On Wednesday evening, the 7th of May 2025, Venturn Young Professionals sat down for the VYP Etiquette Dinner, where etiquette was presented not as a strict set of rules, but as a modern art. Led by Robert Wulffele, participants discovered how small gestures and an open attitude make all the difference in creating real connections – even if you don’t do everything perfectly. Together with Kimberley de Ruiter, VYP Alumna, we look back on the evening.
The CEO you’re talking to has a piece of appetizer between his teeth. Do you say anything about that? And how do you actually get between them if he keeps talking?
In essence, the VYP etiquette dinner was a training in raising awareness. From how you sit at the table to how you present yourself in conversation. Not from a book, but from etiquette expert Robert Wulffele.
Robert immediately set the tone: etiquette is not a old-fashioned art. It can also be playful, with a modern twist. “Although I do smoke a pipe,” he had to confess.
❌ You do NOT use etiquette to show that you know all the rules and follow them perfectly.
✅ You apply etiquette out of hospitality, to make the other person feel at ease.
The setting was special: each VYP’er brought a “date” from the VYP alumni network. Someone who once completed the traineeship themselves and now works in a position or sector that inspires them.
Plenty of choice from alumni who have now earned their stripes in the maritime supply chain, as the traineeship has been around since 2007.
VYP alumna Kimberley de Ruiter looks back: “In a business setting you often talk about ‘social feelers’ or non-verbal communication. Thanks to Robert, the penny dropped: that too is etiquette.” Kimberley knows from experience. “But because of the set-up, the dinner involved much more contact between different generations of VYP.”
So you hear anecdotes from when the traineeship was in its infancy. “Someone told me he was a trainee before the program had a name. Literally a VYP’er avant la lettre, in other words!”
The VYP traineeship has evolved considerably over the years. Not only in terms of content. Kimberley: “In my time we also hung out together a lot outside the training sessions. This mutual connection is now a matter of course for VYP trainees. But older alumni notice it right away.”
Knowledge of etiquette helps with that connection. Those who sense what others need and act accordingly always have an edge. Even if there’s still a piece of shot glass between your teeth.
