International line-up for Greek DIY conference

The Home Improvement Conference has established itself as a fixture on the international DIY industry's events calendar. Now in its 17th year, the event will once again bring together representatives of the Greek industry and international guests in Athens. Organised by Karydakis Media, this year under the auspices of the Hellenic Retail Business Association SELPE, the conference will take place on 9 December 2026. As in previous years, the venue will be the Benaki Museum in Athens.

Under the theme "Leveraging a New Global Reality", the conference will address a number of key questions facing the industry: How are consumer needs and expectations evolving? How are artificial intelligence and agentic commerce changing business operations and relationships between retailers and suppliers? And how will physical stores and homes themselves evolve as new technologies emerge?

One of the highlights of this year's programme will be the participation of Tony Walker, Head of Group Competitor Insights and Global Partnerships at Bunnings, Australia's leading home improvement retailer. Making his first appearance in Greece as a keynote speaker, Walker will provide insights into his company's strategies and business practices.

The relationship between retailers and suppliers will be the focus of a presentation by Fiorella Origlia, author, consultant and founder of LaRévolution, who previously worked as a buyer at Adeo and Kingfisher. She will discuss the need to move beyond traditional negotiations and develop strategic partnerships.

The future of bricks-and-mortar retailing will take centre stage in a presentation by Elisa Servais, PhD, RDI, Retail Design Strategist and President of the Retail Design Institute's European Chapter. Using the Convergion Model, the Belgian expert will demonstrate how integrating products, services, technology, community, logistics and sustainability can create new shopping experiences and redefine the role of physical stores.

Technology will be another major focus of the conference, with two speakers addressing the subject from different perspectives. Fotis Antonopoulos, Applied Intelligence Architect and founder of Infera, who has nearly 30 years of experience in digital retail, will give a presentation entitled "AI: The Manual You Needed but Nobody Gave You." He will focus on understanding and applying artificial intelligence as a practical tool for business transformation and improving competitiveness.

Looking at technology in the home, Michalis Andrikopoulos, Building Technologies Manager at KAFKAS, will deliver a presentation entitled "The Home of the Future: From Smart Homes to Autonomous Homes." His talk will cover automation, energy management and connected infrastructure, highlighting developments towards homes that offer greater autonomy, comfort, energy efficiency and sustainability.

DIY International, published by Dähne Verlag, is a media partner of the Home Improvement Conference. Further information and registration are available at www.hiconference.gr.