Every June, Lightovation invites top retail sales floor personnel who have never been to Lightovation to experience the largest residential lighting market in North America. Aside from rewarding hardworking and talented showroom employees, the Light Stars program enhances the perspective of the next generation of lighting retailing by exposing them to educational opportunities, display inspiration, and a high level of engagement with product introductions.
Hear about one Light Stars’ Lightovation experience below and be sure to nominate an individual for the June 2019 Light Stars program by clicking here.
A Q&A with Light Star, Hubert Wong of Capitol Lighting - East Hanover, NJ
In anticipation of Lightovation, what were you most excited about?
I was most excited to have the opportunity to see all of the different vendor showrooms and what upcoming trends are on the horizon.
What was your overall impression of Lightovation? Did it meet your expectations?
Lightovation exceeded all of my expectations. It was pretty amazing being able to see all of the showrooms that we visited. There were so many, we did not have the chance to see them all. I was amazed to see how big some of the showrooms were and how much product that could be seen all at one time. It was like the catalogs came to life right before our eyes.
What was your favorite showroom you visited?
I really enjoyed the Visual Comfort showroom. They did an excellent job showcasing their designers in a clean and dynamic way.
What new products did you discover?
I’ve noticed the trend of Satin/Antique Brass finishes rising in the last couple of years. In visiting numerous showrooms, you see that this trend is still holding strong. I was especially impressed with the combination of the Satin/Antique Brass tones with contemporary fixtures that you can see in some of the new products from Tech Lighting and ET2.
Lightovation is a great opportunity for industry networking with peers, leaders, and industry influencers. Who did you meet or connect with during Lightovation?
I had a chance to see many of the lighting reps that I see on a regular basis. Also, it was nice to meet some of the lighting reps from other regions and some of the newer lighting reps.
What did you take away from the event that will help influence your job and knowledge of the industry?
It was a great experience to be able to see the new product lines that you generally only get to see in catalogs. You also get to see the level of detail that some of the companies go through, that you can only appreciate seeing in person. This will definitely help out when I’m talking to my clients about items that we are looking at in the catalogs or online.
Why would you recommend someone attend Lightovation?
Lightovation gives you the opportunity to see so many vendor showrooms and all of the new product lines, at first glance, in a super-sized mall. There’s nothing like seeing the real thing at Market and it’s great meeting all of the lighting reps.
What is your advice to professionals attending Lightovation who want to get the most out of the show?
It’s very important to have a good schedule that flows well within the market center. That way you can squeeze in all of the showrooms you want to see with efficiency.
Most importantly, will you be back?
I would love to come back. It was great to see the new product lines and it gave me a new appreciation of Merchandising. Truly, it was an experience of a lifetime.
Click here to register for Lightovation, January 16-20, 2019.