EdisonReport Goes Live from Dallas at ArchLIGHT

There are plenty of reasons I am looking forward to ArchLIGHT Summit 2026, 15–16 SEP, at the Dallas Market Center. This year, however, the event will be a little different for EdisonReport, as EdisonReport goes live for the first time at the summit.

We’re going live.

ArchLIGHT Summit is providing EdisonReport with a professional camera crew. Throughout the event, we plan to broadcast live from Dallas. We’ll interview industry leaders, visit exhibitors and reps, and report on what we are seeing and hearing on the show floor.

Among the interviews I am particularly looking forward to are Cindy Morris, President and CEO of Dallas Market Center; Andrea Hartranft, FIALD, principal of Hartranft Lighting Studios; and representatives from the DALI Alliance. We’ll also sit down with exhibitors and lighting reps throughout the two-day event.

The show continues to grow, and its reach now extends well beyond the region, with attendees traveling to Dallas from across the country—and even overseas. One of the people making the trip is Danish patent attorney Henrik Villumsen. I’ll sit down with Henrik for a live interview to discuss the latest developments in lighting-industry intellectual property and patent litigation, a subject that continues to generate significant interest across the industry.

There is another reason I am excited about Dallas: the education program is strong.

Cliff Smith and I certainly won’t be able to attend everything. However, I’ve already circled several sessions on my schedule.

Leni Schwendinger Opens ArchLIGHT Summit 2026

Tuesday, 15 SEP | 10:00 a.m.
Humanizing the Night: A Practical Vision for Safer, More Vibrant, Illuminated Cities
Leni Schwendinger, urban lighting authority and founder of the NightSeeing™ nighttime design initiative

Leni Schwendinger will deliver the opening keynote, examining how nighttime lighting can help create safer and more vibrant cities. Her work includes major urban environments such as New York’s Port Authority Bus Terminal and Times Square.

In 2025, Leni also received a Light Justice NOW Award for her work on Urban Braids.

This is exactly the kind of big-picture discussion that makes an industry conference worthwhile.

Ardra Zinkon Takes a Practical Look at AI

Tuesday, 15 SEP | 11:00 a.m.
AI as a Lighting Designer’s Assistant: Practical Tools for Analysis, Comparison, and Clarity
Ardra Zinkon, CLD, IALD, president and director of lighting design, Zinkon Creative Studio

Given how quickly AI is moving into virtually every part of our industry, Ardra Zinkon’s session is high on my list.

Rather than predicting some distant AI future, Ardra will focus on what lighting designers can actually do with the technology today. That practical approach should make this one of the more timely sessions at ArchLIGHT Summit 2026.

Why DALI Makes Sense for Outdoor Lighting Control

Another session on my list is Why DALI Makes Sense for Outdoor Lighting Control, featuring Nathan Harris, Stephen Zhou and Carol Jones.

Controls continue to become a larger part of the lighting conversation. At the same time, DALI’s expanding role in North America makes this discussion particularly exciting.

The timing is also ideal. The DALI Alliance North America Summit takes place at Dallas Market Center alongside ArchLIGHT Summit, putting even more attention on controls and interoperability.

Who Is the Integrator?

I also want to attend Who Is the Integrator—and Why Your Lighting Project Depends on Them.

As lighting becomes increasingly connected to other building systems, one question becomes more important: Who is responsible for making everything work together?

The industry talks constantly about interoperability and connected buildings. But somebody ultimately has to make those systems function in the real world.

I am interested in hearing how the speakers define the integrator’s role and where they believe that responsibility should reside.

“Selectable” Lighting: One Size May Not Fit All

Another session that caught my attention is “Selectable” Lighting: One Size May Not Fit All, featuring Michael Lunn, Paula Ziegenbein and Shanna Snow Brown.

Selectable wattage, CCT and other field-adjustable features have exploded across the industry. They can simplify inventories and give contractors tremendous flexibility.

But are they always good for the lighting design?

The title alone tells me there should be a healthy discussion.

Mariana Figueiro on Light and Health

Wednesday, 16 SEP | 1:00 p.m.
Lighting to Support Human Health and Wellbeing
Mariana Figueiro, professor and director of the Light and Health Research Center at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

I have followed Mariana Figueiro’s work for years, so this is another session I don’t want to miss.

Her presentation will examine how the spectrum, timing and duration of light affect our visual, perceptual and circadian systems. She will also offer practical guidance for designing around bright days, dim evenings and dark nights.

Andrea Hartranft Asks What Comes After the Race to the Bottom

Wednesday, 16 SEP | 3:00 p.m.
What Happens When the Race to the Bottom Is Over? The Evolution of Value
Andrea Hartranft, FIALD, principal, Hartranft Lighting Studios

This may be the session I am most intrigued by.

For years, our industry has pushed LED costs lower while simultaneously driving efficacy higher. But what happens when price and efficiency are no longer enough to differentiate one product from another?

Andrea’s closing keynote will tackle that question and explore where value comes from next. It’s a question the entire lighting industry should be asking.

Dallas Will Have Energy

ArchLIGHT Summit 2026 doesn’t exist in isolation.

The event overlaps with Dallas Design Week, the DALI Alliance North America Summit and ASID’s national GATHER: Catalyst conference. That combination should bring an unusually broad mix of lighting, architecture, controls and design professionals to Dallas Market Center.

For EdisonReport, that’s exactly what we want.

We’ll have the cameras rolling. We’ll talk with the people making news. And we’ll try to capture some of the conversations that normally happen only when the lighting industry gets together face-to-face.

If you’re attending ArchLIGHT Summit, come find your humble editor and say hello.

If you’re not going to Dallas, keep an eye on EdisonReport.

This year, we’re bringing ArchLIGHT Summit to you—live.

View the ArchLIGHT Summit 2026 schedule and registration information

Go Deeper:ArchLIGHT Summit Announces a Move to June For Its 2027 Dates