Lichtwoche Sauerland tallies about 5,000 specialized visitors Storm, snow and hail had not been the kindest welcome to the Lichtregion Sauerland for our visitors. Yet, all the warmer and more comfortable was the welcome on the premises of the 44 participating exhibitors, extended not only by the courteous staff but also by the current trends. As shown, lamps and luminaires are getting more innovative with voice commands, gesture and other modern control technology. Criteria for quality of lighting exceed the simple need for brightness and turn decisively towards aspects of wellbeing. This is both right and important because the ‘trade is ever changing’ like Bernd Müller, one of this year’s spokespersons stated. Quality, service and support in addition to functionality and design are useful instruments of an industry struggling under pressure from pricing and commerce. Decorative domestic lights are turning more diverse as seen in the exhibitors’ showrooms. Form, colours and material in many product lines indicate modern trends decisively and accentuate ambience in domestic features.
Exhibitors and visitors alike wholeheartedly confirmed the relevance of the 9th Lichtwoche Sauerland as the second largest fair for the lighting industry. Not only the exhibitors are proof for the international flair of the Lichtwoche but the visitors as well, hailing from Benelux, Swiss, Austria, France, Great Britain, Poland and Italy among others. Still, not a dizzying number of participants is imperative but the fact both exhibitors and visitors are notably the essential business-relevant representatives. The fair’s concept requires a bit of commitment and planning of its visitors as the respective exhibitors’ new product lines were not presented at one single location but spread throughout the city and region. As the resident companies garnered attention with their local show rooms the many non-local companies scored with attractive presentations in hotels, ateliers and other establishments. The advantages of this approach of what is basically an in-house exhibition are more intense connections with visitors. Exhibitors valued the personal contact with visitors in contrast to centralized fairs. Visitors on the other hand appreciated the opportunity of reflecting on impressions and discussions provided by their commute between exhibitors. This prevents stressful over-taxation, which can happen easily at regular fairs. The joint party for visitors proved to be another highlight on the Lichtwoche Sauerland. About 1,000 people celebrated the fair’s Monday referring to the motto “Light My Fire” with an excellent buffet and good music. While the gusty weather rocked the exteriors, the visitors rocked the Kaiserhaus in Neheim.
“With such top reviews, we are looking forward to the tenth edition of the Lichtwoche in two years”, stated organizer Dennis Köhler of the Lichtforum NRW.