Industry News

The 2011 edition of LIGHTFAIR® International (LFI), the world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference, will be staged in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in a move that gives exhibitors and attendees the convenience of a continuing East Coast venue during the renovation of New York’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, LFI’s traditional site.

LFI is staged alternately annually in New York and Las Vegas. The newly renovated and expanded PennsylvaniaConvention Center affords LFI 2011 exhibitors and attendees a venue well-suited to the unique requirements of its Conference and Trade Show, which in the 2009 New York event saw more than 23,000 registered attendees.  The newly expanded PennsylvaniaConvention Center encompasses more than one million square feet of exhibit hall facilities, creating the largest contiguous exhibit space in the Northeast. Meanwhile, the renovation and expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, occurring simultaneously with LFI 2011, is designed to create a totally refurbished environment of spectacular spaces and amenities unmatched in its existing facilities. 

“The Javits Convention Center renovation is exciting, invigorating and much anticipated.  Javits has been the preferred East Coast home to LIGHTFAIR for many years,” notes Jeffrey L. Portman, Sr., president and chief operating officer of LFI managing company AMC, Inc.  “Our New York respite will make a future return all the more appealing with the promise of a stunning new Javits environment well positioned to serve LFI’s growing franchise.”  

With the 2011 relocation to Philadelphia, LFI accesses a unified space with brand-new offerings providing a fresh environment to enhance the event experience, both in the Trade Show and Conference.  Positioned in the heart of the city, the convention center is a prime location for conventions and trade shows with convenient travel to and from, competitive pricing on amenities, affordable entertainment and restaurants and the majority of hotels within walking distance.
“The complete package offered by the city and the convention center makes Philadelphia a prime location to host LFI 2011, and we anticipate significant success at the PennsylvaniaConvention Center next year,” adds Portman. “We are looking forward to all that the Philadelphia location holds for LFI.”

The 2011 location decision is based on careful study and customer dialogue, including independent research probing preferences among current exhibitors and attendees. “Philadelphia, much like New York, will enable LFI to present a dynamic trade show floor and conference in a unique environment to enhance the attendee and exhibitor experience and strengthen the conference programming. It is an ideal solution for LFI’s East Coast show during the Javits renovations,” says William Hanley, executive vice president of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES). “LFI is a world-leading trade show and conference and will continue to attract both attendees and exhibitors from around the globe no matter where the location is,” adds Marsha Turner, executive vice president of the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD). “We are looking forward to Philadelphia being the 2011 platform for another successful East Coast show and conference.”