Covid did a job on the lighting industry, and we’re still suffering the effects.
Aside from the WFH movement that was generated by it and significantly impacted commercial construction, it led to a change in sales and marketing.
With so many at home, and so many that opted to remain working from home, manufacturers had to change their marketing efforts.
Consider:
- Major tradeshows went on hiatus and, when they returned, LightFair went every other year and is now a shadow of what it once was, LEDucation has blossomed and become a national show with a different, more cost-effective format, and there is a plethora of agent-driven shows. Other local, and vertical specific shows have grown in importance.
- Webinars were all the rage and, while some still do, they are not as pervasive.
- Email, email, email … every manufacturer has a list and most use it and share nominal value, preferring to bombard specifiers with product information.
- Sales drop-ins, lunch n’ learns and more are more challenging.
I’ve had manufacturers say, “I need to be where the customer is, and I’ll invest to do it.”
For an architectural manufacturer, being in front of specifiers and commercial developers is critical. Out of sight, out of mind. But they need value to. If lighting is not their full-time job, why go to a lighting only show unless it is in your own back yard.
This is why when I saw the announcement that the NeoCon show will have a designated lighting section I said, “that’s interesting and is the audience that architectural lighting companies want.”
Here’s the press release and, below, because I was curious, I reached out to learn more and asked questions that make this interesting for manufacturers to exhibit and distributors who are active in the specification / value-added aspect of lighting (not value-engineering) to attend:
Illuminate at NeoCon
NeoCon, the largest and longest-running show serving the commercial interiors (A&D) industry, is thrilled to announce the launch of Illuminate at NeoCon 2026, a new show-within-a-show concept dedicated to architectural, technical, and decorative lighting. Debuting June 8-10 at THE MART in Chicago, this strategic expansion reinforces the show’s commitment to an ever-evolving ecosystem of design innovation. The new curated platform aims to foster deeper connections between lighting manufacturers and professionals and the design community, offering direct access to the brands and technologies that are shaping the future of lighting design and its powerful and inherent impact in the built environment.
“With Illuminate, our goal is to create a dynamic new hub connecting the lighting industry with the commercial design community and NeoCon’s audience of over 50,000 architects, designers and end-user decision makers,” comments Lisa Simonian, Vice President, Head of Trade Shows at THE MART. “We are responding to an important need for lighting to be more properly recognized as a key and essential component of good design.”
As part of a thoughtful redesign of the 7th Floor’s Exhibit Hall, Illuminate will be a vibrant showcase for education and exploration, featuring:
- A selection of premier and emerging lighting brands in unique booth configurations.
- Interactive vignettes and immersive installations that demonstrate the dramatic effects of lighting design in situ—showcasing real-world scenarios.
- Educational programming led by lighting experts offering valuable insights into trends, technologies, and applications.
- Special events, happy hours, and meet-and-greets designed to create meaningful connections and inspire collaboration.
- Design collaborations incorporating lighting throughout THE MART at NeoCon.
Illuminate exhibitors will benefit from all NeoCon exhibitor assets, including opportunities to participate in NeoCon’s sponsorships, programming, and the prestigious Best of NeoCon awards, with new and expanded categories for lighting. Information on booth packages and sponsorship opportunities can be found here and brands interested in exhibiting can contact Julie Kohl, Vice President of Exhibitor Sales, and Madeleine Tullier, Director of Exhibitor Sales.”
Based upon this, I reached out to learn more:
- How many non-exhibitors typically attend NeoCon?
- 50,000+ design decision-makers, specifiers, end-users, and influencers attend the show year to year. Attendees focus on these markets: workplace / corporate, healthcare, higher education, hospitality, retail, government / institutional, and public spaces
- What is the audience profile / mix?
- Check out the “who attends” page here for an audience breakdown by profession, position, and industry. (For those who don’t want to click, 42% are A&D, 23% are end-users)
- What is cost for a booth?
- Rather than share, suffice it to say it is in the LEDucation range with booths ranging from 5’x10’ to 10’x10’ … so no one dominates, and the booth is “focused.”
- How much space is being allocated for the Illuminate section?
- NeoCon plans to host a vetted selection of about 80 companies in a variety of booth sizes, including 5’x10’, 5’x20’, and 10’x10’.
Thoughts on Illuminate at NeoCon
In the lighting category F2F sales and marketing is important. The architectural segment is a “show and tell” and relationship business. It’s different than “white goods” and value-engineering. It’s a need to “be there.”
