5 Minutes with Boris Vrnoga
This time we bump into the one and only Boris Vrnoga, Founder of SBV Events and a longtime friend and Industry partner.
A distinguished figure in the world of event management and hospitality, Boris began his career in the prestigious Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin in the Netherlands, followed by the successful launch of the Great Hotels of the World Groups Sales Department in London.
After he led the Sales Division for The Luxury Collection Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda Complex in the UK and ultimately his expertise and commitment to service and excellence led him to found SBV Event & Travel Consultancy, a company specialized in site selection and events contract negotiation, making him and his business partner Menno Schifferstein a trusted resource for multinational corporations meetings, conferences, incentives and social events worldwide.
So Boris, presently what’s your favourite international destination and short break within Europe?
If I had to choose one it would have to be Madrid. The combination of a great city and pretty much all year good weather has always appealed to me and Madrid is just that. In recent years they have added an array of fabulous (boutique) hotels some of which with stunning rooftop terraces and pools, which are just perfect after a day of shopping or even better a long lunch!
An upcoming destination you would like to visit.
Picking one is almost impossible and would not do justice to all other destinations that would be left behind…..With SBV we have projects in Nice, Paris, Florence, Tuscany, Champagne and Edinburgh all coming up in still before the summer and all of these are places we cannot wait to showcase to our clients but more so to deep dive into ourselves even more so we can learn more about them.
Favourite hotel worldwide?
I’m definitely a BIG city kind of person and with our work not always in the position to travel far and away for too long so enjoy short city breaks even more. In no particular order and places I’ve been fortunate to have stayed recently; Mandarin Oriental Lutetia, Paris in Paris, BLESS Collection Hotels in Madrid, Castiglion del Bosco, A Rosewood Hotel, The St. Regis Istanbul, and Mandarin Oriental in Marrakech.
A Suite that did live up to the hype.
We took an exclusive group to Marrakech and both the guests as well us the organizers all got to stay in one of the 54 villas that came with their own private pool. Whilst we were working around the clock coming back to our “room” after a long day was never better!
A hotelier or hotel company that has impressed you by service consistency over your career in Travel?
We are fortunate to work with some fabulous hotels and people around the globe, many who have become friends along the way. Only a few weeks ago though we came back from a special project on the island of Jersey. One of our clients had asked us to create a unique setting for their first ever AGM.
As lovely as Jersey is there are not that many venues to choose from as we sometimes have in any of the bigger cities, however we found this gem of a winery – La Mare Wine Estate – that blew us all away. Yes the venue was stunning, well kept and suited for the event, it was the onsite that made a great event. It was not the kind of event they would normally do and with our team coming from Holland with our trucks and flight cases they could have easily turned around and walk away. None of this and from start to finish all the team were an absolute joy to work with!
Favourite restaurant?
Where to start? Amsterdam has had a wave of very good new restaurant openings over the past years. Lots of young chefs, full of ambition, creativity, cool design but above all very good food. One restaurant that has been here ever since the day I moved back to Amsterdam is still my all time favorite – Restaurant Rijsel . Housed in a off the beaten track location, the interior is simple but the cooking, service and wine list amazing!
Are you a cocktail or a wine soul? I believe to know this one
Wine anytime!
Burgundy for white and Ribera del Duero for red are my favourites, but always open to new ideas.
What can’t you travel without?
My MacBook goes with me whenever I travel for work or leisure.
Favourite song/music?
Open to various kinds of music, however I always ask myself if I could only listen to 1 artist or playlist would would it be, and the answer has been and still is Mr. Frank Sinatra. His songs are on many playlists and especially during the (free) weekends are on while enjoying a nice red from Ribera.
Thank you Boris for your passionate presence in our industry, and looking forward to our upcoming traditional summer rendezvous in the Algarve.