The fourth annual LIGHTCongress, which took place in New York City on March 7 and was sponsored by Architectural Lighting, saw a robust group of speakers discuss several of the lighting industry’s most compelling topics. In the past, the event has been used as a media precursor to Lightfair, the major US lighting tradeshow, but has since changed to a more independent, content-driven format. Indeed, back-to-back presentations from more than 20 industry experts offered almost more information than could be digested in an eight-hour day.
James Benya’s kick-off presentation focused on the ‘Forces of Change,’ including the 2005 Energy Policy Act, rising energy costs, sustainability, power demand and reliability, and an aging population-all of which are contributing to changes in the lighting industry. He also spoke to short-, medium-, and long-term responses to these