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Glazing Summit – Have Your Say On Subjects
With just under three months to go before this year’s Glazing Summit, the agenda is starting to take shape but the organisers have asked the industry...
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Now That's Entertainment!
Britain’s fenestration sector gathered for the first time in nearly two years at the 2021 Glazing Summit which drew gasps at some forthright comments - and applause for the entertainment aspect.
Over four hundred business leaders, representing companies collectively worth billions of pounds, met at Edgbaston Cricket Ground for the event organised by sector marketing and data specialists Purplex Marketing & Insight Data.
Across a day of debates, discussions and presentations, the challenges facing the glass & glazing and window, doors and other home improvements sectors were examined – along with how to make the most of its enormous opportunities.
Purplex insight
Addressing attendees in the first of the day’s keynotes, Glazing Summit founder and CEO Andrew Scott charted the dramatic changes the sector has been through over the last ten years. Drawing on the expertise Insight Data, Scott revealed that the number of UK fabricators and installers has fallen below 14,000 for the first time, with a staggering 709 companies lost or merged since 2011.
That's entertainment
Later in the day, Greg Perdon, Bloomberg correspondent and Chief Investment Officer for Arbuthnot Latham, gave a fascinating and indeed, entertaining overview of the UK’s performance relative to other major economies. He pointed to promising signs for Britain’s home improvement market in 2022.
Then, after lunch, attendees were treated to a humorous and irreverent insight into organisational culture and sales strategy from international business consultant Geoff Burch.
Throughout the day, panel debates tackled the industry’s biggest issues.
With COP26 looming, one debate addressed climate change – questioning whether end-users really care about the environment and whether the industry’s much talked-about commitment to sustainability is actually just a box-ticking exercise. Much was spoken about the nobility of recycling but very little was discussed about reducing environmental impact at the production and sourcing end. In fact many of the speakers spoke of the rise in the financial cost of shipping from China - and nothing of the environmental cost of shipping from China.
Storm
Leading installers debated the soaring cost of materials and whether the drastic price rises they’ve received are really justified given the poor quality and service many continue to experience. The frank views expressed in front of the many suppliers in the audience drew gasps at what was the hardest hitting criticism ever openly declared in such a public manner...now that's entertainment.
Suppliers
Suppliers also bemoaned the supply chain crisis; the changing dynamic between customers and suppliers; and when the industry will return to pre-pandemic levels. And a panel of experts discussed the growing number of mergers and acquisitions in fenestration, predicting further consolidation in the months and years ahead as a result of Brexit, changes to consumer demand, and the continuing fallout of Covid.
“This year’s Glazing Summit comes at a pivotal moment in the history of our industry. After the enormous upheavals of the pandemic, the sector now faces an unprecedented supply chain crisis, a worsening skills shortage, and the huge challenges posed by climate change.”
– Andrew Scott
Founder, The Glazing Summit
“Navigating these issues will require leadership, vision and collaboration," added Scott. “That’s exactly the sort of open and honest dialogue the Glazing Summit is designed to facilitate. After an amazing day in Edgbaston, I’m more optimistic about the future of our sector than ever.”
Picture: The Glazing Summit.
For more information on partnering with the Glazing Summit next year, visit www.glazingsummit.co.uk
Article written by Cathryn Ellis
27th October 2021