While Chicago agents may have their own show to support the local market, this could be effective allocation of resources from a national perspective. And if you are a distributor serving the national accounts lighting market, you may want to be visible here also.
Nowadays marketing is about identifying verticals to penetrate. eBlasts without content and context are why open rates are plummeting. Perhaps try something new?
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The Post-COVID Reality Gordon Identifies
David Gordon’s article captures a fundamental problem: the lighting industry’s marketing infrastructure broke during COVID and hasn’t been properly rebuilt. He outlines the landscape:
LightFair: Now biennial and “a shadow of what it once was”
Agent shows: Proliferating but often more about entertainment than products (and smaller markets simply can’t compete with the large market’s grandiose affairs)
Digital fatigue: “Email, email, email… most use it and share nominal value, preferring to bombard specifiers”
Access challenges: “Sales drop-ins, lunch n’ learns and more are more challenging”
Gordon quotes manufacturers saying: “I need to be where the customer is, and I’ll invest to do it.”
But here’s the catch he identifies: “If lighting is not their full-time job, why go to a lighting only show unless it is in your own back yard.” That sentence is the key to understanding why he finds Illuminate interesting.
The Agent Show Problem & OPM Reality
Gordon doesn’t explicitly critique agent shows in the article, but there’s a structural dysfunction worth unpacking: the “OPM strategy”—Other People’s Money.
How OPM Works in Practice:
The agent identifies an opportunity (“we should have a show”), structures the entire event (venue, format, guest list, entertainment), and then solicits “sponsorships” from the manufacturers they represent. The agent might spend $50K-100K of their own money on logistics, but manufacturers collectively fund $500K-1M+ through booth fees, sponsorships, and event costs. The agent controls the experience and gets credit for “bringing everyone together,” while bearing minimal financial risk relative to the event scale.
The leverage is implicit but real: “We represent you in this territory. If you don’t support our show… well, we represent your competitors too.”
The Problem with Spending Other People’s Money:
When you’re not bearing the cost, you optimize for different outcomes:
Agents tend to optimize for impressive experiences that make customers love them — moments that strengthen relationships and elevate their own brand. However, if what people remember most is the performer or the pool party, it may not actually align with what creates the greatest value for the manufacturer
Manufacturers need: Lead generation, product education, measurable ROI, new specifier and customer reach
This misalignment has turned many agent shows into:
Entertainment budgets masquerading as education – When the concert headliner gets more promotion (and has greater customer recall) than the product lines
Captive audience theater – Manufacturers fund these shows, so they feel obligated to attend even when ROI is questionable
Relationship maintenance vs. business development – Taking existing clients to a nice venue isn’t reaching new specifiers
The same 50-100 people – Echo chambers rather than market expansion
These shows aren’t solving Gordon’s core problem: getting in front of specifiers who aren’t lighting specialists but need lighting solutions.
Why Gordon Sees Illuminate Differently
When Gordon saw the NeoCon announcement, he said “that’s interesting and is the audience that architectural lighting companies want.” He then did his homework—reaching out with specific questions. His conclusion matters because he’s being analytical, not promotional.
What Makes It Different (Gordon’s Perspective):
1. The Right Audience, Already Aggregated
50,000+ attendees (42% A&D, 23% end-users) coming for other reasons
These are specifiers making holistic interior decisions—lighting is one component
They’re likely not guilted into attending by their rep
They’re self-selected decision-makers actively shopping for solutions
Gordon’s point: Specifiers who don’t specialize in lighting won’t go to a lighting-only show unless it’s convenient. But they will go to NeoCon because they’re making furniture, finish, and system decisions.
You’re reaching them where they already are.
2. Structural Differences from Agent Shows
Unlike the OPM dynamic, Illuminate has:
Direct payment: You pay NeoCon directly, not through a rep intermediary
No obligation: No implicit pressure from reps who may control your market access
Forced focus: Small booth sizes (5’x10′ to 10’x10′) mean no one dominates through sheer presence
Cost discipline: LEDucation-range pricing makes honest ROI evaluation possible
Product-centric: No concert unduly competing for attention
3. Context Matches How Projects Work
Gordon emphasizes that architectural lighting is a “show and tell” and relationship business, but it’s “different than white goods and value-engineering.” Seeing lighting in the context of furniture, finishes, and integrated systems reflects how designers actually work on projects—not as isolated lighting decisions.
