ArchLIGHT Summit Recap: A New Apex of Innovation and Influence

Archlight Recap Graphic
Archlight Recap Graphic

ArchLIGHT Summit 2025 Delivers Record Growth and Breakthrough Ideas

The 2025 ArchLIGHT Summit — held 16–17 September at the Dallas Market Center — has firmly established itself as a strong event. This year’s show felt larger and more energetic than ever. Attendance felt like it was up 30–40 percent (we are waiting on the final numbers from the show), with 12 more exhibitors than in 2024 — and even a small waitlist. The quality of lighting designers was impressive, and a few major end-users were spotted on the floor.

All of the major Dallas rep agencies are now fully behind the show. That includes Sesco, Texas Lighting Solutions, Hossley, ALA – Architectural Lighting Alliance, and Preferred Lighting Group. With record crowds, breakthrough product launches, and forward-looking education, the Summit is shaping how designers, specifiers, manufacturers, and end users will work in the years ahead.

Strong Start, Strong Signals

From the opening reception — hosted by WILD (Women in Lighting + Design) at the D15TRICT Lounge — to a program packed with visionary talks, ArchLIGHT 2025 carried real momentum.

Exhibitors such as Lumato, Inter-Lux, and Amerlux impressed with products that balanced aesthetics, technical performance, and sustainability. I don’t usually expect to see major product launches at ArchLIGHT, but this year proved me wrong. Xicato’s unveiling of the XTS Pro was one of the show’s most talked-about moments. The downlight dynamically adjusts its color gamut depending on what it illuminates, while also delivering data gathering and occupancy sensing.

Arch Light Summit 2025 Recap
The Gamut of the Xicato Downlight Immediately Changes when Ed Martin Holds up a Red T-Shirt

The product genuinely surprised your humble editor. It offered a glimpse into how AI can shape not just product development, but also the products themselves. Could AI be ushering in the gold rush of innovation our industry has been waiting for?

Luminaire-Level Lighting Controls: From Promise to Practice

Two of the most substantive sessions at ArchLIGHT explored luminaire-level lighting controls (LLLC). Umesh Baheti presented “Vision for Luminaire Level Lighting Controls”, while Peter Augusta of Casambi Technologies led a lively roundtable. Both sessions made it clear that LLLC is no longer on the horizon — it’s here, and it’s transforming design and operations.

Some highlights:

  • LLLC systems now embed motion sensing, daylight harvesting, and environmental monitoring — all within the fixture.

  • Wireless mesh technologies are becoming reliable and trusted. Self-healing mesh networks and open standards such as DALI+ are paving the way for interoperability.

  • Energy savings are compelling. In nearly 200 buildings with LLLC installed, the DesignLights Consortium reported average savings of almost 50 percent. In some office projects, savings reached 74 percent.

AI & Design: A Balanced Embrace

Artificial intelligence was another major theme. The session “Intelligence by Design: How AI is Shaping Lighting, Architecture, and Everyday Workflows” was packed with ideas — and caution.

Attendees saw how AI can enhance visualization by adding photorealistic detail and upscaling early concepts. This capability helps bring more team members into the creative process. But speakers Lisa Reed and Ludovick “Ludo” Michaud reminded the audience that renderings can mislead. Early sketches still have value, and over reliance on AI risks eroding human creativity.

Interactive polls during the session showed consensus on three points: human creativity will remain central, disclosure of AI use is desirable, and AI integration into design software is inevitable.

Color Display at ArchLIGHT
ArchLIGHT has always had a color lab at all 5 previous Summits. Blackout curtains made this an exceptional–and busy–exhibit.

What It All Means

The messages from ArchLIGHT Summit 2025 are clear:

  • The industry is advancing toward systems that are intelligent, distributed, interoperable, and sustainable.

  • Product design is becoming increasingly data-rich, combining performance with new ways to measure and improve occupant experience.

NeoCon, ASID, and the Expanding Lighting Ecosystem

ArchLIGHT Summit’s success has not gone unnoticed. In Chicago, NeoCon — the longstanding commercial interiors show — is launching Illuminate at NeoCon 2026, a curated platform dedicated entirely to lighting.

Also notable: the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) will co-locate with ArchLIGHT in 2026. ASID is a nonprofit representing all sectors of interior design — residential, commercial, hospitality, and institutional. It offers membership, research, advocacy, and education. Their involvement highlights the growing role of interior designers as critical lighting influencers. By uniting with ArchLIGHT, ASID will bring fresh energy and a wider design community into direct contact with lighting manufacturers and technologies. A smart move.

Looking Forward

If ArchLIGHT Summit 2025 is any indication, the lighting industry is entering a new chapter — one where innovation, education, sustainability, and human-centered design are no longer optional but expected.

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