On Nov. 2 Lighting Unlimited held its annual open house with about 300 industry people coming out to visit with vendors, enjoy catered food and ice cream, walk away with giveaways and prizes and learn about the latest lighting solutions on the market. The event was held at the company’s Phoenix location at 1550 E Washington Street.
“It is really great exposure and customers get to see a lot of product offerings,” said Lighting Unlimited President Cory Schneider, adding that the feedback he gets from the open house is always positive. “Some of the workers who come, those people do not always get the opportunity to see the latest products, so this is kind of a ‘LightFair in Phoenix’ for them.”
About 30 vendors participated for the day, representing around 400 different product lines. Vendors are able to power many of their products, enabling visitors to see in person exactly how they look and feel in the real world.
Schneider said that a popular feature in the lighting market today is the ability to customize a fixture to meet multiple needs. “They have selectable colors, so you can change the color temperature to whatever you want, they have adjustable brightness, and now you can have an adjustable beam angle. So, basically, everything is adjustable all within a fixture.”
Schneider said such features just make it easier for the end user.
The Lighting Unlimited downtown location is a unique venue and provides a great indoor/outdoor experience for the annual event. In 2021, the Greater Phoenix chapter of the Building Owners and Managers Association awarded the building The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY) award in the industrial category. The building also features various installed lighting solutions to serve as a working showroom.
Schneider said one trend impacting the lighting field is that of former commercial buildings, such as high rises, being converted to retail, hotel or residential space. As space is converted, the lighting requires conversion as well. And for residential customers, the demand to convert to LED options remains high.
Next year will be the 10th year for the event, which will also coincide with Lighting Unlimited’s 35th year in business. |
