LIGHTFAIR International 2017 Boasts Largest Trade Show to Date in Philadelphia

June 29, 2017

LIGHTFAIR International boasted its largest show and Philadelphia registration numbers at its most recent event, held May 7-11 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

The world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference registered 27,939 attendees from 81 countries spanning 277,600 net square feet of expo space, with registration exceeding its 2016 event and increasing 7.4 percent, compared with its 2013 Philadelphia show.

“LFI 2017 was by every measure a study in superlatives with the trade show and conference eclipsing all predecessors in staging, scope and scale,” said Jeffrey L. Portman, Sr., vice chairman, president and COO of LFI managing partner AmericasMart Atlanta, which produces the show.

He added, “These pivotal outcomes will accelerate LFI’s growth trajectory for 2018 and beyond.”

The event’s 592 exhibiting companies, including 59 first-time exhibitors, presented the lighting and design industry’s latest innovations and newest concepts, with two brand-new pavilions – Intelligent Lighting and IoT – displaying cutting-edge products and solutions showcased in product presentations featuring technology and connectivity innovations.

“Across every dimension of the trade show and conference, transformative innovation was pronounced and prolific,” said Shirley Coyle, president of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), which co-sponsors the show with the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD).

She continued, “LFI 2017 was all about the continuing integration of lighting, technology and connectivity.”

LFI’s expanded trade show floor featured a product mix of 46 categories that included controls, IoT (Internet of Things), decorative, alternative energy including solar power, software, site and roadway, digital signage, healthcare and hospitality.                             

“The worlds of lighting and design converged in Philadelphia to discover all that is new, next and emergent in practice, concept and theory,” IALD President Victor Palacio said.

He added, “LFI delivered all of that, and more, to reveal a clear vision into the future.”

Preceding and setting the stage for the show’s opening, the LFI Innovation Awards highlighted the industry’s most innovative products and designs introduced during the last 12 months, with 255 entries from 135 exhibiting companies spanning 14 categories judged by an independent panel of lighting professionals. 

In addition, the event offered its popular conference component, with 73 education courses taught by 135 industry experts, as well as keynotes, unique networking opportunities and a New Exhibitor Pavilion.

LIGHTFAIR International 2018 is set to take place May6-10 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

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