Hundreds of lighting professionals traveled to the ALA Conference in Lake Tahoe this month for the networking and educational opportunities and left re-energized with strategic business plans to weather economic changes, fine-tune their marketing efforts, expand their technical knowledge, and take note of the trends that will be driving customer demand in 2024.
“We have to be constantly evolving,” noted speaker Crystal Vilkaitis, a social media maven and founder of Crystal Media. In her presentation “Social to Sale,” as well as in her session outlining the power of TikTok and Instagram Reels, Vilkaitis reduced the anxiety that many had in developing a social media presence from scratch and provided a simple plan that both social media newbies and seasoned pros could adapt as soon as they returned home.
Marketing guru Shawna Suckow guided attendees through the burgeoning world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and detailed the advantages and differences between programs such as ChatGPT, Bard, and Canva. Underscoring the technology’s emerging significance, she said, “AI won’t steal your job, but someone who knows AI better might.” After the session, showrooms and manufacturers in the audience were particularly enthusiastic about the tools they learned in this presentation.
Following the adage, “forewarned is forearmed,” economist and keynote speaker Jeremy Bess of ITR Economics prepared Conference attendees for what the firm’s forecasters predict will be a second Great Depression that will occur in the 2030s. “This does not mean the return of bread lines, but there [probably] won’t be growth for six years.” Rather than doom and gloom, Bess revealed the leading indicators that ITR uses when evaluating market conditions and deciding where things are headed — and almost all the tools he shared were widely available and free; one just needs to know where to look. “When things are in recession, its not always a bad thing,” he noted, adding, “It’s a moment of reset.” He then provided a simple formula for evaluating your company’s own Rate of Change, which business owners can use to create relevant forecasts and adjust their business plans accordingly.
Being prepared was an underlying theme at the ALA Conference, with noted lighting educator and expert Mark Lien addressing some of the technological advances in engineering and automation as it applies to lighting, along with the topics of sustainability, declaration labels, cybersecurity threats, and the growing need for a circular economy. “It’s easy to say where the industry is headed, but the ‘when’ is harder to predict,” he stated. Among the more forward-thinking examples that Lien revealed was streetlighting in Rambouillet, France being accomplished through natural bioluminescence (i.e. without any electricity), and the complications that reflective materials used in concrete to make parking lots and roadways brighter are creating in light pollution. The many developments that Lien shared sparked conversation about how the lighting industry will be changing in the not-so-distant future.
Two of the most-talked-about sessions were presented by lighting-centric trend expert Jeff Dross of Lighting by Jeffrey, who reviewed the fashion and design influences impacting the lighting industry today. He detailed the trends that are on the way out, which are hot right now, and which are about to become a major factor. He also delved into the ways consumer demographics are changing and outlined the home attributes that are important to each generation. For example, although Baby Boomers are at retirement age, they remain a powerful consumer base. Dross asked, “Do you have ‘non-glare’ lighting options ready? Do you have product selections and recommendations for every room in the home?” He also shared ideas that would attract two other highly important customers – Gen X and Millennials – into lighting showrooms.
Along with valuable educational sessions targeted to each segment of the lighting industry, Conference attendees enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere to exchange ideas and strategies while catching up with friends and making new industry connections. The networking sessions featuring specific areas of interest, which were expanded this year due to demand, remained a highlight for many.
A bonus for those who attended, many of the speakers at this year’s Conference offered free tools and training help in their area of expertise that could be accessed by QR code or with a promo code. This unexpected benefit ensured that the learning would continue long after the Conference ended.
Registration for ALA’s 2024 Conference in Palm Beach, Fla., Sept 22-24, is now open. Those who register before Nov. 30, 2023, will be automatically entered to win a free spa package and upgrade to a suite at The Breakers during the event. Terms and conditions apply and can be found on ALA’s website. To register, visit ALAConference.com.