Meet the Judges

Stephan Stokkermans is the Managing Director of Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin. Started in 1993 as Sales Manager at Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin and became the Managing Director of the family owned hotel 26 years later. Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin values the community of Noordwijk and that is why Stephan Stokkermans is also the chairman of the local Hospitality Association and a member of the local Entrepeneur Association (NOV).

Worldwide Stephan Stokkermans is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts advisory board, also the National Delegate for Belgium and the Netherlands of the European Hotel Managers Association (EHMA) and a Board member of the Dutch chapter of SITE Global. In 2019 he received the Hotelier of the Year award from Preferred Hotels & Resorts

Enthusiastic entrepreneur in the fast moving Travel Technology market. As one of the founders of Hoteliers.com (Dutch market leader in hotel websites and booking software, scale up) I guided the company as director of business development to its current product range of e-commerce, distribution and digital marketing products.

Offering a comprehensive solution for hotel internet strategies and direct business. New kid is the Direct Booking Portal www.hoteliers.com, fresh design and honest concept. To serve the hotel community, lower distribution costs and increase direct bookings. Check it out and help us grow this initiative!

Vincent is a trend forecaster and partner at HBMEO, marketing agency for food & hospitality. He advises companies and governments on what we are going to eat, drink, and think in the future, as well as writing trend columns for various magazines.

Vincent has always been intrigued by hotels and wrote a book about his search for hospitality in 365 hotels in Amsterdam. He is currently researching the future of the industry by testing various innovations in the hotel room of the future, a living lab in the centre of Amsterdam.

Hospitality and innovation are the two key themes in Sander’s career which he spends in consultancy (Allegro INNovations) and in education (Hotelschool The Hague). A consultant on hospitality strategy and innovation, Sander has carried out strategic assignments for leading corporations. He also serves on various committees and boards, is a regular keynote speaker and is a columnist in the two leading Dutch hospitality magazines.

After my study at the Hotel Management School, I started my career in the organization and consultancy business for hospitality and specialized myself with legal study.

For now, I have been working for a long period at the branch organization Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (KHN) and in recent years as manager of our office in Amsterdam. From this office, we serve almost 2000 members with advice and organize and initiate platforms and theme meetings. I am also responsible for the local lobby for a favourable business environment.

Charles van Goch has been a familiar face in hospitality at home and abroad for 30 years. The born entrepreneur started his first company (job agency for the hospitality sector Mise en Place) in 1994, while studying at Hotelmanagement school Maastricht. In the years that followed, Charles stood at the cradle of various successful companies and initiatives in hospitality.

As a networker and bridge builder, Charles was jointly responsible for launching more than 50 initiatives to connect hospitality professionals. When he meets someone, his first question is invariably "What can I do for you, how can I help you further?". With this in mind, he is an active connector in hospitality. For Charles, the world of food, drink and sleep is the most beautiful industry there is. He is convinced that a foundation in hospitality is the key to a successful career and actively promotes this. Being on the road a lot, Charles is always up to date with the latest developments in the industry. He then likes to share these with others, with the enthusiasm and positivity he is known for.

Lennart has a heart for hospitality and is involved in many different aspects of the Dutch hospitality industry. Having previously held several management positions within International hotels, his last role was as General Manager of the Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam and was a board member of the Gastronomisch Gilde.

Lennart is the founder of the Dutch Hospitality Week, the ‘Week van de horeca’ and organisor of a the competition ‘Het leukste horecateam van Nederland’. Currently Lennart is the District Manager for hotels in Amsterdam at CSU.

As editor-in-chief of the hospitality platform Entree, Iris and her colleagues develop the online channels, the monthly magazine and the Entree Awards and the hotel industry is an important part of this. “I like entrepreneurs who surprise and offer consistent quality, despite the sometimes difficult circumstances and entrepreneurs with a good policy for employees.

The sector is bustling, and it is a privilege to be involved in this on a daily basis.” Iris likes to go to New York, Paris, and Antwerp to visit new establishments. She hopes that solo dining will break through in the Netherlands one day.

Since 1999 founder of Hotek which develops and supplies hotel locks, hotel accessoires and mobile keys for the hospitality industry. From the headquarters in Etten-Leur, Hotek serves more then 10,000 customers worldwide in more than 100 countries, from hotels, holiday parks, cruise ships to healthcare facilities and student residences. Hotek is a market leader in hotel locks.

Their R&D team is responsible for ingenious key systems and security solutions for offline and online applications based on the latest techniques. In personal life Dolf is also a big fan of hotels, with around 90 nights a year in hotels from hostels to 5 stars, looking for new ideas and concepts.  

Stephanie van Oorschot (1988) is the Industry Relations Officer at Hotel Management School NHL Stenden in Leeuwarden. She is an alumna of NHL Stenden and Nyenrode Business University and started her career by building hospitality networks across Europe.

Stephanie has spearheaded initiatives such as Dutch alumni network HotelloTOP, European event catering association EPCAS and European hotel management school competition EMCup.

At Hotel Management School NHL Stenden, she has a leading role in intensifying the collaboration between educators and industry professionals. With over 3,000 students from more than 50 countries, Hotel Management School NHL Stenden is the largest and most internationally orientated hotel management school in Europe.