TiL 2017 Forum & Show to focus on Smart Lighting & IoT
(Austria) – Trends in Lighting (TiL 2017) will look at the growing emergence of Smart Lighting and the impact of the ‘Internet of Things’.
Trends in Lighting (TiL 2017) will take place on the 26-28 September 2017 in Bregenz, Austria. The event has been created to address the questions being asked in modern light design and technologies.
The event comprises of exclusive lectures, panel debates, workshops and an exhibition. A carefully curated hub, TiL 2017 will offer architects, planners, designers, manufacturers and systems integrators a unique experience, a place to learn about modern lighting and connect with international experts including Zaha Hadid Architects, Zumtobel Group, Philips, Amazon, Huawei and Osram. There is also a chance to get hands-on with the latest technologies, making it a truly immersive experience.
"TiL 2017 is an interactive and practice-oriented hub created by, and for, experts in order to collectively experience the future of light. It will close the gap between application, design and technology,” said Event Director, Siegfried Luger.
During the event, lead architect Thomas Kinzler of Zaha Hadid Architects will share his passion and ideas about the role of lighting design in modern architecture, while lighting designer Massimo Iarussi will present the excellent lighting project for the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo in Florence, where lighting, design and the forms all contributed to finding new solutions.
Elsewhere, the diverse questions of networking and connectivity are central to the TiL 2017 lectures and workshops. The aim of which is to generate a greater understanding of smart lighting and to present solution concepts from global brands such as Huawei. In addition to the lectures TiL 2017 will offer interactive workshops. The wide range of topics for these workshops include, data transmission via light, an exploration of visual perception, the theme of ‘Design meets Technology’ and the balance that must be struck, miniaturisation of lighting systems, and the issue of cyber security.
ERCO Joins LightingEurope
(Germany) – ERCO becomes latest manufacturer to join LightingEurope.
German-based fixture manufacturer ERCO has become a member of LightingEurope. ERCO specialises in architectural lighting with LED technology and operates with own sales organisations and partners in 55 countries. In 2015, the company was the first traditional luminaire manufacturer globally that has changed its product range completely to LED technology.
“ERCO develops, designs and produces digital luminaires with focus on photometrics, electronics and design,” explained Mark Oliver Schreiter, Managing Director of ERCO. “The future prospects as a result of ERCO pioneering the market in optoelectronics are gigantic. Accordingly, we have a strong interest in the dialogue between industrial actors and European policy experts as represented by LightingEurope.”
“LightingEurope is proud to be joined by a technology pioneer such as ERCO,” added Ourania Georgoutsakou, Secretary General of LightingEurope. “As a family-run, middle-sized company, ERCO is indicative of the wide range of companies that LightingEurope represents. With their strong technical expertise and their presence in many European countries, ERCO will make a valuable contribution to LightingEurope’s work to shape a positive EU policy framework for the lighting industry in Europe.”
www.erco.com
www.lightingeurope.org
Altman Lighting introduces Jaime Friedstadt as International Sales Director
(USA) - In an expansion of its sales division, Jaime Friedstadt will manage the Caribbean, Latin American, European, Middle Eastern and African markets
In a move to expand its international sales division, Altman Lighting has appointed Jaime Friedstadt as its new International Sales Director. With a wealth of knowledge in both the architectural and entertainment lighting industries, Friedstadt will now manage the Altman Lighting sales channels in the Caribbean, Latin American, European, Middle Eastern and African markets.
“With the expansion of our product offerings and our growth in a worldwide market, we are very fortunate to have Jaime join us to reinforce our efforts and expand our market presence accordingly,” stated Julie Smith, Altman Lighting General Manager.
Friedstadt has more than 20 years of experience providing quality sales support and generating client relationships for a number of entertainment and architectural lighting manufacturers. Prior to joining Altman Lighting, Friedstadt worked with Chauvet Lighting, Philips Vari-Lite, Philips Strand Lighting and Hubbell Lighting.
“The global lighting markets are expanding exponentially with the introduction of many ground-breaking and energy-efficient lighting technologies,” said Friedstadt. “When reviewing both the current and upcoming solutions provided by Altman Lighting, I am confident we will be able to expand our multinational client relationships and further strengthen our position as a market leader.”
