En garde

There I was. Soaked in sweat. In an attic at the world’s oldest fencing club in Ghent. As the instructor shouts ‘En garde,’ the sense of history slowly sinks in. Just like the realization that the weather is extreme. Meanwhile, I watch as my colleagues brave the heat and decide to put on a full fencing uniform. ‘Die Hards.’ I wisely decide not to put on a uniform just yet.

To provide some context… Every year, we organize ‘Deponti Days.’ These are two days when we gather in one of our established countries with all our colleagues from every corner of the globe. It’s something we look forward to every year. Beforehand, we meet with the sales managers to review outdoor industry trends in each market. It’s the perfect time to further refine our plans. Then the rest of the team arrives, and we have the time and space to take a step back, have fun, and experience that Deponti spirit.

Every year, I’m once again impressed by our company’s ability to organize itself. I see people stepping up and taking the initiative to put together a program down to the last detail. The ‘we’ll fix it’ mindset came in very handy. Because no matter how much you plan, you can’t control the weather. And we’re seeing an increasing trend toward weather extremes. This required us, as employers, and the organization to deal with this situation creatively. Because despite the orange weather alert, all activities went on ‘as usual.’ And we took extra good care of one another. Water, hats, (Deponti) sunscreen, and a large beach towel—to soak up all the sweat—came in very handy.

“Prêt,” I hear someone say. My thoughts wander. Well, the reality of those extreme weather conditions naturally affects our industry as well—from the installer working up a sweat during installation all the way to the end user. Outdoor living is changing. Whereas a covered area was once primarily a practical space, users today expect a fully-fledged outdoor space that remains comfortable in every season. That calls for combinations of rain protection, shade, ventilation, sun protection, and new applications.

“Come on.”

In a fraction of a second, I see my colleagues dart forward. Straight ahead. “Go!” No complicated moves—just fast and straight toward the goal. Hit. Maybe there’s a valuable lesson there for our industry. Don’t wait around—keep moving forward. Seek out innovation. Touché.