Every great room comes down to light, and every January, the lighting industry introduces what comes next at Lightovation, Jan. 6–9, held at Dallas Market Center. The largest residential lighting show in North America gives interior designers, lighting designers, and architects direct access to the manufacturers behind the decorative, outdoor, and architectural lighting their projects depend on, with new collections, designer collaborations, and product launches throughout the campus.
The event actually starts a day early with programming built for the people who bring spaces to life. On Tuesday, Jan. 5, Design + Build Day invites designers and manufacturers for a full day of panels, showroom tours, and networking, all centered on the collaboration that turns a strong concept into a finished space.
The education and inspiration continue all week, with Total Home & Gift Market running concurrently (Jan. 6–12) so designers can source lighting, furniture, home décor, and accessories in a single trip to campus.
Wondering where to begin? Follow this handy dandy guide.
Tuesday, Jan. 5: Design + Build Day
Start the Morning
- Design + Build Day Breakfast: Enjoy a relaxed first look at the newest introductions before the floors fill up.
Lunch & Learn With Interior Design Magazine
Hospitality design takes center stage for the rest of the day, starting with an Interior Design Magazine Lunch & Learn on the future of the category.
Hospitality Giants
Join Interior Design Magazine again for a candid conversation with three founders shaping how guests experience hotels, restaurants, and gathering places. The panelists will share the ideas, influences, and client expectations driving their work, along with how they deliver memorable, distinctive experiences in a competitive market. Speakers include:
- Jim Looney, founder and CEO of Looney & Associates
- Lauren McGowan, founder and principal designer of V3 Atelier
- Alexis Readinger, founder of Preen
- Moderator: Helene Oberman, managing director of Interior Design Magazine
Interior Design Showrooms Tour
AJ Paron, executive vice president and design futurist at SANDOW Design Group, and Oberman lead a showrooms tour that puts the panel’s ideas in front of the fixtures, finishes, and forms that make them possible.
Closing Party at Maxim Lighting
The tour finishes at Maxim Lighting, which hosts the Design + Build Day Closing Party in its newly renovated and expanded showroom (TM 3901). Studio M’s sister brands, Maxim Lighting and ET2, will be on display alongside refreshments and the company’s signature hospitality. Meet Studio M’s latest design collaborators as they introduce their new lighting collections:
- Taniya Nayak, HGTV designer
- Jeff Andrews, designer
- Xavier Delvallee, industrial designer
More Design Programming All Week
Every Day
- In Residence: Designer Lounge: The Interior Design Society’s home base for hospitality, education, and connection in the Interior Home + Design Center.
- Designer Coffee Stop (Wednesday through Friday): Start the morning with a custom coffee in the Interior Home + Design Center’s Textile Salon.
- Welcome to Lightovation Tour: First-time attendees get a quick orientation to the show and its resources, starting at the Trade Mart Koi Pond.
Wednesday, Jan. 6
- Designed to Connect: Integrating Architecture, Landscape & Light: Business of Home editor-in-chief Kaitlin Petersen moderates a conversation with Eddie Maestri, founder and principal of Maestri Studio and a Dallas Market Center Design Ambassador, and Shawn Weidner, principal and Siteworks director at Hoerr Schaudt, on how architecture, landscape, and light come together to shape unforgettable environments.
- Exteriorscape Tour and Expansion Reception: Exteriorscape celebrates its expansion to the Trade Mart’s fourth floor with a guided tour, followed by refreshments in the expanded space.
Thursday, Jan. 7
- NKBA Panel: Jennifer Chick-Gray, brand development director at the National Kitchen & Bath Association, moderates a panel of local members who put the association’s latest kitchen, bath, and whole-home research into real-world practice.
- Billing Methods for Luxury Interior Designers: Laura Umansky, founder and CEO of Laura U Design Collective and co-founder of DesignDash, and Melissa Grove, co-founder of DesignDash and COO of Laura U Design Collective, compare hourly, fixed-fee, and hybrid billing using the same 3,000-square-foot project, then share the fee schedules and invoicing practices behind nearly 20 years of success.
- NKBA Showroom Tour: Heather Dae, AKBD, owner of Divine Details, leads a tour of showrooms featuring kitchen and bath products.
- Meet the Tastemakers: NKBA Cocktail Reception, hosted by Crystorama (TM 3503): Crystorama’s Tastemakers designers share the stories behind their favorite pairings of lighting, hardware, tile, and materials, and guests get a first look at Jewel Marlowe’s debut lighting collection.
- 37th ARTS Awards Gallery Preview Party: Celebrate this year’s ARTS Awards honorees in a curated gallery of standout products from the manufacturing and product design finalists. Mingle with finalists and industry leaders, and get an up-close look at the innovation and craftsmanship shaping the home industry the night before the 37th Annual ARTS Awards Gala.
Friday, Jan. 8
- Relevance, Resilience & What Comes Next: How Reinvention and Adaptability Build Lasting Careers: Multi-platinum recording artist and star of stage, television, and film Vanessa Williams joins interior designer, creative entrepreneur, and product designer Christopher Todd for a lively conversation about adapting to change, staying relevant, and creating new opportunities across a long creative career. Emmy Award-winning TV personality, designer, and author Carson Kressley.
- 37th Annual ARTS Awards Gala: The home furnishings industry gathers at the Hilton Anatole to celebrate the year’s best in design, manufacturing, and retail at the 37th Annual ARTS Awards. Tickets are required and available on the ARTS Awards reservations page.
Register for Lightovation Design + Build Day and find that latest information here: dallasmarketcenter.com/lightovation.