European Forum 2023

European Forum 2023 

AGENDA TO DOWNLOAD: EUROPEAN FORUM 2023 FULL AGENDA

Book now: 22 – 24 May 2023, Pest ana Amsterdam Riverside, Amsterdam

The OPI European Forum will be held from 22 – 24 May 2023 at the Pestana Riverside Amsterdam. 

This unique pan-European event is a great opportunity to meet your peers from across the industry and share ideas. It has a topical agenda to discuss and analyse the issues impacting our industry.  

Please find below the outline schedule:

OPI European Forum 2023
22 May 2023
19.00 – Welcome dinner

23 May 2023
09.00 – 17.30 – Conference sessions and breakouts
19.00 – Group dinner

24 May 2023
09.00 – 14.00 – Conference sessions

Venue: Pestana Riverside Amsterdam

OPI Forums

As a senior executive in the business products industry, the opportunities to meet with your industry peers – the people who understand the uniqueness of your sector and recognise the importance of working together as an industry – are very rare. To help in these challenging times, OPI hosts forums in both Europe and the US for senior executives and leaders within the business products industry.

OPI European Forum

The European Forum focuses more directly on the uniqueness and the issues of the European market.

This is not a large conference but a small forum exclusively for senior executives from the leading resellers, manufacturers and wholesalers of office products, and “non-traditional” resellers and vendors from the increasingly important FM and consumer electronics categories.

Agenda

We have an inspiring agenda featuring high quality keynotes, panel discussions and roundtable sessions to stimulate thought and debate. See the full programme by visiting the agenda page above or click here: https://www.opi.net/eventer/european-forum-2023/#Agenda

We understand that networking is important, so there is also plenty of informal time for more private discussions. To ensure this can be accomplished in an appropriate environment, the European Forum will be a private meeting operating under Chatham House rules.

We are confident you will find the event a really valuable experience and a very good use of your time.

If you are interested in attending or would like to find out more, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Steve Hilleard
CEO, OPI

Email: steve.hilleard@opi.net

OPI European Forum 2023 

Monday 22 – Wednesday 24 May 
The Pestana Amsterdam Riverside 

Monday 22 May 

17.00     Registration  
19.00     Drinks reception & welcome dinner 
22.00     Drinks in the bar  

Tuesday 23 May  

08.00     Registration and breakfast 

08.50     Welcome and opening remarks from the Chair 

09.00     The state of the European Business Supplies industry
The recently published OPI State of the Industry Report is an invaluable insight into the current state of the business supplies market. Using this resource the presentation will explore the market size of core business supplies, volume, value changes and margin trends. It examines the top performing and the most declining product categories as well as reviewing the distribution channels that have increased and decreased the most. This snapshot of the market will offer a great foundation for the rest of the Forum and insights that are invaluable to your business.
Chris Exner, Chief Commercial Officer, OPI

09.20     State of the industry panel 
The opening session will set the scene and examine the current state of the industry following several tumultuous years of challenge and change. It will comprise short, focused interviews with key leaders from a range of channels who will share their thoughts on the opportunities over the coming months.   
Speakers: 
Christian Horn, Chief Product and Supply Chain Officer, RS Group 
Alain Josse, Managing Director, Office Supplies Europe, Raja Group 
Christian Langvad, VP Operations, Schäfer Shop Group 
Lee Mellor, VP Europe, SC Johnson Professional 
Cezary Mońko, President, ACCO Brands EMEA 

10.25     Morning break for refreshments & networking 

10.55     Is the office still relevant? 
Hybrid working is now working. The office today is a place primarily for social interactions, and they need to be redesigned and organised to reflect this change. Workers also need to be engaged to keep productivity levels high and employers will need to manage this as they cope with economic pressures and lease arrangements. The good news is that all this means increased spend in office equipment! Join Mick Heys as he discusses the office of the future. 
– The emergence of hub & spoke 
– How companies are investing in redesign 
– Impact on technology sales 
Mick Heys, VP, Imaging & Future of WorkSpace Practice Lead, IDC 

11.40    How everywhere commerce can drive sales and loyalty
Gaining visibility and driving long-term consumer engagement in an increasingly complex digital world is a challenge. The available touchpoints are vast in number, and ensuring they are knitted together to achieve your strategic goals and optimise ROI is time-consuming and can be expensive and resource intensive. Overreliance on Amazon is problematic, as is the disintermediation of the actual ‘end user’ from the seller. During this presentation, Gordon Christiansen will outline many of the levers available to brands across the digital landscape and provide practical examples of how they can build plans that carry consumers through the modern sales funnel. 
Gordon Christiansen, Partner, Highlands 

12.30     Networking lunch 

13.30     Managing price in an inflationary market 
James Brown and Juriaan Deumer will explore how best-in-class companies are managing price in today’s high inflation market. They will set the context, looking at both the drivers behind the price rises we are seeing as well as the capability gap that exists across industries when it comes to navigating this environment. 
They will then share select case examples and a nine-step programme for boosting the likelihood of successfully implementing price increases. 
James Brown, Senior Partner, Managing Director UK, Simon-Kucher & Partners 
Juriaan Deumer, Partner, Simon-Kucher & Partners 

14.15     Roundtable session A:  
Delegates can attend one of the following roundtable discussions, limited to around 15 participants. 

