March 22, 2025
Chip’s First LEDucation: A Mascot Among LEDs
From selfies to serious chats, Inside Lighting’s newest team member made every connection count
Trade shows are about making connections, and few made more of them at LEDucation 2025 than Chip — a bright yellow and blue, wide-eyed personification of an LED chip-on-board (COB) and the newest member of the Inside Lighting team.
For two days in New York City, Chip worked the show floor like a seasoned pro, posing for photos, soaking in the latest lighting innovations, and getting a firsthand look at how this industry moves. If anyone doubted whether a mascot could hold his own at a serious lighting event, Chip settled the question: He belonged.
His people — COBs, mid-power & high-power LEDs, and even a few legacy 5050 LEDs — were everywhere. It was something of a family reunion, with warm nods exchanged across the exhibit hall. Some of the older models still claimed they “had plenty of life left,” while the next-gen chips boasted about their efficacy. But Chip couldn’t ignore the ones struggling under the pressure. Some LEDs were running a little too hot with their heat sinks barely providing the necessary relief. A reminder that, in this business, longevity isn’t guaranteed.
As Chip navigated the crowds, he began to pick up on the rhythms of LEDucation. Humans, he noticed, gathered in clusters around coffee stations and lunch tables, exchanging insights between bites of boxed sandwiches. Booth conversations ranged from deep technical discussions about TM-30 to more practical concerns — like how to escape an overly persistent sales pitch. And while lighting people often pride themselves on precision, their ability to estimate a “quick two-minute chat” was wildly inconsistent.
But the real test came in the form of light itself. As an LED, Chip thought he’d be immune to brightness. That assumption fell apart the moment he found himself standing next to a 75,000-lumen high bay. The intensity was overwhelming. If he had eyelids, he would have squinted. Instead, he simply stood there, absorbing its glow and reconsidering his choices.
By the time LEDucation wrapped up, Chip had seen it all — innovative fixtures, packed education sessions, and more than a few exhausted attendees powering through on caffeine and determination. He had been welcomed into the industry, survived the glare of high-output luminaires, and learned a thing or two about the social habits of lighting people.
Now back at Inside Lighting HQ, Chip is already looking ahead to his next event. He may have started as a mascot, but after LEDucation, he’s now officially part of the lighting community.
