LightFair to Move to Biennial Schedule as Part of New Strategic Plan
November 4, 2022
LightFair, North America’s largest architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference, is transitioning to a biennial schedule beginning with the 2023 event, scheduled for May 21-25 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. As the major player in this vibrant space, LightFair’s updated schedule aims to better serve the industry’s manufacturing cycle, product marketplace and the overall needs of lighting professionals.
Keeping the best interest of its robust community of lighting professionals in mind, LightFair is excited for its brighter biennial future, according to Dan Darby, show director.
“The lighting industry has been shifting, and we took an opportunity to reflect on what we offer and optimize our event in a way that better aligns with industry needs,” Darby said. “We’ve heard and felt the path of the industry moving, and it’s important that we evolve with it.”
The schedule change is part of an overarching strategic plan that LightFair’s management committee developed in response to the changing needs of lighting manufacturing and specification. This plan continues to position LightFair at the forefront of the industry, with exciting new features in 2023, including partnerships with NYCxDESIGN and the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), immersive lighting installations, learning tours, audience expansion to include residential lighting professionals and more.
LightFair’s new biennial conference and trade show schedule will allow attendees to continue to see the newest products during odd-numbered years, on a frequency that aligns with every-other-year manufacturing cycles. With this exciting shift, LightFair welcomes an increase in attendance from all segments of the industry, providing additional business opportunities for lighting designers, distributors, engineers and architects to come together to celebrate lighting innovation on its grandest scale.
“As one of the owners of LightFair, the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) is excited to embrace this new biennial cadence that we know will best serve our community in the years to come,” said Christopher Knowlton, CEO of IALD. “LightFair is evolving, and we encourage our members to join us on this sensational journey.”
With this transformation, LightFair will continue to be a mainstay of the lighting industry, allowing the community to work together to connect, engage and inspire, according to Colleen Harper, executive director of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES).
“IES remains committed to its mission to improve the lighted environment by bringing together those with lighting knowledge and by translating that knowledge into actions that benefit the public,” Harper said.
Increasing attendance by 110% over the previous year, LightFair 2022, held June 21-23 in Las Vegas, drew more than 10,000 people from 63 countries to source brand-new products, advance their knowledge and connect with other industry professionals.
LightFair 2023 Enhancements
The 2023 edition is expected to continue this trend with a new strategic plan to dynamically expand the event in the following ways:
- LightFair will be an unforgettable experiential journey with newly introduced immersive lighting installations. Four manufacturer teams will be matched with a New York-based lighting design firm to create these interactive, vibrant installations based on the 2023 theme: Circular Economy.
- The popular Design Pavilion will be re-imagined as the IALD Designery. This will be home to insightful panel discussions, town hall-style member meetings and student events.
- A partnership with NYCxDESIGN will highlight the best lighting design in the city, with experiential studio tours and a panel discussion at The Designery.
- The LightFair LIVE stage will have a new name, IES Live, and diverse new programming. The lineup will include 3D light fixture printing; meetups with LightFair Conference speakers; a Shark Tank-style sales competition and special Q&A sessions.
- IES will also lead the LightFair 2023 Conference with a robust program anchored around inclusivity and celebrating the multidisciplinary interconnections within lighting and beyond. Conference presenters and topics will cover five broad themes: Business, Process, Art, Science and Technology, while also exploring the overlap between them and out-of-the-box ideas that transcend these themes and expand the boundaries of lighting education to other areas.
Registration for LightFair 2023 opens Feb. 1, with complimentary expo hall access for IALD and IES members. To register for LightFair 2023, go here.
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Partner Voices
HERE, hosting responsible meetings and caring for our communities are top priorities. Through its 'Focused on What Matters: Embracing Humanity and Protecting the Planet' philosophy, MGM Resorts commits to creating a more sustainable future, while striving to make an impact in the lives of employees, guests, and the communities in which it operates.
Water Stewardship Efforts
MGM Resorts understands the importance of using water efficiently, especially in the desert destination of Las Vegas. Conserving water has always been part of the mission, but MGM Resorts has expanded its ambition into water stewardship.
In 2022, MGM Resorts President and CEO Bill Hornbuckle signed the CEO Water Mandate—a UN Global Compact initiative mobilizing business leaders to advance water stewardship. MGM Resorts International was the first gaming company to take this important step.
MGM Resorts replaced 200,000 square feet of real grass with drought-tolerant landscaping in Las Vegas.
MGM Resorts pledges to reduce water withdrawal intensity by 33% by 2025 and by 35% by 2030.
From 2007-2021, use of more than 5.6 billion gallons of water was avoided because of conservation efforts.
Caring for One Another
MGM Resorts’ Food Donations Program collects and preserves unserved food from conventions held at MGM Resorts properties, then safely donates to food insecure people in the community. Since the program’s launch in 2016, more than 3.7 million meals toward a 2025 goal of 5 million meals have been donated into the community. Donations include:
Unserved perishable prepared foods from events
Perishable unprepared food from MGM Resorts’ kitchens
Nonperishable food items from minibars and warehouses
The collaboration with Southern Nevada’s primary food bank, Three Square, has developed the infrastructure needed to safely collect, transport, and store food from MGM Resorts properties in Las Vegas, reducing food waste while serving the community.
Fostering Diversity and Inclusion
To MGM Resorts, a diverse and talented workforce is essential to success. By cultivating innovative strategies that consider multiple perspectives and viewpoints, the company creates an inclusive workplace culture that benefits its employees and community. MGM Resorts takes pride in being a welcoming home for veterans, individuals with disabilities, people from diverse backgrounds, LGBTQ+ community members, and more. This commitment to inclusion is reflected in the company's recruitment and hiring practices and its social responsibility initiatives. From the workplace to the community, MGM Resorts' commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion remains unwavering, and its efforts continue to create a more equitable and sustainable world for all.
MGM Resorts understands its responsibility to contribute to the social and economic progress of the communities in which it operates. HERE, we embrace humanity.
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