Dr. Ernst Smolka To Become new Managing Director Of Hess Licht + Form
(Germany) – Dr. Ernst Smolka will take over as Managing Director of Hess Licht + Form.
Hess Licht + Form has announced that Dr. Ernst Smolka will be the company’s new Managing Director – a change which sets the agenda for further positive developments within the company. Dr. Ernst Smolka (53) will begin the role on 1st July 2017, and after a short transition period will succeed Interim Manager Louis van Uden.
Dr. Smolka completed his studies in physics at the University of Karlsruhe and Oregon State University in the USA, and obtained his doctorate at the Lichttechnisches Institut (Institute of Light Technology) of the Fakultät für Elektrotechnik (Faculty of Electrical Engineering) in Karlsruhe. He brings with him extensive managerial expertise as well as many years of professional experience in the sector.
Since the early 1990s Smolka has held many managerial positions, including technical director and director of research and development, as well as management positions with responsibilities in sales, technical project development, light engineering and also production. Most recently Ernst Smolka was responsible for the German activities of one of the largest businesses in the lighting industry worldwide.
Pierre van Lamsweerde, CEO of the Nordeon Group said: “We are very happy to have won over Ernst Smolka for Hess. He is a proven expert with many years of expertise both in the sector and in leadership. We are convinced that with him we will be able to pursue our strategic goals: Made in Germany, Innovation, (Special) Solutions, and also International Expansion sustainably and successfully.”
Meanwhile, Ernst Smolka is already looking forward to his new role: “Hess is of course very well-known to me owing to my long-standing experience in the lighting sector. I’m looking forward to continuing to develop Hess as a premium supplier. I can see, precisely for Hess, enormous potential in future development.”
darc awards / decorative Winners Announced
(UK) - The art deco Bloomsbury Ballroom was home for the first darc awards / decorative event, held on the 18th of May.
The inaugural darc awards / decorative took place at the beautiful, Art Deco Bloomsbury Ballroom in London on the 18th of May.
Around 500 people attended the awards party by designers, for designers to enjoy gin, jazz and the best decorative lighting in the industry.
More than 200 entries from 30 countries were counted to determine our winners, a comprehensive list of can be found here.
A huge thank you to all who took part, for making the awards and the after party a darc night to remember.
IALD Launches First European Chapter
(Europe) – IALD Europe launch first European IALD chapter, IALD Alpine.
IALD Europe has announced the formation of IALD Alpine, the first IALD chapter located in the European region.
Following a successful event in September in Zurich last year, Julia Hartman, IALD, and Paul Ehlert, IALD, took the initiative to gather independent lighting designers to form an official IALD chapter in the Alpine region. The chapter includes Austria, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland, and will open its activities to lighting designers from Northern Italy, as well as parts of Germany, France, and Slovenia.
The Alpine chapter is officially the first IALD chapter in the European region.
More information on the activities of the IALD Alpine Chapter can be found at https://www.facebook.com/IALDAlpine.
For more information about IALD Europe, the IALD Alpine chapter, and its activities, contact Nele Devolder at +32 2 761 16 2 or via email at nele@ialdeurope.com.
Ai Weiwei Embraces Amsterdam Light Festival
(Netherlands) – World-renowned Chinese artist Ai Weiwei makes light object that connects all artworks.
World-renowned Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei will make a special debut at the upcoming Amsterdam Light Festival with a light object that connects all the artworks with each other.
This artwork, titled Red Line, is the linking thread that connects the Water Colours boat route. With the artwork, Ai Weiwei hopes to confront visitors with metaphorical and literal boundaries. Land borders, language barriers, but also personal boundaries and limitations of possibilities. At 7.5 kilometres, the artwork is the longest object that has ever been presented during the festival.
According to curator Lennart Booij, this is the first time that there is one artwork that functions as the connecting thread of the festival. With his object Ai Weiwei depicts the festival theme of the Water Colours boat route for 2017 – Existential. Red Line does not let go of the visitors during the boat route; it is an illuminating border as connection.
