12th Global DIY-Summit 2026 Gathers 1,200+ Leaders in Amsterdam

The Global DIY-Summit has just wrapped up one of its most successful editions to date with 1,200 senior executives from the DIY, home improvement and garden industry gathering in the “Venice of the North” to build collective awareness and shape collective action for a fast-changing world.

This year, retailers made up more than a quarter of the audience, highlighting the continued importance of the Global DIY-Summit as the key meeting point for international DIY, home improvement and garden retail leaders. The retail delegation included CEOs and senior executives from many of the world’s leading retail groups, including ADEO, Kingfisher, OBI, Intergamma, Bunnings, Sodimac, Silvan, Cashbuild, Maxeda, Do it Best & True Value, Hornbach, Easy, Cainz, Brewers, Wickes, Mitre 10, Cemaco, Freund, Screwfix, Castorama, B&Q and many others. 

Suppliers and manufacturers accounted for just under 60% of attendees, while the Summit was also especially pleased to welcome a growing number of service partners and solution providers in Amsterdam, further enhancing the diversity and expertise present at the event.

At the conclusion of the 12th Global DIY-Summit, delegates, using in-app voting, rated the event overwhelmingly positively, with 80% describing it as “very good” to “excellent” and a further 15% rating it as “good”.

The feedback received from delegates reaffirmed that the Global DIY-Summit is a world-class event. The next edition, the 13th Global DIY-Summit, will be held in Prague, Czechia, from 2 to 4 June 2027.

Opening of the 12th Global DIY-Summit 2026 in Amsterdam

On Tuesday, 16 June, delegates were given the opportunity to attend a bespoke Store Tour of Amsterdam, supported by the NHS Concept to Commerce Show which will take place in Las Vegas from 9–10 March 2027. With seven full buses, a record number of delegates took part in the curated tour, including visits to a dynamic Hornbach store, the Praxis flagship store, a Karwei store demonstrating how to operate successfully on the softer side of DIY, and one of Gamma’s newly renovated stores, showcasing its newest store concept. Delegates also had the opportunity to visit Bouwmaat, one of the national B2B chains in the Netherlands, as well as Tuincentrum De Bosrand Oegstgeest, a family-owned and family-run garden centre.

The atmosphere of the Global DIY-Summit improves each year as delegates reunite and strengthen the familial feeling of the industry. This continued into the evening at the 12th edition — first at the VIP Cocktail Party, supported this year by the global consulting firm AlixPartners. The Get-Together, sponsored on this occasion by Amazon Ads, a full-funnel, user-friendly, self-service advertising solution, marked the official start of the event.

FIRST DAY, 17 JUNE – Building Collective Awareness

The programme of the 12th Global DIY-Summit was built on two core pillars, Collective Awareness and Collective Action. 

The home improvement sector is undergoing accelerated transformation, shaped by geopolitical volatility, economic uncertainty, climate challenges, shifting consumer behaviours and the rise of digital and AI-driven innovation. The 12th Global DIY-Summit explored how these forces are redefining the industry — from new engines of growth and data-driven retail models to sustainability collaboration, retail media and marketplaces.

The 12th Global DIY-Summit opened with John W. Herbert, Co-Founder of the Global DIY-Summit and EDRA/GHIN, announcing his successor. Effective 1 July, Michel Salaün will assume the position of General Secretary at the international DIY and home improvement trade association. In his opening speech to the industry, Michel Salaün shared: “The road ahead is exciting. My mission is clear: to build upon the solid foundations that John laid, and lead EDRA/GHIN into its next era of growth and relevance.”

However, this was far from the only new face on stage. HIMA and EDRA/GHIN have both had changes in presidential leadership since the last edition of the Global DIY-Summit. The new EDRA/GHIN President, Erwin Van Osta, CEO of Hubo Belgium, was the first to welcome the global industry gathered in Amsterdam, sharing: “Each edition [of the Global DIY-Summit] has confirmed something that makes our industry unique: our ability to come together, share experiences, challenge ideas, and build stronger businesses through collaboration.”

The new President of HIMA, Caroline Van der Voort, Co-owner of Calodar, continued Erwin’s sentiment, sharing: “Our industry faces many challenges: economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, sustainability requirements and rapid digital transformation. In this environment, cooperation across the value chain is more important than ever.”

To round out the welcome block, the new Managing Director of the Global DIY-Summit and FEK GmbH, Alexandre Laubie, took to the stage and shared his thoughts on the direction of the event: “Quality is our main objective, and it’s a fantastic opportunity for me to meet you during this Summit in order to know how we could improve each year, whether it is in content, networking or, of course, business opportunities.”

