Issue 114
arc Feb/Mar 2020 – Issue 114
It’s that time again...
We’re all set for another foray to Frankfurt...
It’s hard to believe that it’s been two years since we were last on our way to the Messe Frankfurt for the behemoth that is Light+Building. A lot has changed in that time, both internally (I was a wet-behind-the-ears Assistant Editor back then) and in the wider world too (you can stop asking us about Brexit now, it’s happened. We’re all very sorry!), and I’m personally really looking forward to jetting off to Frankfurt to find out more about the latest trends and innovations that are set to rock the lighting industry.
The arc team will, of course, be there for the duration of the show, alongside our pals from darc, so be sure to stop by our stand (FOY12, just outside Hall 4.1) to say hello, or buy us a drink in the Irish bar!
In this issue you can find out more about just a small smattering of the new products that will be on show in our extensive Light+Building preview. Make sure you keep an eye out for our review in issue 115, looking back on all the highlights from the event.
Stepping away from Light+Building for a moment, we’re very fortunate at arc to be able to travel to a variety of trade shows, conferences and light festivals around the world. Because of this we’ve seen more than our fair share of airports and train stations - some nicer than others!
With that in mind, arc 114 features a special Transport focus, looking at a number of very cool transport-centric projects from around the world. Coolest amongst these is our cover feature on the amazing Jewel Changi in Singapore. You’ve no doubt already seen images of the amazing building, featuring the world’s largest indoor waterfall, and in this issue we talk with Lighting Planners Associates about what went into illuminating such a remarkable building.
I was also lucky enough to sit down with Andrew Whalley, Chairman and Partner at Grimshaw, to discuss the architecture firm’s impressive portfolio, and it’s approach to light (he had high praise indeed for the work of lighting designers!). The firm has worked on some amazing sites, including a number of high-profile transport projects around the world, so it’s well worth checking out.
This packed out issue also features Part 1 of our Festivals of Light round-up, featuring Lumiere Durham, Copenhagen Light Festival, the [d]arc award-winning Winter Lights, and many more.
Enjoy!
Matt Waring
Editor
arc
Megaman UK announce new appointments
(UK) – Megaman appoint new National Sales Manager and area-based Business Development Manager
Megaman has expanded its experienced sales team
with the appointment of a new National Sales Manager and area-based Business
Development Manager.
Micaela Abbott, previously National Account Manager
for Megaman has now taken on a new role as National Sales Manager, where she
will be responsible for overseeing Megaman’s regional Business Development
Managers (BDMs) as well as continuing her work with Megaman’s national
accounts.
Following previous sales experience with an
electrical manufacturer, wholesaler and also a national merchant, Abbott has
spent the last 14 years working for Megaman, during which time her passion for
the company has flourished. As such she is ideally placed to apply her
knowledge of the Megaman product range and enthusiasm for the brand to
providing support to the wider sales team.
Abbott commented: “I am thrilled and excited to be
taking this new step with Megaman. I am looking forward to further developing my
relationship with all of my key national accounts whilst also supporting
the BDMs in their local areas and establishing a consistency in message and an
even greater depth of service support between the two.”
As part of Abbott’s team, Stephen McDermott has
been appointed as the new Megaman Business Development Manager for the North of
England. McDermott has more than 16 years’ previous experience in an Area Sales
Manager position, working first for Cleveland Cable Company and later
electrical control distributer, PES Group.
He commented: “I am excited to start
working for Megaman as it is a well-established and vibrant company with a
great portfolio of versatile products.”
IALD Business Owners Webinar: Dealing with the Covid-19 Crisis
Barbara Horton, President and CEO of Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design (HLB) and David Ghatan, President of CM Kling + Associates, offer insights into how design firms can proactively manage their teams through the Covid-19 crisis. Horton and Ghatan share first-hand insights on their perspectives as business owners, dealing with the management of design and project work, managing a virtual team and cash flow, and more.
