InSpotlight Agenda

Representative:
Taha Alhindi, Business Development Manager | ERCO Lighting

Representative:
Nathalie Roumanos, Brand Specialist | iGuzzini - Middle East FZE

Representative:
Andrew James Bunker, Managing Director Middle East | Ledflex Group

Representative:
Nino Jurisevic, Managing Director | Intra Lighting

Representative:
Malin Margareta Gadd, Head of product Management | ATELJÉ LYKTAN

Representative:
Manuel Toni Streiter, Sales Manager | EWO SRL

Representative:
Matteo Toscan, Head of Application Street and Area | INVENTRONICS GMBH

Representative:
Dinu Tepes, Regional Manager | FLASHNET

Representative:
Nathalie Roumanos, Brand Specialist | iGuzzini - Middle East FZE

Representative:
Christian Hertel, Managing Director - Business Development | MADRIX | inoage GmbH

Representative:
Alex Montanari, Regional Director Middle East & Asia Pacific | Targetti Sankey SRL

Representative:
Andrew James Bunker, Managing Director Middle East | LEDFlex Group

Representative:
Gerasimos Pavlidis, Specifications Manager - UAE | BEGA Middle East

Representative:
Nathalie Roumanos, Brand Specialist | iGuzzini - Middle East FZE

• Elisa Monatanaro, Lighting Consultant Manager | Linea Light GCC DMCC
• George Varghese, Lighting Engineer |  Linea Light GCC DMCC

Representative:
Tac Lion, Founder and General Director | Media Facade Limited

Representative:
Lori Van Der Laan, Social Media Marketing & PR Executive | Catellani & Smith SRL

Representative:
Nino Jurisevic, Managing Director | Intra Lighting

Representative:
Anthony Kukuljan, Regional Manager Middle East | Arkoslight SL

• Elisa Monatanaro, Lighting Consultant Manager | Linea Light GCC DMCC
• George Varghese, Lighting Engineer | Linea Light GCC DMCC

Randy Reid, Editor, designing lighting 

Moderator: Sakina Dugawalla-Moeller, Founder & Design Director, Light.Func

Speakers:

• Cherine Saroufim, Interior Architect - Lighting Designer, Atelier Saroufim – Idepconsult
• Jinane Abi Khalil, Design Director, Moonlight Architectural Squad - MASQ
• Ayazhan Assanova, Ambassador in Kazakhstan, Women in Lighting
• Alla Fillipovich, Lighting Designer, 962Light
• Dalal Alsharhan, CEO, DAL Studio
• Surbhi Jindal, CEO, Da Light Hub

Ways in which smart lighting systems are changing the way we interact with our surroundings. Linking these systems to digital home assistants and Internet of Things devices to improve user control, personalisation, and energy efficiency.

Speaker:
Tac Lion, General Manager, Media Facade

How connectivity technology and smart LED systems improve outdoor lighting helping end-users to reduce energy and maintenance costs, enhancing the monitoring of the lighting infrastructure thanks to standardizations such as Zhaga and D4i.

Speaker:
Matteo Toscan, Head of Application Street and Area, Inventronics

In an industry driven by rapid technological advancements and sustainability demands, how can students and emerging professionals equip themselves with the right skills and connections to thrive? This session brings together experts from design, manufacturing, and construction to discuss the critical skills needed for the future, the role of professional communities like IALD in fostering connections, and practical steps to bridge the gap between education and industry. Through short presentations and an engaging panel discussion, attendees will gain insights into the evolving demands of the lighting industry and explore ways to support the next generation of talent.

Moderator:
Andrea Hartranft, Principal, Hartranft Lighting Studios

Speakers:

• Erin Denkovska, Senior Associate, Delta Lighting Design
• Vrushali Mhatre, Program Director of Studies, Heriot Watt University
• Sergio Padula, Technical Director, iGuzzini
• Andy Shaw, Managing Partner, AMA & Chair, RIBA Gulf Chapter

Discover how lighting design turns public spaces into immersive narratives, blending cultural themes with functionality and artistry. This session explores collaborative approaches, interactive environments, and case studies like SeaChange and Field of Histories to showcase the role of light in shaping identity and enhancing experiences in public spaces.

Speaker:
Yuliya de la Calle, Founder and Principle Designer, Station 22

The illness-wellness continuum provided by physician John Travis identifies key differences between healthcare and wellness. Healthcare is a pathogenic and reactive approach focusing on diseases and injuries. Wellness is a salutogenic and proactive approach focusing on optimal health. Therefore, wellness goes beyond disability, symptoms and signs into deeper aspects such as awareness, education and growth. This lecture explores the potential of lighting design in enhancing awareness, education and growth by experimenting with the eight dimensions of wellness identified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration (SAMHSA) namely: physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, environmental, social, occupational and financial wellness.

Speaker:
Amardeep Dugar, Founder & Principal, Lighting Research & Design 

Power is nothing without control. That’s why you must give your clients the best possible lighting solutions, for their buildings. Professional Lighting Designers give creativity and design flair to your client's vision; you are so valuable to the success of the project. Lighting controls are the way you can set your scenes, and direct and tune fittings to create your desired effects.

Do you feel you have all the tools at your disposal to make the right choices? Can you answer all the questions that might come your way do you have to education to specify DALI with confidence?

