Flos appoints Barbara Corti as Head of International Marketing
(Italy) – Corti moves from her role as Chief Digital Officer to take on the new position as Head of International Marketing.
Barbara Corti has been appointed as the new Head of International Marketing at Flos.
Corti joined the Italian lighting manufacturers in March of last year as Chief Digital Officer, bringing her skills to the planning and implementation of the company’s first steps in the digital transformation process, with the launch of its new global website in November 2017.
In her new role reporting to Flos CEO Piero Gandini, Corti will provide support and strategic guidance to all Flos Group subsidiaries in the development of a coordinated marketing plan that is shaped increasingly by the digital driver, with the intention of boosting the growth of the Home, Architectural and Outdoor product collections. Corti will also continue to manage the development of strategic digital assets.
Speaking of the appointment, Piero Gandini said: “It is a huge pleasure to announce the appointment of Barbara as Head of International Marketing of Flos Group. The skills she has shown in her first period with Flos as Chief Digital Officer perfectly match with the creativity and action necessary to our growth.”
Corti added: “Flos is a brand whose cutting edge approach is a uniquely distinctive feature of its language and of how it does business, makes products and innovates.
“I am honoured by the confidence shown in me by Piero Gandini and ready to seize this valuable legacy, one which will give us all the momentum we need in the coming months to build a platform on which communication, marketing and technology will coalesce to offer a unique and distinctive market proposition.”
With a degree in architecture, Corti worked for more than ten years as a Creative Director in digital communication agencies and for five years as Digital Product Director in Condé Nast Italia, as well as gaining experience as a consultant and mentor for several fashion world startups.
In addition to her professional career, she has also lectured on the User Experience at the Politecnico di Torino Design faculty and collaborated on educational projects with Il Politecnico di Milano, IED and Domus Academy. Corti has played an active role on international projects centred on human rights with IDLO – International Development Law Organisation, tackling the subject of Human Rights Design in developing countries.
In recent years she has won several prestigious international prizes, including the Lovie Awards and the Emanuele Pirella Award for the real innovation demonstrated by the new digital versions of Condé Nast group publications.
Studio Roosegaarde brings Waterlicht to United Nations
(USA) - The Waterlicht artwork has been installed outside the United Nations, in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals, to raise awareness on global warming and rising water levels.
To mark World Water Day, Dutch artist and innovator Daan Roosegaarde brought his Waterlicht light installation to the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Waterlicht, which translates to ‘water light’ uses light to create a dream landscape that shows the ‘power and poetry of water’. In line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the artwork is intended to raise awareness around rising water levels caused by global warming.
As underlined by the New York Mayor’s Office, climate change is “perhaps the toughest challenge New York City will face in the coming decades”. While Dutch water ambassador Henk Ovink added: “the Sandy’s and Harvey’s of this world will not stop. On the contrary they are the new normal, becoming more extreme year by year.”
With Waterlicht, Roosegaarde responds with a warning against rising water levels, while also providing inspiration towards the future: “Can we build floating cities, how much power can we generate from the movement of water?”
Installed at the North Lawn of the United Nations headquarters, Waterlicht New York mimics the height of hurricane Sandy with wavy lines of light made with the latest LED technology, software and lenses.
The artwork was originally created for the Dutch District Water Board Rijn & IJssel. New site specific series of Waterlicht have been created for Nuit Blanche in Paris, Kings Cross in London, Museumplein in Amsterdam, UNESCO Schokland, the Afsluitdijk, Middelburg and Leeuwarden in the Netherlands.
More than 220,000 visitors come to Light+Building 2018
(Germany) – Light+Building welcomed more than 220,000 visitors from 177 countries to Frankfurt for its 2018 installment.
More than 220,000 visitors made their way to the Messe Frankfurt for Light+Building 2018, held from 18 to 23 March.
The event is considered as one of the world’s leading events for the sector, and this year featured 2,714 exhibitors from 55 countries launching their products onto the world market.
