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Light + Building 2022 – Well, what did I expect?
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I’ve taken a few days to reflect on what was my 14th Light + Building experience, the biennial pilgrimage to the world’s largest lighting fair
There was no doubt in my mind that this year’s fair was going to be a little different, an opinion which was reinforced before even arriving at the Messe, with the (UK’s) self-induced painful wait in the ‘all other passports’ line at airport border control, (my one and only political statement, honestly).
Thankfully the time lost at passport control was recovered by being able to walk directly to the front of the taxi rank, which has never happened before. Where was everyone ?!
Yes, the show was going to be different. The Festhalle and Halle 3 have historically been the temples at which we come to worship; and in which to be inspired. The grand old names of lighting, showcasing to us mere mortals what they deemed us worthy of purchasing from them, for the next two years. Despite so many notable absentees, I was optimistic that, for those who had stepped in to replace them, that innovation would be at the fore and that sustainability would be a key topic
My initial reaction was lacklustre to say the least. But it was then that I realised that my expectations were, and always had been, too high for this show. At the end of the day Messe Frankfurt is doing the same as we all are, which is trying to find a way to survive is a turbulent, uncertain world. I was only in attendance for two days, but these were my observations:
- Greenwashing still dominates.
In the period that L+B has been missing, principles of the circular economy and some new regulation enforcing it have emerged. However, I felt an adoption of more than words strangely lacking at the fair, with some notable exceptions.
Ledvance was among only a few companies to really focus on upcoming lamp bans and the need to move away from ‘single use lighting’. It’s easy to argue that Ledvance has been towards the forefront of some of the industry’s challenges in recent years, so it’s even more creditable that the drive to change was most evident from them. Replaceable light engines, serviceable luminaires and controls strategies sit amongst their ’Everloop’ platform.
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BEGA was a tranquil oasis in Halle 3. They didn’t need to create a new strategy, Because, frankly, sustainability, modularity and therefore circularity have always been at the heart of the BEGA philosophy. I recall having the privilege of spending time at the BEGA factory in the early 90’s and every product was serviceable; every component replaceable.
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Lifa showcased replaceable light engines across multiple product platforms. These guys are a representation of what I hoped to see a lot more of, with smaller companies taking the sustainability lead in our industry. Kudos to you guys !
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- Home Office lighting is a thing.
Unsurprisingly, lots of messaging with regards to the shift towards home office. RIDI Group showcased Ocara, which was an interesting take on task lighting. One (quite large!) luminaire that could light an entire space. This product offering was juxtaposed by many more smaller discreet solutions demonstrating the ability to personalise your light.
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- Miniaturisation
Lots of small spotlights on miniature tracks, with linear lines of light, and a plethora of linear mini-optical elements. Micro-louvres and micro-optics were there in abundance.
- Lighting and acoustics
Architectural solutions where light is embodied within acoustic panels of varying shapes and sizes. Also of note were the use of some original materials such as leather and wood though, unfortunately, these were few and far between.
- Noticing different OEMs
Maybe because most of the bigger names were not present, OEMs from Southern and Eastern Europe stepped up to deliver genuine solutions. This is interesting in two ways. 1) Specifier choice will increase (if the specifier is willing to listen) and 2) global supply chains could shift subtly towards more localised solutions, feeding the circular economy agenda
- Far East suppliers
It felt different. Yes, there were still European OEMs, sourcing and selling Asian product, (and trying to convince us they are ‘made in the EU’). Yes, there were still Far East OEM/ODM suppliers trying to sell direct to the EU market. But, in the main, it felt more considered. Maybe this was because, for those companies that had made the commitment to come to L+B, their employees faced significant periods of time in quarantine afterwards, so perhaps the attendees were more select and serious players?
- Lighting Components and Peripherals
I’ve always attended L+B with a slightly different agenda. I’m a product designer. I want to sniff out the emerging technologies to use in new product innovation. Lighting components, materials and other peripherals are my thing. I do not understand why Messe Frankfurt made the decision to create so much distance between the lighting manufacturers and the companies that supply them, but it felt like a mistake!
For me, the real stars of the show, and the real innovation and the future of all lighting leadership sat miles away in Halle 8 and beyond This was where the energy was. Smart controls (Casambi and Tuya seemed to be very busy!), LED manufacturers, optics guys, sustainable materials, diffusing and beam-shaping technology, aluminium die-casters and plastic injection moulders with closed-loop manufacturing processes, controls and smart solutions that provide genuine benefits (as opposed to the IoT ‘can do everything’ brainwashing of previous years).
The last hall gave me hope and it made it all worthwhile. It fired my enthusiasm to keep on innovating and made me realise that sustainability can be delivered.
In conclusion, I hope that Light + Building survives and continues. It is special but, in my opinion, now may be the right time to break the previous mould completely, and take a fresh look at delivering the event. It will, and should, never be the same again. Please
find a way to keep bringing us back together.
Bring us into the light!
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