May 19, 2025
Strategic Shift: LEDucation Carves Out Designer-Only Hours
Exclusive early access offers focused time for lighting design professionals
At 9:00 a.m. on April 14, 2026, LEDucation will usher in a subtle but significant change to its format — one designed with design professionals squarely in mind. For the first time, the sprawling lighting trade show, hosted by the Designers Lighting Forum of New York (DLFNY), will open its doors exclusively to designers for a two-and-a-half hour window before the broader crowd steps in.
Dubbed “Designer Hours,” the new format is both symbolic and strategic. It reflects a nuanced response to the evolving dynamics of a show that has become the most heavily attended lighting event in North America. The new Designer Hours aim to protect what helped build that momentum in the first place: meaningful, focused dialogue between designers and manufacturers.
The Calm Before the Trade Show Storm
Cynthia Turner, President of DLFNY, described the initiative as an emphasis on specifier-focused principles. “This initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to the design community,” she said. “We are pleased to restructure and offer a dedicated block of time that supports creativity, collaboration, and informed decision-making.”
By opening earlier on Tuesday — at 9:00 a.m. instead of the previous 10:00 a.m. — and restricting access until 11:30 a.m. to verified design professionals, organizers aim to create a more thoughtful, less hurried environment. Lighting designers, architects, engineers, and interior and landscape designers will be granted exclusive access to the show floor for those early hours. Others, including distributors, contractors, integrators, non-exhibiting manufacturers and out-of-town lighting agents, will have to wait.
The move isn’t about exclusion, organizers emphasize, but about pacing. It seems to be a response to occasional, constructive feedback from designers who’ve found it increasingly difficult to carve out space for deeper conversations amid LEDucation’s swelling attendance.
An Elegant Course Correction
LEDucation remains overwhelmingly well-regarded, with high marks from stakeholders. But as its stature has grown, so too has the challenge of keeping interactions intimate and schedules manageable. The introduction of Designer Hours is not a reaction to dysfunction but a preemptive move to ensure the show doesn't lose its connective tissue: the boothside exchanges, the impromptu design discussions, the moments when a product becomes a spec-worthy solution.
Lighting designer Shoshanna Segal of Hartranft Lighting Studios welcomed the shift. “I think it is a great idea and will help get LEDucation back to its original roots as a resource for the New York City lighting design community,” she said.
Even for those not included in the early hours, the rest of the schedule remains robust: 6 ½ hours of open access on Tuesday from 11:30 to 6 p.m. and a full second day on Wednesday. No one is being shut out — some are just asked to pause.
A Measured Step Forward
Whether Designer Hours becomes a fixture or a one-time recalibration remains to be seen. But as LEDucation scales its success, the organizers are betting that a quieter, more intentional start to Tuesday could set the tone for a better show overall.
And in a city that never slows down, a couple hours of calm might just be the boldest move of all.
