NAILD to Examine Future of Lighting at 40th Annual Conference
PRINCETON JUNCTION, NJ--(Marketwired - January 05, 2017) - The National Association of Innovative Lighting Distributors will kick off its 40th anniversary with its annual conference, "Lighting the Past, Illuminating the Future," Feb. 19-22, 2017 at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida.
The conference will offer lighting distributors and vendors the experience of top-notch professional development, industry networking, educational sessions, as well as access to best practices and new products. This year, NAILD also will recognize its first class of Forces Under 40 recipients, recognizing the next generation of rising stars in the industry.
"This is a critical time in the lighting industry -- not only are we in the midst of the LED revolution, but lighting controls are positioned to change how we interact with each other and our environments," NAILD President Becky Phillips said. "We want to ensure that our members are armed with the tools they need for success now and into the future."
Conference keynote speaker Phil Gwoke, a consultant at Bridgeworks, will discuss the challenges and opportunities of working in multigenerational organizations and offer tools to convert challenges into opportunities.
The 2017 speakers include:
- Cy K. Eaton, independent lighting specialist, will discuss how the lighting industry can evolve in response to shifting technology to ensure quality and customer satisfaction.
- Mark Roush, marketing consultant, Experience Light, LLC, faculty member, Philips Lighting Application Center, will discuss how controls will drive the value of lighting beyond illumination to connect people and enable the IoT indoors and out.
- Chris Monrad, principal and vice president, Monrad Engineering, Inc., member, board of directors, International Dark-Sky Association, will discuss the American Medical Association's concerns about LED lighting and help distributors discuss the issues with their customers and offer effective solutions.
- Mark Lien, industry relations manager, Illuminating Engineering Society, will discuss "smart" technologies that offer convenience but are not without risk and trade-offs. This presentation considers the forces of change the lighting industry faces and addresses the consequences.
The conference will again feature Organized Casual Conferences (OCCs) and the Product Sprint.
- OCCs offer NAILD members a chance to get in front of new customers in an organized networking format. Distributors will have an opportunity for one-on-one introductions with vendors.
- During NAILD's Product Sprint, exhibitors will have an opportunity to showcase their newest products with distributors and member voting will determine the winners in six categories: Best Luminaire, Best Lamp, Best Control, Best Ballast/Driver, Best Accessory/Service and Best Overall.
Founded in 1977, NAILD was the first association for independent lighting distributors, giving them a voice with lighting manufacturers to help drive new products to market. It was the same year that Star Wars hit theaters for the first time and Space Mountain opened at Disneyland. The year marked a true milestone for independent lighting distributors.
Over the past four decades, the association has evolved from a small collection of lighting specialist distributors to an association boasting a healthy membership of lighting distributors, as well as vendor manufacturers of lighting equipment, products and supplies used by MRO, contractor and facility end-user customers. Members also include full-line electrical distributors, energy service companies (ESCOs), lighting sales reps and other industry stakeholders at the leading edge of lighting technology.
"Being a member and serving on the NAILD board has allowed me to personally know a number of distributor and manufacturer members," said Randall Johnson, president of US Lamp Inc., which has been a member of NAILD since 1987. "In 34 years of being in the lighting business, I know of no other organization that allows me to develop these kinds of resources for business and personal friendships that have shaped my career and life for the better. That is the value of NAILD."
For more information on NAILD's Annual Conference, visit http://naild.org/2016-annual-conference/.
About The National Association of Innovative Lighting Distributors (NAILD)
Founded in 1977, the National Association of Innovative Lighting Distributors (NAILD) is a non-profit trade association that drives lighting innovation through education, conferences, industry awards, networking and sharing of best practices. NAILD's mission is to provide its members, lighting professionals, with opportunities to grow their businesses profitably. For more information, visit www.naild.org.
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