Most people I meet assume I have previous retail industry job experience, but that isn’t the case. Before joining VMSD magazine in 2012, I was roughly one year out of college and working for a local event guide. And in high school, like many teens, I worked at a restaurant. (You could consider restaurants to be retail, but if we’re strictly talking apparel, this obviously wasn’t it.)

The same goes for the lighting industry. Inevitably, someone always asks me during Lightfair if I’m a designer or a manufacturer, even with my big purple “MEDIA” badge dangling around my neck. When I announce that I’m a journalist, people seem shocked that I’m there – why would any sane person want to immerse themselves in complicated lighting jargon and concepts? (If only they knew how many times “become a professional at whatever you’re writing about” was drilled into our heads in college.)

I’ll admit, when the annual trade show and conference became my responsibility a few years ago, I was terrified. Could the gal who barely passed chemistry class in high school grasp the intricate science surrounding lighting?

Over the next few years, I made the conscious effort to familiarize myself and to learn. Today, in 2016, though I can’t say I’m as knowledgeable as a lighting designer, I certainly have enough know-how to navigate a trade show and understand and translate concepts that most would find themselves nodding off to.

And thankfully I began studying lighting when I did, because (at the risk of sounding cliché) the times, they are a changing.

This year’s conference, held in San Diego April 26-28, was overflowing with products that support circadian rhythms. It sounds questionable at first, but lighting does deeply affect us. Between altering our internal body clocks (for sleep/wake cycles) and causing certain hormones to be released, lighting affects our every moment.

And while there was a strong emphasis on circadian lighting intended for healthcare, offices and classrooms, for retail applications, the show wasn’t so … show-stopping. Many of the regular mainstays were on display and similar trends were elevated – namely, architectural integration, where the lighting is part of the architecture, whether in coves, walls or store elements. (The style has been lauded for some time and was mainly showcased through ceiling and wall treatments this year.)  

Nevertheless, two retail-related categories rose to the top: tunable white lighting and LED dimming capabilities.

More and more retailers are creating mixed-use environments in their stores and hosting after-hours events and parties, and lighting plays a big part in setting the mood. A location's illumination can be dimmed or its color temperature tuned to a warmer intensity, creating a more “homey” ambience.

Tunable white light is also being used to create contrast in environments; change intensities throughout the day to match the color temperature outside (like circadian lighting, but not tied to an astronomical clock); and to highlight certain areas of the store. This was exciting to see in person (not to mention play around with), since VMSD has recently highlighted some projects that are using this technology in-store.

(And just in case you’re curious, the new buzzword for the year is “IoT” or the “Internet of Things,” which we also heard slung around the Digital Signage Expo and GlobalShop 2016 this past March. Goodbye, sweet “omnichannel.”)

Lightfair 2016 may not have had an overwhelming focus on retail, but it’s still a crucial event for retailers and retail designers alike. The lighting industry is just one of the many product categories that make up a retail environment. Yet this sector is constantly evolving, changing, shifting. It’s easy to lose footing and let the latest trends and technologies pass you by. That’s why these specialized shows are important to attend from time to time, not just to view product offerings but to brush up on your knowledge through educational sessions and hands-on workshops.

And besides, where else can you literally see the light? 

Carly Hagedon is the Managing Editor of VMSD magazine. She lives and works in Cincinnati and is a 2011 graduate of the University of Cincinnati, where she studied Journalism—Magazine Writing and American history. She also currently serves as a board member for the Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). Prior to her foray into the retail industry, Carly worked as a freelancer for several local publications and interned at Cincinnati Magazine.