LIGHTFAIR International Heads Back to Chicago After 23-Year Hiatus
January 5, 2017
LIGHTFAIR® International (LFI) has announced it will hold its 2018 trade show and conference at McCormick Place in Chicago. Set for May 6-10, the event will mark LIGHTFAIR’s first staging in the Windy City since 1995.
According to Jeffrey L. Portman, Sr., vice chairman, president and COO of LFI managing partner AmericasMart Atlanta, which produces and manages the show, the move is designed to accommodate the show’s continuing growth.
Taking the event to Chicago will not only provide the global lighting design community with the accessibility, convenience and service benefits available in the city, but also in the convention center’s 2.6 million square feet of exhibition space, he said.
“We expect Chicago and McCormick Place to help deliver a LIGHTFAIR experience of extraordinary relevance and resonance,” Portman said. “The spectacular scope of LIGHTFAIR exhibits, together with its extensive conference programming, demands an environment of the scale which McCormick Place offers – one that our customers will embrace and enjoy.”
As the world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference that rotates between the east and west coasts, LFI brings the industry’s newest and most innovative products and technologies to lighting designers, specifiers, architects, consultants and engineers from around the globe.
“Chicago and LIGHTFAIR enjoy closely aligned postures within the global lighting design community,” said Marsha L. Turner, CAE, chief executive officer of LFI partner International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD). “Both command pivotal roles as centers of lighting and technology innovation and thought leadership.”
She added, “We look forward to all that the 2018 trade show and conference will achieve in this uniquely advantageous setting.”
Throughout the trade show floor, LFI exhibitors showcase exclusive introductions and a wide spectrum of solutions, including LEDs, OLEDs, luminaires, controls, energy-efficient products, alternative energy including solar power, decorative, integrated design, exterior and roadway, software, solutions, IoT and innovative design.
The event also features six pavilions: Design; Exterior & Roadway Lighting; Global Light + Design; New Exhibitor Pavilion, and new for 2017, Intelligent Lighting Pavilion and IoT Pavilion.
“With LIGHTFAIR’s consistent and continuing growth must come exploration of different venues and new approaches to its staging,” said Timothy Licitra, executive vice president of LFI partner Illuminating Engineering Society (IES).
He continued, “Chicago and McCormick Place create for LIGHTFAIR, and particularly our exhibitors, a new canvas for innovation and expansion.”
LFI 2017 is set to take place May 7-11 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia.
Held at the San Diego Convention Center April 24-28, LFI 2106 set new trade show floor and west-coast attendance records with 27,628 attendees and 617 exhibitors spanning 269,680 net. sq. ft. of exhibition space.
The event ranks #80 on the 2015 TSNN Top 250 U.S. Trade Shows.
Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.
Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is on track to spend at least 15% of its biddable procurement with diverse-owned businesses by 2025, demonstrating that supplier diversity is not only a social responsibility but also a strategic business imperative.
Supplier diversity isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good for business. A diverse supply chain allows access to a broader range of perspectives and experience, helping to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and resilience, while strengthening communities. At MGM Resorts, engaging diverse suppliers ensures best-in-class experiences for guests and clients. Supplier diversity ensures a more resilient supply chain while supporting economic development in the communities in which it operates.
The impact of MGM Resorts' supplier diversity initiatives is significant. In 2023, these efforts supported over 3,500 jobs across more than 30 states, contributed over $214 million in income for diverse-owned businesses and generated more than $62 million in tax revenue. The story extends beyond the numbers – it reflects the tangible benefits brought to small and diverse-owned businesses, fostering economic empowerment in their communities.
MGM Resorts also supports the development and business skills of diverse-owned businesses through investment, mentorship and education. Through the MGM Resorts Supplier Diversity Mentorship Program, the company identifies, mentors and develops diverse-owned businesses to fill its future pipeline, while providing businesses with tools and resources to empower and uplift. Since 2017, the program has successfully graduated 105 diverse-owned businesses and is on track to achieve its goal of 150 graduates by 2025.
MGM Resorts’ commitment to supplier diversity not only enhances its business operations but also plays a crucial role in uplifting communities and fostering economic development. This approach reinforces the idea that diversity is a powerful driver of innovation and resilience, benefiting both the company and the wider community.
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