Innovations Take Center Stage at the SDA Lighting & Controls Showcase
Today marks the second and final day of the SDA Lighting & Controls Lighting Showcase,. The event, which began yesterday, 10 SEP continues to draw lighting designer eager to explore the latest innovations in lighting technology. Attendees have a last chance to participate in the raffle by visiting the booths—those who visit 25 booths can enter to win a 16-inch MacBook Pro or a $2,500 Apple gift card. Visiting 20 booths offers a shot at luxury items, including a Loewe Medium Puzzle Tote in shiny calfskin or a Louis Vuitton Neverfull Tote or Avenue Slingbag. Additionally, visiting 15 booths allows a chance to win a $1,000 gift card.
Shoshanna Segal from Hartranft Lighting Design said, “Rep shows like this give designers the opportunity to really interact with manufacturers and that is so important in terms of product development and also in terms of continuing education.”
Watch my interview with Melissa Deutsch Stein:
Yesterday I visited a few booths and below are some of the cool products I saw:
Inter-Lux at SDA Lighting and Controls Showcase 2024
Ted Chappel from Inter-lux demonstrated the Avveni, a fascinating luminaire from their Sattler Division. Each light head is fully adjustable and can be detached using a magnetic hinge system. Despite its compact size, the fixture is fully controllable, with the driver remotely mounted for a sleek and minimal design.
Day-O-Lite at the SDA Lighting and Control Showcase 2024
George Kottakis from Day-O-Lite showed me several products, including the ARCK22, a 2-inch by 2.5-inch fixture currently featured in Logan International Terminal.
Hèmèra at SDA Lighting and Controls Showcase 2024
Hèmèra showcased a stunning custom glass chandelier set at 3000K. Each module was encased in clear glass, and impressively, there was no glare whatsoever—a remarkable feat in design that left me curious about their technique.
Casambi at SDA Lighting and Controls Showcase 2024
Peter Augusta of Casambi demonstrated Salvador. He talked about the driver manufacturers and how they are embracing the technology. We also discussed the lack of DALI hardware and that it is a chicken and egg thing, but that DALI is making great inroads in the US.
Cree Lighting at SDA Lighting and Controls Showcase 2024
Lane Wallis of Cree Lighting demonstrated the OSQP™ LED Pathway/Bollard with NanoComfort® Technology. The OSQP featured rotatable optics that can be adjusted in the field.
Designplan at SDA Lighting and Controls Showcase 2024
Richard Klapper from Designplan demonstrated the AkuDisc Circular Acoustic LED. Available in six different colors, this fixture combines acoustic properties with a pendant design. When I looked underneath, expecting glare, I found none, highlighting its beautiful and sleek design.
Electric Mirror at SDA Lighting and Controls Showcase 2024
Although I’ve seen Electric Mirror products in various hotel rooms, the SDA Showcase was my first opportunity to visit their booth. Ken Walton and Katie Sinnett demonstrated the Eminence LED Lighted Mirror, which features front mirror lighting along with a separate switch for backlighting. The mirror, set at 3000K, is fully controllable, and its slim driver is conveniently placed behind the mirror, ensuring a sleek design.
ERCO at SDA Lighting and Controls Showcase 2024
Amy Gilleece and Oliver Heller from ERCO demonstrated the Axis, . Oliver explained that their products have become smaller and more powerful over the past two years. The Axis, roughly the width of a pencil, allows for easy lens interchangeability, offering various light distributions. A standout example at the bottom of the display featured a honeycomb lens that minimized glare, showcasing its effectiveness.
Feelux Lighting at SDA Lighting and Control Showcase 2024
Wendy Kaplan of Feelux demonstrated the Monorail Pro H Track with Swivel Head, a minature spot for display cases as well as a narrow neon type—it was the most narrow neon replacement I have ever seen.
JLC-Tech at SDA Lighting and Controls Showcase 2024
Ted McDermitt of JLC-tech demonstrated the GIRO Light Module. This product was actually launched at the SDA Showcase.
Precise LED at SDA Lighting and Controls Showcase 2024
Precise LED showcased the Toob, an innovative LED tube that can be twisted in the field. It was a unique and impressive product unlike anything I’ve seen before.
Viscor at SDA Lighting and Controls Showcase 2024
Viscor showcased the Alto, a recessed, lay-in T-Bar luminaire with high visual comfort and a single regressed lens. My initial reaction was to test the fixture’s depth by placing my hand inside; it appeared deeper than it actually was—quite impressive.
Modern Forms at the SDA Lighting and Control Showcase 2024
Tom Lillie from Modern Forms showcased the ENTICE Pendant, a necklace-style luminaire characterized by cylinders of natural Spanish Alabaster and metallic collars on a silica strand, offering a timeless and elegant design. As I inspected the pendant, I noticed there were no shadows, which Tom explained is due to its 360-degree light source. Tom also guided me to the WAC Lighting booth, where he demonstrated landscape luminaires with color temperatures ranging from 1800K to 6500K and RGBW options, all controlled effortlessly from his phone.
USAI Lighting at SDA Lighting and Controls Showcase 2024
Sean Gaydos from USAI Lighting demonstrated the TrueZero 360, a zero regress flush glass trim lighting fixture that integrates seamlessly with the ceiling design. USAI also showcased their Little Ones and Little Twos fixtures.
Lumenwerx at SDA Lighting and Controls Showcase 2024
Lumenwerx proudly presented Evoq, a versatile cove lighting system with modular light fixtures in a plug-and-play design. It offers multiple mounting options, precision-engineered optics, and a range of components and features for ultimate adaptability.
As I was leaving the showcase on Tuesday, I ran into Jean Jacques from SDA Lighting & Controls, who shared, “We are very happy to host this show every two years, bringing the lighting community together. We greatly appreciate the support of our manufacturers.”
That sentiment perfectly captured the day. The manufacturers did well in presenting their products, and the SDA Showcase format ran smoothly. Although there were busy moments, the event never felt overwhelming like some other shows often do. It was a great opportunity to learn and as you can tell from my report, I learned a lot!
Watch a 2022 interview with Melissa Deutsch Stein here.
Read about the 2018 SDA Showcase here.