As is tradition, the conference opened with a Global Economic Outlook from Dr. Ira Kalish, Chief Global Economist at Deloitte. Dr. Kalish highlighted the uncertainty in the world today, particularly around the constantly changing situation and lack of clarity in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as the continuing conflicts around the world. He also underlined that the impacts of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz include a latency effect, meaning the worst impacts may still be ahead.

Joost de Beijer, CEO of Intergamma, followed Dr. Kalish on stage with an opening keynote providing insights into the Netherlands and how Intergamma operates its two distinct brands, Gamma and Karwei. Joost also highlighted that the Netherlands is a constantly evolving country, even down to its size, which has grown through land reclamation. Intergamma has also seen several distinct changes in recent years — so much so that Joost sees himself as a “Change Executive Officer” rather than a traditional CEO.

The programme continued after the first networking break with a keynote from Dan Starr, CEO of Do it Best & True Value, who took to the stage alongside Do it Best Foundation Executive Director Curtis Smith for a fireside chat on Reinventing a Legacy Brand for the Next Generation. Dan Starr shared insights into how the cooperative is continuing to run True Value, a competitor it acquired in 2024, and maintain the high brand awareness of True Value while evolving the brand to be more relevant to future generations of consumers. “Fundamentally, we are committed to our members and our communities,” commented Dan Starr.

The New Global Reality block finished with Ed Sander, Digital Retail Analyst at China Digital Retail Report, sharing his perspective on What Temu Will Do Next. Temu has become one of the most relevant e-commerce companies globally in a relatively short time and is taking significant steps to legitimise its offer, gain customer trust and build satisfaction. According to Ed Sander, Temu is now on its way to becoming a full-range retailer and should be considered among the players in the DIY, home improvement and garden sector.

Following an extended networking lunch in which delegates had the opportunity to explore the sponsors’ and partners’ booths in the exhibition area, the Summit programme continued with four speakers highlighting New Engines of Growth. Sumeet Anand, Founder, IndSight Growth Partners, was the first to take to the stage, presenting India as one of the fastest-growing markets worldwide, with a particular focus on selling, sourcing and talent development.

The King of CX, Ken Hughes, then took to the stage and shared his thoughts on Why the Future of DIY Is Still Human. According to Ken, AI can play a huge role in inspiring end consumers and, through the example of Taylor Swift, stressed the importance of making customers feel heard, valued and a core element of a brand’s story.

Jean-Jacques Van Oosten, President of Digital Transformation X, continued the programme block with a presentation on Reimagining Home Improvement Retail Through AI, Marketplaces, and the Reactivated Store. JJ Van Oosten has been involved in the DIY and home improvement industry in several digital-focused roles and shared a wealth of insight into how service providers can help the industry activate and engage customers. One of the most celebrated and renowned faces in retail media, Patricia Grundmann, took to the stage to close the New Engines of Growth block. Providing several examples, Patricia shared how OBI is approaching retail media from a 360-degree perspective and how this has become one of OBI's key offerings.

The first day of the 12th Global DIY-Summit programme was brought to a close by John W. Herbert. John shared his experiences and reflections on an incredible 70 years in retail. He began in retailing at a counter-service Co-op store and has seen the industry develop into the myriad of models we see today, which would have been unimaginable at the time. John shared insights from the key milestones in his 70-year career in retail and repeatedly emphasised what he has always regarded as the foundation of his work: respect for people, whoever they are, and a willingness to share knowledge. Erwin Van Osta expressed his appreciation in his closing remarks: “The global DIY and home improvement industry would not be what it is without John Herbert.” The audience agreed with this sentiment, as demonstrated by the extended double standing ovation that closed the first day of the programme.

GALA EVENING: Carl Otto Løvenskiold received the Global DIYLifetime Award.

As is tradition, the Gala Evening, this time sponsored by the AI-powered connected commerce company Vusion Group, saw all delegates come together for a jubilant evening of networking, reconnecting and exchanging thoughts and views on various topics impacting the sector.

The undeniable highlight of the evening was the award ceremony for the Global DIY-Lifetime Award. In his laudatory speech, John W. Herbert stressed Carl Otto Løvenskiold’s outstanding contribution to the development of the international DIY and home improvement industry. John described the award recipient as “one of the nicest persons, and a real gentleman”.

Carl Otto Løvenskiold was visibly moved as he accepted the Global DIY-Lifetime Award from the HIMA and EDRA/GHIN Presidents, with his wife by his side. He explained that it was a “very special honour” for him to win this prize, which he had never imagined possible.

SECOND DAY, 18 JUNE – Collective Action

Following a first day centred on Collective Awareness, the thread of this year’s programme continued with presentations and keynotes focused on Collective Action.

