On Monday 28 October, Toerisme De Baronie, in collaboration with Koninklijke Horeca Nederland, organised a talk on hospitality. We were guests at Smaak Lokaal in Rijen. A diverse group of over sixty entrepreneurs, all of whom are active in the leisure sector.
Theo Donkers, a board member of Toerisme De Baronie, opened the event with a welcome address to all the local business owners in attendance. He was then followed by Wouter Verkerk, who got the audience thinking with challenging questions and incisive statements. With over two hundred presentations and workshops a year, this much-sought-after hospitality trainer is the Netherlands’ most sought-after speaker in the field of hospitality and customer service. He emphasised how important it is to provide good service to guests and that this will become increasingly important in the future, backing this up with numerous real-life examples. In an original, sometimes hilarious way, Wouter shook his audience out of their complacency and offered practical tips.
At the end of the presentation, Wouter handed out a number of his books, featuring thought-provoking columns, practical guidance and eye-opening insights. Merel Reijers, regional manager of Koninklijke Horeca Nederland, thanked Wouter Verkerk for his informative talk. Afterwards, there was a convivial get-together with the members, enjoying delicious drinks and snacks. This ‘after-party’ is an essential part of evenings like this. After all, ‘connecting’ is one of the key priorities of Toerisme De Baronie.
We can therefore look back on a well-attended and inspiring evening, and we would like to thank Rob Marcelissen and his wife Anielka Menner for their hospitality in the wonderful setting of Smaak Lokaal.
Photo: Members of Toerisme De Baronie during Wouter Verkerk’s talk.
Click here for more information on Smaak Lokaal.