Next month’s ILP Lighting Live Annual Conference is approaching fast. It is an opportunity to network, develop professionally and simply come together as an industry and Institution. So, join us from 17-18 June at the Millennium Point in Birmingham.
With 12 technical papers spread over two days, a ‘How To Be Brilliant’ talk, workshops, sponsor pitches, regional updates, the presidential transition, a buzzing exhibition space, networking and a black-tie dinner at an iconic venue, this year’s Lighting Live Annual Conference in Birmingham is set to be a belter.
Taking place from 17-18 June at the Millennium Point in the city, the event is the highlight of the ILP’s CPD calendar. Registration opened at the end of February, the speaker line-up has now been finalised, and so all that’s needed is for you to be there!
This year’s conference will have a focus on innovation, smart infrastructure and the practical integration of emerging technologies within the built environment. As in Glasgow last year, the conference will kick off with a ‘How To Be Brilliant’ talk the night before (in other words on the evening of 16 June).
This will be by Natalia Duffy, lighting associate at Cundall, from 6pm at the Millennium Point.
PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION
The conference proper will start with the presidential transition from James Duffin to Michala Medcalf, with Michala then delivering her traditional Presidential Address.
This will be followed by updates from the new regional Chairs and a short presentation by conference partner Street Lighting Supplies & Co Ltd.
The first day of technical papers will see WSP’s Allan Howard discuss ‘Lighting the way – achieving the UNSECO sustainability goas through light and lighting’. This will outline the urgent role lighting has in helping the United Nations meet its 17 ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ (soon to be increased to 20).
Allan’s paper will look at the background to the goals, how they have been adopted and how light and lighting can aid their achievement, especially through the transition to electric vehicles.
LIGHTING FOR AN AGEING POPULATION
Thorn Lighting’s Kelly Smith will consider the important topic of ‘outdoor lighting for an ageing population’.
She will discuss the natural changes of the eye with age, the impact of these changes in vision under artificial light at night, with examples from recent academic investigations Kelly will also then consider possible mitigations while remaining mindful that ‘just more light’ has a negative impact on ecology, dark skies and energy use, so nuanced solutions will be needed.
Connor MacDonald and Richard Jackson of DFL will examine the creative potential of AI, from generative design to new forms of artistic expression in light. They will explore how AI can act as an assistant in lighting design, compliance, and predictive maintenance, and how ‘agentic’ AI could reshape the way projects are delivered.
WSP’s Katerina Xynogala will discuss ‘optimising maintenance factor (MF) values in road tunnels’. She will evaluate the available scientific data to propose that, not only should we temporarily refine MF but also why further research and responsible design are important to a sustainable future.
TRAFFIC-ADAPTIVE LIGHTING
Michael Wilkinson, of Signify, will talk members through Liverpool City Council’s traffic-adaptive lighting system that is being developed under the auspices of the Department for Transport’s Live Labs 2 programme.
This will include examining how the system integrates advanced IoT technologies, such as LED luminaires, cellular CMS nodes, motion cameras, and radar detectors, through the CMS platform. It dynamically adjusts lighting levels in real time based on traffic density and specific events.
Telensa’s David Orchard will then wrap up the first day by discussing the role of open lighting control management systems (CLMS) in supporting vendor-neutral, interoperable road-lighting environments.
There will be interactive workshops running alongside the main talks throughout the day, including one on how members can engage with Lighting Journal to raise their profile and their expertise across the industry. Not to be missed!
The second day, then, will start with Mark Sutton Vane, of Sutton Vane Associates, revisiting his popular talk on ‘lighting moves’. Mark will discuss the principles of how we light, and his thoughts for the future of lighting and lighting design.
PATHWAYS INTO LIGHTING
There will be an update on the ILP’s work around Pathways into Lighting and STEM engagement. A membership ‘bootcamp’ led by Membership Services Manager Karen Suggett will discuss the value of upgrading ILP membership.
