Light Middle East 2007 has gained region-wide recognition for the show’s line-up, which looks set to reach illuminating heights as exhibitors and experts converge upon Dubai in May.
The Light Middle East show, which is the region’s only dedicated exhibition and conference for architectural, corporate, retail, internal and exterior lighting for urban spaces, aims to act as a forum that brings together the latest in industry technology.
The three-day event, which runs at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from May 13-15, 2007, has already attracted top industry names, such as GE, Philips, Kreon, Megaman, Steinel, Martin Architectural and Osram.
The show, which is organized by Messe Frankfurt Middle East, is a platform for exhibitors to network with major clients, industry experts and leading lighting designers and architects.
Trends in technology are expected to be focused on the latest in LED design, which is now being used for architectural, interior and special effects lighting because of its flexibility, eco-compatibility and longevity.
Iris Jeglitza-Moshage, Vice President of Technical Fairs, Messe Frankfurt, said the construction boom in the UAE meant the 2007 show was gaining considerable ground in popularity and reputation internationally.
“The building sector in the UAE is booming and this means, of course, that the demand for lighting products and systems of all kinds is very high and will grow in the future, too. Light Middle East has carved out an established and highly successful place for itself against this positive economic background.”
“Naturally, light Middle East also benefits from the concept of Light+ Building, the world's biggest trade fair for the lighting sector. Messe Frankfurt has been holding Light +Building, the international meeting place for the sector, in Frankfurt am Main every two years since 2000”.
Running concurrently with the exhibition is the ELDA+ Light Focus Middle East Conference, which will be hosted by ELDA+ – the European Lighting Designers’ Association and chaired by Alison Ritter, ELDA’s director, an internationally respected industry expert.
A total of 16 of the world’s most respected lighting experts, from architects and designers to industry publishers, will take part in the conference’s speaker programme for 2007 – a line-up that has been expanded due to the success of the previous conference in May 2006.
The panel consists of experts with impressive portfolios across a variety of disciplines, who have collectively been awarded numerous international industry awards.
The programme includes Patrick Woodroffe, whose work encompasses the worlds of music, dance, fashion, art and architecture. His roster of clients is diverse, to say the least, and includes among many others, artists and organisations such as ABBA, The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Pepsi Cola, Cirque de Soleil, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, President Vaclav Havel, Michael Flatley, Elton John, Vanity Fair, the Rolling Stones, the Montreux Jazz Festival . He has also put his magic lighting touch on a Disneyland opening and the Vanity Fair Oscar party.
Tapio Rosenius, another panelist, is a senior lighting designer working for Maurice Brill Lighting Design and Finland’s hottest talent when it comes to illumination. He has worked on several high-profile projects in the UK, Europe and Middle East, ranging from public squares to museums, hotels and exhibitions.
One of the speakers hailing from Japan, where her work has won her international recognition, is Motoko Ishii, founder of Motoko Ishii Lighting Design in Tokyo. A Fellow of the International Association of Lighting Designers, she works with a wide range of light from urban to architectural illumination.
And Rogier Van der Heide, a recipient of many prestigious awards- such as IALD Radiance Award, the Lighting Designer of the Year Award, Edison Award of Excellence, Edison Awards of Merit, will also be on the speakers’panel. Van der Heide’s work is widely recognised as leading in the field of creative and independent lighting design.
Other speakers include Barry Hannaford and Nick Hoggett , Jonathan Speirs and Mark Major, Frédéric Bove, Paul Gregory, Akari-Lisa Ishii, Kai Piippo and renowned publisher of design and interior architecture publications, Joachim Ritter.