Video courtesy of IALD.
Nulty launches The Light Lunch Series
(UK) – The weekly webinar series will “celebrate all things light and design”.
Nulty has launched a new series of webinars that they hope
will act as “a source of insight for architects, interior designers and anyone
with an interest in design looking to broaden their understanding about light”.
Entitled The Light Lunch Series, the webinars will be held
at 12.30pm GMT every Tuesday and Friday throughout April, giving viewers regular
access to the studio’s designers, alongside guest contributors from the wider
creative industry.
“During this time while we’re all getting used to working
from home, we want to engage and inspire you with our passion for light,” said
Nulty.
“From the fundamentals of great lighting design, through to
future-gazing conversations about new innovations, we’ll be sharing our
thoughts on the creative and technical aspects of illumination through a
light-hearted lunchtime format.”
The series begins on Tuesday 7 April, when founder Paul
Nulty will present on The Art of Light, exploring the importance of artistic
thinking during the lighting design process, and how light has the power to
emotionally connect a person to their environment.
To subscribe to the first webinar, visit: https://event.webinarjam.com/register/1/yyw85fq
IALD, ILP, SLL, Zumtobel Group launch Light Minded Movement
(Global) – The social media campaign hopes to boost
wellbeing in lighting community
The IALD, ILP, SLL and Zumtobel Group have launched a new
social media initiative called the Light Minded Movement.
The Instagram project aims to encourage wellbeing among
those working in lighting. Each week, a theme is set, and people are invited to
post pictures that relate to it. The initiative is intended to act as an
opportunity for the lighting community to communicate through images, showing
how they are coping with the changes their working conditions, life at home,
family, how their days may have changed, and what they are doing to keep mentally
well.
Administrators for the initiative are Emma Cogswell of the
IALD, Jess Gallacher and Jo Bell of the ILP, Brendan Keely and Juliet Rennie
from the SLL, and April Dorrian and Dan Hodgson of the Zumtobel Group.
Of the initiative, the Light Minded Movement said: “We need
to rethink the term social distancing, we need to come closer, even if that
means not physically.”
www.instagram.com/light_minded_movement
LightFair International cancelled for 2020
(US) – The show, originally due to take place 3-7 May,
has been cancelled until 2021.
Organisers of LightFair International have announced that
the show, originally due to take place in Las Vegas this May, has been
cancelled for 2020.
The show, co-organised by IALD, IES and International Market
Centers (IMC) had initially been postponed until “late summer or early fall”
due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, but has since been cancelled altogether.
The next LightFair will now take place at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York in May 2021, coinciding with New York Design Week.
“Since its inception 31 years ago, LightFair has represented
a true collaboration and symbiotic partnership between IALD, IES and its
managing partner,” said Dan Darby, show director. “The feedback we received
from IALD, IES, exhibitors and attendees is that a trde show and conference in
2020 during the available summer dates are not feasible.
“The overwhelming response is a desire to preserve resources
to invest in an even stronger 2021 event. We are embracing that counsel and
will present the preferred marketplace for commercial and architectural
lighting and the most comprehensive training for lighting design and technology
professionals again next year in New York.”
Timothy Licitra, IES Executive Director, added: “The
decision to cancel LightFair 2020 was not easy to make. While a cancellation is
a serious development that weighs heavily upon us and significantly impacts our
partners, we believe that this is what is best for the industry.
“Our focus is now on making LightFair 2021 the best event
for all participants, while allowing our industry to focus its attention on
navigating the uncertainty this crisis has created.”
“Cancelling the reimagined LightFair 2020 is a difficult
decision we must make as responsible leaders who care about the preservation of
the lighting industry,” continued Marsha Turner, IALD CEO. “Now, we eagerly
anticipate LightFair 2021 in New York, and are delighted to have secured our
return to Las Vegas in 2022.”
