Thank you for visiting my website. Please allow me to tell something about myself, and don’t hesitate to drop me a line to introduce yourself as well. I am open towards getting to know new and inspiring people from all over the world!

My big adventure started on the 25th of May, 1984, in Amsterdam. I was a little stubborn when I was born, and some might argue that I’ve always stayed so ;). I grew up in Amsterdam as well.

In 1996, I went to highschool and had the opportunity to follow the highest level of highschool education in the Netherlands, which we call Gymnasium. I modestly appointed myself as Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper for mainly practical reasons - there was no one else who wanted to do it, and there was no one to appoint someone in the first place. Somehow, I got away with it. In 1999, the team was honoured with the national award of best online school newspaper.

In 2000, while still in highschool, I started the independent Eurovision Song Contest website Esctoday.com. Not because I was such a great fan of the contest - that took a bit longer - but a very good friend of mine thought it was a great idea. She was right! It was a great adventure that opened many doors to me, brought many wonderful people in my life and above all, tought me a lot.

The years passed and while studying Communication Science at the University of Amsterdam, I made my first big dream come true: With the start of MediaBattery in 2003, I became an entrepreneur at the age of 19. The small communications agency, which has been growing ever since, focusses on visual identity development, public relations, design and new media.

In 2005, I wrote a song for the Dutch national selection of the Eurovision Song Contest, together with my great friend Romeo Samuel. The Power of an Angel finished at a respectable last place. In 2006, we tried our luck in the Polish national selection with Love is What We All Need. As if we have a subscription, we finished last again. But… fun we had!

As young entrepreneur I left Esctoday.com in 2006, when I was invited by the organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest to work with them. In May 2008, another dream came true when I was appointed Manager Communications & Public Relations of the Eurovision Song Contest, the Junior Eurovision Song Contest and the Eurovision Dance Contest. I consider it as a true privilege to work with these fantastic events, of which one has a long, impressive history. By working closely with organizers, dedicated fans, media professionals and contestants, I am determined to make the best possible personal contribution to a prosperous future for all of these events.

I also work as Communications Advisor for Domeinbalie.nl, one of the Netherlands’ fastest growing Internet Service Providers, passionately managed by my dear friend and respected colleague Danny Mekic’.

Over the years I became more and more interested in life itself and the ’secrets’ behind living a happy and successful life. After a while I figured that the only goal every human being has in life is to become happy. It took me some time to define what success in fact is. Now I know it is the ability to manifest whatever would make you happy. What that is, is different for every single individual. In 2008, I started to give regular presentations about this subject and launched Generation Y United, an initiative to bring together young minds who are eager to re-shape the world. At the moment, I am writing a book titled It Sounds Crazy… So It Might Work! It is a book for young people about the skills you need to become happy and successful, how to do it and why we can and should use those skills to solve the challenges our generation is facing and will face in the future. I am not in a hurry, so there is no expected release date yet.

Because of my work I am privileged to travel a lot, and to see a lot of what Europe and its diversity of people have to offer. I am very proud to live in the European Union, and to be European. Never before we have seen so much peace and prosperity at this continent, which we have to preserve with precision. Engagement of my generation will be the key to the Union’s sustainability.

I hope to have given you a bit more insight in my life. If you have any questions, or would like to introduce yourself, please do not hesitate to drop me a line at sietse@sietsebakker.com.