The show on day 2 was comfortably busy, as opposed to the chaotic busyness of the previous day. The feedback from attendees was virtually all positive. One of the show staff mentioned that the most valued aspect of the show, according to a survey of attendees, was the face-to-face interaction. The lean shows of the pandemic years are a thing of the past, and the attendance and excitement over the past two days are indicative of an industry that is thankful to be able to gather again.
The EdisonReport booth stayed busy throughout the day as we hosted most of our C-Suite Series interviews. Look for conversations with Cree, WAC, PureEdge Lighting, Cooper, Optique, Acuity, Landscape Forms and more in the coming days.
The color of the day was pink. A noticeable portion of the attendees donned their best pink outfit in support of Women in Lighting + Design (WILD). The fast-growing organization is now up to 21 chapters, with 2 more (Austin and Toronto) currently in the works.
Acoustic pendants were a popular feature at numerous booths. Bob Kiemig of Luxxbox showed me their latest lines and explained the process they use to design acoustically pleasing spaces, similar to designing a lighting layout. The process involves calculating the number of sabins (a unit of sound absorption) needed to deliver the desired acoustic properties. They even feature products without light for situations in which the need for sound absorption exceeds the need for light output. The proper level of sound absorption can be achieved without having to power excess fixtures.
A special shout out to two of my favorite visits of the day. The first was RBW, who styled their booth after an NYC bodega. The founders wore aprons and their literature was printed on newspaper. They launched four new fixtures today, a series of sconces made in collaboration with artist and designer Little Wing Lee.
The second was Acuity, who dedicated a portion of their booth to giving back. They hosted a book drive in partnership with The Reading Team, a Harlem-based nonprofit. And they passed out refillable water bottles for their “Fill it Forward” initiative. Scanning a QR code on the bottle each time you refilled sent a small donation in support of providing clean water where it is needed most. Hats off to Acuity for supporting these worthy causes!
The show floor was bustling throughout the afternoon, and although some breakdown and pack-up had begun, most booths stayed busy right until the clock struck three. I overheard a relieved countdown from a booth in the Grand Ballroom starting at 2:59 – the exhaustion from a busy and productive show had set in.
With the show over, I had just enough time to pack my things and get to the airport, but not before I managed to see one of the city’s most iconic sights…
