LEDucation celebrates 20th anniversary with more than 10,000 visitors
(USA) – More than 10,000 visitors attended the 20th anniversary edition of LEDucation, held at New York’s Hilton Midtown on 14-15 April.
Organised by the Designers Lighting Forum of New York (DLFNY), the show brought together designers, manufacturers, educators, students, and industry professionals, serving as a vital platform for connection, discovery, and the exchange of ideas across the lighting community.
“We are incredibly grateful to our manufacturers and their representatives for the unwavering support and commitment to making LEDucation a success year after year. Your partnership is the backbone of this event, and we thank you for your continued dedication to our programme,” said Jamie Eck, LEDucaiton Co-Chair. “As LEDucation continues to grow, creating a more intentional and focused experience for the design community became a clear priority. The positive feedback from manufacturers has reinforced Designer Hours as a key differentiator of the show.”
To commemorate two decades of growth, the DLFNY hosted a celebratory event on 13 April, honouring past and present contributors who have helped shape LEDucation into what it is today.
LEDucation Co-Chair and Co-Founder, Burt Grant, reflected on the milestone: “What started as a small, collaborative idea has grown into something truly meaningful for the lighting community. It has been incredible to see how LEDucation has evolved over the past 20 years, while still staying true to its core purpose of bringing people together to learn, connect, and move the industry forward.”
New for this year’s event, the first morning of the fair marked the introduction of “Designer Hours”, offering lighting designers, architects, interior designers, landscape architects, and engineers exclusive access to the show floor from 9.00-11.30am.
Cynthia Turner, President of DLFNY, emphasised the planning behind the initiative: “After each initiative, DLFNY and the LEDucation committee take a close look at what worked, where we can improve, and – most importantly – what we’re hearing from our community. Designer Hours came directly out of that process, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see how well it was received. We are excited to build on that momentum, and continue raising the bar for the LEDucation experience.”
Alongside the show floor, which saw more than 550 exhibitors from around the globe, education remained a central pillar of LEDucation 2026, with a comprehensive programme designed to address the evolving needs of the industry. This year’s conference featured 25 in-person sessions, and 14 virtual presentations, covering topics that included design, technology, sustainability, controls, and emerging trends.
“We were incredibly excited by the strength of this year’s educational programme – from the diversity of topics to the level of dialogue with attendees. After two decades of engaging with LED technology, our audience brings an informed and thoughtful perspective, creating an industry-leading level of discourse. The feedback from the community has been fantastic, reinforcing that education continues to be a core strength of LEDucation. We’re committed to continuing to grow and evolve the programme, while maintaining this high level of quality,” shared the LEDucation Presentations Committee – Craig Fox, Wendy Kaplan, Shaun Fillion, and Stacey Bello.
For 2027, LEDucation will expand to a three-day format, taking place at the New York Hilton Midtown on 13-15 April, 2027.