Gathered "round the screen"

This is now the second time that the Global DIY-Summit was not able to take place - the global pandemic also threw a spanner in the works for the meeting of the international home improvement industry in 2021. So the organisers of this event, which is regarded by the whole of the industry throughout the world as annual networking highlight, made a virtue out of necessity. As with many other conferences, the 2021 congress was moved to the Internet as 1st Virtual DIY-Summit.
However that did not spoil its appeal in any way. Organisers spoke of more than 1 000 participants. And because the event took place in Germany, for several of the international speakers the time difference meant either getting up early or staying up late.
Once again, invitations were issued by international associations Edra/Ghin from the retail sector and Hima from the manufacturing sector and practically everyone who would usually have been there too tuned in to the two congress mornings in September. Everyone was gathered "around the screen", as Edra chairman and Obi boss Sergio Giroldi put it in his welcome speech.
Of course, just like all other speakers, he emphasised his regret that it was still not possible to meet in person. However the global pandemic was not - as was expected - the only defining theme of the online event. In fact, two other at least just as important themes, both targeted towards the future, also characterised the congress programme: improved cooperation between retail and industry as well as sustainability in the actions of all players in the home improvement industry.
In particular the first point, cooperation between industry and retail, was highlighted by Giroldi in his welcome speech as his own personal concern. This is not the first time that he has done so, but his appeal was all the more urgent in the face of the pandemic. "The world of retailing is becoming more and more complex, and we are asked to develop our business model. The best way to do it is to do it together, manufacturer and retailer, retailer and manufacturer," he said.
Reinhard Wolff, chairman of the executive board of Hima and owner of Wolfcraft, turned his attention in his welcome speech to the fact that the challenges of the pandemic have also brought about positive solutions and he mentioned digitalization and the increased investments by the trade in e-commerce. "We go out of this crisis much stronger," he said.
Edra general secretary John Herbert also mentioned the first figures from the…