The 70th anniversary of the NALMCO Convention was officially opened by Randy Allen, the President of NALMCO. He began by reading the mandatory anti-trust statement and took a moment to remind the audience about the upcoming Spring Seminar scheduled for March 5-7, 2024 in Dallas.

He expressed his gratitude to the sponsors and highlighted the ‘Battle of the Brands’ event, where a trophy would be presented on Tuesday night. He also mentioned the key sponsors for each night: Keystone for 8 OCT, Acuity for 9 OCT,  and LEDVANCE who will be sponsoring 10 OCT. 

The convention was well-attended with approximately 257 attendees.

Mark Lien Addresses NALMCO 70th Annual Convention

At the NALMCO 70th Annual Convention, industry stalwart Mark Lien took to the stage, bringing with him a vast wealth of knowledge and experience. Lien, who is actively involved in over 20 committees and keeps tabs on more than 100 lighting-related organizations, is also a recognized columnist for LD+A. Among his many accolades, Lien has been inducted into the Michigan Hall of Fame and honored with the EdisonReport Lifetime Achievement Award. Many attendees may recall his presentation at the 60th Conference in the Bahamas. Additionally, Lien kicked off his talk by sharing a video featuring key NALMCO leaders discussing the organization’s value.

State of the Industry Insights:

• Mark Lien strikes an optimistic tone about the current state of the lighting industry, highlighting the immense opportunities that lie ahead, but there is also much concern as the industry continues to evolve.
• He emphasizes that the rate of industry change will only increase. Echoing Neil deGrasse Tyson’s sentiments about the rapid pace of technological advancement, Lien mentioned a potential doubling of technological progress by 2038.
• Lien shared a compelling insight: “If your clients are discussing the future and you’re uninformed, they won’t trust you.”

Industry Developments:

• The landscape of disruptive technologies is changing, with fewer groundbreaking shifts and more incremental adjustments.
• The internet’s evolution is marked by a shift from demonetization and dematerialization towards democratization.
• In terms of lighting technology, LED remains unmatched and is expected to dominate general lighting in the foreseeable future.
• The decline in LED prices has caused a dip in profits and consequently a halt in further research.
• Large companies’ longevity has decreased, as evidenced by the shrinking time companies remain in the SP 500.
• The lighting industry is witnessing a rapid pace of mergers, acquisitions, and bankruptcies.

Key Takeaways:

• Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers are poised to cause significant grid challenges, especially in larger cities. However, lighting energy retrofits could potentially offset some of the load required for these chargers.
• The controls market is anticipated to grow at a 24% CAGR.
• The Department of Energy (DOE) has begun a crackdown on incandescent bulbs, while the Biden-Harris administration is proposing a shift from 45 to 120 lumens per watt.
• Concrete manufacturers now use additives to increase reflectivity, improving light levels but to the dismay of our dark sky friends.
• NALMCO is spearheading a GUV certification program—it is the best in the world!
• On the innovation front, there has been a decline in traditional lighting. The IES Progress Report had the fewest submissions in its history—and the Progress Report began in 1911.  However, control innovation is emerging from non-traditional players, such as Samsung and Trane.
• Energy consumption related to Bitcoin would rank it among the top 30 nations if it were a country.

Sustainability and Regulations:

• Sustainability remains a topic with varied interpretations.
• Europe, through European TM65 and TM66 from CIBSE, is leading the charge on decarbonization and circularity.
• New York City will impose hefty fines on larger buildings non-compliant with Local Law 97 based on carbon emissions.
• The differentiation between operational carbon and embodied carbon was discussed.
• In a move towards sustainability, Ontario has mandated recycling requirements for lamp manufacturers.

At the lunch portion of the meeting various committee gave their reports.  Your humble editor had the honor of presenting a NLB Lighting Transformation Award to Rob Wilson of Stones River Electric for their retrofit of the Nissan Production Plant in Smyrna, TN.  The 6.0M+ square foot facility was retrofitted with 3 types of Current Lighting luminaires.