Lightovation Boasts Record Crowds, New Products & Big Awards
The recent Lightovation – a.k.a. the Dallas International Lighting Show – welcomed record crowds as more retailers gathered in Dallas to review new products across the marketplace. Overall attendance by lighting showrooms was up 18 percent compared to the previous year and included a strong number of new showrooms. The number of lighting stores that had never before attended a June Lightovation was up 32 percent.
Drawing more buyers to Dallas was the vast number of new products debuting at the summer show along with special seminar programs and awards to celebrate industry leaders. Cindy Morris, President & CEO of Dallas Market Center (DMC), offered the following assessment: “June Lightovation was a win-win-win: more retailers, more new products, and outstanding events to celebrate industry leaders and educate professionals. We move forward into the fall with tremendous momentum, and we are already working on big plans for a dynamic January Lightovation.”
“The summer Lightovation show was very good for us,” notes Rick Seidman, President & CEO of Quoizel. “We were able to spend meaningful time with our premier retail partners. We celebrated Ira Phillips’ 90thbirthday with our entire lighting industry family. The Lighting After Dark party was lots of fun, and we were able to honor the top lighting showrooms at the annual Showroom of the Year Awards. Our industry is a tight-knit community, and we are proud to call Dallas Market Center our home.”
Malaina Matheus, VP/Business Development for Hudson Valley Lighting Group, comments, “We had a great show and were thrilled to reveal what we’ve been working on: our new offshoot, Mitzi. Initial orders were robust and the enthusiasm surrounding the brand and what it stood for was palpable. The message around Mitzi is very specific, and the Dallas Market Center environment provided the perfect opportunity to communicate that successfully.”
Colleen Visage, VP/Product Management at Progress Lighting, notes “Lightovation is a premier venue to launch our new products, technologies, and feature our best sellers. In June, Progress Lighting featured our expanded Design Series collection of curated looks that offer fabulous style and affordable luxury. Equally exciting was our preview of iDevices, Hubbell’s newest Smart Home brand of products, where customers could see the new technology in action.”
In support of the high volume of new products debuting in June, lighting buyers participated in the fourth annual Market Choice Awards, co-sponsored by enLIGHTenment magazine. Hundreds of lighting buyers from across North America cast their votes online, via the Lightovation app, and at special interactive voting kiosks. The winners were:
- Best Bath: Grant from Savoy House
- Best Ceiling Fans: Kona from Savoy House
- Best Chandeliers/Pendants: Heywood from Hinkley Lighting
- Best Outdoor: Beckett from Hinkley Lighting
- Best Portables: South Hope Portable Bluetooth Outdoor LED Lantern from Kichler
- Best Technology: Aether Color-Changing Shallow Housing Downlight from WAC Lighting
In addition to new product launches, industry leaders were honored at the show. On the opening day, the winners of the eighth annual Showroom of the Year Awards, honoring top lighting retailers throughout North America were announced:
- Revenue Under $2 Million: Lighting Design Center at Warshauer Electric, Tinton Falls, New Jersey
- Revenue Under $5 Million: Ferguson Enterprises, Clive, Iowa
- Revenue $5 Million and Over: Lightology, Chicago, Illinois
- Outstanding Merchandising Display: WaterPlace, Crown Point, Indiana
- Exceptional Community Involvement: Crest Lighting, New Lenox, Illinois
- Social Media Star: Montreal Lighting & Hardware, Montreal, Quebec
The Light Stars program, now in its third year, enables top retail salespeople from across North America who have never attended Lightovation to participate in the June edition of Lightovation. The June program was the largest to date, with 78 participants. Aside from rewarding hard-working and talented showroom employees, the Light Stars program enhances the perspective of the next generation of lighting retailing by exposing them to educational opportunities, display inspiration, and a higher level of engagement with product introductions.
The Lighting After Dark party, with an Island Escape theme, attracted hundreds of guests to the host Sheraton downtown hotel to mix and mingle while enjoying cocktails and light bites.
Finally, educational opportunities presented key speakers on leading-edge advancements. In partnership with the American Lighting Association (ALA), Dallas Market Center hosted three accredited sessions and one hospitality event focused on enabling lighting showrooms to capitalize on connected lighting and the smart home. In addition, ALA hosted two sessions covering research about how consumers shop for lighting and lighting for aging and low-vision populations.
