Τhe successful completion of the 14th DIY & Home Improvement Conference organized by Karydakis Media, on November 29th at the Benaki Museum, confirming its position as the focal point of the Home & Garden market.

The event served as a B2B networking platform, highlighting Megatrends reshaping the landscape of modern retail, along with developments in tools and machinery, paints, construction materials, and home and garden equipment.

For yet another year, the DIY & Home Improvement Conference served as a magnet for 230 participants from 70 Greek, Cypriot, and international companies. The event brought together executives from the top management level of major companies, with diverse delegations from all departments of leading retail chains.

Significant speakers from Greece, Belgium, and Finland shared market insights and conveyed experiences and reflections to the participants.

The theme “Against Uncertainty” encapsulated the key axes around which the 14th DIY & Home Improvement Conference revolved:

• PAY-PER-USE: The future of operations management.
• MEGATRENDS: What they are and how they are changing the retail landscape.
• TRADITIONAL SALES & TECH-FREE SERVICE: A conscious, authentic, and people- centered approach.
• CUSTOMER-CENTRIC MINDSET: Adding value to the offering.
• HOME IMPROVEMENT MARKETING: Communication and development strategies.
• ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Customer Experience in the AI era.
• CONSUMER RESEARCH: Changes in customer habits.

The New Normality

The first section of the event was dedicated to overcoming uncertainty, which has become the new normality after years of crisis, pandemics, energy rallies, and wars.

The CEO of Karydakis Media, Prokopis Karydakis, opened the conference. After welcoming the participants, he proposed paths away from uncertainty, which has become the norm in recent years.

Next, the Minister of Digital Governance, Dimitris Papastergiou, addressed the need for digital transformation in retail and the actions taken by the state in this regard.

The positive momentum of the Greek economy and the subsidized programs contributing to it, especially for the construction sector, were highlighted by Mega journalist Nikos Philippidis.

Piet De Coninck, General Manager of the Home Improvement Manufacturers Association (HIMA), emphasized the need for unity and the benefits it will bring to suppliers and market producers.

Founder of Searchlight Partners, Petros Michos, presented the new “ethics” of the post-pandemic labor market and how businesses can benefit from them.

The presentation by Erwin Van Osta, Founder and CEO of Hubo, was captivating. Drawing on the example of a Netflix series, he explained why ‘pay-per-use’ services for renting equipment and software are the future in managing business operations. He also discussed ways to offer improved consumer services, develop skills in younger generations, and create bonding and values within each company’s personnel.

Consumers and Communication

The second section of the 14th DIY & Home Improvement Conference explored approaches and preferences of the consumer audience.

Chief Design Officer of Fiskars, Petteri Masalin, dedicated his presentation to the increasingly important role that product design plays in the R&D process of every company. Petteri MasalinDrawing inspiration from Finnish design thinking and having won numerous design awards, he spoke about a hybrid approach where engineers become designers and designers become engineers.

Xenia Kourtoglou, Founder of Focus Bari & Resilience Expert, analyzed how constantly changing conditions influence the life, survival, work environment, and consumption habits of Greeks across generations.

Experiential marketing took center stage in this year’s conference panel. Participants included Dora Lykaki, Product & Marketing Director of Kärcher; Mariam Sandri, Marketing Director of Praktiker Hellas; Ioanna Tziriti, Group Marketing Director of Isomat; Konstantinos Tsapralis, Head of Marketing at Heracles Group of Companies; and Eirini Chalkiadaki, Marketing Director of Leroy Merlin Greece & Cyprus.

Moderated by Efi Isaakidou, Managing Director of Momentum Worldwide Athens, they discussed creating innovative methods to increase brand visibility and create memorable experiences for both brands and consumers.

Megatrends in Retail

The Megatrends of retail were presented in the third section of the conference.

Dimitris Galanis, CEO of Praktiker Hellas, discussed the factors that unlock growth with a customer-centric orientation in his presentation titled “More than products.” Dimitris GalanisHe revealed sales strategies and organizational mindset underlying customer-centric growth services, which should precede the choice and involve the market, even à la carte.

Luc Demeulenaere, a Belgian Commercial Engineer and business consultant, disclosed every aspect of securing a customer-centric mindset.

Isidoros Sideridis, CEO of Pobuca and specialist in Customer Experience and Loyalty, decoded Generative AI & Speech Analytics. He explained how Artificial Intelligence can now understand human language, assess customer emotions, and execute campaigns by analyzing their results.

Finally, Herman Konings Trend Analyst, and Consumer Psychologist shed light on new, intelligent trends in retail, such as explainable AI and the Internet of Behaviors. He emphasized the importance of an authentic tech-free customer experience and the need to attract the new generation of consumers who are more impatient than ever.

Praktiker Hellas was the Gold Sponsor of the 14th DIY & Home Improvement Conference, The event was also supported by companies including Bostik, Durostick, Heracles, Isomat, Kärcher, Leroy Merlin, Parkside and Vector Brands.