Randy attended the federal Markman hearing in Signify's patent case against ETI, where key lighting terms like "heat sink," "housing," and "downlight module" were debated — decisions that could significantly shape the infringement dispute. Jennifer Chronister joins BIOS Lighting to grow the brand's human-centric lighting story, and ETC names David Hilton as VP of Sales as Mark Vassallo retires after 28 years.

Halco Lighting Technologies opens a new distribution facility in Dayton, New Jersey to improve delivery times and same-day shipping across the Northeast. The 2027 IESNYC Lumen Awards open submissions through 8 January for designers connected to the New York City metropolitan area, and Lodes introduces Non Random, a spherical suspension lamp in three sizes and six finishes for residential, hospitality, and commercial spaces.

Cence Power is centralizing AC-to-DC conversion to reduce drivers, conduit, and maintenance across hospitals, data centers, and commercial buildings. Glamox reports stable Q2 revenues with 10.9% Marine, Offshore & Wind growth offsetting weaker building markets, and LEDucation 2027 opens its call for speakers with proposals due 15 September for virtual and in-person sessions in New York City.

ArchLIGHT Summit announces it will move from September to June beginning in 2027, overlapping with Lightovation at Dallas Market Center for a week of commercial, architectural, and residential lighting. Glamox supplies 900+ specialized marine lights for Taiwan's Formosa 4 offshore wind farm, and Pharos Architectural Controls brings flexible lighting control to Montreal's historic Maisonneuve Library.

Randy travels to Gainesville, Georgia to attend the Signify vs ETI Markman hearing — a contentious courtroom session where attorneys argued over key term definitions, with a full article coming later this week. The September issue of Designing Lighting is out featuring a 1,300-fixture landscape transformation and a moving story about a war-damaged Ukrainian bridge stitched together with light, and the IES26 Illumination Awards drew nearly 600 submissions and a sold-out gala of 340 attendees.

The USPTO denies Super Lighting's request to reexamine a PVTECH LED tube patent, finding no substantial new question of patentability. The Vancouver IES Section announces AEFI Vancouver 2026 for 23 October, and Dawn Doberenz of Columbia Pacific Sales makes the case for why regional rep agencies are indispensable partners — not just salespeople — for lighting manufacturers.

Immediately following IES26, Randy drove to Boulder for the 80th birthday celebration of David DiLaura, one of the true legends of the lighting industry. Held at the Koelbel Alumni Center at the University of Colorado Boulder, the evening brought together about 92 of lighting's biggest names to honor DiLaura as an educator, researcher, author, mentor, and friend — and the affection in the room said it all.

A special issue of The Spec drops today dedicated to Dave DeLora, with Randy sharing detailed coverage from Dave's birthday celebration in Boulder — a who's who of lighting leadership. Randy also responds to a competitor's recent critique, drawing a distinction between his decades of volunteer service to lighting industry nonprofits and reflecting on EdisonReport's advocacy for the industry.

The 2026 IES Progress Report recognizes 58 products and publications across eight industry trends. Sam Koerbel challenges lighting professionals to bridge the translation gap between technical expertise and decision-makers, and IES26 President Jared Smith makes headlines by using AI-powered glasses as a hidden teleprompter while maintaining eye contact with the audience.

IES shifts from survival mode to growth with a 2026–2028 strategy covering international expansion, new membership models, and AI-powered standards access. IES26 restores the beloved Progress Report with skits and a Fixture Feud game show, and Signify faces an unusual role reversal as Dense Matrix files a patent infringement lawsuit targeting its Interact Indoor Navigation and Trulifi LiFi products.