Exhibitor FAQs

HYBRID CONFERENCE

LightFair has announced a hybrid conference for 2021. Should we take this as a sign that the trade show will also eventually go virtual? Or will the hybrid conference impede attendance?

No, there is no reason to assume so. We are working towards and anticipating a well-attended, in-person LightFair 2021 at the Javits Convention Center, NYC this October.

• We have no plans to move the trade show to a virtual format. Numerous industry surveys over the past several months have indicated the demand for an in-person trade show. While earning CEUs from webinars may have become commonplace in the past year, when it comes to discovery, attendees are still eager to see products in person. LightFair attendees—your prospects and customers—have repeatedly indicated their interest in getting back to the trade show floor. Our goal is to help the industry meet this pent-up demand for new product by bringing exhibitors and prospects together under one roof and we are working hard towards ensuring a successful LightFair, the first large, face-to-face lighting trade show in 2.5 years. Our success is driven by your presence on the trade show floor.
• Also, please note that the experience of attending a conference session is different from that of walking the trade show floor. While conference sessions are restricted by room capacity requirements and involve participants being seated in a confined space for the duration of the class, walking the trade show floor allows for social distancing and offers much more flexibility. For this reason, we urge you to not see the hybrid conference as an impediment to trade show attendance but as an expansion LightFair’s reach—and by extension your brand’s reach.
• We are confident that the positive, encouraging news we have been receiving recently specifically from and about New York will help boost in-person attendance. Check out trade show and industry news.

With all the uncertainty of the times, we need additional reassurance. Can LightFair guarantee that the trade show will not move online?

Our Ease-of-Mind clause, added for 2021, safeguards your investment. If we were to cancel our face-to-face trade show due to the pandemic, you are assured a full refund. We understand your concerns around your investment. Please note that the LightFair team and our co-owners, the IES, IALD and IMC, have a considerable stake in staging and delivering a successful LightFair, more so than ever this year. We owe it to the lighting community to hold the largest North American lighting show in 2.5 years.

Why did LightFair announce a hybrid conference when you plan to stage an in-person trade show?

A hybrid conference is clearly the responsible tact we must take as show producers for 2021. The LightFair conference has been at the forefront of offering world-class continuing education for 31 years and this opportunity to earn CEUs is critical to our community. We moved the conference to a hybrid format for a few reasons this year:

• to allow international attendees who may continue to face strict travel restrictions related to Covid-19 to take advantage of the educational sessions from anywhere
• to accommodate social distancing and room seating capacity limitations that may be in place at the time based on CDC / New York state or Javits Center’s safety requirements & guidelines
• to enable any immunocompromised individuals uncomfortable traveling to and attending a physical conference to still earn CEUs
• to allow attendees whose companies may not have the budget this year to accommodate all interested employees’ in-person attendance to take advantage of the virtual session

What steps is LightFair taking to ensure trade show attendance won’t be negatively impacted?

• Safer Floor. Safer Show. Our robust and comprehensive safety protocols will align with the requirements and recommendations from New York state, the Javits Center and CDC at the time of the event.
• Curated tours: We are working with prominent industry influencers to lead curated tours and boost traffic to all the pavilions.
• Giveaways, registration incentives, daily prize drawings, food & beverage tokens: We have many new initiatives in place to draw attendees and to encourage them to visit your booth.
• Partnerships & promotions: We will be participating in NYCxDESIGN Days in May & October 2021. NYCxDesign will have a panel in our Designery.
• We are also working with influential LightFair brand ambassadors (see list below), will launch social media contests and other ongoing promotions to boost registration. LightFair ambassadors include Rajaram Bhagavathula, PH.D., - Senior Research Associate, Center for Infrastructure-Based Safety Systems, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, Jill Cody, IALD, CLD, LC, LEED AP – Principal, Dark Light Design, Ron Kurtz, IALD, MIES, LEED AP – Principal, Dark Light Designs, Anne Kustner, IES, IALD, LEED AP – President, AKLD Lighting Design, Charles Stone FIALD, IES, LC, LEED AP, BD+C – President, Fisher Marantz Stone
• Media partnerships: We continue to partner with leading media outlets to help promote LightFair via digital and print marketing.

