The world of home improvement has just returned from the 9th Global DIY-Summit, which took place in Berlin from the 14 to 16 of June 2023. BHETA had a strong presence at the international event, with our Chairman, Andrew Weiss, Sector Manager, Keeley Vernon, and Non-executive Board Members Paul Boyce and Jon Langford, all in attendance.It was very positive to see so many BHETA members at the Summit, with representatives attending from ABUS, Bona, Bosch, Bostik, Croydex, Daley Hub, Fiskars, Gorilla Glue, Husqvarna, Karcher, Gorilla Glue, QEP, Rapid Tools, Shurtape, Suki, VegTrug, WD-40, Winch and Wolfcraft. Of the 26 event sponsors, 20 of them were BHETA members.At the end of the Summit, the delegates, using the in-app voting tool, rated this event an overwhelming 78% as 'very good' to 'excellent' with a further 19% rating the event as 'good'. Over 1,000 delegates from 55 countries attended the congress, which included over 290 of the top retailers in our sector from around the world.Over 30% of the audience were retailers, whilst suppliers are still the largest share among the different type of attendees: approximately 53% of the delegates were manufacturers.Store ToursOn Wednesday the 14th of June, delegates were given the opportunity to attend a Store Tour of Berlin. In total, a record number 350 delegates took part in the store tour, consisting of six buses visiting five top-quality DIY stores and one of leading garden centre chains in Germany. Attendees of the Global DIY-Summit Store Tour visited the market leaders, OBI, and Bauhaus, as well as Hornbach, Germany’s most productive chain.Day 1 15th June - Visions of DIY in the Age of UncertaintyThe focal theme of the 9th Global DIY-Summit was “Visions of DIY in the Age of Uncertainty”. Some of the most Internationally renowned speakers gave outstanding and thought-provoking presentations on Customer Experience (CX) and what DIY customers are really looking for today, Digital Transformation and the new face it is bringing to home improvement, Sustainability and whether this is just a trend or reality, Data-Driven decision making in the future of retail and global home improvement insights.Thierry Garnier, EDRA/GHIN President and Group CEO of Kingfisher plc, announced the formation of the EDRA/GHIN Scope 3 Taskforce. This new collaborative taskforce, founded by leading Home Improvement Retailers around the world, these being Adeo (Europe, South America, South Africa) Bunnings (Australia & New Zealand); Cainz (Japan); The Home Depot (North America); Hornbach (Europe); Kesko (Scandinavia); Kingfisher plc (UK & Europe); OBI (Europe) and Sodimac (South America), will meet with the aim of addressing the challenge of Scope 3 by agreeing more consistent methodologies in how carbon data is treated through the supply chain and sharing best practices in both the reporting and, most importantly, accelerating the home improvement sector’s progress in reducing Scope 3 emissions. These learnings will also be shared with a wider learning group for all EDRA/GHIN members to benefit from.Gala Evening: The Global DIY Lifetime Award – Presented to Sergio Giroldi, Former OBI Group CEO and Two Term EDRA/GHIN President.A highlight of the 9th Global DIY-Summit was the Gala Evening that took place in an industrial monument and unique event location: the Treptow Arena Berlin. Built in the Roaring Twenties, a time of economic boom and cultural heyday, and directly located at the Spree, the Arena and adjacent beach and welcome area provided the ideal backdrop to celebrate the industry coming together again and to crown the 9th Global DIY Lifetime Award winner, Sergio Giroldi.
Day 2 16th JuneThe second day of the 9th Global DIY-Summit began with another rousing keynote, this time from Erwin Van Osta, Owner and CEO of Hubo and President of BricoAlliance. Erwin elucidated the audience how Hubo adapted the SaaS model into the Haas Model. Through the metaphor of a Netflix series, Erwin detailed how Hubo offer increased Services to customers, Skill building to generations, Squad values to its teams, and finally how Hubo is striving to become a Subscription service.This year’s farewell speech was provided by Chef / TV Host / Culinary Content Creator, Felicitas Then. Felicitas shared her recipe for happiness with the delegates and included a live cooking demonstration on stage that delegates were able to enjoy during the farewell networking lunch.2024 event - Rome 11th to 13th June 2024.The Global DIY-Summit and its team are already looking forward to welcoming the industry to the 3rdVirtual DIY-Summit that will be taking place on 29th of September before the industry meets againface to face in Rome, Italy for the 10th Global DIY-Summit from the 11th – 13th of June 2024.Over 68% of delegates have already confirmed their participation to next year’s Summit.BHETA members received a significant discount in 2023 of 300 Euros per ticket.Keeley Vernon, BHETA DIY Sector Manager said: "The 2023 event was another excellent event for networking. Executives from 290 of the largest DIY retailers globally attended the event and there were so many positive discussions for BHETA members over the three days. All BHETA members are automatically members of event organisers, HIMA, and receive a generous discount off the ticket price. I'd strongly encourage any BHETA member who trades internationally to seriously consider attending the 2024 event in Rome."Visit the Global DIY Summit website
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