A unique opportunity to learn from the experts anche exchange views on current and future developments within the global market with the industry’s leading players. The Global DIY Summit is the world’s leading event for retailers and manufacturers from the home improvement and garden centre industry. The Summit is being jointly hosted by the two leading European DIY professional organisations, EDRA (European DIY-Retail Association) and fediyma (European Federation of DIY Manufacturers), and the first global representation of interest of DIY trade, ghin (Global Home Improvement Network). This year the motto of our event is A Disruptive World – New Trends in Home Improvement". The planet we live in is more competitive and more challenging for retailers and manufacturers than ever before. The barriers to entry to the retail market are quickly becoming non-existent as the Internet is opening up the world for business. The digital transformation in retail has forced brands around the world to embrace and adopt websites, social media and, most recently, the mobile web. The ongoing disruption is making retail a hot bed of innovation and an industry in which the most ingenious brands thrive. Furthermore, with the rise of Internet of Things and Smart Homes, disruptors have also entered our industry! We are now on the edge of a new era of innovation in home improvement where many companies have to transform themselves or they will simply disappear. So how did we get here? How did we land in this exciting yet disruptive age of retail? What will be the impact of these changes in home improvement? In light of this technological revolution, leadership from our industry’s top decision-makers has become a key element. Today, DIY leaders are expected to cut a new path in the marketplace for their organization, to disrupt business as usual. The past two years have seen a significant increase in new developments and consumer adoption of this kind of products. Therefore, the largest DIY retailers in North America have already announced the launch of smart devices for security, heating, cooling, lighting and other appliances in their stores.Will this new paradigm bring significant opportunities for the home improvement industry? Is this the beginning of a new DIY business model? Shall we be prepared for the possibility of disruptors breaking into our industry?For the gardeners, there will be a focus about “The garden getting smart” leaded by Sascha Menges, president of Gardena, Germany and one about “The connected store: how brands and retailers are using technology, data and seamless service to learn from and lock in customers”, by Kate Ancketill, CEA GDR Creative intelligence, UK."