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12–14 January 2027 Dubai World Trade Centre

THINKLIGHT CONFERENCE

Balancing Light - Human. Environmental. Artistic. Creating Equilibrium in Design

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THINKLIGHT 2027 will be exploring the delicate balance between these three essential dimensions of light; the human, the environmental and the artistic and shares how designers can create work that responds to all three.

Across three focused days, the conference will examine the tensions and synergies that define contemporary lighting practice. From human-centric design and wellbeing to ecological responsibility and dark-sky awareness, to the poetic and artistic power of light as a medium, the programme invites designers, architects, artists, manufacturers and thinkers to consider what becomes possible when balance is achieved.

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Day One focuses on the human experience of light and architecture: how illumination shapes comfort, perception, identity, community and wellbeing within the built environment. Day Two celebrates light as artistic expression using emotion, narrative, atmosphere and cultural storytelling, exploring the creative possibilities that transform lighting beyond function into experience. Day Three shifts outward to consider environmental impact, sustainability, circularity, energy, ecology and the responsibility lighting designers carry toward the planet and future generations.

THINKLIGHT 2027 proposes that the future of lighting design does not belong to a single ideology or metric, but to a more holistic approach where human needs, environmental responsibility and artistic vision remain in constant dialogue. The challenge is not choosing one over another but learning how to hold all three in balance.

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2027 Agenda

Day 1

12 January 2027

11:00 – 12:00

Opening Keynote: Design Deep Dive 1

Speakers:
Siddharth Mathur, Partner & CEO, Studio Lumen
Vinod Pillai, Partner + Design Director, Studio Lumen

12:00 - 13:00
Power Panel: Keeping the Human Touch: Lighting Design in the Age of AI

As artificial intelligence starts to become a key tool in architectural lighting design, how do we stop the drift toward homogenisation and keep the creativity of the individual? This session builds on our Day One theme of the human experience of light and how illumination shapes comfort, perception, identity, community and wellbeing. The Power Panel brings together leading industry thinkers to debate the balance between machine-driven optimisation and the intuitive human touch required to design unique spaces that still have both emotional and cultural meaning. An open and interactive session, designed for attendees to pose the big questions to our panel.

Moderator:
Martin Lupton, Co-Founder, Light Collective

Speakers:

Faraz Izhar, Lead Lighting Designer, AE7
Giovanni Zambri, Managing Director, Smith Tait
Paula Cortés Castellanos, Lighting Designer & Architect
Kuldeep Vali, Founder, RISE with AI Ltd.

13:00 - 14:00
Lunch and Networking Break

14:00 - 14:30
Project Focused

Speaker:
Moe Tarakomyi, Chief Creative Officer, Vivid Studios

14:30 - 16:00
Project Perspectives: Shaping Human Experience with Light

How do you move from a human-centric design philosophy into a physical reality? In this dynamic session, leading designers present a series of focused, 10-minute overviews of exceptional projects, each explored through a single lens: the human experience. From public realm installations that create community and joy to interior schemes optimised for wellbeing and comfort, these case studies showcase how light directly shapes we perceive and inhabit space. The presentations are followed by a panel discussion with all the speakers.

Moderator:
Carla Wilkins, President, IALD / CLD, Global Creative Director, Lichtvision Design

Speakers:

Katie Czub, Senior Associate, Fisher Marantz Stone
Patti Lee, Head of the Shanghai Office, Lichtvision
Sky Bembury, Associate Principal, Optimum Lighting Design
Carolina Florian, Lighting Director & President, The Society of Light and Lighting

16:00 - 17:30
Tour of Exhibition and Networking

Day 2

13 January 2027

11:00 – 12:00

Opening Keynote: The Light of a Queen: Illuminating the Temple of Hatshepsut

How can contemporary light reveal ancient architecture while preserving its identity, materiality and meaning? Through the lighting of the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, this session explores an approach to heritage lighting based on architectural reading, visual hierarchy and integration. From the monumental scale of the temple to the subtle perception of reliefs and surfaces, light becomes a tool to guide the visitor, reveal the architecture and reconnect an extraordinary monument with its nocturnal landscape.

