A leading conference at the heart of Light + Intelligent Building Middle East, THINKLIGHT brings together industry professionals to explore the transformative power of lighting design and technology.
THINKLIGHT 2026, themed "Vision to Impact – From Inspiring Ideas to Lasting Legacies" will spotlight iconic lighting projects and the experts behind them. Moving beyond theory, the conference will showcase real-world case studies from across the Middle East and beyond, highlighting the power of light in shaping spaces and experiences.
Attendees will learn through three session formats: Design Deep Dives into landmark projects, concise Project Perspectives across sectors, and Conversations in Light—intimate interviews with leading designers. This immersive program connects inspiration with application, offering professionals valuable insights into how lighting design creates meaningful, cultural, and environmental impact.
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The Design Deep Dive is a 45-minute keynote session led by a renowned lighting designer, offering an in-depth exploration of one iconic project from concept to completion. Through detailed visuals, behind-the-scenes stories, and technical insights, the speaker will reveal the creative process, design decisions, and challenges that shaped the final result. This is an opportunity to learn how vision, collaboration, and expertise come together in professional lighting practice. The session concludes with a Q&A, inviting the audience to engage directly and explore the ideas further.

The Project Perspectives sessions are a series of focused 15-minute sessions, each offering a clear and concise insight into a specific lighting design project within a defined sector. Covering Heritage and Culture, Commercial and Workplace, Public Realm and Urban Spaces, Transport, Hospitality and Leisure, and Retail, each talk will highlight the project’s goals, lighting strategy, and the challenges overcome to deliver impact through design. From restoring the atmosphere of historic landmarks to shaping the experience of retail flagships or transit hubs, these sessions will demonstrate how lighting meets the specific needs of diverse environments. Each presentation is followed by a short Q&A, giving the audience a chance to ask practical and sector-specific questions.

Conversations in Light is a 30-minute live interview session that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the thinking and experience of a leading lighting professional. In this relaxed yet focused format, the interviewer will guide the conversation through the interviewee’s body of work, design philosophy, and key project moments — uncovering insights that don’t always make it into formal presentations. With space for reflection, storytelling, and honest discussion, this session invites audiences to engage with lighting practice in a more personal and direct way, offering practical lessons and inspiration from real experience.
2026 Speaker

Ahmed Bayashout
Founder & Design Director | Studio A

Alexia Gkika
Senior Associate Project Manager | Coen + Partners

Amy Rennie
Discipline Leader – UK Lighting | Buro Happold

Andrenna D'souza
Founder & Director | Studio Aurora

Andrew Bates
Associate Director – Lighting | Red Sea Global

Axel Margos
Lighting Designer | WSP

Carla Jardim
Associate | The Flaming Beacon

Catalina Casas-Cordero
Lighting Manager | Red Sea Global

Dane Sanders
President | Clanton Associates

Daniel Hodierne
Design Director | Light Bureau

David McNeil
Partner | dpa Lighting Consultants

Faraz Izhar
Lead Lighting Designer | AE7

Giovanni Zambri
Project Design Director | SMITH TAIT

Kaori Hiroki
Senior Associate | Loop Lighting

Kristina Allison
President, SLL & Environmental Lighting Lead | WSP UK

Lama Arouri
Managing Director | Studio N

Maria Dautant
Senior Associate | HLB Lighting

Martin Lupton
Co-Founder | Light Collective UK

Michael Grubb
Founder | Michael Grubb Studio

Nivedita Sehrawat
Partner | Design Matrix

Nonita Sabin
Associate Director | Neolight Global

Paul Nulty
Founder | Nulty

Regina Santos
Founder & Design Director | Light Fusion Specialist Lighting

Ricardo Alvial
Project Director | Light Directions

Robin Ganser
Partner | Coen + Partners

Sakina Dugawalla – Moeller
Founder | Light Func

Siddharth Mathur
Partner | Studio Lumen

Tom Niven
Director of Lighting | BDP
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Will Whiter
Dubai Studio Director | Kettle Collective

Yah Li TOH
Principal | Light Collab

Ziad Fattouh
Managing Director | Delta Lighting Design