LIGHTFAIR International was the largest trade show to date

LIGHTFAIR International (LFI) has set all-new records at the Pennsylvania Convention Center 7-11 May with the largest trade show floor and largest Philadelphia registration highlighting its 2017 performance.

The trade show encompassed 277,600 net square feet housing 592 exhibitors, including 59 first time exhibiting companies and 127 manufacturers headquartered outside the US. Exhibitors presented the lighting and design industry’s latest innovations and newest concepts from the world’s leading manufacturers. Two new pavilions- Intelligent Lighting and IoT – displayed products and solutions showcased in product presentations featuring technology and connectivity innovations.

LIGHTFAIR 2017’s registration of 27,939 topped the 2016 total and posted a 7.4% increase over the 2013 Philadelphia registration total. Registered attendees represented 81 countries.

“LFI 2017 was by every measure a study in superlatives with the trade show and conference eclipsing all predecessors in staging, scope and scale,” noted Jeffrey L. Portman, Sr Vice Chairman, President and Chief Operating Officer of LFI Managing Partner AmericasMart Atlanta. “These pivotal outcomes will accelerate LFI’s growth trajectory for 2018 and beyond,” Portman added.

LIGHTFAIR International is the world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference. It is sponsored by the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) and produced by AmericasMart Atlanta.

“Across every dimension of the trade show and conference, transformative innovation was pronounced and prolific. LFI 2017 was all about the continuing integration of lighting, technology and connectivity,” noted Shirley Coyle, President, IES.

LFI’s expanded trade show floor featured a product mix of 46 categories that included controls, IoT, decorative, alternative energy including solar power, software, site and roadway, digital signage, healthcare and hospitality.

 “The worlds of lighting and design converged in Philadelphia to discover all that is new, next and emergent in practice, concept and theory. LFI delivered all of that, and more, to reveal a clear vision into the future,” noted Victor Palacio, President, IALD.

Preceding and setting the stage for the trade show opening, the prestigious LFI Innovation Awards highlighted the industry’s most innovative products and designs introduced during the last 12 months. The Awards saw 255 entries from 135 exhibiting companies spanning 14 categories, with each submission judged by an independent panel of lighting professionals.

The 2017 LFI Conference curriculum offered 180.5 hours of education and contained 73 courses taught by 135 industry experts. New courses in the IoT & Smart Lighting Forum (sponsored by ENLIGHTED, INC., Booth 3849) and the Light & Health Forum covered the newest knowledge in these areas. LIGHTFAIR offered an off-site tour to lighting design projects by The Lighting Practice (sponsored by B-K LIGHTING & TEKA ILLUMINATION, Booth 3325). LIGHTFAIR also offered Portuguese simultaneous translation this year in addition to continuing Spanish for eight select seminars.

During the keynote luncheon on 7 May, Sakchin Bessette elaborated on Moment Factory’s work that continues to ‘push the boundaries of excellence in new media and public art’ with a presentation titled ‘Another Light.’  On 8 May, for ‘ART: Illuminating Cities,’ Janet Echelman discussed her fascinating work and attendees found out more about her sculptures around the world (keynote sponsored by EATON, Booth 1101). For the third keynote – a new addition to the 2017 LFI calendar – 9 May, Dr. Michio Kaku presented ‘The Next 20 Years: How Science Will Revolutionize Business, Medicine, Architecture, Lighting and Our Way of Life’.

New events in The HUB brought together different groups of attendees for networking opportunities. Events included the ‘Welcome to Philadelphia Reception’ on 9 May, two young professional events on 10 May, and a women in lighting series event ‘The Work/Life Balancing Act: Expectations & Communication across Generations’ on 11 May. The HUB, sponsored by MINEBEAMITSUMI (Booth 3539), offered a central meeting space for events.

The New Exhibitor Pavilion was a place to gather and enjoy refreshments while viewing the latest innovations from first-time exhibitors. There was a special event each trade show day: ‘Cocktail Hour’ (9 May, 4-5pm), ‘Philadelphia Snack’ (10 May, 3-4pm) and ‘Morning Mingle’ (11 May, 9:30-10:30am). Attendees also entered to win prizes by logging five or more booth visits in the New Exhibitor Pavilion within the Pavilion Giveaway section in the LIGHTFAIR app.

The LFI app provided attendees with a personalized schedule, tools to easily and quickly navigate the trade show floor, quick access to important event information and a networking feature to provide the ultimate on-site experience. Attendees and exhibitors connected to LFI via social media during the show and can continue to interact throughout the year on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. LFI NEWS videos released on YouTube captured the LIGHTFAIR experience through highlights and attendee and exhibitor interviews.

LIGHTFAIR International 2017 events took place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center located at 1101 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107.

For LIGHTFAIR International 2017, the Pre-Conference program took place from 7-8 May, 2017 and the LFI Trade Show and Conference ran from 9-11 May 2017.