Writing in the July/August issue of PBM, Editor Paul Davies reflected on some of the key takeaways from the recent BMF All Industry Conference in Istanbul:
Publishing deadlines mean that there unfortunately isn’t time for a full review in this issue of the BMF All Industry Conference, held recently in the stunning city of Istanbul. However, this column does allow a brief opportunity to detail a few somewhat unrefined thoughts on the merchant calendar’s showpiece event, referencing just a few of the common themes and topics discussed by both the speakers on the stage and the delegates themselves during the plentiful networking opportunities that surrounded the formal business sessions.
Perhaps echoing the recuring results of recent instalments of PBM’s The Pulse merchant survey, an air of optimism prevailed throughout the air-conditioned halls of the conference venue. Whilst the wider economic picture back at home may present some cause for concern, confidence appeared high that individual businesses were able to weather the storm. Investment, expansion and new initiatives were a popular refrain.
However, this was not a case of blind faith or any misguided sense of simply repeating moves which had worked in the past. Instead, there was an acknowledgement that future success would be dependent on innovation and renewal.
Maximising the benefits of increased digitisation and capitalising on the opportunities presented by the drive towards greater sustainability were central to notions of business evolution, yet a further consideration was in harnessing the next generation of talent to propel the industry forward.
“There is a need for clear development pathways to be in place and a requirement to “support and trust” young people to ensure their talents are realised and retained.”
It was perhaps noteworthy that approaching one third of the c.450 delegates in Istanbul were first time attendees of a merchant industry conference, whilst to my mind one of the most impressive business sessions was devoted to encouraging new recruits — and younger people especially — into the sector.
The discussion was led by Jo Callow, Head of Communications & Digital at Knauf Insulation and the Chair of the BMF’s Young Merchant Group — with support from Vice Chair Ed Parlato of Browns Builders Merchants and Marianna Peet from LEAP Apprenticeships — and reflected on the fact that word of mouth or even ‘falling into’ the industry was a common starting point for many. However, Jo highlighted the importance of more actively promoting the sector — and the opportunities for recognition, development and career progression it can offer — to a far wider audience.
The vision, as championed by a new BMF engagement campaign, is for the building materials supply chain to be seen as an inspiring career route that is consciously sought out by school leavers, apprentices and university graduates.
And as referenced by Marianna, it really is a vital issue with BMF / LEAP research indicating that around 5,000 people leave the industry each year — the challenge is to recruit in sufficient numbers so that sector can grow and not just stand still…
Of course, the success of any recruitment campaign is also dependent on the response from those in management and senior leadership positions. There is a need, argued Marianna, for clear development pathways to be in place and a requirement to “support and trust” young people to ensure their talents are realised and retained.
Further perspective was offered by Browns Director, Jim Parlato. Having recognised that its senior leadership team were all of a similar age, a conscious decision was made to recruit and empower younger people to develop and secure the future of the business. With the firm’s strong growth in recent years in part attributed to enabling the likes of Ed to come aboard and develop through industry forums such as Young Merchants, Jim struggles to see any downside and states that giving up “a little bit of time” has been the only cost to the business…