Clare Thomas of Urbis Schréder will update members on the Bristol ‘One City’ project. Clare spoke about this smart city project at the 2024 Centenary Lighting Summit in London and, now that it is almost completed, will return to it to talk members through how the main deployment has worked (with around 35,000 connected assets) and explore what comes next.
UCL emeritus professor, and the ILP’s Vice President – Membership, Qualification and Registrations, Peter Raynham will then unpick for members latest research on ambient lighting conditions and crime in London.
This work has been based an analysis of 4,728,291 crimes recorded by the Metropolitan Crime service, which showed that theft rose by 27% in the dark and robbery by 18%. Peter will consider the relationship between lighting and robberies on relit streets to gauge whether the new lighting has had an impact.
ILP Technical Manager Guy Harding and Vice President – Technical Emily Bolt will provide an update on what members can expect in the coming months in terms of technical guidelines and new publications.
PFI EXPIRY
Manchester City Council’s Steve Anderson will then consider the thorny question of ‘street lighting post-PFI’, in particular how the industry can potentially see this transition as an opportunity as well as a challenge. Steve will focus on how lighting professionals can lead this change, and the skills and knowledge that will be needed.
Sticking with PFI expiry, Anthony Smith of Stainton Lighting Design Services and Steve Cooper of Zumtobel will consider the question, ‘can PFI learn from DBFO (design-build-finance-operate)?’. They will look in particular at the approach taken to hand-back on the A19 Autolink DBFO scheme.
This will include unpicking the approach taken to inspections, data, collaboration, documentation and dealing with the contractual issues created by a 25-year-old formal contract document not wholly moving with the times.
The two days of CPD in Birmingham will then conclude with the Welsh Government’s David Denner, who will provide an update on Part D of the Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice, before the conference’s closing remarks and the announcement of 2027’s dates and venue.
CONFIRMED SPONSORS
Street Lighting Supplies & Co Ltd has been confirmed as the conference’s event partner, while Charles Endirect, DFL, Signify, Lucy Zodion and TRT Lighting will all be headline sponsors. McCann has also been confirmed as this year’s content sponsor. All the sponsors will deliver informative sponsor ‘pitches’ during the two days.
As in previous years there are a mix of tickets available, with a full event ticket (including gala dinner) costing £400 for ILP members, day tickets £150 and online-only tickets coming in at £37.
For non-members, the prices are £630, £265, and £68 respectively. Tickets for local authority members are priced £236 for the full event, £68 for daily tickets, and £37 for online-only access.
GALA DINNER
As well as the main two days of CPD there will be, as usual, a gala black-tie dinner on the first night (17 June).
This will this year be held at the iconic Library of Birmingham, a short walk from the Millennium Point. Standalone tickets for this are priced at £100.
During the dinner, members will also celebrate the Young Student/Engineer Award – which this year is being sponsored by DW Windsor – and the award of the Lighting Journal Article of the Year.
There will also be active involvement across the two days from the YLP and WLP, so look out for members from both.
ILP President James Duffin said of the Birmingham conference: ‘This year’s conference places a strong spotlight on innovation, exploring the ideas, technologies and approaches that are shaping the future of the lighting profession.
‘The programme will examine emerging trends, new technologies and forward-thinking practices that are influencing how lighting is designed, delivered and integrated within the built environment. Alongside this central theme, the conference will also address wider developments and challenges across the profession, ensuring a broad, relevant and engaging agenda for all attendees.
‘Across two days, delegates can expect a high-quality technical programme featuring expert speakers, practical case studies and forward-thinking discussions. These sessions are designed not only to share knowledge, but to encourage collaboration, challenge conventional thinking and support the development of skills and experience across the profession,’ he added.
You can find out all you need to know about this year’s Lighting Live Annual Conference online at https://theilp.org.uk/events/lighting-live-annual-conference-2026-birmingham.html
Image: Birmingham Milllennium Point
