In its fifth year, LEDucation continues to draw large crowds and provide a much-needed industry resource for the exhibit and educational discussion of solid-state lighting (SSL) products and materials. Organized by the Designers Lighting Forum of New York (DLFNY), an all-volunteer group, this year’s event on March 16 recorded 1,877 attendees during the course of the nine-hour event. The time frame allowed attendees to visit at their leisure throughout the workday. LEDucation draws attendees traditionally from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. But since the show has become an important outlet for seeing the latest LED products, it has now become a draw for designers all along the northeast corridor.
Eighty-nine manufacturers from across the U.S. displayed their latest product offerings in two exhibit spaces, and visitor traffic was steady throughout the day. Based on the displays, it is clear that market-ready, specification-grade LED luminaires have come into their own. There were product offerings with “real legs” for design applications, which allow lighting designers new possibilities.
In addition to the manufacturer tabletop displays, five education seminars discussed various aspects of SSL technology. Michael Myer of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory provided an overview of the latest LED standards updates. Lighting designer Barbara Horton of Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design discussed her experience as a judge for the Next Generation Luminaires Solid-State Lighting (SSL) Design Competition. Lighting designers Brian Stacy and Richard Fisher of Arup discussed the integration of LED lighting technologies in their lighting design for the Yas Marina Hotel in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Eric Lind of Lutron Electronics discussed some of the intricacies of dimming in his presentation “What Does ‘Dimmable’ Mean in the LED World?” The seminars then concluded with Ron Steen of Xicato discussing white-light color issues as they pertain to SSL. (architectural lighting mediated a roundtable discussion with all five of the presenters. See page 15.)
All the sessions had a full audience, verifying that there is not only great interest in up-to-date, reliable information about LEDs, but a great need for these educational venues that speak directly to an architectural, interiors, engineering, and lighting design audience.
The DLFNY and its LEDucation Committee have organized an event that gives the design community a valuable way to stay informed about LEDs and their impact on lighting. Planning is under way for LEDucation 6.