1. Driving sales through digital engagement– what have you done and what can you do?
   Driving customer engagement is essential in this complex digital age. Whether you’re at the start of your journey or have deep expertise there is always something to learn. If you wish to share a personal story, come prepared to discuss what you have done in your business and the learnings you have taken from your experiences. What has worked and what hasn’t? What may be the quick wins and what needs a more strategic approach?
   Gordon Christiansen, Partner, Highlands  

2. Practical steps to price increases 
   Interrogate the experts about the best way to manage price increases.  
   James Brown, Senior Partner, Managing Director UK, Simon-Kucher & Partners 
   Juriaan Deumer, Partner, Simon-Kucher & Partners
3. Equipping workers and workspaces in the future office
   What will the future office need and how can you service that need? Technology will naturally be a big focus, as will furniture, but there are some surprising other categories too. 
   Mick Heys, VP, Imaging & Future of WorkSpace Practice Lead, IDC
4. B2B marketplaces – what can we expect and how can we be prepared? 
   B2B marketplaces are growing exponentially in every channel. It is estimated that within ten years, 40% of all sales will take place on this type of platform. Compared to the US and Asia, Europe is probably five years behind these economies and their marketplace development, so what can we learn from their experience and how can they help us prepare for what will happen here? 
   We have seen a number of marketplaces open in the European business supplies channel – B2B cash-and-carry giant Makro-Metro, MRO specialist Sonepar, Lyreco, Conrad and Merxu, for example. At the same time, B2C marketplaces are opening up as ‘Pro’ variances.  Besides these, large purchasers are opening procurement marketplaces like Accor and Boeing.  Buyers realise these platforms enable them to simplify procurement while allowing flexibility and (local) purchasing options. If you want to take advantage of this, it is essential that you understand the processes involved and ensure that your business is ready to explore the opportunities.
   Bob Boekema, MD, TFE Agency
5. How can sustainability breathe new life into your organisation and your clients 
   Culture is an essential part of the modern workplace and hybrid working is making this hard to maintain. Increasingly, current and potential employees care about working for an ethical organisation that dovetails with their core values.   The winners of the Vendor and Reseller Sustainability Excellence categories at the 2023 European Office Products Awards will share their insights on how sustainability has changed their company culture, improved employee engagement, driven growth and created loyal customers.  They will answer your burning questions about sustainability and examine future challenges and opportunities.  (Please note this session will only run once)
   Simone Hindmarch, Managing Director, Commercial 
   Charles Nusse, Managing Director, Exacompta

15.15    Afternoon break for refreshments & networking 

15.45    Roundtable session B: 

1. Driving sales through digital engagement– what have you done and what can you do?
   Driving customer engagement is essential in this complex digital age. Whether you’re at the start of your journey or have deep expertise there is always something to learn. If you wish to share a personal story, come prepared to discuss what you have done in your business and the learnings you have taken from your experiences. What has worked and what hasn’t? What may be the quick wins and what needs a more strategic approach?
   Gordon Christiansen, Partner, Highlands  

2. Practical steps to price increases
   Interrogate the experts about the best way to manage price increases.  
   James Brown, Senior Partner, Managing Director UK, Simon-Kucher & Partners
   Juriaan Deumer, Partner, Simon-Kucher & Partners
3. Equipping workers and workspaces in the future office
   What will the future office need and how can you service that need? Technology will naturally be a big focus, as will furniture, but there are some surprising other categories too.  
   Mick Heys, VP, Imaging & Future of WorkSpace Practice Lead, IDC 
4. B2B marketplaces – what can we expect and how can we be prepared? 
   B2B marketplaces are growing exponentially in every channel. It is estimated that within ten years, 40% of all sales will take place on this type of platform. Compared to the US and Asia, Europe is probably five years behind these economies and their marketplace development, so what can we learn from their experience and how can they help us prepare for what will happen here? 
   We have seen a number of marketplaces open in the European business supplies channel – B2B cash-and-carry giant Makro-Metro, MRO specialist Sonepar, Lyreco, Conrad and Merxu, for example. At the same time, B2C marketplaces are opening up as ‘Pro’ variances.  Besides these, large purchasers are opening procurement marketplaces like Accor and Boeing. Buyers realise these platforms enable them to simplify procurement while allowing flexibility and (local) purchasing options. If you want to take advantage of this, it is essential that you understand the processes involved and ensure that your business is ready to explore the opportunities.
   Bob Boekema, MD, TFE Agency 

16.45 Transition/comfort break 

16.50    From order-taking tool to selling machine: The consumerisation of B2B e-commerce
For a long time, B2B websites just had to work – no one expected them to be beautiful. However, the online world does not stand still for long and COVID accelerated everything. The pandemic sent business users online, even those who had never considered it before. A lot of websites were launched that just performed the basic functions and saw companies through that challenging time. 
However, the post-COVID landscape is now evolving with online B2B users becoming more sophisticated and, with Amazon and others raising the bar, these customers now expect a more consumer-style experience from a website. Not only should B2B sites be beautiful, they should be seamless too, integrating all parts of the business to give the user a smooth and unified experience.
This session will discuss what the consumer expects and how you can achieve a best-in-class website experience to drive sales and customer satisfaction. 
Patrick Donnelly, Managing Director, ES Tech Group