An increase in visitors compared to the 2016 edition, this year’s Light+Building welcomed guests from 177 countries to discover the latest products, solutions and trends offered in the fields of lighting, electrical engineering and home and building automation.
Wolfgang Marzin, President and CEO of Messe Frankfurt, said at the end of the show: “Over the last six days, Light+Building presented a plethora of innovations. Everyone involved – exhibitors, partners and visitors – was delighted with the fair and this positive mood was prevalent in all halls. The upswing in the sector continues.”
The level of internationality rose again in comparison with the previous edition of the fair: 70 percent of exhibitors and 52 percent of visitors came from abroad, with the biggest visitor nations after Germany including China, Italy, Netherlands, France, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Belgium. Large increases in visitor numbers were registered from countries such as Russian, India, Finland, Korea and Ukraine.
All participants gave the fair top marks for quality, and at over 80 percent, the overall level of satisfaction remains very high. 90 percent of exhibitors said they considered the economic outlook to be good, while in the case of German exhibitors, no less than 94 percent said they think the outlook is bright. The overall level of satisfaction on the visitor side is event higher and once again reached 97 percent.
The next Light + Building will be held in Frankfurt from 8 to 13 March 2020.
www.light-building.messefrankfurt.com
Philips Lighting to change name to Signify
(Netherlands) – Philips Lighting will change its name to Signify, while still remaining under the Philips brand.
Philips Lighting is to change its name from Philips Lighting to Signify. The choice of the new company name originates from the fact that “light becomes an intelligent language, which connects and conveys meaning”.
The company will continue to use the Philips brand under the existing licensing agreement with Royal Philips.
"We're excited to announce our new company name as another step in our transformation journey," said Eric Rondolat, CEO of Philips Lighting.
"Our new company name is a clear expression of our strategic vision and a fabulous opportunity to introduce a new corporate look and feel that is uniquely our own and will serve to further unite our 32,000 employees. At the same time, we remain proud to continue to use the Philips brand on our products."
The new company name satisfies the company's contractual requirements under the Company Name License Agreement with Royal Philips, which requires that it changes less than eighteen months after Royal Philips no longer has a controlling interest.
In view of the renaming of the company, a proposal to amend the articles of association of Philips Lighting N.V. will be submitted to the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 15. The Philips Lighting stock exchange ticker will remain LIGHT.
A special video was released announcing the name change, available to view online here.
Nedap and Osram join forces
(Germany) - A new partnership between Nedap and Osram will see the two firms further emphasise the message of connected lighting.
Nedap and Osram have officially announced a new partnership based on a shared ambition to make connected lighting the new standard.
The partnership means that luminaires equipped with Osram Dexal drivers are now easy to enroll into the Nedap Luxon connected light management platform. Together, the two companies will aim to help clients accelerate savings and lead the way to a more sustainable economy.
Jeroen Somsen, Managing Director at Nedap Light Controls, said: “The partnership between Nedap and Osram is further proof of the market embracing the value of connected lighting. We strongly believe in strategic partnerships between leading players to make a wide variety of connected lighting solutions available to the market. This allows end-users to benefit from significant savings and other data-driven services such as energy savings optimisations and predictive maintenance.”
Hannes Wagner, Senior Product Manager at Osram, added: “The Osram Dexal Technology is a non-proprietary, intra-luminaire interface that enables bi-directional communications between the driver and smart fixture-integrated component.
“Nedap Luxon IoT Node, used to connect luminaires to the light management platform, combined with the Dexal Technology enable an elegant, code compliant smart fixture solution. This compatibility brings a simple solution to market that supports the growing demand for connected devices.”
Pharos connects with SixEye
(UK) – Pharos Controls becomes SixEye's first partner, while Bas Hoksbergen joins as Business Development Manager.
Pharos Architectural Controls has joined new technology startup SixEye’s platinum partner programme with the introduction of its SixEye-powered remote management solution: Pharos Cloud.
Founded in London in 2016 by CEO Simon Hicks, SixEye has created a flexible remote management platform, allowing product integration for manufacturers of lighting and audio-visual control systems.
