Welcome drink at hotel
      The "Batida", a typical Brazilian drink, is made with "cachaça", a local sugarcane rum, mixed with either passion fruit juice, lemon juice or coconut milk. Served at the check in area, it is our way of saying "Welcome to Brazil". A samba band will meet the group playing an authentic samba welcome. Upon request, the Welcome drink function may be enriched with Danish, rolls, cakes, coffee, tea, chocolate, etc.

Sunset Cocktail on Sugar Loaf
      Witnessing the sunset from atop Sugar Loaf in Rio is what Incentive travel is all about! This event starts in the late afternoon, ascending to the top of Sugar Loaf for an overview of the city before dusk. Then descend to Urca Hill and enjoy a cocktail party while watching the city lights come on and the tropical sunset behind the mountains. A samba trio and "mulata" dancers or strolling violins can be provided to enhance the atmosphere.

Cocktails and dinner at one of the city's mansions
      Surrounded by beautiful natural scenery, Rio de Janeiro contains a number of former residences which have been transformed into houses available for parties.

Dine Around
      Rentamar has selected a number of Brazil's finest restaurants and, when it comes to dining, Brazil is truly a gourmet's paradise. Reservations are made by the Hospitality Desk staff in order to secure the best available seating. Should round-trip transfers be required, the full assistance of a tour escort will be available for each restaurant. Otherwise our group supervisor will follow up on each restaurant selected. The Hospitality Desk will maintain sign-up lists and a special bulletin board where the menu and photos of each restaurant will be displayed.

Private Yacht or Schooner Cruises
      An excellent inclusion in any program is the chartering of private yachts or schooners. Luxurious private boats with capacity for approximately 200 guests are available for cruises. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres can be catered. Strolling Samba Trio and "Mulata" dancers can be provided to enhance the party.

Samba School Rehearsals
      From October through Carnival, in February, the Samba Schools will be getting ready to parade in the Sambadrome and hopefully win the title of Carnival Champion. Each Samba School represents a local community of Rio de Janeiro. We are able to arrange box seats at the Samba Schools' rehearsals, where your group will have the opportunity to mix with the local people and experience the vibrations of a Samba School drum, the joy of its participants and their love for the Samba School.

Diversified Activities
      There are myriad activities available to enhance your group program, such as helicopter flights, river rafting, fishing, snorkeling, trekking, beach olympics, etc. Rentamar can also schedule cultural tours to old fortresses, churches and museums as well as special programs with technical guides and information. If you are interested in any type of activity not described in this manual, please let us know and we will provide you with all the necessary information.

Jewelry Fashion Show
      Brazil is one of the world's most important gemstone producers. We can organize a jewelry fashion show at the hotel in combination with a cocktail party, or at any of the group functions at the hotel, a restaurant, etc.

Around Brazil in a Night
      This one-night tour of Brazil highlights the country's colorful regions, each one with its unique folklore, costumes, songs, dances, arts and crafts, drinks and dishes.
North / Northeast
with the mystique of its African origins and the charms of Bahia and its varied and delicate seafood delights. With its typical leather, lacework and ceramic handicrafts, its unforgettable folk music and its spicy dishes, featuring sun-dried meat (jerked beef).
South
with its lifestyle of the "Pampas" - the great plains - and its Gauchos (cowboys) decked out in wide breeches, knives and boots, serving the best beef and the best wines in Brazil, made from grapes grown in the southern mountain region.

For each region, a typically decorated buffet is set up. Small groups of performers may top off the evening with dances and folkloric songs. The advantage of having one of these Brazilian nights is that no special arrangements are required for the participants. This event can also be organized at the hotel.

Carnival Party
      The decor includes Carnival streamers, whistles, balloons and centerpieces featuring cascades of tropical fruit. The live samba show opens with individual presentations by each musician and samba dancer, gradually moving into famous Carnival hits. Prize-winning Carnival costumes are paraded, followed by a group of samba dancers who set off the Carnival craze. By now the band is at full blast and dancers and audience alike - dressed in readily available Carnival costumes - all join in the action. A couple of days prior to the Carnival party, samba classes can be organized, giving a brief introduction to the samba beat. This is also the perfect occasion for ordering and sizing Carnival costumes.

Pirate Night on a Tropical Island
      Yes, we had pirates in Brazil! They used to hide out amongst the hundreds of lush green tropical islands and await the trading schooners that navigated along the coast. For this event, the group boards authentic sailing schooners to cruise among the islands in the bay. The schooners stop at an uninhabited island only to be caught in a simulated pirate attack. Having survived the fright, your winners soon discover the pirates are friendly and even provide maps to their buried treasure. All ashore to discover the treasure chest and once found, its off to a nearby island for a real Pirate's Feast. Greeted by the friendly natives, your guests proceed along a torch-lit path to the dinner area. Following the meal an authentic Macumba ceremony is staged on the beach, reminiscent of the slave colonies that once occupied these islands. Fireworks signal departure time and the end of a truly memorable theme event.

A night in Bahia
      Bahia only began to enter the modern, industrial era a few decades ago; for centuries, the state's economy had been based on cocoa production. Bahia's lifestyle is filled with West African traditions, rites and foods. A night in Bahia begins with participants being greeted by hostesses dressed as typical Baianas who distribute good-luck ribbons that are tied around the wrist (each ribbon contains three knots that represent wishes). The decor includes works of folk art that, along with the music, reveal a part of Bahia's mystique. After savoring a few of Bahia's typical fish and shellfish dishes and delicate and very sweet desserts, a live folklore show including Capoeira (a traditional fighting dance) is also available. If held on a Friday, the day Umbanda and Candomblé* adepts worship their saints and deities, it is requested that everyone wear white.

     (*) Umbanda is a syncretism form of certain African rites in which the original deities were substituted by Catholic saints to placate the priests. It is mainly practiced in Rio. In Bahia, Candomblé is practiced much in the same way that it came over from Africa.

Moonlight Luau
      A Luau evening can be organized on an island which is reached by schooner from Itacurussá. Meat and fish wrapped in palm leaves are grilled in open pits on the beach. Drinks, beer, music and song add memorable touches. During the return trip by schooner, the moon shining on the bay provides a magical sight.

Beach Support
      We are able to arrange all the infrastructure for an entire day at one of the many beaches in Rio or any other coast city. We can provide all arrangements for meals with beverages and cocktails and we can organize sporting tournaments of football, volleyball or even our famous foot-volley. It's sure to be a very pleasant day and your group will be able to experience this typical Brazilian leisure activity.

Live music and Performing Groups

• A piano and/or guitar player
• Background music played by a trio
• Background music played by violinists
• A trio plus three samba dancers (mulatas)
• A sextet plus three or six mulatas
• A big band
• A samba band with a small Samba School group
• A samba band with a full-sized Samba School

Multivision Presentation
      A team of professional video photographers can be hired to cover one or more of the Incentive Program's events, particularly major events and / or the Tropical Islands cruise or theme party. A multivision presentation is edited from these tapes and shown during the Farewell Party, to everyone's delight. This also forms a valuable record of the Rio Incentive Program for the sponsor and makes a perfect sales tool for next year's group.