How we started & where we are now

Hello, world! This is your Head Llama Trainer, Stefano, writing here 👋

We just wanted to give you all an update on what’s happening with us. As a company whose mission is all about bringing people together, it’s been an interesting ride!

Here’s a short story on how we started and where we are now. 👀

2017

When EPIC LLAMA first started we focused on just one thing. We offered gamified weekend adventures to surprise destinations in Europe. You would show up to the airport with a very vague idea of where you’d be traveling and you’d meet your fellow adventure buddies - just one hour before the flight! We’d also give you a series of mystery envelopes full of clues & challenges that you could only open at certain times and places. We’d send you off to off-the-beaten-path destinations such as Bratsilavava (Slovakia), Thessaloniki (Greece), Catania (Italy), and Bucharest (Romania). It was (and still is) a one-of-a-kind, comfort-zone-breaking weekend getaway strangers became friends in a matter of hours. Long story short, it was a ton of fun! 🚀

2019

In 2019 we started experimenting with a series of fun urban experiences in Berlin, Germany - where it all started. The goal was to build up the community and give people a taste to what we are all about. We launched ‘F*ck the Small Talk’ and ‘Playground for Adults’. To put it simply, one was about meeting new people by skipping the small talk and the other was all about playing games & bringing out your inner child. (I’ll soon write a whole blog post about each one.) 🎈

FTST November 2020

Playground June 2020

Both events were a big success! They almost always sold out and people kept on coming back. These events had a life of their own. (On a personal note, I had a ton of fun hosting them. Blowing my whistle and making people walk like a chicken is something I could have never dreamed of doing as a job. 🐓) People were having meaningful conversations, playing and friendships were being made. (hurray! 🥳)

This catapulted us into more than just a travel company. We realized we weren’t in the business of travel. We were in the business of experiences and connection (as cheesy as that might sound). We design one-of-a-kind, playful and comfort-zone-breaking experiences that inspire creativity, curiosity & maximize human connection. Also, we just love having & organizing fun. That’s what we’re all about! (Oh, and we love llamas. In fact, one of our dreams is to found a llama sanctuary. 🦙)

Ok back to the story. 📖

2020

Fast forward February 2020. Our F*ck the Small Talk events were growing strong! We got nearly 400 signs ups and the feedback was excellent. We also started doing some (in-person) team-building events for companies. Our last in-person event was on March 10th of 2020. It was that week where people knew very little about what was going on. When people laughed at others wearing masks. When coughing in public wasn’t worse than farting.

Then it hit. No events. No in-person gatherings. No high-fiving strangers on the escaltor. Nada! Like millions of others, I was pretty bummed out. 😞 All we had was the power of the internet! I looked at my computer and she looked at me. I ask her ‘shall we do something?’. She said ‘01100110 01110101 01100011 01101011 00100000 01111001 01100101 01100001 01101000’.

I laughed at the idea of having either of these events online. I mean how could they possibly work!?

People started getting creative. We found an amazing video meeting platform (called Gatheround) and launched our first online F*ck the Small Talk. 🎈

IT SOLD OUT!

People from the ‘real life’ events showed up! People from other cities also showed up. It was a ton of fun! Skeptically, I said ‘f*ck it’ - let’s do an online games event. Again, it worked!

Soon people became tired of online events. We even had to cancel a few due to a lack of attendees! We understood. The weather was also getting better so people started spending more time outside. (summer of 2020)

A week after one of our online Playgrounds I got a message from one of the participants asking me if we could host an event for their team. We’d actually never thought about that until then! My response?

We got incredible feedback (in fact, they hired us again 4 months later!) and well, we’ve been them since that day.

Late 2020/2021

We’ve gotten much better at them since day 1! We’ve hosted events for companies, communities - and even a business school - all around the world. 🥳 For Christmas, we put together a unique celebration called Party in the North pole. A 2.5-hour house-party-style event full of serendipity and immersive events. It was wild. 🎈

We then got out biggest projects yet! In early 2021 we got hired to help out with two separate company-wide sales kickoffs. 🚀

Aaaaand that’s where we are now.

We are also available to help out companies/people who’d like to bring excitement into their own online events! 🌶️

We are doing what we do best - now on the web.

In addition, we’ve also begun hosting our in-person F*ck the Small Talk events. Recently in Vienna, Austria, and Medellin, Colombia! We’re looking for awesome hosts around the world. Get in touch with us if you’d like to know more! 🗣

More awesome projects are in the works.

Thanks for reading this far!

Our story is still being written. And we’d love you to be part of it.

So long and thanks for all the cheese! 🧀

Stay connected, stay curious ,

Stefano
Founder & Head Llama Trainer 🦙