This platform will be integrated into the Pharos Cloud, allowing native remote management features without the hassle of additional hardware, web app development or server management.
Due to start rolling out this year, the Pharos Cloud allows Pharos customers to monitor the status of their controllers, fire triggers, upload new Pharos Designer projects and apply software updates.
Simon Hicks said of the partnership: “Pharos has a huge presence worldwide, with projects ranging from theme park rides to skyscraper façades, and SixEye is excited to offer this new remote management solution that not only integrates with Pharos’ existing products but also bolsters their commitment to excellent service.”
Alongside this, Bas Hoksbergen has joined SixEye as the company’s new Business Development Manager.
Hoksbergen brings more than a decade of experience in the lighting industry to the role, having previously worked with Philips ColorKinetics, Philips Lighting and Pharos Controls. His role will see him build relationships with new and potential customers and identify new markets for SixEye’s products. He will also continue to work part-time as Architectural Market Manager for Pharos Controls during the early stages of SixEye’s growth.
Hicks continued: “We’re very pleased to be working with Bas as we bring SixEye’s solution to market. Having deployed large projects of exactly the kind that SixEye is designed to manage, Bas’s contribution will be invaluable as we add new features and fine tune the offer.”
Hoksbergen added: “SixEye’s approach to a remote management solution demonstrates a deep understanding of the needs of control system manufacturers and their customers, unrivalled in the market today. I’m excited to be joining them at the start of their growth.”
Pharos Cloud will be in preview on the Pharos booth at Light+Building, Hall 4.1 J70. SixEye team members will also be available at the booth.
www.sixeye.net
www.pharoscontrols.com
Winners of 65th iF Design Awards 2018 announced
(Germany) – More than 50 products from the lighting industry were honoured at the 65th annual iF Design Awards, held in Munich on Friday 9th March.
The 65th annual iF Design Awards was held in Munich on Friday 9th March, with 2,000 guests from 36 countries celebrating the winners at the iF Design Award Night at BMW Welt.
Each year the iF International Forum Design (Hannover) awards this internationally renowned label for design. A jury of 63 independent experts from 16 countries selected the winners of the iF Design Award 2018 in Hamburg in January and rewarded the 75 best entries with the iF gold award 2018. These were specially recognized by iF CEO Ralph Wiegmann with the golden iF sculpture.
A total of 6,402 entries from 54 countries registered for the competition, ranging from product, communication and packaging design to architecture, interior architecture and professional concepts.
More than 50 lighting products picked up awards, from manufacturers such as Linea Light Group, Zumtobel, We-ef, Performance in Lighting and Philips.
Jury chairman Fritz Frenkler said: "The number of iF Design Award registrations has been steadily increasing for years. This growing interest is certainly primarily the result of the outstanding communication work by iF and the dedicated team working with Ralph Wiegmann. However, it is also due to the great commitment of the industry from Asia, especially from the Greater China region. Not only does their participation in the competition testify to the courage to face the assessment of a high-caliber, international jury, it also shows that many Asian companies have understood what good design can do for a business.
“If competition truly stimulates business as the saying goes, it will be exciting to see future developments in the traditional bastions of design in Europe, particularly Germany, in reaction to this new challenge."
All winning entries will be presented in the ‘Design Excellence’ section of the iF World Design Guide, the world's largest design portal. Nearly 40,000 products and services that have been distinguished with an iF Award since 1954 are documented here.
The winning entries will also be displayed at the iF design exhibition Hamburg on over 1,500 square meters of exhibition space, divided into three sub-exhibitions with different categories. The first exhibition will start on 10 March 2018.
Jacob Tarn appointed CEO of LEDVANCE
(Germany) – Jacob Tarn joined LEDVANCE as the new CEO and Chairman of the Management Board on February 1, 2018.
Jacob Tarn, a well-known LED lighting industry veteran, has been appointed as the new CEO and Chairman of the Management Board at LEDVANCE.
Jacob Tarn brings more than 30 years of international experience in the global LED lighting market to his new role as CEO of LEDVANCE. Most recently, as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the LED business unit at Samsung Electronics in South Korea, Dr. Tarn played a crucial role in turning around Samsung’s LED business.
