IQ Camp 2016 (#12)
It is pleasant to relax together with your colleagues while acquiring useful knowledge at the same time. Yet it is even better if it becomes a tradition. One of the most loved DDB Latvia traditions is the yearly IQ camp that has already brought together our creative team for the 12th time. This year it took place at the beautiful Nītaure’s mill in Amata Municipality.
We waited impatiently for the possibility to meet with our special guests, who shared essential lessons learnt in their fields. The first of them was the economist of the World Bank Kārlis Šmits who has already been living in China for three years. It allowed him to understand that China has become a global power mainly owing to labour mobility, narrow specialisation and agglomeration. Nevertheless, the negative processes have not been left unnoticed. Development has come at a cost, for example, environmental pollution. It is valuable for anyone willing to strengthen their Latvian positions in the international economic and political environment to hear Kārlis’ suggestions.
Afterwards the film director Jānis Streičs told stories about the impressions gained in creative work. While developing legendary Latvian movies, he has become aware of the role of psychology, for example, the tendency of the subconscious to ignore rejection. He has gotten proof to the fact that viewers try to find the good as well as the bad in art.
And finally, the cook and explorer of tastes Mārtiņš Sirmais provided us with insights into what happens behind the scenes of Latvian restaurants. As it turns out, pork is the top meat for most Latvians, well ahead of chicken, beef or lamb. And dishes that have become the cult food of a nation, have almost always been taken from other nations, for example, the motherland of the croissant is Austria.
After having enjoyed a rich lunch ourselves, the time came to hold the IQ Olympic Games. In this competition the teams were trying to answer unusual questions that were indeed a challenge for our minds and creativity. As with in a real competition, the winning team had the chance to enjoy champagne while drinking it from a cup that they had won themselves.
As the evening approached its end, a wide range of possibilities was offered. Besides the boat trips and volleyball or novuss (or koroona), there was also a chance to dance along to music provided by colleagues or to enjoy one of those special nights when the night sky is adorned with shooting stars. Here is a small insight into the event!
