Your humble editor spoke with two Chicago lighting representatives during NeoCon. Neither appeared to be supporting Illuminate in any meaningful way. Many Chicago reps already have their own events and priorities. One rep told me it was not in his interest to help Illuminate, although he was happy to walk the show and visit his manufacturers.
Sean Gaydos, President of USAI Lighting, said he had seen representatives from Atlanta, Miami, California, and Chicago on the show floor. Sean explained that those reps came to visit their manufacturers and meet interior designers who had traveled to NeoCon. By connecting with local designers in Chicago, those reps could steer them to specific lighting manufacturers and strengthen those relationships. It never occurred to me that reps outside of Chicago would attend this event.
Education
Sean believes designer education remains one of the industry’s most important goals.
“The better we can educate the interior designer, the more they fight to keep their spec and to keep the quality of the design that they work so hard to achieve, because lighting affects all the fabrics and all of the materials in their spec,” Sean said.
Sean also pointed to the partnerships developing throughout THE MART as a unique benefit of Illuminate. Several USAI products appear in permanent showroom installations, including spaces operated by Armstrong and other partners.
“It’s not just the stands that we have on the 7th floor,” Sean said. “Our products are actually featured throughout the building in various partnerships.”
He added that he enjoys walking through the showrooms and seeing USAI products displayed in real-world applications.
Sean also spoke about the importance of talking to people that the industry does not normally talk to. He said, “I am meeting lots of new people here, and that’s a good thing.”