New guidelines have been introduced and a four man committee formed which includes a president. These positions are held for four years. The host for future conferences is invited by common consent and given two years to prepare. All positions must carry a two-thirds majority approval of the group. Each year the conference is convened in a different membership country. The host thus ‘lays bare’ his stores and business to the critical eyes of the other group members during a conducted tour of his entire operations. This is a wonderful opportunity to be frank, honest and constructive in assessing everything from product mix, store layout, windows, staff knowledge and service, tailoring and computer systems through to store organization.

The IMG has recently welcomed Oger from The Netherlands, Carouzos from Greece and Bon Genie Les Grieder from Switzerland; Flannels from England, Louis Copeland of Ireland and our current proactive president Luis Sans from Santa Eulalia, Spain.

In 2007 the Group agreed that Women’s Wear was an essential part of several IMG members’ business and the identity and logo for the Group, still known as the IMG, would become ‘IMG. Established 1958. The World’s Finest Apparel Retailers’.

The IMG today turns over well in excess of half a billion euros a year, sells the world’s finest menswear across 100,000 square metres of selling space in 275 stores and employs some 2500 personnel. The unchallengeable fact is that the IMG exists. Despite distances, cultures, languages and other priorities, this dream of Mr Giesbers, 50 years ago, has not only survived recession, changing times and attrition, but has prospered and grown into the modern day IMG.