LightFair is transitioning to a biennial schedule beginning with the 2023 event, scheduled for May 21-25 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. The updated schedule will better serve the industry’s manufacturing cycle, product marketplace and the overall needs of lighting professionals.
The schedule change is part of an overarching strategic plan that the show’s management committee developed in response to the changing needs of lighting manufacturing and specification. This plan comes with new features in 2023, including partnerships with NYCxDESIGN and the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, immersive lighting installations, learning tours, audience expansion to include residential lighting professionals and more.
The biennial conference and tradeshow schedule will allow attendees to continue to see the newest products during odd-numbered years, on a frequency that aligns with every-other-year manufacturing cycles.
Increasing attendance by 110% over the previous year, LightFair 2022 drew more than 10,000 people from 63 countries to source brand-new products, advance their knowledge and connect with other industry professionals. The 2023 edition is expected to continue this trend with a new strategic plan to dynamically expand the event in several ways:
• LightFair will be an unforgettable experiential journey with newly introduced immersive lighting installations. Four manufacturer teams will be matched with a New York-based lighting design firm to create these interactive, vibrant installations based on the 2023 theme: Circular Economy.
• The Design Pavilion will be re-imagined as the IALD Designery. This will be home to insightful panel discussions, town hall-style member meetings and student events.
• A partnership with NYCxDESIGN will highlight the best lighting design in the city, with experiential studio tours and a panel discussion at The Designery.
• The LightFair LIVE stage will have a new name, IES Live, and diverse new programming. The lineup will include: 3D light fixture printing; meetups with LightFair Conference speakers; a Shark Tank-style sales competition and special Q&A sessions.
• IES will also lead the LightFair 2023 Conference with a robust program anchored around inclusivity and celebrating the multidisciplinary interconnections within lighting and beyond. Conference presenters and topics will cover five broad themes: business, process, art, science and technology, while also exploring the overlap between them and out-of-the-box ideas that transcend these themes and expand the boundaries of lighting education to other areas.
Registration opens Feb. 1, with complimentary expo hall access for IALD and IES members, at lightfair.com/new-york-2023.