Speaker:
Noemi Barbero, Co-Founder & Director, VBNB Lighting

12:00 - 13:00
Power Panel: Light as Experience: Celebrating Light as Artistic Expression

How do we push the boundaries of design to move beyond utility and embrace light as a creative medium? This session focuses on Day Two’s core themes of emotion, narrative, atmosphere and cultural storytelling, examining how creative choices transform lighting from a functional necessity into an immersive experience. The Power Panel brings together designers, artists and creative thinkers to discuss the balance of technical precision and artistic intuition required to design spaces that induce a sense of awe whilst still remaining practical. Join the debate on how we balance the creative and the practical.

Moderator:
Martin Lupton, Co-Founder, Light Collective

Speakers:

Tripti Sahni, Design Principal, Studio TRACE
Stephanie Hreiki, Senior Lighting Designer | Team Lead, Studio N
Jelena Lazarevic, Studio Lead, Foundry
Rodrigo Roveratti, Design Director, La Luz Lighting Design

13:00 - 14:00
Lunch and Networking Break

14:00 - 14:30
Conversations in Light

Moderator:
Randy Reid, Editor, Designing Lighting

Speaker:
Philip Schmitz, Lighting Designer, Licht Kunst Licht AG

14:30 - 16:00
Project Perspectives: Designing with Light for Narrative, Emotion and Artistry

Is lighting design an art or a science? In this dynamic session, leading designers present a series of focused, 10-minute overviews of exceptional projects, each explored through a single lens: creative expression. From public art installations that immerse the visitor in light to permanent architectural schemes designed to tell a cultural story, these case studies showcase how light can define atmosphere while remaining entirely functional. Add your voice to the conversation during this interactive panel session with all the speakers.

Moderator:
Martin Lupton, Co-Founder, Light Collective

Speakers:

Ghada Dhwaik, Founder and Creative Director, GD lighting Design and Lumino Experience/Light Festivals
Juan Ferrari, Director and Sector Lead - Hospitality & Retail, Hoare Lea
Bernie Tan Hayes, CEO, FPOV
Cherine Saroufim, Interior Architect - Lighting Designer, Atelier Saroufim – Idepconsult

16:00 - 17:30
Tour of Exhibition and Networking

Day 3

14 January 2027

11:00 – 12:00

Opening Keynote: Design Deep Dive 3

Speaker:
Stella Cardella, Associate Partner, Fosters

12:00 - 13:00
Power Panel: More than Light: Lighting Design and our Responsibility to the Planet

How do we move beyond simple metrics to embrace a truly holistic approach to sustainable illumination? This session shifts our focus outward to examine Day Three’s core themes of environmental impact, sustainability, circularity, energy and ecology. The Power Panel brings together pioneering designers, manufacturers and thinkers to debate the profound responsibility lighting designers carry toward the planet and future generations. From transitioning toward circularity to championing dark-sky awareness, our panelists will explore how to balance ambitious architectural design with active ecological stewardship. Join the discussion and bring your biggest questions to this vital industry debate.

Moderator:
Martin Lupton, Co-Founder, Light Collective

Speakers:

Menekse Seyma Kaya, Founder & Creative Director, Studio 400nm
Ellis John Mandia, Associate, dpa lighting consultants
Sakina Dugawalla-Moeller, Founder & Design Director, Light.Func
Paul Miles, Principal Lighting Designer & Partner, LightTouch PLD

13:00 - 14:00
Lunch and Networking Break

14:00 - 14:30
Project Focus

Speaker:
Mohamed Siraj Medani, Partner and Design Director, Delta Lighting Design

14:30 - 16:00
Project Perspectives: Circularity, Low-Energy and Dark-Sky Design in Practice
In this dynamic session, leading designers present a series of focused, 10-minute overviews of exceptional projects, each explored through a single lens: environmental impact. From dark-sky compliant public and private spaces to interior schemes optimised for energy efficiency and circular product lifecycles, these case studies showcase how light can exist in active balance with our planet. The presentations are followed by an interactive panel discussion with all the speakers.

Moderator:
Carla Wilkins, President, IALD / CLD, Global Creative Director, Lichtvision Design

Speakers: