Wesley Toelen winner of the fourth 'Gilbert Monod de Froideville Protocol Prize'
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| The evening started with a concert of The Gents in the church of Hodenpijl |
Wesley
Toelen was awarded the fourth 'Gilbert Monod de Froideville Protocol
Prize' (GMdeF Prize), by Gilbert Monod de Froideville himself, at 'Op Hodenpijl' on Saturday 8 February 2014. TV-presenter Maik de Boer announced the
winner at the end of his speech. With the GMdeF-prize, Protocolbureau wants to
highlight the importance of modern protocol and encourage young talent.
The award
ceremony took place at a black tie dinner that was organised for the ushers and
former ushers of Protocolbureau.
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| From left to right: Gilbert Monod, Wesley Toelen and Maik de Boer |
Six nominees
(Ewoud Jan Hendrikx, Tobias Kraan, Ruben Nederpel, Cederick Schoneveld, Wesley
Toelen and Kevin Verbaas) were reviewed by the clients of Protocolbureau, who
were also asked to choose a winner. The nominees were judged on their knowledge
of protocol, leadership skills, hospitality, and organisational talent.
All six
nominees received high reviews, but Wesley scored highest in most of the
individual criteria, as well as overall. Most of the clients also chose Wesley
as the winner.
From the
beginning Wesley was one of the favourites, as was 'runner-up' Kevin
Verbaas. Kevin was the only other nominee who scored higher than Wesley in one
of the criteria. Both Kevin and Wesley were nominated for the second
time.
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| The evening was attended by 70 ushers and former ushers |
The dinner
was held in 'Op Hodenpijl', a former catholic church and now a restaurant and
spiritual activity centre. The big surprise of the evening was an a capella
performance by a men’s choir: 'The Gents'. Sixteen singers sang songs of
Billy Joel, The Beatles and Barber.
The evening
was organised to commemorate '200 years of protocol'. This refers to the rules
of protocol that were included in the Treaty of Vienna two hundred years
ago. Most of these rules are still valid today, like the principle of
sovereign equality of States. All countries are equal, no matter the
size.
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| Jean Paul Wyers welcomed the guests |
For the
Netherlands the Congress of Vienna was a crucial moment in history, as we
became a Kingdom and inaugurated our first King, King William I. Many
activities are currently being organised to commemorate this history.
The evening
not only focussed on the past, but also on Protocolbureau's vision of modern
protocol. In a new course to start at the end of this year,
Protocolbureau will translate classic protocol, as used by the European
monarchies for centuries, into strategic relationship management. Modern
protocol will form the basis of this, and will translate strategy into
effective relationship meetings.
"I am not a protocol fetishist", H.M. King
Willem-Alexander said in an interview on national television, days before
his official inauguration as the King of the Netherlands. Willem-Alexander
spoke about the importance of authenticity: "It is significant that people
feel at ease around me and do not struggle with the rules of protocol".
These remarks are important support for the modernisation of protocol. Protocol
is never an end in itself but a means to guarantee that people feel
comfortable and meetings run smoothly. Modern protocol should be invisible.
Protocolbureau
has developed a corporate programme for the ushers called VIPS: 'vaardigheden
(skills), interactie (networking), protocol & stijl (style)'. VIPS
consists of selection days, a tailor made training programme, appraisals and
trainings on the job.
The 'Gilbert
Monod de Froideville Protocol Prize' was awarded for the fourth time this year.
In 2008, the clients choose Stan van Boxtel and Tijmen Struijk as winners; in
2010 Gijs Hoogeveen was selected as the best usher; and in 2012 Jaap van Berkel
was chosen.
The prize is
named after the former master of ceremonies of Queen Beatrix, Gilbert Monod de
Froideville. On 6 June 2007, the award was brought into existence on the
occasion of his farewell as master of ceremonies. On 25 June 2008, the award
was presented for the first time.
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| The nominees from left to right: Ewoud, Tobias, Céderick, Kevin and Ruben |
TV presenter Maik de Boer is the undisputed master of style in the Netherlands, but
also an important teacher at Protocolbureau. Maik’s master classes provide
participants with guidelines and tips to dress correctly for
business occasions.
