The 10th Global DIY Summit took place in Rome, bringing together around 1,000 participants from 55 countries [74dd0651]. The theme of the summit was 'Embracing change in DIY - How to thrive in the never normal'. Inaki Maillard, head of the Summit team, emphasized the commitment to diversity and congratulated John Herbert, Managing Director of Edra/Ghin, on the international attendance [74dd0651]. Thierry Garnier, CEO of Kingfisher, and Reinhard Wolff, president of Hima, discussed the challenges of climate change and economic volatility [74dd0651]. Ira Kalish from Deloitte provided an outlook on the global economy, noting a stronger US economy and weaker development in Europe [74dd0651]. Sebastian Gundel, CEO of Obi, highlighted the importance of partnership and franchising as a growth driver [74dd0651]. The summit also addressed the role of French DIY retailers and important international markets [74dd0651]. The Global DIY Retail Legacy Award was presented to Cosimo Fadda [74dd0651]. Edra/Ghin sought advice on Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions from Ricardo [74dd0651]. Boomex celebrated its 40th anniversary [74dd0651]. DoHome, a Thai home improvement retailing chain, experienced a decline in sales [74dd0651]. The mood in Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Italy was worse than the figures, according to management consultant Winfried Titze [74dd0651].
The SISO CEO Summit 2024 was held in April at the Ritz Carlton on Amelia Island, FL, with 35 new members in attendance and over 300 organizers and industry suppliers [31e23667]. Lisa Hannant took over as chair from Mary Larkin. The conference included a farewell toast to Bob Priest-Heck and an award ceremony where Nancy Walsh received the Robert Krakoff award [31e23667]. Educational sessions covered topics such as navigating a changing environment, customer-centricity, sustainability, and mergers and acquisitions [31e23667]. The session on the US economy discussed the growth rate and consumer spending [31e23667]. The session on customer value proposition emphasized the importance of understanding buyers and exhibitors [31e23667]. The session on innovation and experience highlighted the success of year-round engagement with super fans [31e23667]. The session on sustainability discussed initiatives to reduce waste and create commercial opportunities [31e23667]. The session on mergers and acquisitions focused on geographic regions of interest and advice for sellers [31e23667]. The SISO Leadership Conference will take place in August in Philadelphia [31e23667].