Right at the top

Topics that are at the top of the priority list of top management in the home improvement industry, speakers who are at the top of management, a city that is at the top of the list as a travel destination for many: everything indicates that the Global DIY Summit will once again live up to its name in 2024. A summit, after all.

And at the top of the list of speakers is Obi CEO Sebastian Gundel, who will set the tone with his keynote speech to kick off the first day of the congress. His topic: "Transformation in tough times: the power of the beaver and the international growth strategy of Obi".

The list of speakers features other CEOs from the DIY retail sector: Andrea Scown from Mitre 10 in New Zealand will present her company under the motto "Winning in customer experience". "Lessons from Ireland's DIY industry" will be presented by Paul Candon from United Hardware, while Jonathan Nathusius will talk about his Group Cemaco in Guatemala and "The softer side of home improvement".

The major topic of sustainability, which the industry is dealing with worldwide, will be reflected at the summit in a panel discussion on Scope 3, among other things. Dorothee D'Herde, Maarten Ramp, Lennart de Vet and Philippe Guégan, the sustainability managers from Kingfisher, the Maxeda DIY Group, Bosch Power Tools and Henkel, will have their say. Other current topics that will be discussed at the World DIY Congress include artificial intelligence and its ethically justifiable use in the industry, as well as health and teamwork.

The more than 1 000 expected participants can also expect a comprehensive update on the situation of home improvement worldwide. On the first day, Ira Kalish will once again provide an outlook on the global economy. Market studies and expert assessments of current developments, particularly in Europe and the USA, will be provided by Euromonitor International, OC&C Strategy and Craig Webb, who also works with the editors of diy trade magazine and DIY International, among others.

The Global DIY Summit is organised by a well-coordinated team from the international trade and manufacturers' associations Edra/Ghin and Hima, which are hosting the congress. The association presidents Thierry Garnier, CEO of Kingfisher, and Reinhard Wolff, managing partner of Wolfcraft, will take part in the opening session together with Edra Managing Director John Herbert and Iñaki Maillard, managing director of the Global DIY Summit event company.

In 2024, the Summit will once…