17.30     Close of day one conference programme 

19.00     Drinks reception & group dinner 

Wednesday 24 May 

08.00     Breakfast  

09.00     Opening remarks from the chair 

09.15     Hygiene as the foundation for a healthier business 
In 2023, businesses are facing new challenges to create clean and healthy environments for their employees and customers. Both are now hyper-aware of hygiene in the wake of the pandemic. With unprecedented levels of transferable illnesses (cold & flu, strep A, RSV), resulting in 145 million workdays lost each year, the need to maintain hygiene in the workplace has never been greater. This is why Dettol Pro Solutions believes “Hygiene is the Foundation of Healthier Business”.
This session will cover key trends impacting the cleaning and hygiene market. How manufacturers and office supplies companies can partner together to create clean and hygienic spaces, saving time and reducing costs with less absenteeism and improved productivity, to give end customer businesses a competitive advantage, using Dettol Pro Solutions as a case study.  
Jonathan Weiss, Commercial Director B2B Europe, Australia & New Zealand, Reckitt  

10.00        How to stop Amazon eating your lunch: the secret to competitor pricing intelligence with four key takeaways for success 
With online growth continuing to outpace expectations in a turbulent global polycrisis, retailers are looking for innovative strategies to stay competitive. This presentation delves into why competitor pricing intelligence matters and how it can be used effectively as a secret weapon by business product suppliers. You’ll gain a solid understanding of how competitive pricing intelligence gives you the edge, with actionable insights on how to leverage data and make better-informed pricing decisions to lift volumes, revenue and margins. 
Andrew Senior, founder, Skuuudle 

10.50   Morning break for refreshments & networking 

11.20      Stories from the coalface 
Independent expert Robert Baldrey has been in the industry for almost 40 years, working for Spicers, EVO, Staples Solutions and Office Depot Europe among others. 
In this session, he will look back on his turnaround and restructuring experience, highlighting common pitfalls and problems that typically prevent profitable growth and value creation. Some of this may be common sense, but Robert will undoubtedly provide delegates with helpful and entertaining food for thought for their own businesses. 
Robert Baldrey, independent industry expert 

12.05     Conclusion and wrap-up 

12.30     Buffet lunch 

14.00     Close of OPI European Forum 2023 

Confirmed speakers at the OPI European Forum 2023. Please visit regularly for the latest updates. 

• Robert Baldrey, independent industry expert
• Bob Boekema, MD, TFE Agency
• James Brown, Senior Partner, Managing Director UK, Simon-Kucher & Partners
• Gordon Christiansen, Partner, Highlands
• Juriaan Deumer, Partner, Simon-Kucher & Partners
• Paddy Donnelly, Managing Director, ES Tech Group
• Mick Heys, Vice President, Imaging & Future of WorkSpace Practice Lead, IDC
• Simone Hindmarch, Managing Director, Commercial Group
• Christian Horn, Chief Product and Supply Chain officer, RS Group
• Alain Josse, Managing Director, Office Supplies Europe, Raja Group
• Christian Langvad, Vice President Operations, Schäfer Shop Group
• Lee Mellor, Vice President Europe, SC Johnson Professional
• Cezary Mońko, President, ACCO Brands EMEA
• Charles Nusse, Managing Director, Exacompta
• Andrew Senior, Founder, Skuuudle
• Perry Timms, Founder & Chief Energy Officer – People and Transformational HR
• Jonathan Weiss, Commercial Director B2B Europe, Australia & New Zealand, Reckitt 

The European Forum 2023 is being held at the fabulous Pestana Amsterdam Riverside Hotel.

This beautiful hotel is housed in a cluster of 19th century Neo-Renaissance-style buildings and two modern annexes on the banks of the Amstel River in “De Pijp”, a quiet location just outside the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam’s inner canal belt. It features elegant guestrooms, a stunning lobby with beautiful ceilings and arches, an indoor swimming pool and secure valet parking.

Reservations
Rooms at The Pestana Amsterdam Riverside are now very limited.
To check current availability at the hotel please follow the instructions below:  

1. Access the Pestana website, select Pestana Riverside Amsterdam
2. Select your dates, number of guests and then choose “code/voucher” in the “special rates” dropdown box
3. Enter code EUROFORUM23 and then click search
4. Our group rate of  will be the only option available
5. Click “book now” and proceed with your reservation as normal

Subject to availability, rooms at our group rate of €249 inc VAT and breakfast are available for three days before and after the conference.

Once our room block has sold out we will operate a waitlist. If you are unable to make a reservation and would like to be added to the waitlist please email lisa.haywood@opi.net

Venue Address
Pestana Amsterdam Riverside
Amsteldijk 67
1074 HZ
Amsterdam
Tel:+31202206900
Get Directions

If you need any assistance, please get in touch: events@opi.net