If there were an award for the most improved show of our industry, the PennWell team deserves to win. When we originally heard last year that they planned to add Lightspace California to the already differentiated audiences of SIL and the LED Show, we didn’t think it made sense. Turns out, that Lightspace may have been the catalyst for making the event excel.
We spoke to several exhibitors and all were pleased. The show was crowded and had a very energetic look and feel, yet it was still easy to navigate and we had comfortable and detailed conversations. Christine Shaw, the SVP of PennWell’s Technology division, explained that she believes the industry transformation is complete and the industry has moved away from energy-efficiency and that there is more interest in using light for living. As we discussed the growth of the event, she pointed out that the Sapphire Awards had an additional 100 people in attendance and the Awards had a record number of submissions.
PennWell just published the results:
- More than 5,500 attendees – our largest event ever!
- 60 countries represented
- SOLD-OUT Sapphire Awards Gala
- 95% of 2017 exhibitors rebooked their space onsite for 2018
- 90% of attendees would recommend the event to their peers
- 89% of attendees are already planning on attending or will likely attend in 2018
- 83% said that the quality and quantity of attendees met or exceeded their expectations
- 93% of atttendees said that the quality of exhibitors met or exceeded their expectations
With LIGHTFAIR 2018 in Chicago, this West Coast event will likely continue to grow and get better.