I split the day on Saturday in Halls 3 and 8. The setup is great because, as a reporter, I don’t want to interrupt a marketing person when the show begins and they are talking to potential customers. When learning about products during setup, I typically look for the person wearing the cleanest clothes as they are usually in an administrative role and not wiring fixtures.
In the morning, I visited Hall 8. There were so many ignored announcements about not smoking, and the smokers always give a little laugh as they continue puffing away. Smoking is probably the only vice I do not have, but I do empathize with them.
Throughout the day, I spoke with about 20 companies—none had significant move-in problems.
Fabio Zaniboni of BubblyNet showed a beautiful and intuitive new drag-and-drop display that controls shades, lights, and room temperature, to name a few. Fabio also showed me a chart that explained the different versions of Bluetooth from 2010 until today. Late last year, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group launched the Network Lighting Controls (or NLC) version which guarantees interoperability between companies.
I had a conversation with Andy Shakes, the Managing Director of A.L.P. Europe. The company has recently inked a deal to distribute Plaskolite products in Europe, covering a range of polymers and extrusions. They’re launching a product called Brightview, a silicone-molded diffuser that’s designed to snap right into an extrusion. In a testament to his commitment, Andy took a whirlwind trip to Chicago, spending only 28 hours in the U.S. to attend the funeral of Bill Brown, before heading back to the UK. Andy, who appears to be around my age, had the privilege of knowing Bill Brown since he was 26 years old!
I mentioned in my Friday podcast that ams OSRAM‘s stock lost 38% in one day. I went to their booth to find out why, and no one was able to speak about it. However, I did see a lot of great products, including a residential faucet with their UV 3535. This was a very small and sleek UV filter that is simply added to one’s kitchen faucet.
Speaking of clean water, please allow a small rant. We all know that Europe is far ahead of the US in many things, including sustainability. But good luck filling your Stanley with water in Frankfurt. I have not seen one water fountain since I have been in the city. Now that I beat my Coke Zero addiction last year, public water has become quite important to me, and I will probably spend €50 this week on Pellegrino!
Next up, Hall 3.
At 2 PM, Saturday in Hall 3.1, the organizers pulled a pretty smart move. For the first time that I’ve seen, they dimmed the lights to off during setup. This let the exhibitors see the actual light levels they’d be dealing with during the show and tweak their individual booth lighting as needed. They made sure to give everyone a heads-up to stop any risky work while the lights were low. I thought that was pretty clever.
The Artemide booth has lots of curves, a nice departure from the rectangular boxes. It is conveniently located right next to the Design Plaza in hall 3.1
At the Glamox booth, Andrea Eliasson from Sweden showcased the C7 series. He highlighted the importance of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and sustainable practices. Andrea stressed that the most impactful sustainability practice for companies is to prioritize energy efficiency. He noted that the carbon footprint from manufacturing is significantly smaller than the CO2 used for energy consumption. The C7 series stands out for its efficiency, delivering 155 lumens per watt with minimal glare. I do not recall seeing a direct light with this level of efficiency with such low glare, ever.
Prolicht was one of many exhibitors proclaiming Matter compliant. Matter is a protocol that was started by several companies including Amazon, Apple, and Google. Several companies here are promoting this protocol.
At the LEDVANCE exhibit, I had the opportunity to engage with Pulkit Dhanuk, who holds dual roles as the overseer of the Smart Plus App and a Residential Application Engineer. He showcased a product termed “Vintage Filament.” True to its name, this product exudes a retro charm, designed to give your living room a warm, inviting ambiance during the evening hours. Uniquely, this device has no traditional bulb; instead, it features a filament encased directly within a glass enclosure. The filament is not fixed, rather it is suspended by a pair of magnets. In a demonstration, Pulkit struck the fixture forcefully, causing the filament to leap within its glass confines—remarkably, without interrupting its operation. It gave the luminaire a new look. I could not help but reminisce about my old days at GE Lighting. Sometimes, if you gently tapped on an incandescent bulb, the filament would just fall apart.
Here is a quick video of the demonstration:
I noticed something cool at the Bridgelux booth and others, too – lots of green stuff on their walls. It was everywhere, and I couldn’t tell if it was real. So, being curious, I pulled off a tiny piece. It felt like the real deal. I walked up to one of the workers and asked, “Is this real?”
They all started talking in German and laughing, but then one guy shouted in English, “It’s real.” My next question is, “Okay, what is it?” And that made them laugh even more, lots of snide comments in German. Once they caught their breath, one said, “Moss. You guys don’t have moss in the States?” with a big grin.
So there you have it, there is moss everywhere in this show—and it is on purpose.
The show starts Sunday and I feel like a kid in a candy store. It’s going to be great!