2025 May Have Been the best LEDucation Ever
The 2025 edition of LEDucation, hosted by the Designers Lighting Forum of New York (DLFNY), may have been its best yet. Held 18–19 March at the New York Hilton Midtown, the event welcomed nearly 10,000 attendees and featured 475 exhibitors, cementing its position as North America’s leading lighting industry gathering.
In-person interest was so strong that organizers had to expand room sizes for educational sessions. The conference included 29 in-person seminars and 13 virtual presentations, which drew over 3,000 online participants.
New Products
A standout moment was the IESNYC Student Lighting Competition. This year’s theme, A Sight for Sore Eyes, challenged students to design solutions focused on visual comfort and glare control, highlighting LEDucation’s commitment to emerging talent. For those who say, “There is nothing new” or “The Industry doesn’t have any exciting new products,” check out our LightPitch(tm) interviews, where we saw some fascinating new products.
Paul Mitchell, Western Regional Sales Manager for BK Lighting & Teka Illumination, shared his enthusiasm for the event. “Definitely a very positive event for our industry! LEDucation has established itself as ‘the’ premier domestic lighting event,” he said.
Bob Preston, a Lighting Solutions Specialist with Capital Electric, a Sonepar company, echoed that sentiment. “LEDucation is one of the best networking events in the U.S. lighting industry,” he said. “It was great to see many of my lighting friends in one place. Having in-person conversations with industry counterparts and colleagues is one of the big reasons I attend.”
Improved Traffic Patterns
As your humble editor, I found the layout and flow of LEDucation both efficient and engaging. I spent most of Tuesday on the showroom floor filming LightPitch™, weaving through the various halls. The crowd was steady all day, and while every space stayed active, it never felt like it reached the overwhelming levels of 2024. This year, traffic felt more balanced, and navigation was much smoother.
Moving lunch outside the trade show floor was also a smart change—it significantly improved traffic flow. One OEM expressed concern about being located in a corner of a smaller hall, but when I checked in with him twice during the show, he said booth traffic had been non-stop. At LEDucation, it’s hard to find a bad location.
That said, both Paul and Bob raised valid concerns about the show’s growing pains.
“Wider aisles might better facilitate discussion and interaction,” Paul suggested. Bob was more direct: “Too many people in too small a footprint,” he said. “Even with their admirable show guide, it’s a challenge to locate a specific booth and then have a meaningful conversation amidst the crowd. If you really want to actually see products, go to LightFair. But LEDucation does prove that there is still a huge appetite for lighting people to get together.”
There’s been some chatter about possibly moving components or controls to another event, such as NYControlled, to help relieve space constraints. Whether that’s the right solution remains to be seen, but it’s encouraging to know that DLFNY is actively exploring ways to improve the show. Some say LEDucation is a victim of its own success—and with that success comes growing pains. Fortunately, the organizing committee has consistently shown its ability to listen, adapt, and evolve.