Many manufacturers have pushed LightFair for years, even decades, to move the show to an every-other-year format. LightFair listened and the conglomerates showed their appreciation by not exhibiting in 2023.
It is important to note that two-thirds of LightFair’s profits are split between IALD and IES, which heavily rely on the show for their operations.
Despite the absence of some exhibitors, LightFair has welcomed new companies and win-backs. BOLD, Landscape Forms, Luxam, and WILA are considered new exhibitors in 2023, while Kurtzon, ETC, Lutron, Neri, TMB, Ecosense, TLS, WE-EF, and Griven are win-back companies that did not exhibit in the past two years but are back this year.
In a recent interview with Pat Walsh, President of Architectural Sales & Illuminations, Pat expressed excitement for LightFair 2023. He stated that in previous years, days for agents were filled with appointments and meetings, leaving little time for exploring new products. This year, they look forward to discovering innovations from new companies.
There is also strong support for LightFair from the New York lighting design community, with most of those interviewed planning to attend the show for at least one day.
In 2018 your humble edtior wrote about BigChinaLED and how they used LightFair as a springboard to grow their US business. In August of 2019 EdisonReport reported that 48 exporters would be barred from future LightFairs for rules violations. Banning these exporters was a bold move that LightFair took in support of the US companies.
With two of the biggest objections resolved, it raises the question of whether LightFair is truly the problem or if the state of the industry is the real issue.
Regardless, it’s encouraging to see companies like Lutron back at the show.