How do you make a place, a team or a concept truly come alive?
Through interactive keynotes, I show how to create lasting energy, connection and growth.
Choose from these four themes:
💥 Resilience as a Driving Force
What helps people, teams and places to thrive again after setbacks?
Lessons from urban regeneration, entrepreneurship and personal recovery on how resilience fuels renewal, growth and lasting energy.
🌍 Building Ecosystems Beyond the Buzz
How do you build a strong ecosystem that goes beyond buzzwords and fragmented collaborations?
I share lessons and real-life examples from my own projects – showing how to create meaningful, lasting connections between people, organisations and places, and spark collective movement.
🏙️ People-Centred Urban Development
How do you create places that truly work for people?
With over 25 years of experience in urban transformation, I share insights on policy, participation and ownership – and how to develop lively, inclusive places where energy and connection naturally arise.
💡 The 10 Commandments of Concept Development
Ten essential principles for anyone who wants to create a place, concept or area with character – and do it successfully. From vision to execution, with inspiring examples, relatable pitfalls and practical tools.
Each keynote is full of energy, recognition and inspiration – with interactive elements that spark engagement and impact.
Always tailor-made, ensuring the story fits your audience and theme perfectly.
Sessions can be delivered in Dutch or English.
"It was a truly inspiring session, Sandra! You touched me with your openness and honesty. Your story is special and incredibly valuable. At the very least, you planted a few seeds for me on how to achieve my big dreams 🙏🤩."
"What happens when you gather with a group of passionate people and ask the question: 'What is the big goal you really want to achieve?' Sandra Poelman challenged us to dream big. Not just the safe, achievable... but the truly inspiring. That's exactly what Eindhoven Engine facilitated. And me? I went home with fires burning in my head and heart."
For professionals and entrepreneurs in spatial – economical – social development, working for municipalities, project developers, housing corporations and consultancies.
I inspire program managers, project managers, communication experts and participation experts, who are or want to get started with participation and the people-centered side of urban or village development, area development or policy development. Because they understand that this is a crucial success factor.
For many professionals in spatial development, participation is now suddenly added to the mix. As if you didn’t already have enough to do with all the spatial, legal and financial aspects….
You believe in a people-centred approach, but how do you make it work in practice without drowning in complexity.
Possibly you have already gained experience in participation, by taking up the challenge in practice. You have (partly) invented the wheel yourself and discovered how labor-intensive it all can be and which risks are involved.
Are you therefore looking for practical inspiration, based on years of practical experience of a project leader and supported by proven techniques? Then you’re in the right place.
With trainings and lectures, I can help you get started with knowledge and confidence, so you can achieve great results.
"Sandra, you've inspired me immensely. I wish you all the best! 🍀."
"Great, inspiring energy. Thanks for that, Sandra! Building a community is a collaborative effort. I'm so glad you're on my journey 🙏."
"What inspiration! I enjoyed the practical examples, and my greatest insight is the many forms of placemaking. Choosing a form that best suits the task creates synergy and wonderful results."
"Thank you, Sandra, for this inspiring session on my first day at work in Weert!"
"Sandra gave a wonderful and inspiring pep talk! I think the 'focus on people' in area development is beautiful and important."
"Thank you for your contribution to the Strategic Innovative Communication minor at Fontys. The international group of students and I found it a truly Inspirational Touch Point!"
"Inspiring lecture with excellent practical examples".
"Inspiring pep talk, Sandra, about your passion, approach, and "well-trained thinking muscle," as you call it."
Participation has always been an essential part of urban development for me. Not because it was mandatory as it is now, but because I think it is important and I am enthusiastic about it.
Therefore, with over 25 years of experience in leading complex people-centered area developments and heritage transformations, I am your go-to expert in the field.
I hate theoretical drivel and endless talk. I’m far too practical for that and you probably are too!
You just want to get results and build something that people are excited about and that is valuable.
If participation is an important part of that, you want to develop that knowledge and put it into practice. I can certainly help you with that!
Because I have experienced it all myself. The route from inventing the wheel and being cramped on a stage, to participation organizing with fun, relaxation and great results, I have taken step by step.
So, I know what I’m talking about. I understand that it is always customized to each unique situation, that you also depend on colleagues, and I also understand what personal development it takes to be able to do this with verve.
Building these knowledge and skills, is going to take you forward in a lot of ways, personally and professionally. In doing so, you can also lean on the global entrepreneurial lessons I share with you.
You will also feel strengthened by the developing community of peers, with whom you can share experiences and who can think with you. The best part, I think, is that together we will become much wiser and thus successfully propel many important area developments forward!
In terms of getting results, I teach you to combine participation with placemaking.
This allows you to realize small-scale initiatives in the short term, bringing liveliness and residential quality in the desired direction of sustainable area development.
You do this in collaboration with the community, deepening contacts and building new potential.
Placemaking brings hope, confidence, tangible results and often something to celebrate and communicate in the development process.
It really is a breath of fresh air in the long-running processes of urban development, where you are often busy for years behind the scenes, while nothing is happening outside.
I would love to take you through the possibilities!
I will also show you that atmosphere and experience are indispensable elements in successful participation meetings and how to organize them.
It ensures that everyone can relax and give the best of themselves.
Do you also hate tense participation evenings, with bad coffee, support stockings and gray heads in a stuffy room? Where people complain a lot and nobody feels comfortable?
I will help you turn them into sparkling events, where people come in large numbers and are enthusiastic. If you haven’t been there, you’ve really missed something.
So they become moments of spontaneous meetings, new inspiration and the start of great collaborations!
"Thank you for today, it has been an inspirational and encouraging lecture!"
“Thank you for the engaging meeting today!”
The most important first step in participation, is to prepare a stakeholder analysis. This maps out who all is involved in the project and what their interests, influence and available resources are.
You’ve probably heard of it before. But actually making one? That often falls by the wayside due to the abundance of theoretical information on websites and in books.
This is exactly why we at Glowingplaces have developed a handy tool for you. A tool that puts you on the right track and offers depth in a practical way.
It is inspired by the striking formats successful entrepreneurs use when preparing powerful presentations or weighing complex situations and market developments.
You can download the Stakeholder Analysis tool below for free.
"What touched me about the inspiration session was the attitude: ‘I'm jumping in,’ even if sometimes you have to go against the flow. That really gives me positive hope for a beautiful effect in Weert. I enjoyed the examples that showed how to go from something bleak and hopeless to a concrete, achievable realization. An important insight I take away is how valuable it is to bring people from different departments together. Please make sure there are always input opportunities for everyone. Support is created when everyone can participate."
"The inspiration session gave me a very inspiring feeling. You are really invited to become people-oriented. What especially stuck with me were the actual cases. An important insight I gained further is that this way of working takes you further and offers many opportunities."
Yes, you can. Just get in touch, to discuss your needs and go over the possibilities.
Yes, you can if you hire me for Premium Coaching. Take a look at that section of our offerings if you want more information about that.
Yes, you can if you hire me for Impulse Complex Projects. Then we’ll work together for a period of time and I’ll help you personally with what’s involved in terms of organization. After that time, you can take over by yourself. Take a look here if you want more information about it.
That’s preparing a stakeholder analysis. Download the handy free Stakeholder Analysis Tool we developed for you here.
Feel free to schedule an introductory appointment directly in my calendar below with no obligation.
Or send a message using the form below.