THE ASSOCIATIONS LOUNGE
Featuring:
The Associations Lounge on the Gallery level acts as a shared space for lighting industry associations. Returning for another year, it acts as a shared space for professional bodies including the LIA, ILP, SLL, SBID and IALD. Alongside its two-day dedicated talks programme, the lounge provides a space away from the exhibition floor for visitors to meet representatives, learn more about the work of the industry’s associations and connect with colleagues. The Associations Lounge is also proudly sponsored by Studio Due and is set to feature another in-person event from the Silhouette Awards during the light lunch on day two.
Curated by the [d]arc media editorial team and with expert guest moderators, this year’s talks programmes and lounge activities are not to be missed. All talks are completely free to attend for registered visitors, but space is limited.
Check out the full Associations Lounge talks programme detailed below.
Wednesday, 18 November
12.00 – 12:30 | Business of Lighting | Time is Money
Moderator: Anna Sboku
Speakers: Juan Ferrari, Hoare Lea; Victoria Jerram, Lighting Designer; Beatrice Bertolini, Equation Lighting
As a consultant, it’s often the case that your fee is related to a pay scale. How do you keep on top of your hours versus the value? Are you as a one-man-band or have you got a team Are you a manager inside a big company where you are subbed out as a service? How do you keep track? Has remote working been a blessing or a curse?
In collaboration with Business of Lighting, our panel of experts will unpack current experiences and discuss how to maintain your profit margin.
14:00 – 15:00 | SLL: Light: The Science of Awe
Moderator: Carolina Florian, SLL President
Speakers: Light Artist Frankie Boyle; Charikleia Stringa, Jason Bruge Studio; Raghu Kenso, teamLab
As lighting professionals, we spend much of our time thinking about how light helps us see, navigate and experience the spaces around us. But what if light could do something far more profound? What if it could surprise us, move us, transport us to another world, and create moments of genuine awe?
At LiGHT 26, the Society of Light and Lighting brings together leading voices from the world of immersive art to explore how light, technology, space and storytelling can combine to create extraordinary human experiences.
Hosted by Carolina Florian, SLL President, this thought-provoking session features Raghu Kenso, Frankie Boyle, and Charikleia Stringa in a conversation that challenges us to look beyond the conventional boundaries of lighting design.
Expect fresh perspectives, bold ideas and inspiring insights into light’s power to evoke emotion, spark imagination, foster connection and create unforgettable moments.
Because light is not just about what we see. It is about what we feel, what we experience, and what stays with us long after the moment has passed.
17:00 – 21.00 | LIA: The Bright Stuff
Join the LIA for an interactive session inspired by the classic pub quiz and TV gameshows from the 90s.
Complete with bar snacks and open bar, the Bright Stuff will celebrate the collective knowledge of the lighting industry through a series of fast-paced challenges, friendly competition, and thought-provoking questions.
More than just a quiz, participants will compete in 5 rounds designed to capture the opinions, priorities, and experiences of the industry.
Thursday, 19 November
12:00 – 12:30 | ILP: How to Be Brilliant
The ILP brings the latest in its How to Be Brilliant series to LiGHT 26.
More details coming soon
12:45 – 14:00 | LiGHT Lunch with Studio Due
Mentor, Be Honest! The Silhouette Awards Community Hour
The Silhouette Awards Community Hour returns to LiGHT 26 for its third year, bringing an exciting, interactive twist to the stage.
The session kicks off with a real-world mentor and mentee pairing sharing the lessons and growth sparked by six months of collaboration. Then, the game begins! Mentors from Years 5 and 6 will face “Mentor, Be Honest!” – a fast-paced, high-energy challenge hosted by Co-Founders Eve Gaut and Katia Kolovea. No script, just honest confessions, and raw advice.
Whether you are a future mentee or a passionate supporter, join the ultimate lighting design community gathering.
Come for the mentorship, stay for the people.
14:00 – 14:30 | DALI Alliance – Control Freak
Speaker: Iain Ruxton, formerly of SMLA
As a lighting designer do you think about what you want from lighting control? Or do you leave it to someone else and assume it’ll be OK?
Are you scared of lighting control? Do you feel out of date? Maybe you’re confused or just put off by the technology, the endless acronyms, the deep and impenetrable geekiness…
Do you know how to communicate your requirements? Do you really think about what your requirements actually are?
In this session Iain Ruxton will explain why all lighting designers need to be thinking about control… but don’t need to become control geeks. He will explain how to think about your lighting designs in time not just in space… which is where control comes in.
Iain will provide you with an approach to documenting your requirements with common sense and confidence and try to take away the fear…