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As COVID-19 cases are diminishing and vaccine distribution is increasing, ALA is looking forward to the United States and Canada easing restrictions and allowing for increased business opportunities and in-person meeting activities. With that, we want all county, state, federal and provincial authorities to move forward responsibly to protect the lives of their citizens and our lighting industry members.
With many employers moving towards allowing employees to work from home, lighting has become a major focal point for homeowners. This has provided new opportunities for members to develop lighting options to meet consumers' needs.
We are encouraged that the demand for lighting fixtures, lamps, controls and shading options will remain strong through the remainder of 2021. Our membership continues to provide an integral service and your support of ALA has been tremendous through these challenging times.
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Lightovation
The usual January event was postponed to March 23 – 26, 2021. Lightovation brings together the best and the brightest in residential lighting, enabling the lighting industry to conduct business safely. Discover the latest trends, innovations and products in every lighting category including outdoor, ceiling fans, lighting controls and smart lighting systems. For more information or to register, please look here.
The Dallas Market Center is taking every precaution in an attempt to make this event as safe and comfortable as possible, but ALA will not conduct in-person training, committee meetings, or events as we continue to limit any close-contact meetings in attempt to thwart any spread of COVID-19.
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Cassie Lauck Bailey Virtual 5k
In this spirit of togetherness and to kick off what will hopefully be a strong week for Lightovation, I would like to invite you all to participate in the #BelieveInCassie5K Virtual Run/Walk on March 20 benefiting the daughter of one of our own, ALA Executive Vice President Larry Lauck.
On Nov. 14, 2020, Larry's daughter, Cassie Bailey, suffered a devastating brain stem stroke and is now undergoing extensive therapy. This event was organized to support Cassie in her recovery. If you are interested in participating or learning more, please click here. I, and the rest of the staff at ALA, truly think of all of our members as an extended family, and we are grateful to all of those who have already reached out to support Cassie and her family during this time.
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ALA Virtual RLTC Course
The very popular four-day Residential Lighting Training Class was held virtually for the second time this past month. The class was again sold out with 30 students and taught by one of ALA’s most respected instructors, Joe Rey-Barreau, AIA, IES. Students were able to log in from the comfort of their own home or office. The four-day class was run on each Monday in February. The class consisted of a combination of live Zoom calls and a webinar-based recorded library of courses. Course participants attended the live calls on Mondays and then took the week to study the additional materials required for the class. The virtual format provides a great way to revisit material or zoom calls for additional learning time and less time away from work. ALA will be announcing additional virtual 4 day training dates very soon. Details will be available online here.
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Integrated vs. Socket White Paper
A task group from ALA’s Engineering Committee just posted a white paper on the subject of Socketed vs. Integrated LED Luminaires as guidance for residential and hospitality luminaire manufacturers. Gathering input from a variety of manufacturers, the task group’s objective is to simplify what is fast becoming a complex and confusing choice. For example, when deciding to build a luminaire, manufacturers today must consider environmental factors such as overall efficacy and the product’s carbon footprint in addition to the traditional requirements of visual appeal, form factor, customer needs, performance and, of course, price. The 18-page document is not intended to be a specification, but rather a source of information that will aid the decision process. A second document on the same subject, but directed toward lighting retailers and consumers is also being planned. ALA appreciates the volunteer work of Chris Primous of MaxLite for leading the task group.
The document can be downloaded from the ALA website here.
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Lighting Magazine
Now in its 15th year, the new 2021 Lighting magazine will be hitting ALA showrooms and newsstands at the end of this month. ALA is proud of the fact that this is the lighting industry’s only national consumer publication. Lighting is produced by the ALA BiNational Advertising and PR Program and Meredith Publishing.
Many showrooms have told us that this is their #1 marketing tool for the year. Supporters of the ALA BiNational Program receive copies of this high-quality, coffee table magazine throughout the year to pass along to their customers. To learn how to become a BinNational supporter, please contact Amy Wommack.
In addition to Lighting magazine, a nation-wide U.S. and Canadian Google campaign will be launched this spring to drive more homeowners to ALA showrooms. Last year, the ALA campaign generated over 46 million impressions, 336,000 clicks and an average of 943 impressions per ALA showroom.
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Government Engagement
Beyond providing further COVID-19 relief, the Biden Administration is ramping up activity on a host of issues important to ALA members.
Katherine Tai’s nomination to be the next trade representative is moving towards confirmation by the full Senate. Her testimony before the Senate Finance Committee indicated that the additional tariffs on products coming from China will remain in place for the foreseeable future. ALA continues to advocate for the full repeal of the additional tariffs.
A push on climate action is in the works in the form of an infrastructure package called Build Back Better. Efficiency is expected to play a major part of that initiative. ALA supports efforts to increase efficiency and is already engaged in the legislative and regulatory processes to ensure that government decisions do not hinder innovation.
As always, thank you for your continued support of ALA. If there is anything we can do for you, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Sincerely,
Eric Jacobson
President and CEO
American Lighting Association
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