As it has in its four previous runs, the fifth annual Lightapalooza will provide an assortment of education from top minds in lighting technology and design, as well as an exhibit floor of integration-friendly manufacturers and service providers. However, this year’s show will be the first one to include a waterslide.
While it is true that the event, taking place February 16-19, 2026, at the Kalahari Resorts and Conventions near Austin, Texas, does feature a water park with rides such as the “Barrelling Baboon” and the “FlowRider,” the real action takes place at the opposite side of the resort where Lightapalooza will set up its conference program and exhibits.
“This venue fits us very well,” says Tom Doherty, the originator of — and mind behind — Lightapalooza. “It has the classroom and exhibit space that we need. We are purposely keeping the show floor curated — we will once again end up with around 62 exhibitors, but we could have had 90 easily.
“What’s nice compared to last year is that everything is right next to each other. So, the distances people will have to walk from the convention area to various education breakout areas are negligible. Plus, because it is a water park, the venue is able to serve big groups, and so there are many food options for attendees; there are four substantial restaurants, and we should be able to have something for everybody at the same time. There is also a big arcade, a bowling alley, and some other things to do there in the evenings.
“You must have something compelling — like content in a new category and a central location with the best possible weather in the country at that time — to get people to travel. They also want the event to be cost-effective, so at the hotel we’ve been able to negotiate a $15 resort fee and a room night of $209.” [For those that act fast enough to secure a room before they are gone, that is.]
Based on feedback from previous events, Lightapalooza 2026 will have a different cadence to the education program and a revised pricing structure. “The majority of people are there for the education, and the types of passes purchased reflect that,” says Doherty, who, in addition to planning Lightapalooza, is the director of technology initiatives for HTSA. “However, there is a segment that just wants to come in and walk the show floor. So, this year, we came up with a pass that just gets you on the show floor and provides access to the keynote session. Until December 1, that pass is only $50.
“We’ve also flipped the schedule in that the show floor used to open on Wednesday and Thursday, but this year we’ve moved it up, so the exhibit floor opens up after the morning keynote on Tuesday and remains open throughout Wednesday, and then it will close, but the education program will continue through Thursday.”
As for the conference program, it is once again jam-packed with offerings that cover lighting design, lighting fundamentals, business growth, smart power, and certifications. The Academia Series, which invites university professors and researchers to deliver advanced technical courses in lighting science and design, returns to Lightapalooza this year after a successful launch at the 2025 event.
“All of the 2025 Academia presenters are coming back for 2026,” says Doherty. “There’s no event on the planet that brings experts like Drs. Craig Bernecker, Kevin Houser, and Mariana Figueiro together. Last year, they didn’t know what they were getting into — they are used to dealing with college or postgrad students. They had no idea that there was such a thing as an integrator, and that these professionals are trying to create awareness of how to have better lighting in people’s homes. They were blown away, and they loved that there was such an enthusiastic group of people who wanted to learn. So, they’re all back, they’re excited, and they’ve freshened up and updated their courses.”
A new track on project management has also been added this year. “The biggest barrier to growth for this channel is the integrators’ ability to execute what they’ve sold,” explains Doherty. “What we’re talking about is project management. It’s more challenging in lighting than when they started doing shades a decade-plus ago. So, we’ve got a whole separate section on project management and operations this year.”
For certifications, the show is once again working with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Interior Design Continuing Education Council (IDCEC) to offer a minimum of four accredited sessions that deliver Learning Units (LU) with Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) credit, providing credentials required for license renewal and addressing critical knowledge gaps at the intersection of lighting design, human wellbeing, and environmental responsibility.
The SHINE certification program is also returning, but with some new options. “For the last two years, the SHINE certification has been just on lighting fundamentals, but this year we have added two more areas: lighting control protocol and electrical power fundamentals,” says Doherty. “For lighting control protocols, there’ll be an assessment exam to see if they need to take the class or if they could pass without taking it. The class is a four-hour session that includes topics like phase dimming 0 to 10, DALI, and DMX. We’re going to offer that class twice. And then we have the electrical power fundamentals SHINE certification, where we have worked with several of the power manufacturers to develop a full-day smart power education track, which is the only education that’s happening Tuesday morning.”
Doherty is also working with partners on an expansive manufacturer training track, but those programs have not yet been announced.
With so much industry lighting knowledge in one spot, it seems to be a can’t-miss event for any integrator who is involved in lighting or wants to be involved in lighting. And for those not in either of those categories, Doherty believes you should reconsider.
“The lighting industry is growing, and custom integrators are selling more fixtures,” he concludes. “There’s really no end in sight because it’s clear that the percentage of projects that custom integrators are working on that they’re also providing lighting fixtures for is still very small. The more progressive folks — the ones that have been showing up for Lightapalooza and have been at it for years, invested in education, built-out demonstration showrooms, and created lighting design services — are much higher up, but even the most advanced integrators might be doing lighting for one out of five projects. So, we still have a long ramp, but it’s big business and it will only get bigger.”
Lightapalooza 2026 takes place February 16-19, 2026, at the Kalahari Resort & Conventions in Round Rock, Texas. For more information and to register, visit https://lightapalooza.com/home.
