Make Your Plans to Attend IES 2025: The Lighting Conference
If you haven’t made plans to attend the IES 2025 Lighting Conference, this is the perfect week to do it. The regular rate at the conference hotel, the Marriott Anaheim, is $409. However, the special IES conference rate is only $239.
For flights, Southwest currently lists a round-trip fare of $349 from LaGuardia to Orange County. Alternatively, if you don’t mind the risk of being late, United offers a flight out of Newark for $289.
Yesterday, I visited the IES website to get the latest details about the conference. To my pleasant surprise, when I typed IES.org into the browser, a pop-up window appeared asking if I planned to attend. After I clicked “maybe,” the site immediately directed me to the conference landing page. This was a brilliant user experience that made it easy to find information quickly.
Honoring Two Industry Leaders
One of the best developments this year is that IES has announced the Marks and Medal winners in advance. This is another smart move that will build anticipation.
The Society’s most prestigious technical award, the IES Medal Award, will go to Kevin Houser, FIES. In addition, the esteemed Louis B. Marks Award, named for the first President of IES, will recognize Charles E. “Chip” Israel, FIES, for his exceptional non-technical contributions.
Both Chip and Kevin are very deserving honorees. Announcing their awards ahead of time is brilliant and should help drive attendance.
A Program Full of Insights
This year’s conference program offers truly compelling content. You can view the full schedule here.
The IES 2025 Lighting Conference will showcase a wide range of topics that reflect both the practical and visionary sides of the lighting industry. Several sessions stand out for their relevance to current trends and the challenges designers face today.
Decarbonization and Controls
One session, “DALI, HVAC & the Planet: A Bright Idea for Decarbonization,” will look at how lighting controls, building systems, and environmental performance intersect. Carol Jones, Michael Myer, and Chris Wolgamott are scheduled to discuss strategies for improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. I have heard all three of these speakers before and this will be an excellent discusison.
Visualization and BIM Models
Rick Mistrick will present “Lessons Learned Generating High Quality Lighting Renderings Using Manufacturer’s BIM Models.” This session will explain how BIM models can help designers and stakeholders visualize lighting solutions before they are built.
Sports Lighting Considerations
In “Sports Lighting for Owners, Athletes, Spectators, and Gamblers,” IES Past President Paul Mercier will discuss the unique considerations that come with lighting sports facilities. The session is expected to cover the diverse needs of players, fans, and other audiences.
Lighting and Well-Being
Our good friend, Amardeep M. Dugar will present “Salutogenic Lighting Design – Looking Beyond the Cliché and the Fuzz.” This session will explore how lighting systems can promote well-being and how wellness claims can be translated into real design approaches.
Environmental Impact
IES Past President, Ronald Gibbons will share his research in “Development of a Moon Metric to Characterize Roadway Lighting Impact on Flora and Fauna.” This presentation will examine how roadway lighting affects ecosystems and how new metrics could help address these impacts.
3D Printing for Museums
Finally, Kai-Di Peng and Nadarajah Narendran will discuss “A 3D-printed Optic for Use in Museum Lighting Light Fixtures.” They will explore how additive manufacturing techniques can improve or customize lighting components in museum settings.
Looking Ahead
These are just a few of the sessions that caught my attention.
The Progress Report is scheduled for Thursday, 21 August, and it promises to be different this year. I’ll share more details in my next IES25 Conference Report.