Join our experts; during the workshop, they will be able to answer any questions you may have on this protocol elevate your designs with the enhanced data recall information among other features from DALI, and comply with the energy efficiency codes that are being adopted worldwide.

Speakers:

• Emma Cogswell, Founder, TandEm
• Tad Trylski, Founder, TandEm

Diving deep into innovative lighting design creating immersive environments in both commercial and residential spaces. The integration of lighting with other design elements to enhance user experience, focusing on the evolving trends and technologies that are shaping the future of these spaces.

Speaker:
Ranjith K., Director & Principal Lighting consultant, veda Lighting Design Consultants

Experiences and insights from lighting design classmates to lighting designers working on projects in North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Collaborations with architects, interior designers, and clients, addressing unique challenges faced by emerging lighting designers in establishing their roles and communicating the value of their work. Importance of continuous learning and adaptation to maintain the essential role of lighting design in multidisciplinary teams.

Speakers:

• Maryam Aghajani, Independent Lighting Designer
• Ahmed Bayashout, Founder and Design Director, Studio A

Randy Reid, Editor, designing lighting 

Speaker:
Riad Saraiji, Professor and Dean, College of Architecture, Art, and Design, Ajman University

This topic examines the impact of light and darkness through personal experience. Growing up in a war-torn country with severe power cuts highlights the traumas of light poverty under life-threatening conditions. In contrast, life in Dubai, with abundant light yet significant light pollution, offers a new perspective on the relationship between light, dark skies, and safety. The discussion explores how light scarcity shapes perceptions of darkness, its social and psychological effects, and how communities adapt post-scarcity. It also addresses the role of government safety measures in fostering healthier relationships with darkness, balancing security, and the natural night environment.

Speaker:
Nadine Baalbaki, Founder, Light The Detail 

Looking into quantum dot technology, which offers extremely high efficiency and amazing color quality and promises to transform lighting.

Speaker:
Chris Slattery, Team-Lead Project Sales and Services, Tridonic GmbH & Co KG

Explaining outdoor lighting trends that are evolving to include energy-efficient options, advanced smart control systems, and the incorporation of lighting into landscape design.

Speaker:
Tac Lion, General Manager, Media Facade

Redefining competence in the lighting sector enhances workforce resilience and adaptability to technological and regulatory changes. By focusing on targeted learning solutions to address skills gaps and applying the 55:25:20 model of learning, the industry can strengthen its competency ecosystem. Additionally, building talent pipelines and implementing evaluative feedback loops are crucial for effective strategic workforce planning.
Speaker:
Teresa Beazley, Commercial & Training Manager, The Lighting Industry Association

Focusing on how some challenges arise from within a region and can be solved within the region; BUT some challenges are global in context and just cannot be solved effectively with purely regional solutions! These include battling Night Sky Pollution, Material consumption and disposal, Health & Well Being issues due to artificial lighting solutions

Moderator:
Linus Lopez, Partner, Lirio Lopez Lighting Design Consultants

Speaker:

• Maria Dautant, Senior Associate, HLB Lighting
• Andrea Hartranft, Principal, Hartranft Lighting Studios
• Amardeep Dugar, Founder & Principal, Lighting Research & Design 

Discover how Specs.ai is transforming the construction and lighting industries by automating the creation of specification schedules and branded spec sheets. Built with AI technology, this innovative tool saves up to 90% of time spent on repetitive tasks, empowering suppliers, manufacturers, and specifiers to focus on strategic aspects of their businesses. In this session, learn how AI can seamlessly integrate into your workflow, enhancing efficiency without replacing human expertise. Explore real-world applications and understand why embracing AI is key to staying competitive in the ever-evolving industry landscape.

Speaker:
Rupert Tait, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Smith Tait 

Learn with IES about collaborator engagement, standards development and outreach in the pursuit of lighting standards. Explore the process and impact of design recommendations, challenges in advocacy, and IES responses to shifting priorities and technologies in the industry.

Speaker:
Brienne Willcock, Director of Education and Standards, Illuminating Engineering Society (IES)

Explore the collaborative work of the Society of Light and Lighting (SLL) and discover how their publications can help designers and engineers balance effective lighting for people with the need to reduce environmental impact. These global challenges present opportunities for greater collaboration between international bodies. We'll share the best of what we can offer to this global conversation.

Speaker:
Dan Lister, President, Society of Light and Lighting (SLL), Director - UK Lighting Practice Leader, Arup

Speaker:
Brienne Willcock, Director of Education and Standards, Illuminating Engineering Society (IES)

Speaker:
Dan Lister, President, Society of Light and Lighting (SLL), Director - UK Lighting Practice Leader, Arup

Moderator:
Matt Waring, Editor, arc magazine

Speakers:

• Dan Lister, President, Society of Light and Lighting (SLL), Director - UK Lighting Practice Leader, Arup
• Mark Lien, Consultant, Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) & President, Augmented Illumination LLC
• Brienne Willcock, Director of Education and Standards, Illuminating Engineering Society (IES)
• Riad Saraiji, Professor and Dean, College of Architecture, Art, and Design, Ajman University
• Regina Santos, Founder, Light Fusion
• Jelena Lazarevic, Associate, Foundry London