A week of exchange and collaboration within the decorative and residential lighting industry is coming to an end. More than three and a half thousand professional visitors used Lichtwoche Sauerland to gain orientation and make decisions in a challenging market environment.
In the exhibitors’ showrooms, many languages could be heard these days. Retailers from Germany, the Benelux countries, Scandinavia as well as Southern and Eastern Europe met manufacturers from the region and international brands – and engaged in conversations that have become more important than large-scale presentations in the current market situation. Precisely because the market for decorative and residential lighting has become more demanding, this form of encounter is gaining significance. “Lichtwoche is not a place for grand promises, but for reliable conversations,” explain the spokespersons of Lichtwoche, Alois Fischer and Navid Sanatgar. “Especially in a demanding market environment, many decisions emerge through direct exchange between manufacturers and the trade.”
In the showrooms of the participating companies, the focus was on current lighting collections for living spaces, private interiors, homes and gardens. Major stylistic shifts were less evident this year. Instead, the market showed a stronger focus on further development: new colour nuances, refined materials and differentiated design languages characterised many presentations. “Many companies are currently working on sharpening their profile,” say Fischer and Sanatgar. “This does not necessarily mean radical innovations – but products that are convincingly designed, function reliably over the long term and position themselves clearly within a range.”
Sustainability also remains in focus – not only in the product, but in the format of the encounter itself. While large trade fairs build entire presentation worlds for just a few days that disappear shortly afterwards, Lichtwoche Sauerland deliberately relies on existing structures. Presentations take place where products are permanently displayed: in the showrooms of manufacturers and importers. This reduces effort and resources. The idea was also reflected in smaller details. A printed Lightguide was deliberately omitted this year. Instead, visitors received small fir seedlings – a symbolic greeting from the region and a reminder that Lichtwoche is rooted in the Sauerland.
Beyond the exhibitions, the atmosphere that defines Lichtwoche Sauerland was also evident. At the LightNight, visitors, exhibitors and partners met for conversations beyond the showrooms. A visible sign was once again set by the initiative “A Heart for Hospice”. Visitors to the LightNight received a glowing heart pin and thereby supported hospice work in the region – an initiative through which more than €35,000 have already been raised in recent years. With the end of Lichtwoche, attention already turns to the next edition, which is planned for the first week of March 2027.
