Dirk van Stockum

Dirk van Stockum has been successfully operating, marketing, consulting and conceptualizing some of the most exciting and recognizable Hospitality brands across some of the most challenging markets both nationally and internationally.
Dirks passion and love for the industry started at a very young age in his local Pub in Suffolk England which had the area’s best restaurant and discotheque.
Building on this, he got his start in Hotels in England working for a small regional boutique company before moving across the Atlantic and finding his way into the Lounge and Nightclub business in Washington DC, working his way quickly up the ladder with a unique ability to predict trends he co-founded one of the city’s best loved Night Club Institutions Fifth Column as well as the cities first Restaurant lounge concept “Diva” Supper Club.
Learning the business from a corporate perspective with a stint at Capital Restaurant Concepts the cities principle Hospitality Company. Shortly after this NY came calling and Dirk found himself at Match M80 in Southampton for two seasons before being recruited as the Director of Operations for the nightclub of the decade “Life” on Bleecker st, Float on 52nd street closely followed before Dirk joined Chicago’s Crobar/Big Time Group to lead the charge on their Miami, New York & Proposed Las Vegas Venues.
This followed successful stints launching the BED brand in NY & Tao Las Vegas as the Marketing Director, The Park Washington DC, Civetta & Kenmare in NY and Todd English’s MXDC in Washington DC. Dirk then spent a year and a half in Thailand working with a developer on a luxury Resort, Spa and wellness clinic concept in Phuket with other locations under development across SE Asia.
Following on from this he was the F&B and Brand Development Director for Ahau Hospitality group in Tulum Mexico working on the groups four hotels and an 80-key new hotel concept in a gated residential area of Tulum and 2 new Restaurant retail concepts for Ahau Property Group. Dirk & his partners are set to launch a new Middle Eastern restaurant Jeru featuring award winning Israeli Chef Roy Ner in Tulum in 2019.

My Hospitality Philosophy:
It’s about developing culture & community in a conscious environment it’s about experiences, it’s about trying new things, it’s about being present in those experiences and making those experiences lifetime memories.
Treat your people like you would your own guests, unhappy people don’t make guests happy period. Make sure your tribe understands what you’re doing and what your philosophy is and make sure they feel comfortable in that environment.
People want a sense of belonging they want to be with their tribe wherever they may be, and you can only do that by creating that environment & vibe and believing in it