the Grand Prix week.

So, one of the ideas was to have the whole group, driving “vespas” around Monaco then to Eze for lunch. There were 40 guests and 34 of them had never been on a scooter before. Many of them were nervous and convinced that they weren’t been able to drive. Somehow, our staff manage to make them feel absolutely safe and the whole group, in a huge line of 40 “vespas”, drove around Monaco, the racing circuit, and up to Eze.

When we finally arrived in Eze, the marketing director at our client’s firm approached me and said: “this was the biggest risk we have ever taken with clients! And that’s why it came out as the biggest reward”. After the event, when asked about the greatest experience in Monaco – and we also had a private Yacht, F1 driving experience in Provence, Helicopter and so on so there was a lot to choose from – 90% of the group responded that it was the Vespa tour.

Do you have a mantra you live and work by?
To be able to work, I have to always be inspired by a purpose, and that can change over time. So, I’m constantly trying to review our business and the kind of projects we are working on and delivering, to understand if they fit with our purpose. I think that my main goal is to have the whole team trying to do this exercise from time to time, to keep working and be inspired.