The upcoming Lightovation – Dallas International Lighting Show will offer a full slate of educational programming and an expanded selection of innovative products; Lightovation takes place concurrently with Dallas Total Home & Gift Market, running January 16 to 22.
“The lighting industry continues to experience substantial growth and innovation, and we are pleased to be the North American destination for lighting decision makers to review more new products and gain business intelligence,” says Cindy Morris, President & CEO of Dallas Market Center (DMC). “In addition, more companies are deepening their investment, signaling their confidence in Dallas as the dominant trading center.”
Continuing the tradition of offering the most comprehensive selection of leading-edge products in all categories of lighting and ceiling fans, the January market will showcase an increased amount of lighting resources. Capitalizing on the forward-momentum of the industry, several top lighting showrooms have expanded their presence in order to feature new and extensive collections. Among the highly anticipated expansions are:
• Eurofase (Trade Mart 4002), which has completed a major renovation and expansion that adds 50 percent to its already substantial square footage. The expansion extends the brand to meet the World Trade Center, enabling an open-daily destination.
• Fanimation (Trade Mart 4943) will also expand by 50 percent while commemorating its 35th anniversary with visitor-friendly showroom enhancements and introductions that play to its soft contemporary strengths.
• Kuzco Lighting will debut a major expansion and relocation to a 24,000-sq.-ft. showroom (Trade Mart 4010), timed with the company’s rebrand and the launch of a new partner brand, Alora Lighting, in the adjacent space Trade Mart 4402.
• Sonneman has relocated to a new 5,700-sq.-ft. showroom in Trade Mart 4804, featuring a growing assortment of architecturally scalable lighting systems and more.
• Varaluz will expand its footprint by 50 percent in Trade Mart 4507, introducing the first furniture SKUs for the growing Varaluz Casa line.
• Visual Comfort Group will increase its presence by 25,000 square feet on the first floor of the Interior Home + Design Center with an expansion in Taylors (IHDC 1D111) and a new Generation Lighting showroom (IHDC 1D321).
• Wind River Ceiling Fans will also expand its space in the Spectrum shared showroom (Trade Mart 4432-22-23).
Along with expansions among existing tenants, a number of new exhibitors will be coming aboard. Big Ass Fans will bring its award-winning residential ceiling fans to Trade Mart 4830, and there are seven new exhibitors in the Spectrum shared showroom (Trade Mart 4432): Aero Pure Fans, Acclaim Lighting, Avant Designs, The Coppersmith, Faro Barcelona, Lumiland, NuVision, and Razzetti.
New exhibitor highlights also include introductions of designer partnerships:
• Generation Lighting (IHDC 1D321) will showcase its ED Ellen DeGeneres collaboration.
• Progress Lighting (TM 3840) will unveil the designer-driven Jeffrey Alan Marks collection.
• Hudson Valley Lighting (TM 3902) will debut its designer partnerships with Mark D. Sikes and Martyn Lawrence Bullard.
During June 2018 Lightovation, the American Lighting Association (ALA) and DMC debuted The SMART Center (Trade Mart 4826), a dynamic space for seminars, meetings, plus a lounge area. All January 2019 educational events at Lightovation will be held at The SMART Center, kicking off Tuesday, January 15 at 3:00 p.m. with a pre-show keynote presentation by marketing expert Leslie Carothers on Maximizing ROI Using Digital Marketing Tools. Carothers will follow-up the keynote with a three-part workshop series on Google Maps, Facebook, and Instagram:
• Wednesday, January 16, 9:00 a.m., Leslie Carothers: Digital Marketing Workshop – Google Maps
• Wednesday, January 16, 3:00 p.m., Leslie Carothers: Digital Marketing Workshop – Facebook
• Thursday, January 17, 9:00 a.m., Leslie Carothers: Social Media Workshop – Instagram
Additional seminars, organized by the ALA and held at The SMART Center will include three 90-minute discussions on linear light sources, selecting recessed fixtures, and lighting control systems led by lighting designer Peter Romaniello.
• Thursday, January 17, 12:00 p.m., Peter Romaniello: Specifying Linear Light Sources – What to Look for & What to Avoid
• Thursday, January 17, 4:00 p.m., Peter Romaniello: Analyzing & Comparing Recessed Fixture Selections & What to Look for on a Spec Sheet
• Friday, January 18, 9:00 a.m., Peter Romaniello: Taking the “Fear” Out of Lighting Control Systems
All sessions will be Certified Lighting Consultant (CLC®) accredited and registration will be available soon on the recently relaunched ALA member website (www.ALAMembers.com). For more information about ALA seminars, please contact Nici Juneau, nici@alalighting.com.
In addition, there will be plenty of networking opportunities held during Lightovation. Two events for ALA groups include the Women in Lighting Reception, hosted by Hinkley Lighting (Trade Mart 3210) on Wednesday, January 16, at 5 p.m.; and Cheers With Peers, a joint event for ALA Young Executives and ART’s Under 40 members on Thursday, January 17, at 5 p.m. in Light + Design on Ten (World Trade Center 10085). Both events are scheduled to feature brief speakers in addition to hospitality and socializing.
The most notable networking opportunity at Lightovation is the Lighting After Dark party on opening night, which will feature a luxury casino theme. All buyers, exhibitors, and reps are welcome to attend this opportunity to enjoy food, drinks, entertainment, and networking with other industry professionals; just bring your badge for entry. Lighting After Dark will transform the Chaparral Room on the 38th floor of the Center Tower at the renovated Sheraton Dallas Hotel on Wednesday, January 16, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
The Sheraton Dallas is the official Lightovation hotel and is currently undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation to unveil a refreshed lobby, guest rooms, and dining options. Slated for completion before January, Lightovation attendees will be among the first guests to experience the Sheraton’s improvements.
Lighting manufacturers, retailers, designers, and sales representatives will be among those lauded at the 30th ARTS Awards, a black-tie gala recognizing leaders in all facets of the home accessories industry. The event will take place on Friday, January 18 at the Hilton Anatole, with cocktails at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. The ARTS Awards are co-produced by Dallas Market Center and ART. Tickets may be purchased at dallasmarketcenter.com/artsawards.
Two opportunities for recognition surrounding the June 19-22, 2019 edition of Lightovation will be promoted at the January show. Nominations are already being accepted (through April 1) for the Light Stars program, which honors top retail salespeople from across North America with complimentary travel to attend June Lightovation for the first time. Anyone in the industry may nominate a first-time attendee at dallasmarketcenter.com/LightStars.
The 10th annual Showroom of the Year Awards (SOTY) program will also be accepting nominations during January Lightovation. The SOTY Awards honor leading lighting retailers throughout North America, with its 10th edition presented on June 19 in Dallas. Lightovation attendees are invited to submit entries and nominations for the SOTY Awards using kiosks around Market and at www.SOTYAwards.com after November 28.
Additional information about the upcoming edition of Lightovation is available on the Lightovation page of the DMC website. Keep up with the latest developments by following the #Lightovation hashtag on social media via the Lightovation Facebook Page and Lightovation – Lighting Industry Discussion Group.
