August 7, 2023
IES Eyes New Revenue Streams and Global Expansion
The 2023 Annual Conference delights attendees as organization continues to adjust its business model
The 2023 Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) Annual Conference took place in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Illinois and concluded on Saturday. When we first learned of the Schaumburg location, we assumed that the theme of the event was going to be “Mall Lighting,” but event organizers came up with a much better theme, “Light Responsibly.”
According to the IES, over 400 lighting people attended this year’s conference at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel, located not far from the intersection of IKEA and Olive Garden breadsticks.
Keynote speaker and Chicago architecture enthusiast, Ellen Shubart, was an unexpected scratch from the conference, having suffered a personal injury. So IES consultant and experienced speaker, Mark Lein, was able to step in and deliver a "Forces of Change" presentation that received positive reviews from attendees. Lein told us he received the call from the bullpen the night before and was able to work through much of the night to prepare and deliver keynote that showed no signs of sleep deprivation.
Overall the event spaces aptly accommodated the packed agenda of workshops, keynotes and breakouts, but some sessions that had chairs for 80 people, were bursting with standing room only – those included Circadian Lighting and Wellness Lighting Are Not the Same, by Robert Soler and Mastering the Maze of Lighting Controls Specification by Shoshanna Segal and Carol Jones.
This year, the tabletop exhibitors were given more than the usual two-or-so-hours to showcase their products to attendees. Event organizers arranged for the breakfast and lunch buffets to take place in a large space that had a few dozen lighting exhibitors on the perimeter, providing many opportunities for exhibitor traffic and touchpoints. Evening events on Thursday and Friday, sponsored by Acuity Brands and Cooper Lighting Solutions respectively, took place in a ballroom salon of the convention center.
The Progress Committee continued its tradition of interjecting zany skits into the presentation of dozens of products that were selected for the year’s Progress Report. This the crowd was treated to numerous skits that parodied Ken & Barbie, Taylor Swift, The Little Mermaid, Yellowstone, Blues Brothers, ChatGPT and a eulogy to the Incandescent light bulb. We will highlight some takeaways of the Progress Report in a future article.
Revenue, Revenue, Revenue
IES Executive Director Colleen Harper delivered a “State of the Union” address on Saturday where she outlined many of the organization's priorities. One of the more emphasized themes was Harper’s focus on generating revenue for the IES and identifying new revenue streams. We counted at least six mentions of the “R” word – something we didn’t often hear during past IES Conferences.
The IES is a non-profit organization, but generating new revenue is vitally important to the organization. It once received a $3+ million cut from LightFair annually, but now, with lower LightFair revenues and LightFair on a biennial cadence, the drumbeat for more revenue streams can't be ignored.
In the context of the 2022 Annual Conference in New Orleans, Harper explained that there were some missed opportunities for non-monetized areas like sponsorships. Harper explained that without a salesperson or sales skill set on staff that the organization has outsourced the sales function to a third party.
Harper discussed in detail, the hiring of Graham Kirk, the Director of Marketing and Business Development who joined the IES in April. Kirk was previously Director of Sales & Marketing at the Audio Engineering Society, the same association Harper led before joining the IES in March 2022.
Harper stated that hiring Kirk "was done solely because we need new revenue streams. And he has a very brilliant business mind." Harper continued, "so his hire is all about generating new revenue for IES and figuring out what we can do in a way that serves our members, serves the industry and serves our mission, but also generates money for us because we're a business and we have to generate revenue."
Aside from revenue, Harper highlighted other priorities of the organization:
Global Efforts: The IES attended international events to increase awareness of their standards and made connections outside North America. Efforts were made to launch new sections in the Middle East and Latin America, working to expand membership in these areas. Relaunching the global development committees and the global lightning summit underscores a commitment to international growth and collaboration between organizations.
Reevaluating Business Model & Remote Work: The IES is reevaluating its business model and reducing overhead, particularly in the context of increased remote work post-COVID. They have sought to sublease their 10,000+ sqft Wall Street office space since 2022, but Harper didn’t report that they have found a tenant. The property is still listed for lease on various commercial real estate websites.
Content Curation for LightFair: The IES has taken over content curation for LightFair and are proud to lead these efforts, believing their education is top-notch. LightFair is an event of which IES is a one-third partner.
Promotions & Events: The promotion of key staff and the success of various events, including the first-ever Light and Justice Symposium, were mentioned.
Restructuring of Lighting Library: The IES responded to feedback about the cost of their Lighting Library by restructuring its cost, making it more accessible and providing certain collections for free to members.
NCQLP & LEUKOS: IES assumed management of NCQLP, a certification body that governs the “LC” (Lighting Certified) credential, generating a new revenue stream. They also restructured LEUKOS, the journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, which will reduce expenses.
Retirement of Paul Tarricone: The retirement of Tarricone, the longtime editor and publisher of LD+A, was highlighted, and his important contributions were recognized. Tarricone is retiring from the IES, but may not be retiring altogether.
Appreciation for Sponsors & Collaborators: Finally, she expressed gratitude and appreciation for sponsors, collaborators, and team members who have contributed to the organization's success.
The overall message from Harper's speech shows a strong commitment to growth, innovation, and collaboration, with an emphasis on adapting to new business models and expanding global reach.
As we say goodbye to Schaumburg and its historic Woodfield Mall, we turn our sights to New York City in 2024. The Big Apple will be ready to shine as the IES Annual Conference 2024 will take place at the Marriott Marquis August 15-17, 2024.
