So far, your humble editor has hosted one party and attended three others. Parties add so much to the overall LightFair experience, and it is great to blow off a little steam at the end of the day. There are two companies that are not exhibiting at the show that invited me to parties, which I politely declined. As a service to our industry, I do not name or promote those companies, as we strongly support the companies that exhibit at LightFair.
Sunday, 19 JUN: Our friends from Filix Lighting hosted a “Make-A-Splash” party at the Renaissance Las Vegas. I arrived early and got to witness Antonija Fonovic “negotiating” with the hotel management about putting live fixtures in their pool. It was quite amusing, as Filix had rented the pool area and was serving heavy appetizers with adult beverages. Just as the crowd began to arrive, management finally allowed the live demonstration in the water. Filix has done this around the country, and it is quite effective.
Monday, 20 JUN: EdisonReport hosted our 7th Annual Lifetime Achievement Awards with Sam Koerbel as the MC. The party began at 5:30 and was supposed to end by 8pm, but many people stayed much later. It was a great mix of lighting designers, educators, reps, and luminaire manufacturers. This was probably the most fun industry event that I have hosted. Details here.
Tuesday, 21 JUN: ALP had a great on-site party in their booth. There was a lot of booze in a short period of time, and it was well attended and a lot of fun. Parties on-site make it very easy for people like me. You can’t beat the convenience.
After ALP, I was off to the LEDVANCE party on floor 108 of the Stratosphere. The event was great–even for me–a man terrified of heights. So long as I stayed away from the windows, I was fine. The food and entertainment were superb. As a non-vegetarian (except when traveling to China), I spent a lot of time at the beef tenderloin carving station. LEDVANCE had a good mix of distributors and contractors during my time, and the violin orchestra was a very nice touch.