Organisers of this year’s Glazing Summit conference have announced a packed agenda for attendees to enjoy next month. Scheduled to take place on Tuesday 18 October at Edgbaston Stadium, Birmingham, the industry’s one-day conference is expected to attract more than 400 business leaders from across the sector.
This year, organisers asked for industry feedback on the biggest issues that people would like to see represented at the summit. With the help of that feedback, the team has devised an agenda to highlight those issues.
Following the ‘State of the Industry’ report by Insight Data’s managing director and Glazing Summit founder Andrew Scott, five debates and discussions are scheduled to take place throughout the day, featuring respected industry leaders on stage. The first focuses on the supply chain and whether the industry has recovered lead times and customer service levels, as well as the likely impact of the energy crisis. This is set to be followed by a debate about people and skills, where panellists can discuss whether the industry is doing enough to encourage women into the sector, and challenge taboo perceptions around mental health and wellbeing.
The last debate of the morning will look at how legislation is driving change across the industry, how businesses are responding across the supply chain to the latest regulations, and how the wider industry should tackle those failing to comply. In the afternoon, a discussion is scheduled that analyses what the future of innovation might look like, the latest product innovations, and the opportunities available for diversification within the industry. The final debate of the day is to look at how business owners and company directors can navigate economic uncertainty, rising costs and new opportunities over the next few years.
Keynote speakers this year include William Hobbs, chief investment officer for Barclays Wealth Management and Investments. William is set to share his views on the economic outlook and what the road ahead may look like for UK businesses.
The legendary retail and customer experience expert Peter Cross – who was director of John Lewis and Waitrose for eight years and business partner of Mary Portas for 10 – is also scheduled to share his insights. His talk is to focus on the future of shopping and how the home improvement industry can become irresistible to its target customers.
“The Glazing Summit is meant to inform and provide delegates with the right information,” explained Andrew. “But it is very much the industry’s event, which was why we reached out to installers, fabricators and systems companies about what they wanted to discuss this year to help shape the agenda.
“Last year’s event came at a pivotal moment after the pandemic. This year is no less important, with our agenda crucial to seeing how we move forward as an industry.”
The day also includes networking, lunch, a champagne reception and the exclusive Glazing Summit Dinner in the evening. For tickets, visit glazingsummit.co.uk, call 01934 808 293 or email hello@glazingsummit.co.uk. The full agenda is published online at glazingsummit.co.uk/2022-agenda.
