Lightovation, the largest residential lighting trade event in North America, has announced the premiere of the first-ever Metaverse Lighting TrendHouse, set to take place at the upcoming show, to be held January 10-14 at the Dallas Market Center (DMC). This innovative initiative represents a significant leap forward in the realm of residential design and lighting by offering a truly immersive 3D innovative experience for industry professionals.
The TrendHouse will be able to be viewed by Lightovation attendees in a special exhibition kiosk both as a 3D virtual walkthrough individual experience or via the metaverse space experience, where multiple people can join in and explore together, as avatars, at the same time. Lightovation attendees will have the choice to explore both spaces wearing a virtual reality headset provided by DMC, or without one.
The Lightovation show has consistently presented cutting-edge products and design ideas to inspire and guide the industry. The addition of the Metaverse Lighting TrendHouse elevates the show’s offerings, revolutionizing the way retailers, designers, manufacturers, and sales representatives interact with the latest design trends.
Cindy Morris, President & CEO of DMC, expressed her excitement about the unveiling of the TrendHouse, stating, “We are continually seeking new ways to provide our buyers and exhibitors with cutting-edge experiences that drive business growth and innovation. The addition of the Virtual Reality Metaverse TrendHouse to the Lightovation show is a testament to our shared commitment to pushing boundaries and delivering unparalleled value to the industry.”
Both the virtual walkthrough and the metaverse experiences of the TrendHouse will be virtual representations of a fully furnished and curated home, meticulously designed to showcase the latest trends in lighting, home décor, and technology that reflect the 2024 Lightovation Trend Report, curated by global trend forecaster Patti Carpenter and presented by Furniture Lighting and Decor magazine for the show.
By leveraging advanced virtual reality technology, attendees, if they choose to wear the virtual reality glasses, will have the unique opportunity to explore every aspect of the TrendHouse, whether as a one-on-one experience in the virtual walkthrough space or as a community based experience in the metaverse space, as if they were physically present.
This immersive experience allows visitors to visualize and experience the trends in a life-like environment, providing insights and inspiration for their own design projects. If visitors prefer not to wear virtual reality goggles, they will still be able to explore each space in 3D within the kiosk, without full immersion. They can also explore the spaces from their desktop, tablets, or mobile phones. Traveling from room to room, participants will be able to experience the latest lighting trends brought to life. The highlighted lighting products will be presented with details about each product, QR codes that can be scanned for additional information and for an augmented reality capability.
In addition to the experiences available at Lightovation, anyone can visit the dedicated link on Dallas Market Center’s website to enjoy both experiences, and share that link with their clients, customers, or interested friends through their social channels, newsletters, blogs, podcasts, or email, allowing the lighting trends to be seen by a worldwide audience.
In addition, because the highlighted lighting trends will include an augmented reality QR code, visitors to the virtual spaces will be able to scan the QR code with their phones’ camera and see a 3D representation of the highlighted trend forward lighting fixtures in their own homes.
Leslie Carothers, Lightovation’s collaborating partner and principal of digital marketing agency Savour Partnership, has this to say about her involvement and the value of the experience and the benefits to all stakeholders: “I’m thrilled to be collaborating on this project with Dallas Market Center’s Lightovation trade show and to be working with Dallas-based designer and rendering artist Annilee Waterman, who will be rendering both the virtual walkthrough space and the metaverse space along with celebrity interior designer, Shay Geyer, owner of Dallas area-based retailer, IBB Design Fine Furnishings, who will be selecting the highlighted lighting fixtures to be presented in the TrendHouse.”
The debut of the TrendHouse will be complemented by educational sessions in the SMART Center on the topics of virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence by experts who will break down the concepts into manageable definitions with special attention to the applications of these technologies to the lighting business.
In addition to the Lightovation VR TrendHouse, the January show will include the debut of hundreds of new lighting collections, the grand opening of new and expanded lighting showrooms, the return of the Interior Designer Preview Day, the participation of influencers in the Style Eyes program, and an opening night party held on the 3rd and 4th floors of the Trade Mart.
In January, Lightovation returns to its traditional date pattern running concurrently with the January 10-16, 2024 Total Home & Gift Market.
Hotel blocks are now open via Market Travel
