Lightapalooza 2026 has just ended, and I will need a little time to process all I learned, which I will provide in a full wrap-up article. Until then, here is a list of ten things that leapt out at me while I was there, in no particular order.
- DMF Lighting’s Artafex 1 one-inch architectural downlight is mighty impressive in person, with the tiny fixtures providing plenty of light from a quiet ceiling.
- Going to be a big autumn. Several manufacturers on the exhibit floor were showing early versions of products that are expected later this year, including Savant AI, Coastal Source’s VIA outdoor lighting system produced with Lutron, and stylish new wireless keypads from Basalte.
- Power is the new network. While showing me Wattbox intelligent power solutions, ADI’s Eric Fritz said that power has become to integrators what the home network was a few years ago — if they are going to be responsible for it, then they want to own it.
- How to light a Samsung Frame TV. Hopefully, the client is using the matte model, but if you need to light a TV that shows art, lighting designer Peter Romaniello, IALD, recommends lighting the wall around it for softness and to reduce the contrast. He covered that and so much more in his “Lighting for Artwork” panel.
- Adapt your lighting to the lifestyle of the home, and not the other way around. In “The Healthy Home: Lighting to Support the Health of Each Member of the Family” session, Mark Rea, PhD, suggests that, in new homes where the lighting is installed before the client moves in, revisit them after six weeks and ask them how well they are sleeping and how bright their house is during the day. If they are not sleeping well, make adjustments that align with their routines.
- Offering a lighting consult is a good way to get in with architects and builders. In the “Getting Lighting Right: Lessons from Integrators Who’ve Done It” panel, it was revealed that a consult can give you a no-charge reason to gain credibility with the design-build team. Initially, consult for free just to have the conversation and to stop them from asking why the integrator is involved in lighting.
- Find architects to team with by looking through your old drawing sets. In the “Winning with Architects & Builders: Lighting as a Door Opener, Not an Afterthought” panel, DMF Lighting’s Ellie Doherty recommended pulling out those rolls of drawings you have from past jobs to get the name of the architect on each. Chances are, you have worked with the same architect multiple times, which is a good foot in the door with him or her.
- It takes time and patience to build a relationship with an architect. In that same panel, it was revealed that Lunch & Learns are great ways to build rapport with architects, but be aware that it takes five to seven touchpoints with them to finally get a bid on something. It’s a lot like dating: building a rapport and gaining trust takes time.
- Landscape lighting is an opportunity waiting for you to take advantage of. In the “Hidden in Plain Sight: How to Unlock a Six-Figure Revenue Stream with Landscape Lighting” panel, Ryan Lee, business coach at Landscape Lighting Secrets, impressed upon the audience that landscape lighting is not as hard as you think it is and it is much more forgiving than interior lighting. Plus, you are already in front of the right clients — affluent homeowners who are design-conscious buyers and also who already trust you.
- David Warfel can pull off a large orange scarf. In his keynote presentation, Light Can Help You’s Warfel declared that he discovered he did not want to be a scarf-wearing, self-important lighting designer, and once he figured out who he was, he was able to successfully build his team of employees and vendor partners. Despite that, at the end of the presentation, he did whip a giant orange scarf around him…and it worked.
This is my quick take. More to come soon!