“With Existential we want to positively stimulate visitors to think about what unites people and what role light plays in this,” Booij explained. Because Ai has created an object that connects all other artworks with each other, Amsterdam Light Festival has assigned him with the special status of art ambassador.
www.amsterdamlightfestival.com
Targetti Under New Ownership
(Italy) – Targetti Sankey S.p.A is now under the ownership of IDeA Capital Funds SGR.
Targetti Sankey S.p.A has announced that it is under the new ownership of the IDeA Capital Funds SGR. In addition to the new ownership, the Fund has appointed Italian native and industry veteran, Piercarlo Gramaglia, as the new CEO and Massimo Manelli, former CEO of Artemide, as President.
"Targetti is a perfectly aligned brand with the philosophy of the Fund, which identifies companies that have a strong growth potential for brands around the world,” remarked Francesco Gori and Vincenzo Manganelli, Managing Directors of the IDeA Capital Funds.
IDeA Capital Funds SGR acquired 100% of the company in February 2017. In order to accelerate the international growth of the Company, new investments are expected over the next several years. Dedicated resources will go to research, product innovation and a range of new product introductions, while large investment is aimed at accelerating the path of international development over the next several years by enhancing the important technological and design know-how and heritage of this historic Italian brand.
"60% of our production revenue can be accounted from our international exports with France and the U.S. as major contributors," reported Targetti’s new CEO, Piercarlo Gramaglia. "We have placed a great emphasis on the continued development in America, where Targetti recently opened its subsidiary in 2015. We want to also concentrate on new growth markets such as Asia.”
Steve Barlow Rejoins Lumileds as SVP of Illumination
(USA) - Lumileds has appointed Steve Barlow as Senior Vice President of its Illumination Business.
Lumileds has announced the appointment of Steve Barlow as Senior Vice President (SVP) of its Illumination Business, effective May 22. Barlow rejoins Lumileds from Cree, Inc., where he served as SVP of Sales and Business Development, responsible for the lighting division products, channels and revenue growth.
Barlow has more than 25 years of sales, marketing and business development experience in the semiconductor and LED lighting industry. Barlow first joined Lumileds in 2003, helping to build its LED lighting business. He then served as the Chief Commercial Officer at Intematix Corporation, where he was responsible for all commercial functions including global sales, marketing, application engineering, customer service, business development and distribution.
“We are excited to have Steve back at Lumileds. He has an outstanding track record in the lighting industry, where he has demonstrated strong leadership, technology vision and customer relationship building skills,” said Mark Adams, CEO of Lumileds.
“Lumileds has created a unique position in the marketplace by offering differentiated lighting solutions. The company’s intellectual property, comprehensive product portfolio and deep customer relationships will be the cornerstone of our continued success,” added Barlow.
The Nuckolls Fund Passes $1Million With 2017 Awards
(USA) - The Nuckolls Fund for Lighting Education gave more than $1million in grants and awards to institutions and individuals across North America at its 2017 Awards.
The Nuckolls Fund for Lighting Education in 2017 marked its twenty-eighth birthday by surpassing $1million in grants and awards to institutions and individuals in North America. This year’s distribution of $60,000 – $40,000 in grants and $20,000 in awards – brought the total to $1,055,000 awarded for the development and implementation of lighting instructional programs.
"When a foundation to support lighting education in memory of Jim Nuckolls was first introduced by Lesley Wheel, she never could have imagined that one day we would have presented the sum of $1,055,000 in grants and awards," said Nuckolls Fund president, Jeffrey A. Milham.
“When we give a grant to allow an educator to create a new course in lighting, it is never possible to determine how many students are eventually affected by that grant,” Milham added. “Typically, the course continues beyond the grant period.”
Colleges and universities have been recipients of $730,000 to develop and expand lighting design education. Instructors in lighting have received $170,000 to improve their teaching ability. Students who have shown outstanding performance in an academic lighting design programme have received a total of $155,000.
This year’s winners, who were selected from proposals received and evaluated by the Fund’s Board of Directors, include one $20,000 grant, two $10,000 grants, and four $5,000 awards.