Plans are currently underway to present some elements of the
2020 show, including the conference and the 2020 LightFair Innovation Awards,
in an online format.
Phos: Neuroscience of Light - Chapter 1 – Light on Earth
“We are prepared for a world that no longer exists.” In this, the first of the series, Phos discusses our evolutionary requirement for light at a time where we all feel as human as ever…
London Design Fair and [d]arc room postponed until 2021
(UK) - [d]arc awards to go ahead as planned with [d]arc night taking place on 3rd December.
Diversified Communications UK has confirmed that this year’s London Design Fair, and therefore [d]arc room, due to take place at the Old Truman Brewery in Shoreditch on 17-20 September, has been postponed until 2021.
The decision is a result of the widespread disruption caused by the Coronavirus epidemic. Nearly 70% of the event’s exhibitors are based abroad and most have, understandably, requested to cancel their participation for 2020.
David Maguire, group event director at Diversified Communications UK, said: “Like all businesses, we’ve been closely following the rapidly changing developments during these unprecedented and difficult times, and we have been in close contact with our exhibitors and partners to make sure we make the right decision.
“We appreciate the hugely important role London Design Fair plays as part of the London Design Festival and its mission to promote London as one of the leading design capitals of the world. However, these are unprecedented times. We know how affected many of our exhibitors, visitors, sponsors and partners are by the epidemic, and our thoughts are with them, their staff and families. But the design community is strong and resilient, and we look forward to coming back better than ever in 2021, and to continuing to play a leading role promoting great design.”
Paul James, Managing Director of [d]arc media, organiser of [d]arc room, commented: “Obviously, we're very disappointed that the event had to be canceled but, given the current climate due to Covid-19, we think it's the right call and I commend Diversified Communications for making this decision so early to give clarity for exhibitors and visitors.
“We will, however, be going full speed ahead with the [d]arc awards as this is an online platform for entering and voting culminating in [d]arc night, the awards party, on 3rd December in London. I think we could all do with a big industry party by then and, if it needs to be delayed a while if circumstances don't change by December, this is something we can easily do.”
New show dates will be announced on the London Design Fair website (www.londondesignfair.co.uk) and the [d]arc room website (www.darcroom.com) soon.
Covid-19 Live Updates
(Global) - With trade shows and events around the world impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, we keep you up to date with the latest show dates and cancellations.
As the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic continues to have a deep
and lasting impact around the world, a number of high-profile lighting trade
shows and exhibitions have been postponed, or cancelled altogether, as efforts
continue to be made to “flatten the curve” and halt the spread of the virus.
From the industry-leading Light+Building in Frankfurt, to LightFair International and LEDucation in the US, the lighting industry has seen its event calendar drastically altered in the past few weeks. And while the schedule appears healthier later in the year (with the exception of the cancelled PLDC and Trends in Lighting/LpS Symposium in New York and Bregenz respectively), the uncertainty surrounding Covid-19 means that this could change in the coming weeks and months.
As such, we at arc magazine have drawn up a handy, easy-to-read table, designed to let you know how the lighting industry has been impacted, highlighting what shows have been cancelled or postponed, and if known, their new dates. At the time of writing, LightFair International hasn’t confirmed its new dates, just that it will take place in “late summer or early fall”.