In this new role, Dr. Tarn will focus on accelerating the company’s transformation from a traditional lamps manufacturer to a full LED lighting company. Dr. Tarn will manage the company out of its global headquarters in Garching, Germany.
Tim Yun Chen, Chairman of the Supervisory Board at LEDVANCE, said: “Jacob Tarn is an internationally renowned expert in the LED lighting industry, who has shown how to bring a business back on track. The Supervisory Board as well as the company owners is convinced that he is the ideal candidate to lead LEDVANCE into a successful new era. The Supervisory Board will provide him and his team its full backing and support.”
Dr. Tarn added: “LEDVANCE has all it takes to become a key player in the global LED lighting market and has already successfully expanded into growth areas such as LED luminaires, smart home solutions and LED lamps. I look forward to working with the entire LEDVANCE team to continue on this path at an accelerated pace, turn LEDVANCE into an innovative full LED lighting company and thereby consequently seize the opportunities that lie in front of us.”
Rüdiger Tibbe, who served as interim CEO, will continue to be responsible for the operational execution of the company transformation as Chief Transformation Officer.
Expo Lighting America wraps up for another year
(Mexico) - ELA Expo Lighting America comes to an end after its eighth edition.
During February this year, the Mexican based lighting show presented solutions and innovations from some of the most important lighting brands who, through different workshops, allowed visitors to get to know details and specifications of some of their new products and technologies.
Luca Sala, who discussed the theme "Leaflight", and Anna Sandgren, from Nulty, who presented the "Dark art of retail lighting" were amongst those who delivered professional talks as part of the conference program. Notably, Sandgren and Sala are also recognised with nominations for a 40 under forty award.
In the three days of activities in Centro Citibanamex, ELA presented multiple collaborations for its themed areas and activities:
- Showroom: Chichaus, Perche, Armatoste, demonstrated the usability of the products of the exhibiting brands in three areas focused on Retail, Co-working, and Lounge.
- Access Tunnel: developed with Traxon / Osram technology and designed by Lightroom.
- Media Centre: designed by Candela Estudio.
- ELA Connect: designed by Studio davidpompa. An area that allowed attendees to exchange experiences, and where the panel of experts from Insights & Inspiration, Tupac Martir, and Elías Cisneros participated in the various Meet & Greet sessions, allowing a direct and closer approach with visitors.
- Conferences, in collaboration with THECORE, presented Kai Diederichsen and CENTRO, presented the Materia team.
- Dark Room: developed with designs by LTD, LIMBO and for a second consecutive year, by students of the specialty of CENTRO.
As the annual meeting for professionals in the lighting industry in Latin America, ELA will celebrate its ninth edition in Mexico City in 2019, with the main theme: LIGHT & TECH.
‘Lightly Lads’ to cycle length of UK for charity
(UK) – Lighting industry professionals Simon Fisher and Jon Estell hope to raise £20,000 for three charities: Moo Bears, Charlie’s Gift and Camps International.
In June 2018, two lighting industry professionals will cycle the 909 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats in a bid to raise £20,000 for charity.
Simon Fisher, product designer at F Marks, and Jon Estell, head of Spectral UK, also known as the ‘Lightly Lads’, will spread their fundraising efforts across three causes – Moo Bears, Charlie’s Gift and Camps International – raising money via personal donations on their Justgiving page, as well as through corporate sponsorship.
The pair has recently surpassed the halfway point of their £20,000 target, and have secured ten corporate sponsorships from the lighting community – ALP Europe, F Mark, Gamma, LED Lighting Solutions, LPA Lighting, Mackwell, Primelight, Reflektorlux, Ridi and Selux. Each of these sponsors have pledged to donate £1 per mile to Fisher and Estell - £909 per sponsor.
Of the funds raised to date, Fisher commented: “We are totally overwhelmed with the support and generosity our industry friends and colleagues have shown us so far. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all those who have supported us to date, with special thanks to our corporate sponsors.