OCTOBER LIGHTFAIR DATES

What are the new dates for LightFair 2021? What are the show hours?

LightFair 2021 trade show dates are Wednesday-Friday, October 27-29. The hours will be 9 am – 6 pm (Wed-Thu) and 9 am – 1 pm (Fri). The conference is rescheduled for Monday-Friday, October 25-29.

How will exhibitors’ Priority Points be affected by the new show dates?

In accordance with LightFair’s written policy, manufacturers that exhibited in 2019 but not 2021, will retain their priority points for another year but will not receive an appointment for Round 1 of 2022 Space Selection. A manufacturer that does not exhibit for TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS (now 2019 and 2021) will forfeit all previously earned Priority Points.

How did LightFair arrive at the decision to postpone the show until October 2021?

Safeguarding the health and safety of our exhibitors, attendees, vendors and staff is paramount to LightFair and was the catalyst behind our creation of the “Safer Floor. Safer Show.” guidelines. However, amidst the ongoing concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, and after having extensive conversations with many of our stakeholders, the Javits Center and other leaders in the trade show industry, we concluded that the five additional months of recovery time provided by rescheduling the show to October would alleviate the majority of our stakeholders’ apprehensions. Coupled with the new “Ease of Mind” cancelation policy in the AMENDMENT TO LIGHTFAIR 2021 EXHIBIT SPACE RENTAL AGREEMENT, we are confident that manufacturers will be optimistic and excited to exhibit during LightFair’s new October 2021 dates. We believe the move will attract a larger audience with greater comfort levels in attending an in-person event.

My company already made hotel reservations for the May 2021 show dates. How do we change our reservations for October 2021?

Exhibitors who have made reservations through onPeak, LightFair’s official housing vendor, will be rebooked at their current hotel for the new October dates. If you have questions, please contact onPeak via email lightfair@onpeak.com.

EXHIBITOR CONTRACT

What is the “Ease of Mind” cancellation policy?

In short, this is a provision that protects your investment in LightFair and offers a full refund if the 2021 show were to be canceled due to the current pandemic. The existing LIGHTFAIR 2021 EXHIBIT SPACE RENTAL AGREEMENT specifies that exhibitors will be refunded a proportionate share of their Space Rental Amount received which remains after deducting expenses incurred by Owner and reasonable compensation to Owner. However, LightFair recognizes that some exhibitors may be reluctant to participate in the October 2021 show without knowing their financial liability to LightFair should there be an event cancellation as a result of the ongoing pandemic. Therefore, the amendment to the contract stipulates: “Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in the Agreement, in the event Owner cancels the Show in its entirety as a result of COVID-19 or considerations arising therefrom, Owner hereby agrees to provide Exhibitor a full refund of all monies, including deposits, paid by Exhibitor to Owner for LightFair 2021."

SAFETY

What are the Covid-18=9 related safety protocols in place for exhibitors and attendees for 2021?

• Our Safer Floor. Safe Show. Exhibitor Safety Consideration document provides exhibitors an insight to the various safety protocols we will be implementing during LightFair 2021. The document may be found in the Exhibitor Portal (Exhibitor Service Tile) on the MYS Exhibitor Portal allowing exhibitors easy access to the information.These considerations assist exhibitors in developing their booth designs, as well as, providing a message that safety is of the utmost importance to LightFair.
• Our comprehensive safety protocols for all participants can be found here: Safer Show. Safer Floor. This information will be updated to align with the most relevant and recent CDC and New York State requirements at the time of the show.

GENERAL

My company has a new contact handling our participation at LightFair. How do I update our contact information?

Please notify sales@lightfair.com as soon as possible so we can get the updated contact set up in the Map Your Show system and for access to the Exhibitor Resource Center.