4. National Efficiency
Gordon acknowledges that “Chicago agents may have their own show to support the local market” but notes this “could be effective allocation of resources from a national perspective.” Translation: Instead of funding 6-8 regional agent shows at $50K-100K each, one national show with the right audience might deliver better ROI.
Gordon’s Strategic Framework
His closing thoughts frame the opportunity:
“In the lighting category F2F sales and marketing is important. The architectural segment is a ‘show and tell’ and relationship business. It’s a need to ‘be there.'”
But where should “there” be?
“Nowadays marketing is about identifying verticals to penetrate. eBlasts without content and context are why open rates are plummeting. Perhaps try something new?”
That last line—”Perhaps try something new?”—is significant. Gordon is suggesting that the current approach isn’t working:
Email bombardment fails because there’s no context
Lighting-only shows miss specifiers who aren’t only lighting specialists
Agent shows may satisfy relationship obligations but aren’t necessarily driving new business
The Manufacturer’s Dilemma (Gordon’s Framing)
Manufacturers are caught between:
Agent shows: Relationship obligations, OPM dynamics, same audience, questionable new business
LightFair: Diminished and biennial
LEDucation: Growing but still NYC-centric (lines organize around NYC representatives)
Local shows: Don’t scale nationally
Meanwhile, their customers (specifiers) are:
Harder to reach in offices post-COVID
Drowning in contextless emails
Working on projects where lighting isn’t the primary decision
Attending shows that aren’t lighting shows
Gordon’s implicit argument: Stop trying to make specifiers come to you. Go to where they already are.
The Distribution Angle Gordon Identifies
Gordon specifically notes that “distributors who are active in the specification / value-added aspect of lighting (not value-engineering)” should attend. This is important because:
National account lighting distributors might find this more efficient than attending multiple regional agent shows
The 23% end-user overlap creates opportunities for distributors working both the specification and procurement sides
It acknowledges that specification selling requires presence and relationship-building
The Agent Show Reality That Gordon Doesn’t Say (But Needs Saying)
Many large market agents and multi-state agencies have been sponsoring their own shows using the OPM strategy. These have increasingly turned into rep-held concerts or mini-vacations for a select group of customers. It’s not about products and brands anymore.
When the person spending the money doesn’t bear the cost, normal market discipline disappears. Shows optimize for impressive experiences rather than business outcomes. Products take a back seat to entertainment. And manufacturers can’t easily decline without risking relationships with reps who control their market access.
The Bottom Line: What Gordon Is Really Saying
While Gordon doesn’t directly critique the OPM model of agent shows, his analysis suggests why they’re not solving the industry’s core problem.
Illuminate offers what Gordon sees as a fundamentally different proposition:
Right audience: 50,000 commercial interior decision-makers who are already there
Right context: Lighting as part of holistic design decisions, not isolated
Right economics: Direct investment with measurable ROI, no intermediary leverage
Right format: Focused on product and education, not concerts and resorts
Right scale: National reach without funding 6-8 regional agent shows
Gordon’s challenge to manufacturers: “Perhaps try something new?”
Translation: The current approach isn’t working. Email fatigue is real. LightFair is diminished. Agent shows are expensive relationship maintenance. Manufacturers say they need to “be where the customer is”—so why aren’t they considering where customers actually are?
The strategic question isn’t whether Illuminate is perfect. It’s whether it’s a better allocation of resources than:
Show #7 where your booth sits next to a band stage at a resort
$50K in “sponsorships” for an agent show where 80 people attend (and you already know 60 of them)
Another round of emails that get 3% open rates
Gordon’s final line matters: “Perhaps try something new?”
It’s not enthusiastic cheerleading. It’s a measured observation that what the industry has been doing isn’t working, and Illuminate at least offers a different model worth evaluating—one where manufacturers control their investment, reach a pre-aggregated audience of actual decision-makers, and can measure results without the relationship complications and OPM dynamics of agent shows.
The real test Gordon implies: Will manufacturers have the discipline to honestly evaluate new opportunities? Or will they keep funding the same shows because “that’s what we’ve always done” and because saying no to an agent show risks the relationship?
The OPM dynamic only exists because manufacturers allow it. Illuminate at least offers an alternative where the value proposition is clearer and the accountability is direct.
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