DSA '24 Jury

In 2024, Gina van den Bogaard of KLM and Iwan Post of Travyk are the jury chairwoman and vice chairman, respectively. They're impartial, unbiased and honest and don't actually vote. Their task is primarily a technical one: efficiently leading the jury members to the best result based on the predefined criteria of a category.

As of DSA edition 2021, jury members are appointed for a minimum of one year and a maximum of three years. Each year, the jury chairman and vice chairman re-evaluate which jury members are eligible for participation in the jury based on knowledge and experience spread cross the different categories. Please note: even as a returning jury member, we ask you to use the designated registration form.

It's important to focus on selecting a winner and/or a nominee on the shortlist. Not presenting an award is not an option. We're celebrating the search industry, so there's always a winner. Likewise, it's important that the winning case is selected for the right reasons and not on the basis of how many times the submitter has won in the past. The best one is the best one. The Dutch Search Awards are not incentive prizes.

In the event that, as a jury member, you're confronted with the judging of a case that's been submitted by the company you're currently working at, we'll ask you to temporarily leave the room during the jury night. We do this not only to guarantee the independence of the assessment, but also to ensure that (counter) arguments don't get leaked. In the jury tool, it's not possible to assess a case that's been submitted by your own company.

Until the award ceremony, we ask you to maintain absolute secrecy about the jury process. After the ceremony, please be discreet about how the cases have been assessed during the judging period. As a jury member, you're required to sign and uphold the confidentiality agreement.

During the judging, someone will be present to note down the most important (counter) arguments. That way, the jury report is available immediately and it's monitored why a case has won. The jury chairman is responsible for distributing the final jury reports to the nominated parties.

In order to ensure that the judging is as thorough and fair as possible, there are 2 judging groups per category. A group consists of at least 4 people, so at least 8 people assess each case. Keep in mind: you’ll have to assess about 30 to 40 cases.

During the judging, the dedicated jury tool is used. Once a jury member, access will be provided to the cases in this tool. Here, you'll give your ratings per case. This way, we monitor whether all jury members have assessed all cases on time. During the jury night, the selection of the shortlist and the final winner, depending on the category, will be handled quickly and efficiently.

During the jury night, all jury members assemble to discuss the individual assessments of the cases and to give a joint, final verdict. This year, the jury night will take place in October.

Cases may be written in either Dutch or English. Although most cases are submitted in Dutch, English-speaking jury members are also welcome at the jury panel. Please keep in mind that you may have to read and communicate in Dutch, both during the assessment period and the jury night.