Yesterday, in conjunction with the 39th Annual IALD International Lighting Design Awards, the 3rd annual Blue Ribbon Bash was held virtually. The Blue Ribbon Bash is an online celebration to benefit the IALD Education Trust and this year it was streamed live from Lytei studios in Denver, CO, with hosts Steven Rosen and Jill Cody. The purpose of the IALD Education Trust is to support and educate the next generation of emerging lighting designers.
The celebration brought in guests and fellow members of the IALD to discuss the importance of the IALD Education Trust. Its role is to help the industry grow by delivering highly trained and educated professionals that will increase the quality of lighting design services. Monica Luz Lobo was a guest of the Blue Ribbon Bash and made the point that continuing to provide education to emerging professionals is crucial, as she sees global growth and higher demand for lighting design services in the future. In order to meet this demand and grow the profession, the emerging professional must have high quality education. Host Steven Rosen expanded on this point, stating young people well versed in new technology will keep the industry vibrant and adoption of new technology is also necessary for growth.
Recently appointed CEO of the IALD and Executive Director of the IALD Education Trust, Christopher Knowlton, joined the celebration as well. Knowlton reiterated the importance of young people joining the profession and providing them with as many tools as possible to succeed. He brought up that the Trust helps in more ways than just financially, as it also connects young professionals with mentors and introduces them to peers in the industry. Being unfamiliar with faces in the industry is a hurdle for many emerging professionals, and networking and collaboration plays a big role in growing industry alongside education.
The 3rd Annual Blue Ribbon Bash was a success. The goal was $30,000 and as of this morning they had raised $31,422, across 37 contributors. While the goal has been exceeded, donations are still being accepted. Support the industry and emerging professional here.
