The Future Lux Bright

We take a look at what Europe’s largest annual lighting event has in store for 2017.

In Hampshire, the street lights tell the local authority when to salt the roads in winter. In Helsinki, they’ll find you a parking space. In Atlanta Airport, lights can track wheelchairs and other equipment. And in Singapore, the lights guide customers to bargains in a shopping mall.

Lighting is changing. Thanks to digital technology, it’s moving beyond illumination and creating exciting possibilities that were undreamt of a few years ago. Lighting can now make spaces more human and make our cities smarter. It can engage with customers, help understand people and their needs, and deliver unparalleled comfort and convenience.

This revolution is transforming light fittings into smart devices which can monitor and control our environment. The lighting in our buildings and cities is set to form the backbone of a digital network which can engage and inform on an unprecedented scale.

To help get a grip on these bewildering possibilities, LuxLive 2017 – Europe’s largest annual lighting event – is bringing together the experts and the technology at ExCeL London later this month. There, visitors can experience the digital future of lighting for themselves.

Cutting-edge technology
And it’s not just about technology. Advances in our knowledge about how light affects people is now allowing us to create human-centric spaces where wellbeing, comfort and productivity are paramount. From Li-Fi to human centric lighting and wireless controls, this year’s exhibition is a festival of cutting-edge technology.

At the heart of the show is the Gooee IoT Arena. This centrepiece stage and technology zone is where the digital future of lighting comes to life. Demonstrations, presentations, discussions and break-out talks will focus on connected lighting and the exciting possibilities it’s opening up to engage occupants and control our world.

By contrast, the lightspace arena – in association with Amerlux – will focus on the quality and design of light. It will feature two days of curated content on architectural lighting, including debates and presentations from inspirational designers and architects.

Powered by Holophane, the Smart Spaces Conference focuses on connected outdoor lighting. Here you’ll see sophisticated lighting systems with advanced features such as environment monitoring, asset management, parking information, lamp and ballast failure reporting and integration with third party systems and software.

Wireless connectivity delivered by the visible light from LED lighting – known simply as Li-Fi – is creating a lot of excitement in technology circles. No wonder. This breakthrough development could transform lighting into a backbone for information and free up congestion on traditional Wi-Fi networks. You can see this technology in action yourself at the Li-Fi Experience, where companies in this exciting space will be demonstrating the tech.

At a time of heightened concern about building safety, the Escape Zone will focus on emergency lighting requirements and standards. Here you’ll learn how to do a risk assessment, best practice procedures, the latest innovations and how to ensure you installation is compliant with the regulations.

If you want to become an expert in lighting, check out the Lighting Industry Association’s Lighting Academy. Taking place every morning, this special educational programme will see experienced tutors from the Lighting Industry Association take you through the fundamentals of light, light sources and lighting design.

On the exhibition floor is LIA Live, where the organisation is showcasing its many services for members. The LIA Labs will be there, demonstrating its testing procedures and its precision equipment, Lumicom is showing off its mobile recycling facility and the training division is discussing the unprecedented availability of qualifications.

Finally, for those involved in the financing of lighting companies, there’s the Strategies in Light Investor Forum. Here CEOs of innovative lighting companies unveil their market strategies before an audience of venture capitalists, fund managers, investors and industry leaders. Who’s delivering value? Who are the disruptors? And who will be disrupted? This is a must-attend event for senior management.