As of November 1, Sijbrand Booij started as Head of Events & Communications within Van der Valk International.
His primary mission, as he describes himself, is to raise the service for (corporate) events and incentives within the Van der Valk International Hotels and Venues to a higher level in terms of both quality and quantity. The new position of Head of Events & Communications focuses primarily on developing a central point of contact for business customers who - regularly or not - organize events where the hotels and other Van der Valk International venues can be used as a base.
An eye for event-specific matters such as the objectives of the event, type of guests, logistics, timing and overall overview will play an important role in this. “I will mainly contribute to the correct management of expectations. Both with our customers and guests, as well as with my colleagues in the hotels that will physically facilitate the events. The success of an event – in addition to the quality of the services and products directly provided – is highly dependent on this. In addition, we see a great need for a more central point of contact for our business relations who want to organize multiple events or events at several of our locations. I am happy to take on that role,” says Sijbrand Booij.
As General Manager of the EVM19 Outdoor Event Resort - also part of Van der Valk - and in his many additional positions that have always involved the sales and organization of business and/or adventure events, Sijbrand Booij has a lot of experience over the past 18 years. gained. Both on the selling and organizing side, but also within the Van der Valk group, where he is often “the face” of internal events. “A good relationship with many of our General Managers and various staff positions is indispensable for this role. Because I have been part of this beautiful family business for over 18 years, I know the roads and useful paths all too well and everyone knows where to find me if they need knowledge or action in relation to events or communication issues.”
According to Sijbrand Booij, the fact that the field of (internal) Communication is also part of the new position is a logical choice. “Both Events and correct Communication are resources in a large mix of tools that are used to achieve a goal: transferring knowledge, creating and maintaining loyalty and, together, as an organization, standing strong for the challenges that always lie ahead.”
“They have many similarities and we see a strong need for both areas, both within our own organization and beyond. With a HBO Communication and Event Management study that was completed some time ago, the foundation for this combination was already laid at the time.”
The position of Head of Events & Communications is therefore one for which there will be great challenges and opportunities for Van der Valk International in the coming years.