LiGHT 23 back with a bang for second year

Held over two days at the Business Design Centre, the UK’s only trade show dedicated to lighting specification saw a 43 percent increase in attendees from its launch event last year – closing its doors to a buzz of positivity.

The design community came out in force to support the show – with 4776 attendees passing through the doors to see the latest offerings from more than 150 high-end international lighting brands and engage with no less than 22 talks and presentations from design experts working with light, all while making new industry connections through various networking opportunities.

Attended by a broad mix of designers working in architecture, interiors, lighting, and product design, as well as engineers, end-users, and specifiers, LiGHT 23 saw several new features introduced this year.

A particular highlight included the new darc space decorative area, which saw high-end lighting brands for the interiors market exhibit for the first time – names such as Empty State, Marset, Nexia, Artemide, Ebb & Flow, Lodes, and Quasar to name but a few, presented their latest decorative and bespoke lighting collections to designers keen to find inspiration for their next projects.

The new Associations Lounge, furnished by Danish brand Muuto was a real focus of LiGHT 23, providing a comfortable space for designers to meet with colleagues and take the weight off! The International Association of Lighting Design (IALD) and the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) invited existing members, along with potential new ones, to enjoy the space and make the most of the complimentary refreshments.

The [d]arc thoughts talks programme, in collaboration with lighting control specialist Lutron, again attracted a steady stream of guests across the two days, keen to learn more about the hot topics in lighting.

With every talk well attended, the programme included a variety of presentations and panel discussions covering everything from sustainability and circular design; to designing for global brands, healthy office spaces, and restaurant/bar design. As well as a project presentation from interior design studio Space Invader and a special look at the bespoke lighting piece from Quasar, featured in the Netflix hit Glass Onion, the programme was topped by a keynote presentation from Peruvian New York-based light artist Grimanesa Amoros.

LiGHT 23 also provided a platform for the latest instalment of the ILP’s How to be Brilliant talks, with Light Bureau’s Paul Traynor taking to the stage, while the very first Lighting Police walking workshop also took place.

LiGHT WORK made a welcome return, with show visitors making good use of the dedicated workspace area. Illuminated by table lamps from British lighting brand Tala, LiGHT WORK was a beautiful relaxing space allowing show attendees to complete office tasks, while offering dedicated wi-fi, free coffee, and charging points.

Delighted with the success of LiGHT 23, [d]arc media Managing Director, Paul James said: “We are thrilled with the overwhelming response to the show. The massive increase in exhibitor and visitor numbers confirms that London, and the UK, has been craving a trade show that serves the lighting specification market. We have seen a 40% increase in attendees this year and it’s only year two!

With an almost 100 percent rebook rate from exhibitors during the show itself, this is just the beginning for LiGHT Expo in London and we’re excited to see what the 2024 edition will bring, as we expand further into the Business Design Centre. We have had nothing but positive feedback from exhibiting brands and visitors alike.”

Free to attend, dates for next year’s show are now confirmed as 20th and 21st November 2024.