Light + Intelligent Building North America Unveils First Prospectus

The new Light + Intelligent Building North America prospectus is out. The document offers the first detailed look at how organizers plan to position the successor to LightFair. Based on the prospectus, the team is clearly trying to create something much broader than a traditional lighting trade show.

A New Direction

The prospectus carries the theme “Flipping the Switch on the Future.” That slogan appears to have a double meaning. It looks forward to intelligent buildings and connected technologies. It also suggests a departure from the traditional LightFair model.

Throughout the document, organizers emphasize the connection between lighting and the larger building ecosystem.

Three Major Categories

The Light North America prospectus divides the exhibition into three primary sectors:

• Lighting
• Building Technology
• Components & Accessories

That structure aligns with the show’s new mission. Lighting remains a core focus. However, the organizers clearly want to attract a broader audience.

Building Technology Takes Center Stage

The Building Technology section contains some of the most interesting material in the prospectus.

The document lists product categories that many lighting professionals rarely encounter at lighting trade shows. Examples include intelligent elevators, sanitation and water management systems, smart parking technologies, television and video equipment, and integrated fire controls.

If organizers can attract exhibitors from those sectors, they should bring new audiences to the event. Architects, engineers, facility managers, and system integrators may have more reasons to attend. Those visitors would hopefully also spend time with lighting exhibitors.

Three Dedicated Forums

The educational program follows the same three-part structure. The show plans to offer:

• Illumination Forum
• Intelligent Building Forum
• Components Forum

Each forum will focus on a specific audience and technology segment. The approach makes sense. It gives attendees a clear path through the event while supporting the show’s broader mission.

One term caught my attention on Page 3. The prospectus references “heal-world performance,” a term I am unfamiliar with. 

A Few Questions About Product Categories

The prospectus is modern, clean, and professionally designed. However, one section surprised me.

Under “Product Categories That Fit,” the very first category listed is incandescent lamps. It has been a long time since your humble editor has seen an incandescent lamp featured prominently at a major lighting trade show. The second category is discharge lamps, which most lighting veterans associate with HID technologies such as metal halide and high-pressure sodium.

The list also includes electronic ballasts and transformers.

Certainly, there are niche applications where some of these products still exist. And it is understandable that organizers want to cast the widest possible net when recruiting exhibitors. Yet placing those categories at the top of the list feels a bit like climbing into a time machine. The future-oriented messaging throughout the prospectus emphasizes intelligent buildings, connected controls, software, sensors, interoperability, and building performance. Leading with incandescent lamps seems inconsistent with that vision.

A Good Start

Overall, the Light North America prospectus represents a strong first step. Of course, a prospectus alone will not determine the success of the 2027 event.

The organizers will need a herculean effort to recruit exhibitors. They must attract attendees from both the lighting and intelligent building communities. However, Messe Frankfurt, the show’s organizer, has very strong success with this theme globally. Two of the most important–and most profitable–lighting shows in the world are Light + Intelligent Buildings Middle East and Light + Building.  

The lighting industry needs a strong national trade show. This prospectus suggests the organizers understand that challenge. Now we will watch to see what tools they deploy next.

Read the prospectus here.

Read more: LightFair Owners Launch Light + Intelligent Building North America