LIRC Meeting Recap: Strengthening Community, Expanding Membership, and Industry Updates
Ron Kurtz opened the LIRC meeting with a slide introducing the members, including Carla Bukalski (co-chair), Chiara Carucci, Jamie Devenger, Michael Baudo, Mert Erdogan, Anthony Kerr, Sophie O’Rourke, Paula Ziegenbein, and Julia Hartmann.
Paula Ziegenbein discusses fair sourcing
Ethical Sourcing in Lighting and Other Industries
Paula Ziegenbein discussed how the lighting industry can draw lessons from the garment industry, particularly in supply chain transparency. She highlighted a panel of experts, including two supply chain specialists, Grace Farms (a non-profit), and Edward Bartholomew. The panel will explore how third-party audits and other strategies can raise awareness of ethical sourcing in manufacturing. This helps designers make better-informed choices when selecting products, ultimately supporting more ethical practices across the industry.
Latoya Gooding and Christopher Knowlton Discuss LightFair
LightFair’s New Partner: Messe Frankfurt
Chris Knowlton introduced Messe Frankfurt as the new partner and manager for LightFair. He then welcomed Latoya Gooding, who shared the benefits Messe Frankfurt brings to the table and provided an update on improvements for the 2025 LightFair event in Las Vegas, scheduled for 4-8 May.
Latoya outlined several changes for 2025, including:
- Lowering the price per square foot for exhibitors.
- Exploring flat rate drayage.
- Requiring new companies to complete an exhibitor qualification form.
- Strengthening services by working closely with General Service Contractors.
- Introducing a blackout schedule for hall lights during the show.
- Inviting more specifiers through a new attendee program.
- Educating electrical providers on exhibitor needs.
- Expanding interactive experiences, such as Lighting Installations and the Trend Area, to keep attendees engaged.
- Featuring upcoming design trends in a new section.
- Moving to a bi-annual schedule for the show.
- Working with a new General Contractor to reduce booth and drayage costs.
It was also announced that LightFair 2029 would return to the East Coast, while the 2025 and 2027 events will remain in Las Vegas.
Attracting New Audiences to LightFair
Megan Carroll poses a question about getting buyers to LightFair
During the session, Avraham Moore of Morlights asked how LightFair plans to attract attendees from outside the lighting industry. Christopher responded by explaining how the team plans to broaden the event’s appeal, making it more engaging and immersive. Their strategy includes using conference content to attract professionals from different sectors, with a particular focus on architects.
Meagan Carroll from Lighting Services, Inc asked about seeing more distributors, contractors, and museum buyers at LightFair. Christopher shared that they are testing a program to host buyers. When asked about attendance targets, Latoya emphasized that while LightFair has internal goals, their primary focus is on attracting quality attendees over sheer numbers.
Expanding the Education Trust Fund
Jill Cody shared an update on the Education Trust Fund, announcing that Tivoli is collaborating with the Trust on a new fundraising initiative. Tivoli will donate a portion of sales from two products: the TivoTape line and a new palm tree light fixture being developed in partnership with Chip Israel, FIALD, and long-time Trust and IALD supporter Carrie Verkuil.
Group Discussions: Community Building, Education, and Industry Engagement
Ron Kurtz led attendees into breakout groups to discuss four key topics.
Creating a Strong LIRC Community
The first group discussed how to create a stronger sense of community within LIRC. Ideas included hosting more social events at IALD Enlighten, using badges to identify members, and leveraging the LERN platform to share expertise. Participants also suggested holding smaller, local events and hangouts to connect members. Strengthening the bond between LIRC and IALD, improving networking, and increasing LIRC’s online presence were also key recommendations.
Growing Youth Membership and Expanding Education
The second group focused on strategies for connecting manufacturers with students to increase diversity in the trust pool and the industry. Reaching out to K-12 students and non-traditional students was suggested as a way to broaden the talent pool. The group also discussed the idea of creating a standardized curriculum that doesn’t require a four-year degree, although concerns were raised about whether employers would hire these students without the traditional degree.
Maximizing Value at Enlighten Conferences
This group came up with several ways to offer more value to LIRC members at Enlighten Conferences. The top three suggestions were:
- A “straight talk” session where lighting designers and manufacturers swap roles (14 votes).
- More hands-on workshops focused on education, rather than product demonstrations.
- Tracking how specifications work within LIRC membership (7 votes).
The Role of Agents in IALD
This topic generated significant interest, leading to two groups forming for deeper discussion.
Group 1 explored whether agents want to be integrated into IALD. While some concerns were raised about the association becoming too rep-focused, participants acknowledged that agents have valuable connections with end users and contractors, which could improve transparency. They also suggested creating a “Rep Finder” on the IALD website and using the LERN platform for educational purposes.
Group 2 (which your humble editor participated in) discussed the revenue potential from agents, their access to more brands, and how they could align with IALD’s Code of Ethics. However, concerns were raised about agents monopolizing designers’ time, potentially diluting the focus of the conference. They also debated the challenges of enforcing a Code of Ethics and maintaining open, unbiased dialogue between manufacturers and designers.
LIRC Elections and Farewell Announcements
As the meeting wrapped up, Ron Kurtz announced that Carla Bukalski, Mert Erdogan, and Paula Ziegenbein would be stepping down from the LIRC as their terms end. He reminded attendees that LIRC elections are set for 21 October, with a final call for nominations.
The Acuity Crew poses for a picture at the IALD Enlighten Americas Conference