Page 42 - Lighting Magazine November 2018

ALA
ALA Conference Report
The recent ALA Conference in Asheville, N.C. delivered thought- provoking educational sessions as well as valuable networking opportunities. Here is a sampling of what went on.
BY LINDA LONGO
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
The 2018 ALA Conference in Asheville, N.C., brought together some of the sharpest minds in the industry to brainstorm solutions and increase their knowledge so they can continue to succeed in the face of increased competition today.
Noting that the American Lighting Asso- ciation’s Conference in Asheville was held just one week a er the Carolinas had been
hit hard by Hurricane Florence – with Conference a endance a ected by the natural disaster – ALA President & CEO Eric Jacobson encouraged the 517 ALA members who came to the annual gath- ering to donate to the American Red Cross for disaster relief.
“Many ALA members are family-owned busi- nesses in retail, manufacturing, and rep rms, and we have stood together [in the face of adversity] in the past,” Jacobson said, adding that the indus- try has had a signi cant impact on those families.
These days there is more than Mother Nature causing di culties. “Like most industries, our industry is changing,” Jacobson noted. As show- rooms face challenges from online retailing, it is essential that “our showrooms be that guiding force in educating customers about LED technol- ogy. Today, there are opportunities happening in the ‘connected world’ that we never could have imagined 10 years ago. Our membership has the ability to [take control] over this growing market. Innovation is critical for growth,” he a rmed.
The ALA’s emphasis on emerging technology is one of the reasons many renew their membership each year. The organization recently unveiled its newly revised, comprehensive Residential Light- ing Training Manual as well as the Residential Lighting Recommended Practice Guide for Inte- rior and Exterior Residential Environments (RP-11) in collaboration with the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and the American National Stan- dards Institute (ANSI).
Another aspect of the ALA that helps retain
40 enLIGHTenment Magazine | noveMber 2018
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