September 20, 2024
ArchLIGHT Summit 2024 Showcases Growth in Dallas
Dallas lighting community's increased involvement drives momentum for the fourth ArchLIGHT Summit
The ArchLIGHT Summit, held this week at the Dallas Market Center on September 17-18, 2024, marks a continued evolution for an event that debuted in 2021 to smaller crowds just beginning to shake off their pandemic hibernation. Now, with a surge in energy and attendance, the summit is better establishing itself as a growing regional lighting event for lighting people.
The 2024 event saw stronger support from the local lighting community, which had been somewhat lacking in previous years. ArchLIGHT Summit truly felt like the place to be this week for lighting people in the region, with the exhibit floor selling out to over 100 exhibitors and more than 1,000 attendees — a reported 36% increase over last year. The combination of educational courses, diverse programs and a wide array of exhibiting manufacturers created an environment that left a positive impression for attendees.
Cindy Foster-Warthen, one of the event's organizers, summed up the general sentiment of the summit: “It was our best year yet, and we look forward to continued growth as we start making plans for September 16-17, 2025.” This optimism was echoed by exhibitors and attendees alike, as the summit demonstrated it is building momentum as a regional event for commercial lighting people.
Expanding Agent Partnerships
One of the major factors contributing to this year's uptick was the expanded participation of Dallas-area lighting agents. For the first time, two of North Texas' largest lighting agencies — Architectural Lighting Alliance (ALA) and Texas Lighting — joined the event. ALA, which represents Acuity Brands and several other lighting and controls companies, and Texas Lighting, the Cooper Lighting Solutions agent, brought new momentum to the summit.
The five agent partners for the event were:
- Architectural Lighting Alliance (ALA)
- Hossley Lighting & Power Solutions
- NEXGEN Lighting Solutions
- Preferred Lighting Group
- Texas Lighting
This expanded local support marked a key development, as these agent partners attracted first-time and returning exhibitors who otherwise may not have participated. The involvement of these agents also helped draw more specifiers to the event. This increased attendance had a positive impact on the educational courses and left a mostly positive impression on exhibitors, who had invested significant marketing resources and dedicated three full days — setup on Monday and the show on Tuesday and Wednesday — into their participation.
Bell & McCoy Lighting & Controls, another large local agent known for its partnership with Current Lighting, chose not to participate, instead hosting its own large-scale private event, LightX, in late July. Despite this, the presence of the other agents at ArchLIGHT Summit this year significantly contributed to its growth and higher attendance.
When asked about their plans for ArchLight Summit next year, both ALA and Texas Lighting personnel were non-committal but expressed generally neutral to positive sentiments.
Improvements in Event Layout and Scheduling
Beam me up: The Lighting Exchange created a virtual reality station that allowed Al Uszynski of Inside Lighting (above) to "teleport" to two architectural lighting projects as if he was on-site.
The ArchLIGHT Summit has continuously adapted to attendee feedback, making improvements each year. In 2021, exhibitors expressed concerns about booth locations and foot traffic, with many booths placed in less trafficked areas. Over the years, those issues have been resolved, and the layout of the trade show floor was more optimized for visibility and engagement. Another past issue was hosting the event on a Friday, a typically slow day for trade shows. By shifting the schedule to Tuesday and Wednesday, organizers saw an uptick in overall attendance.
Additionally, the seminars were moved from remote upper floors to the trade show floor itself, improving access for attendees and increasing traffic for exhibitors. This responsiveness to feedback has been a key factor in improving stakeholder feedback.
Showroom Tours and Unique Experiences
As part of the event, the Dallas Market Center hosted its "Showroom Spectacular" tour on the second day, offering attendees guided tours of permanent showrooms. Exhibitors such as Modern Forms and CSL, who each have permanent showrooms on the higher floors of Dallas Market Center, enhanced the experience with catered refreshments and live entertainment. A notable highlight was the Modern Forms showroom, where a violinist played classical renditions of popular songs by Guns N’ Roses and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, creating a unique atmosphere for attendees.
Attendee Impressions
Raquel Sauer, a lighting designer from Rocky Mountain Consulting Engineers in Jordan, Utah, traveled 1200 miles to the event specifically for its CEU sessions. “The classes being offered as CEUs were of interest to me as a lighting designer, so I decided to come,” said Sauer. The summit offered 15 continuing education units (CEUs), with 10 sessions running at or near full capacity over the two-day event.
Dallas-area designers also shared positive feedback. One local designer, who requested anonymity, mentioned “The show floor was really well organized, and I got to see a lot of brands that are definitely going to be on my radar for future lighting projects,” she said. However, she also mentioned that traveling to the venue and parking were challenging aspects of the event.
Generally Positive Feedback from Exhibitors
Exhibitors at this year’s event generally expressed satisfaction with the turnout. Ted Chappell, President of Inter-lux, noted that the scale of the show allowed specifier customers to spend more time at each booth, sometimes as much as 20 minutes, to thoroughly review products.
Bill Plageman, VP of Marketing & Product Management at Amerlux, who has exhibited at every ArchLIGHT Summit since its inception, described this year as “the best year yet” and confirmed his plans to exhibit again in 2025. Meanwhile, Steve O’Neill of Spectrum Lighting described the traffic as "decent" but confirmed that Spectrum Lighting also intends to return next year.
However, one common piece of feedback from exhibitors was the large presence of students on the first morning of the show. While exhibitors appreciated the interest, many pointed out that their primary focus is on experienced, practicing lighting professionals who are actively specifying or purchasing lighting products.
While the feedback from exhibitors was largely favorable, with most indicating they were satisfied or found value in the event, we did hear from a few exhibitors, including a fairly prominent lighting brand, who voiced some disappointment. In our experience attending numerous lighting trade shows annually for decades, even top-tier events can evoke a range of reactions.
A Potentially Bright Future for ArchLIGHT Summit
The ArchLIGHT Summit 2024 demonstrated that the event is gaining momentum, particularly in its ability to attract a higher number of both exhibitors and attendees. The expanded agent partnerships and improvements to the event layout and scheduling indicate a growing appeal for local and regional shows, particularly as in-person meetings become more difficult to schedule due to hybrid work models and increased focus on billable hours.
As the event continues to listen to feedback and adapt, it appears well-positioned for continued growth in the years to come. ArchLIGHT Summit 2025 is scheduled for September 16-17, 2025.
