In less than two weeks, LIGHTFAIR International (LFI), the world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference, will swing open the doors to welcome the 2011 attendees in this year’s location in the newly expanded Pennsylvania Convention Center. With consistent record-breaking shows over the last five years, LFI is poised for the largest trade show and conference in its history and the debut of more innovation this year in Philadelphia.
 
“With the continued innovation and selection of dynamic exhibitors and renowned educational leaders, LIGHTFAIR is a crucial show and conference for the industry—which has been apparent over the last several record-breaking years,” says Rochelle Burt, managing director of LFI. “This year is no exception with the added benefit of a new location in an expanded convention center. We are looking forward to our largest show and program to date.”
 
The expanded convention center provided LFI the opportunity to dramatically expand the trade show floor to its largest exhibit space to-date, enabling exhibitors to enhance their booths and showcase new and emerging technologies. The expansion also provided LFI with the opportunity to grow the four unique pavilions on the floor: the Building Integration Pavilion, Daylighting Pavilion, Design Pavilion and Global Light + Design Pavilion—which feature world-renowned manufacturers that will have a significant presence at the show.
 
The additional space also allowed for more innovations and new ideas, leading to the launch of the Spotlight Lounge. Positioned directly on the trade show floor, the new lounge provides a forum to engage and educate attendees with a full lineup of events, presentations and giveaways. The Spotlight Lounge’s headliner is featured iconic lighting designer Ingo Maurer. Maurer will present Addicted to Light—Thank God for Shadows in an exclusive onsite presentation, followed by an interview conducted by design editor for T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Pilar Viladas.
 
The Spotlight Lounge will also be the setting for an enlightening media panel discussion on Thursday, May 19 at 10 AM called “See Your Products and Projects in Print.” The program is open to all and will include leading editors discussing how to make your products and projects relevant and timely to the industry to garner media coverage and exposure to potential customers.
 
Further enhancing the show experience is LFI’s robust educational program offering more than 230 hours of accredited classes. For five days, attendees will have the opportunity to learn from more than 100 industry experts in 78 breakout sessions—offered in the LIGHTFAIR and Daylighting Institutes, seminars and courses, networking events and the Retrofit & Upgrade track as well as the newly defined Integrated Building Design track and Design Symposium—which launched in Las Vegas at the 2010 LFI Conference.
 
During the 2011 Institutes, LFI will showcase two dynamic keynote presentations with renowned architect Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang Architects, Chicago, and a panel of acclaimed lighting designers Jonathan Speirs, Mark Major and Keith Bradshaw of Speirs & Major, UK.
 
Both the conference program and trade show have received unprecedented participation from exhibitors—representing companies from around the globe. This year LFI experienced a surge in support from 29 individual sponsor partners, which are:

•Acuity Brands Lighting
•Architectural Lighting
•Bartco Lighting, Inc.
•BetaLED
•Cooper Lighting
•CRS Electronics
•CSA International
•Daintree Networks
•EEMA Lighitng Group
•Eye Lighting Int’l
•FX Luminaire
•GE Lighting
•Illuminating Engineering Society
•Juno Lighting Group by Schneider Electric
•Leviton
•LG Innotek
•Lighting
•Lighting
•Lighting Analysts, Inc./AGI32
•Lutron
•LUXIM
•Maxlite
•Molex
•National Assoc. of Independent Lighting Distributors
•NXP Semiconductors
•OCL Architectural
•Osram Sylvania
•Philips Lumileds
•Royal Pacific Ltd
•TCP, Inc.
•W2 Architectural
 
LIGHTFAIR International takes place in its new location at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia May 15-19, 2011. For more information, visit www.LightFair.com. Also, download the new mobile app at m.lightfair.com.