| Show | Original Dates |
New Dates |
| Light + Building, Frankfurt, Germany |
8 - 13 March | 27 September – 2 October |
| LEDucation, New York, USA |
17 - 18 March |
Cancelled |
| Salone del Mobile, Milan, Italy |
20 - 26 April | Cancelled |
| Lightfair International, Las Vegas, USA |
3 - 7 May | Cancelled |
| HD Expo, Las Vegas, USA |
5 - 7 May | Cancelled |
| Plasa Focus Leeds, Leeds, UK |
12 - 13 May | Cancelled |
| ICFF, New York, USA |
17 - 20 May | Cancelled |
| Clerkenwell Design Week, London, UK |
19 - 21 May | 14 - 16 July |
| GILE, Guangzhou, China |
9 - 12 June | No Change |
| LED Expo Thailand, Bangkok, Thailand |
24 - 26 June | 7 - 9 October |
| LEDforum.20, Sao Paulo, Brazil |
20 - 21 August | 5 - 6 November |
| Plasa, London, UK |
6 - 8 September | No Change |
| [d]arc room, London, UK |
17 - 19 September | New Dates TBC 2021 |
| Trends in Lighting, Bregenz, Austria |
22 - 24 September | Cancelled |
| PLDC, New York, USA |
8 - 10 October | Cancelled |
| IALD Enlighten Americas, Palm Springs, USA |
22 - 24 October | No Change |
| Hong Kong Int’l Lighting Fair, Hong Kong |
27 - 30 October | No Change |
| IALD Enlighten Europe, Oslo, Norway |
18 - 20 November | No Change |
| [d]arc awards, London, UK |
3 December | No Change |
This table will be constantly updated as and when new
announcements reach us, so please keep checking back to stay up-to-date with
this unprecedented situation.
WAC donates 500,000 masks to help fight COVID-19
(US) - WAC Lighting has donated 500,000 masks to US Healthcare Providers to assist the COVID-19 Relief.
Starting early in the year, WAC Lighting ordered 500,000 Level-3
Surgical Masks with the intent of donating them to COVID-19 healthcare relief
efforts abroad.
As conditions dramatically worsened in the US, WAC is now shipping these
500,000 surgical masks to US hospitals, primarily in the New York metropolitan
area, where healthcare workers are being overrun by caseloads and are in
desperate need of supplies.
WAC President and Co-CEO Shelly Wald explained: “Our community wellbeing lies in the hands of the heroic healthcare providers among us.
“Medical personnel and first responders need all the protection and
support we can muster, but we cannot do it on our own.”
In addition to the mask donations that are being distributed through The
Glow Foundation, WAC Lighting is calling upon others in the community to
contribute monetary or in-kind donations.
“Please join our efforts to get supplies to the healthcare professionals on the front line,” added Shelly Wald. “Our prayers are with all those fighting this insidious illness and with all the people that love them. Thank you in advance for your kindness, and we hope that you stay safe and well.”
#LightItBlue campaign shows support for NHS
(UK) – The campaign saw landmarks illuminated blue in tribute to NHS staff.
Professionals in the lighting, events and entertainment industry have joining together to generate a nationwide light show, illuminating landmarks and historic buildings blue as a salute to the work of the NHS.
The campaign, called #LightItBlue, was inspired by the NHS
Clap For Our Carers campaign, with industry leaders wanting to create a simultaneous
show of support for NHS staff amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
The organisers behind the campaign asked major buildings and landmarks across the UK to light up blue at 8pm GMT on Thursday 26 March, specifically targeting buildings and landmarks with existing LED technology, in order to adhere to the UK Government’s critical messaging for everyone to stay indoors and minimise physical contact.
More than 60 theatres, bridges, cathedrals, castles, sports stadiums and national landmarks were contacted, with the list of locations taking part including the O2, the Royal Albert Hall, and Bristol City Football Club.
A statement from the organisers reads: “The events and
entertainment industry finds itself in an unprecedented state of enforced
inaction. The best thing we can do, apart from staying home and looking after
our families, is to send out a massive thank you to all of the healthcare
professionals who are risking their own health to save people made seriously
ill by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Our industry leaders also feel a responsibility for the
mental health of countless employees who are feeling anxious and confused about
the future. We believe that the #LightItBlue campaign will galvanise their enthusiasm
and pride in a mass gesture of solidarity.”
After buildings across the UK were turned blue, the campaign has rolled into the personal and digital space, with organisers hopeful that people will be inspired to add their own versions of the message, with a national vote of thanks for the NHS reverberating across the UK.
