Bezuidenhout Social Club | The Hague

Community Circle Morning [May] "How to meet new people through small talk?"

Tue, May 12 · 10:30 AM CEST

Wijk- En Dienstencentrum Bezuidenhout, Johannes Camphuijsstraat 25, Den Haag, ZH, NL

Book your spot here: https://www.bezuidenhoutsocialclub.nl/events/community-circle-morning-may

# Community Circle Morning [May] "How to meet new people through small talk?"

📣 This edition of the Community Circle Morning will be guided by our guest facilitator, Conversation Skills Trainer Elvira Kooy.

## Time & Location

12 May 2026, Tuesday, 10:30 – 12:00 CEST
Wijkz Bezuidenhout, Johannes Camphuijsstraat 25, 2593 CH Den Haag, Netherlands

## ☀️ Community Circle Mornings: Connect, Share, Get Inspired

#### A typical Community Circle meeting looks like this:

🔅 10:30 Welcome | Take a seat & settle
🔅 10:35 Opening Circle | A round of introductions
🔅 Inspirational topic from an expert (~30 minutes)
🔅 Social Networking, Meet & Mingle
🔅 12:00 Closing circle

### 📣 This edition of the Community Circle Morning will be guided by our guest facilitator: Elvira Kooy

### 🌿 Our topic: How to meet new people through small talk?

Starting a conversation in a new country can feel challenging.
How do you approach someone you don’t know?
What is considered polite? How direct can you be?

In this introductory workshop, we explore cultural differences in meeting new people and take a closer look at how you can meet new people in the Netherlands.
You’ll discover which thoughts hold you back, and you’ll learn how to overcome them.
You’ll also learn strategies to start a conversation in an approachable way.
This workshop is practical and interactive.
You won’t only talk about meeting new people, you’ll practice it in a supportive environment and leave with concrete tools to confidently start conversations in everyday situations.


👥 Who is this for?
For anyone who wants to learn:

• How to connect with Dutch people.
• How to stop overthinking when starting a conversation.
• How to start conversations.

So, whether you’re new to the Netherlands or simply want to feel more at ease when meeting new people, this workshop will help you take the first step.

### 🌿 About our Guest Speaker:

Elvira Kooy is a communication skills trainer and the founder of Gespreksvaardiger.
She believes that strong friendships are essential for a happy and fulfilling life. Her mission is to help people build the social life they want by developing practical conversation skills. In this way, they learn how to confidently meet new people, maintain friendships, and deepen their connections with others.
​
With a background in Psychology and years of experience as a teacher and trainer, Elvira combines practical tools with psychological insight. In her workshops, participants actively practice and explore how conversations can feel natural, authentic, and enjoyable. She makes it a priority in every class to create a safe environment in which everyone feels free to practice, make mistakes, and learn.
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Elvira also teaches Dutch to non-native speakers (NT2). Through this work, she has developed a special awareness of the challenges people may face when building a social life in a new country. Her workshops are open to everyone, and she makes a point of also keeping in mind the experiences of people who are new in the Netherlands.

## Practicalities & Good to know:

🚎 Easy to reach by public transport, by car and by bike.
Public transport Tram 2, 6 (3, 4) Bus 23, 24
Den Haag Centraal train station (10 min walk)
Den Haag Laan van NOI train station (10 min walk)
🅿️Paid street & garage parking available.

👥 Limited spots & Pre-registration only.
No last-minute walk-ins.
With the aim of keeping our sessions social but also "cosy", we keep the size of the group to a limited number.

Book your spot here: https://www.bezuidenhoutsocialclub.nl/events/community-circle-morning-april

📷 Please note:
By attending this meetup, you consent to being photographed or recorded.
If you do not wish to be included in photos, please let the organizer know.
We respect your privacy and follow GDPR guidelines.

Here’s what you get in our meet-ups:
✅ A warm, welcoming English-speaking international community
✅ Meet other like-minded people, connect, learn and grow your local social network.
✅ Space to ask questions, for peer support, idea sharing and recharging your mindset.


#### ☀️ Connect, Share, Get Inspired!

#### ✅ Book your spot now & join us for an uplifting, inspiring, and social morning!

Book your spot here: https://www.bezuidenhoutsocialclub.nl/events/community-circle-morning-may