LightFair Mentorship Program 2024

    
in partnership with the Illuminating Engineering Society 

Inspire, mentor and nurture the next generation of lighting professionals. Build your professional brand and that of your firm’s as you work with a motivated and passionate emergent professional.

Learn about the eligibility criteria and mentor perks below, and if you think you are a fit, apply today to be a mentor.
Meet Our 2022 Mentors

• 6+ years of lighting experience
• Willing to help an emergent lighting professional achieve their full potential
• Time Commitment: Minimum 1-2 hours per month that includes at least 1-hour mentor/mentee interaction plus monthly reporting and quick progress surveys

• Diamond Pass: access to unlimited conference sessions May 23-25, 2023
• 3-day exhibit hall pass
• Complimentary one-night hotel accommodation in New York for out-of-town mentors
• You and your company included in LightFair promotions

Applications due Monday, April 3, 2023

Are you serious about exploring a specialty, expanding your horizons and committed to developing your lighting career while working one-on-one with a dedicated mentor? Do you meet the following eligibility criteria?

• 1-3 years of work experience
• Emergent lighting professional looking to grow
• Committed to developing your lighting career
• Time Commitment: Minimum 1-2 hours per month that includes at least 1-hour mentor/mentee interaction plus monthly progress surveys

• Diamond Pass: access to unlimited 60-90 minute conference courses May 23 - 25, 2023
• 3-day exhibit hall pass
• Complimentary one-night hotel accommodation in New York for out-of-town mentees
• Participate in on-site meet-and-greet at LightFair for mentors and mentees

Applications due Monday, April 3, 2023

How will mentees be selected and paired with a mentor? How many will be selected?
Once we've reviewed all applications, we will select 10 mentors and mentees and match them based on interests and experience. We will do our best to match mentees with mentors who align closely with their area of specialty but cannot guarantee this.

How will the mentorship program work?
LightFair sets out a framework and guidelines for the program. The success of the program will depend on the commitment and effort of the mentors and mentees. After the mentors and mentees have been matched up, we ask that every mentor have a 1-hour kick-off call with their respective mentee the week of May 1, 2023. Following this, we recommend a minimum of ONE 45-minute interaction (phone call/ video call + optional additional email or phone exchanges) per month between mentor and mentee where you follow up on any questions and focus areas. LightFair will send out a short progress survey periodically that we request you to fill out.

Will the entire program be online/virtual?
Each mentor and mentee pair may choose their preferred mode of interaction for the duration of the program. This could be via phone calls, video calls, teleconferencing, or in-person meetings if they are safe and feasible. We hope to see all the mentors and mentees at LightFair in New York this May 21-25. We will be hosting a meet-and-greet on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 so there will be an opportunity to connect in person with your mentor/mentee and all the other mentors and mentees.

Will I be able to interact with the other mentors in the program?
While your main point of contact and interactions will be with your assigned mentor, our private LinkedIn group offers you the chance to initiate conversations and interact with the other mentors and mentees.

“The lighting industry has struggled for years to provide mentoring to those new to our industry. Over the last two years the Lightfair mentoring program has worked to change this and I am honored to have been involved as a one of the mentors. I am looking forward to where it goes from here.”
Daniel Salinas (Mentor), President, Salinas Lighting Consult, Lighting Systems Designer

"Having a mentor is invaluable whether it is to hone in on the most important parts of the conference, navigate the LightFair show floor or understand the inner workings of the industry and the common pitfalls to avoid early on in the profession.”
Jessica Krometis (Mentor), Assoc. IALD, IESSenior Designer at Hartranft Lighting Design

“It was great to meet the next generation and learn about their aspirations to help guide them both critically, emotionally and hopefully inspirationally. I also loved that my mentee was thinking waaaayy outside of the box and it made me reflect on my own career and work. She will do great things and I am excited to have hopefully played a small part in fueling her spark.”
Sean O’Connor (Mentor), Sean O’Connor Lighting, INC

“I really enjoyed my time as a mentor and would happily serve again. It was an opportunity to pass along insights I’ve gained in more than 40 years as a professional lighting designer to someone eager to learn. Gratifyingly, my mentee put a lot of my advice into the immediate application which evidently helped his standing within his organization. Our compatibility success was based on mutual generosity, honesty, inquisitiveness, and humor. Enjoyable for me and a career jump for him.”
Mark Loeffler (Mentor), Loeffler Design

Our mentors are highly experienced and well-respected lighting practitioners from diverse areas. Each one of them is committed to sharing their knowledge and expertise to develop the next generation of high-caliber emergent professionals. They represent leading design and architectural firms and have award-winning projects to their credit.

But they're not just here to share what they know. They want to help YOU, their mentee. To answer your questions, understand your professional development goals and help you chart the path forward to be the successful professional you want to be. Learn from their real-life projects, decisions they've made and mistakes they've learned from.

Ultimately, you get to shape your mentorship. The more you put in, the more you will get out of it. The better prepared and the more committed you are, the more you will gain.