Sacha Stolp, Director of Innovation, Future-Proof Assets & Climate Adaptation at the City of Amsterdam, opened the day with a thoughtful keynote, bringing a local perspective to the global audience gathered in Amsterdam. Sacha shared how the city is approaching change, especially in relation to climate adaptation. Through an example of the circular use of paving stones, delegates were able to draw comparisons with how their own business models could adapt towards a more circular future.

Following an informative opening from John W. Herbert and Caroline Van der Voort, Jamie Pitcairn and Oliver Blecker gave an update on the Make It Zero programme and the roadmap for the coming years. The Make It Zero session at the 12th Global DIY-Summit also saw the announcement of an ambition to achieve a minimum of 35% recycled plastic content in the plastics used in DIY, home improvement and garden products by 2035. Following a motivating and compelling video from a number of key leaders in the industry, John and Caroline returned to the stage to share an emotional appeal for all industry players to get involved in Make It Zero.

Representing one of the DIY retailers active in Make It Zero and taking a strong approach to sustainability, especially in its sourcing strategy, Carlos Malo Cantarino, Chief Offer & Industry Officer, and Clara Lorinquer, Chief Sustainability Officer at ADEO, closed the Make It Zero section by highlighting how ADEO is approaching the challenge of decarbonisation in the housing sector.

The final sessions in the Collaboration and Innovation for a Sustainable World block widened the conversation from decarbonisation to innovation as a practical driver of change. Steffen Erath, Head of Innovation & Sustainability at Hansgrohe and author of the book Planet Centered Innovation, presented Sustainability as Innovation Driver. His session showed how Hansgrohe is using innovation to address water consumption in the home, including a fascinating look at the bathroom of the future and Hansgrohe’s Green Vision Beyond Water, while reinforcing the idea that sustainability can become a starting point for product development rather than only an outcome.

Raha A. Been, SVP R&D, Strategic Development & Commercialization, 3M Consumer Business Group, then brought the block to a close with The 3M Approach To Innovation: From Insights to Impact. Drawing on 3M’s long-standing reputation for scientific and product innovation, her session offered a valuable case study in how customer and market insights can be translated into products, processes and solutions with measurable impact. It also underlined that an innovative mindset is not reserved for companies of a certain size: the same principles of curiosity, structured experimentation and cross-functional collaboration can be applied across organisations of all scales.

From there, the programme moved into its fifth block, The Digital Foundations, focusing on the capabilities that allow retailers to make better, faster and safer decisions. Huib Kranendonk, CEO of Royal Lemkes, brought this theme into the garden category with a presentation on Data Driven Retail and Rethinking the Plant Category in DIY Retail: Consumer-First & Data-Driven. Huib shared Royal Lemkes’ vision for the future of the plant category, highlighting an approach that combines shopper insights, category expertise and supply chain collaboration.

Continuing The Digital Foundations, Chris Blatchford, CTO of Kingfisher Group, addressed Cybersecurity Resilience in Retail. With an ever-increasing number of cyberattacks and probes targeting retailers around the world, cyber resilience has become a business imperative. Chris shared practical guiding actions to help retailers reduce risk, strengthen preparedness and protect business continuity in an increasingly complex digital environment.

The final programme block, The Human Factor, brought the Summit back to the people, leadership and culture required to make transformation happen. Chris Heemskerk, Founder & CEO of The Innovation Alliance, closed the programme with a presentation on how to build a world-class innovation culture. Chris explored how to make innovation repeatable and scalable, turning it from a series of one-off wins into a discipline that runs throughout the organisation, while also addressing the human touch in an AI-first world and the role of leadership in driving innovation.

In the final wrap-up, Alexandre Laubie reiterated his thanks to all delegates and sponsors for joining and supporting the 12th Global DIY-Summit in Amsterdam. With many returning faces, as well as new ones, the familial atmosphere of the event continues to grow with each edition. This is again where the industry differentiates itself from others.

Alexandre Laubie, Managing Director of the Global DIY-Summit, summarised the 12th edition by sharing: “Amsterdam showed the strength of this industry at its best: open, collaborative and ready to act. Over three days, we moved from understanding the new global reality to identifying practical ways to respond to it. Through sustainability, innovation, digital capability and, above all, people, our industry can continue to make a difference. My sincere thanks go to our delegates, speakers, sponsors and partners for making the 12th Global DIY-Summit such a powerful edition.” Looking Ahead The Global DIY-Summit team is already looking forward to bringing the industry together again for the 13th Global DIY-Summit from 2–4 June 2027 in Prague, Czechia. 

Moreover, the 6th Virtual DIY-Summit on 20 November 2026 will act as the digital touchpoint for the sector. For more information or to discuss sponsorship opportunities, please contact info@diysummit.org. 

Source : Global DIY-Summit

Image : Global DIY-Summit

For all the very latest news and intelligence on the UK's largest home improvement and garden retailers, sign up for the Insight DIY weekly newsletter.