Up until founding Group NAO, our founders were working quite a bit in China. In mandarin, 脑 (nǎo) means “brain”, “intelligence” or “thinking”.  We thought it appropriate since we often wonder deeply about the time we live in and what comes next.

Meanwhile, in common internet slang, NAO also often refers to a rather impatient now. We feel that too sometimes...

We often take on wicked problems, wondering questions, and complex projects at the nexus of major societal change. Here are some of the questions we have recently been asked:

• How will generative AI affect the way we work, travel, consume, and live?§  What should be done with Copenhagen’s old, majestic power plant when it is taken out of service?
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• How do we secure a balanced and regenerative visitor economy in Greenland under a radical growth scenario?
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• How can city and tourism authorities engage residents and communities in dialogue and co-creation to improve tourism and quality of life in the city?

On some days, this work calls for fast-paced, high-energy future labs or full-day bootcamps featuring AI applications. On others, it involves in-depth research, trend analysis and surveys, organisational change management, and multi-stakeholder strategy work with cities, destinations, cultural institutions, and private businesses.

Most often, the outcome is actionable strategies, agenda-setting reports and white papers, high-level international conferences, or organisational alignment.

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We often question the question we have been asked and elaborate any problems with the problem we have been tasked. This is to unleash our curiosity and test the boundaries of what we think we know.

We Draw Outside the Lines: We frequently draw outside the lines - not as an end in itself, but because our projects often demand a non-conformist perspective and a bold approach to succeed. Fortunately, our clients are almost always open to unexpected outcomes, daring ideas, and distinctive solutions.

We Work Out Loud: We like to share what we do and learn with our community of partners and followers. Experience has taught us that feedback is exponential and almost always constructive. It helps us set agendas and gain both visibility and a voice in the public conversations that matter.

We Love to Mix Things: Our work often spans multiple disciplines within the human sciences, combining a wide range of methodologies and research tools, strategic perspectives, facilitation techniques, AI applications, and, at times, a touch of provocative communication.

And yes, we actively and responsibly use AI tools in our work processes. Not as an oracle or a gimmick, but as practical tools that help us discover, elaborate, extract, sharpen, and accelerate our work - and always with a human in the loop.

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Group NAO has operated globally since its establishment in 2019, when we welcomed City Destinations Alliance, Miles Partnership, and the Government of New Zealand as our first clients. Contrary to expectations, COVID-19 accelerated our international reach through virtual conferencing, collaborative research, and thought leadership on pandemic market trends and strategies.

Since then, we have worked with more than 200 clients across North America and Europe on the major agendas and critical challenges facing cities, communities, and businesses within the broader experience economy.

We are a small team supported by a strong global network of associated advisers, external partners, suppliers, and agencies. We collaborate with them whenever we do not have boots on the ground ourselves.

You choose NAO if you are looking for something different - something ambitious and slightly out of the box.

We are allergic to standardized strategy processes, empty buzzwords, and innovation theatre. We combine rigorous thinking with bold ideas, and we treat storytelling as a strategic tool rather than decoration.

Clients turn to us when they need clarity, momentum, and a dose of constructive provocation.

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