“I’m so proud of The Nuckolls Fund’s commitment to lighting education,” said Paul Gregory, Founder and President of Focus Lighting, and a Nuckolls Fund Board member. “It is the only organisation I know of that has given such a substantial amount of resources to improve and develop architectural lighting design education.”
Fund president Milham reaffirmed the goal to support the development and expansion of programmes in architectural lighting design education in North America. He said: ”In 2019, the Fund will be celebrating its thirtieth year in operation, and the board is actively involved in preparing a long-term strategic plan for the Fund’s future.”
Cree Europe Joins Major Industry Association LightingEurope
(Europe) – Cree Europe has reflected its commitment to expanding its European presence by joining LightingEurope.
Manufacturer and marketer of lighting products and lighting-class LEDs, Cree Europe has joined the European industry association, LightingEurope.
Cree Europe’s lighting products enable applications from outdoor street lighting, urban, area and large areas as well as petrol, industrial and indoor lighting. Cree’s European headquarters are based in Florence, Italy and last September, the company opened its first office in the UK, reflecting its commitment to expand its presence in Europe.
Nick Farraway, Vice President and General Manager for Cree Lighting EMEA said: “It’s a very exciting time to be a part of the European lighting market. We see real growth potential here, and as more and more aspirational and forward-thinking innovations enter the market, our membership with LightingEurope will ensure that we can assist in driving forward the important mandate of raising awareness of the breadth of benefits that LEDs offer.”
“LightingEurope warmly welcomes a global player like Cree,” added Ourania Georgoutsakou, Secretary General of LightingEurope. “With their outstanding material and technical competence, Cree will help drive our new strategy for the EU lighting industry which seeks to move the policy agenda forward, moving from pure energy efficiency towards increasing the value of lighting to society.”
LightingEurope is an industry association of 34 European lighting manufacturers, national associations, and companies producing materials. LightingEurope members represent over 1,000 European companies, a majority of which are SMEs; a total workforce of over 100,000 people in Europe; and an annual turnover estimated to exceed 20 billion Euros.
Inter-Lux Expand The Team
(USA) - Inter-lux announce two new appointments as plans for expansion continue.
As suppliers to the North American market for high design and high quality lighting products and services, demand is high for lighting manufacturers Inter-lux, and thus they have announced two new members to the team this month to aid in this product expansion across the company.
Their newly appointed Vice President of Manufacturing is Robert Davis. With an early career beginning in design engineering work, product design, order processing and manufacturing, Davis has quickly worked his way up and made a name for himself in the design industry as a design engineer and department manager over the last seventeen years.
The next step in his career will see him managing all aspects of order fulfilment, utilising brand new ERP/MRP manufacturing software. Working with existing line managers, they will work to improve efficiency in the production lines as well as work closely with the Engineering Department to implement new products and processes.
Mark Zaroogian, Chief Operating Officer, comments: “We have grown our revenue significantly over the last three years, and in 2016 we invested significantly into the infrastructure necessary to attain the next level of services to our representative network and to deliver the best of class and product and services to our customers. Robert is exemplary of the quality and experience we are adding to our team and we are very excited to have him among us.”
The second addition sees Jim Toole stepping into the role of Chief Business Development Officer. As a consummate lighting professional, Toole has successful experience in product development, design, application, sales and management.
Toole’s career started with an education in industrial design, which led him into product development and thus growing into product and design management. He has an extensive career past in sales and general management for high design architectural and performance lighting brands over the last fifteen years.
In terms of management for Inter-Lux, Toole will be in charge of New York City, Boston and surrounding market areas. He will be working closely with Marketing Managers to continue with the expansion of sales and marketing campaigns as well as working with management to direct the Inter-Lux brand.
COO, Mark Zaroogian states: “We are very fortunate to welcome Jim Toole into our company, and to make him available to our Representatives and Customers. As our business grows, we are able to attract top talent into our organisation that can immediately impact our culture and our product. Jim is certainly a prime example of the type of person that will make a significant and positive impact. We are all looking forward to having Jim on the Team”.
www.inter-lux.com