“We feel determined to achieve our target of £20,000 to support and secure the future of three very worthwhile causes.”
Estell added: “We have been training incredibly hard for the past few months now as the challenge date nears. We feel so honoured to be able to do something we love, all in the name of helping others. The level of support is phenomenal and its motivating us to train harder. We want to do everyone proud.”
All three causes are very close to the duo’s hearts, with Moo Bears specifically helping a fellow lighting professional, Scott Callis and his family. Oliver Dean Callis was born on 6th of January 2013 with Downs Syndrome, sight and hearing problems and with four holes in his heart. Despite several serious episodes, Oliver has prevailed and is now four years old. His father, Scott has dedicated his life and profits from his business to making Oliver’s life comfortable and secure for the future, and the contribution from this ride will further help provide for Oliver’s education and future comfort.
‘Charlie’s Gift’ is a Hertfordshire-based charity, which provides grants of money to support local children who face challenges in life because of health issues, special needs, bereavement or poverty, in the hope of making these children’s lives happier.
Finally, Camps International is a social enterprise on a global scale, with volunteers undertaking social and environmental project work in areas of both economic need and ecological significance. Camps International works with communities, so they can empower themselves and generate income, they protect and conserve the environment, and transform lives by running global trips and projects to support those in need
For more information on the ‘Lightly Lads’ challenge, the three charities or to donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/s-fisher-1.
Issue 101
arc Dec/Jan 2017/18 – Issue 101
Room for 101?
Thank you for all your positive feedback regarding the 100th issue of arc magazine. We’re happy that you liked it.
We’re delighted that the 101st issue of arc is the first lighting publication to cover the latest international mega-project, Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Located on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi’s planned cultural centre, the museum was inaugurated on November 8th. We worked fast to speak to the main protagonists – Jean Nouvel, 8’18” and BuroHappold – to bring you an insight into this amazing project.
It is a lesson in how to design a project of this scale properly. All three design teams worked closely together from the very early stages with the lighting design process from 8’18” starting in 2007. A decade later and the results are incredible. Perhaps the most pleasing aspect from a lighting perspective is the way the artificial and natural lighting is integrated to produce a beautifully fluid piece of lighting design. A difficult achievement when so many precious and delicate artworks are being lit.
Another important aspect of lighting design is the illumination of our workspaces. With 35% of your total waking hours being spent in your place of work, the lighting of this environment is crucial to your wellbeing and your productivity.
Benz Roos, Senior Lighting Designer at Speirs + Major, offers an insight into the way he approaches illuminating a workspace arguing that we should be moving away from illuminating desks to creating interesting visual environments. That’s something we’ve tried to achieve in our own office with a new lighting scheme (p.122) that we’re very much enjoying.
Paul James
Editor
arc
* With the new look magazine, it was time for a change to the Back Page. Our resident curators, Light Collective, have decided to create a new series: A Bucket List for Lighting Designers. You can help them create an amazing selection of things, places, experiences etc., that every lighting designer and lover of light should do before they die.
If you have something you think should be included, get in touch: hello@lightcollective.net
Luxonic gains Lighting Industry Academy Ambassador status
(UK) – Luxonic’s approach to providing education to the lighting community has seen it gain Ambassador status from the Lighting Industry Academy.
Luxonic has joined more than fifteen of the most respected names in the lighting industry, business and education by committing to the Lighting Industry Academy’s Ambassador status.
The Academy has come to be recognised as the lighting industry’s home for learning, providing a central hub for lighting-related learning not just to the industry, but also to the wider community trying to get the best out of the new products and technology that the lighting world has to offer.
Luxonic has already made steps to help educate the industry with the provision of some short courses, such as an LED CPD course. The company has embraced the philosophy of the Lighting Industry Academy by providing a focused approach to learning.
George Payas, Marketing Communications Manager at Luxonic, said: “Luxonic have a strong commitment to learning and to support those, like the Academy, who try and improve the industry and the way it operates.”
www.thelia.org.uk/academy
www.luxonic.co.uk