LightFair Illuminates Vegas With Vibrant Energy and Booming Business

July 8, 2022

LightFair 2022 united thousands of lighting industry professionals in-person last month for a conference and trade show that was a resounding success. The industry’s largest annual lighting event took place June 19-23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, drawing more than 10,000 attendees for five days of brisk business, valuable networking and bustling energy.

“LightFair has proven yet again how important it is for the lighting industry to connect under one roof—this event is where emerging technologies are discovered, lighting trends are communicated and industry news is unveiled,” said Dan Darby, show director. “LightFair is the pinnacle of lighting’s newest technology, education and industry direction, and the 2022 edition was a strong success.”

Attendees of LightFair 2022 traveled from all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico and 62 international countries to visit 331 exhibitors in the trade show and take part in 41 conference sessions.

Positivity on the Show Floor

The LightFair trade show was flooded with attendees as soon as doors opened, with many business conversations beginning just seconds after entering. Exhibitors, specifiers and designers reported quality business happening shortly into day one on the show floor, which continued through day three.
 
The show is an important annual platform for industry collaboration, according to Susie Minton, director of marketing at HK Lighting.

“LightFair is a time for us in the industry to be able to get together and to collaborate, whether that's training our agents and letting them get a chance to talk with us, to see our new products, to touch and feel and become top of mind again, or whether it's working with a designer who has a specific project that they might be looking for advice on,” Minton said.
 
Jeff Croskey, CEO of ALW Lighting, said LightFair 2022 exceeded the company’s expectations.

“The crowd was amazing, and many of our specifiers, lighting designers and architects did come out,” Croskey said.
 
LightFair 2022 exhibit floorAlong with finding new products and learning from industry professionals, LightFair serves as a central meeting point where lighting industry partners make major company announcements. Current, formerly GE Current, a Daintree Company, announced its acquisition of Hubbell Lighting at the LightFair 2021 and unveiled the new branding at the 2022 edition.
 
“In 2021, we announced our company’s acquisition at LightFair with much success, so it was an obvious decision to choose LightFair 2022 as the venue to unveil our new branding as Current,” said Jim Benson, vice president, enterprise marketing and communications at Current. “We knew working with the LightFair team would ensure our news would once again get the widespread industry recognition and coverage it deserves.”Exhibit floor education, which expanded for 2022 following a successful debut in October, recorded some 30-plus highly attended sessions held in the Designery, LightFair Live, Tek Talks and the Outdoor Exchange.
 
LightFair co-owners, Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD), were also pleased with the 2022 edition of LightFair.

 
“LightFair is an important place to come to reconnect with colleagues, meet new people, see products and see what's happening in the market,” said Chris Knowlton, director at large of IALD. “Lighting designers are really good at design, and LightFair gives them access to the tools to do it properly.”
 
Colleen Harper, executive director of IES, said her first experience at LightFair was impressive.

“I enjoyed meeting so many IES members and getting to know the greater lighting community,” Harper said. “We were thrilled with the level of traffic on the show floor, and the feedback we received about the rest of the event was extremely positive. IES is already very excited about the plans in the works for next year.”

Top-Notch Conference Content

Engaged lighting professionals learned about the newest advancements and strategies from LightFair’s 41 conference sessions, where more than 4,000 seats were filled, with most courses exceeding 100 attendees and some attracting more than 250.
 
Attendee Cristalle Lamoure, segment manager at HP, applauded the conference courses.

“The sessions have been great,” Lamoure said. “I’ve heard about everything from sustainability to the behind-the-scenes experiences of lighting designers. It’s really helping me to assess how we can be a part of the lighting industry.”

Attendees took to social media to share their positive experiences with LightFair’s lighting education.

Electrical company Aetna Corp. posted to the following to Twitter:

“LightFair 2022 in Las Vegas was full of networking, learning and innovative experiences. Trade shows are always a great place to see what’s new, but the conference and learning portion of LightFair truly sets it apart.”

LightFair 2023 will take place May 21-25 at New York’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The 2023 edition will take place during NYCxDESIGN Week and debut its co-location with the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF).

LightFair, the world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference, is owned by IALD and IES and produced and managed by International Market Centers.

 

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Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”  These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.  Allegiant Stadium As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward? Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees. What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events? We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.  Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. Last summer, Resorts World and The Boring Company opened the first resort stop at the Resorts World Las Vegas , with plans to expand throughout the resort corridor, including downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport. The LVCVA also purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020, the 3.9-mile-long elevated transportation system that connects eight resorts directly to the convention center campus. This is the only rail system in the world that integrates fares directly into show badges and registration. For trade show organizers, these transportation options mean saving time, money and effort when it comes to moving groups from the hotels to LVCC and around the city. Also, the more we can focus on building the infrastructure around the convention center, the more it supports the customer experience and ultimately supports our trade show organizers. Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.