For his final update as ILP President, James Duffin reflects on an amazing lighting adventure in Finland, the first How To Be Brilliant of 2026, an array of regional events and, very simply, an inspiring and humbling presidential year.
By James Duffin
Welcome to this my very last Duffin’s Diary! This month will of course see the Presidential baton pass to Michala Medcalf at the annual general meeting before we do the more formal swapping of ‘bling’ (or our respective chains of office) in Birmingham next month.
I will reflect shortly on the year overall but, in a way, it has felt like both the longest and shortest year ever. When I think back to chairing my first Board meeting as President last June, that feels like two minutes ago.
However, when I also think of everything that has happened in the past 12 months, being ILP President has been an amazing and humbling experience. And, as you’re reading this in May, there are still three events for me to go as President!
After Lighting Live Local Authority in Daventry in February, I travelled first to Newcastle, to WSP’s offices for a North East Region CPD event, where we heard an excellent paper from OrangeTek’s Nigel Parry on bat-friendly lighting and his practice’s innovative scheme in Sweden.
I then came down with the flu that was doing the rounds over the winter and so missed the London and South East Region’s membership bootcamp, which was disappointing – but it would have been worse if I had staggered there and simply spread my germs around.
LUCI ASSOCIATION SUMMIT
Luckily, I had recovered – or recovered enough – still to make it to Oulu in Finland for the LUCI Association’s Cities & Lighting Summit at the end of the month. It was an amazing experience – but my word I have never experienced cold quite like it.
It was -21°C when I arrived; there were many long icicles hanging off most of the luminaires! Oulu was incredibly beautiful; it is the furthest north I have ever been. The organisation between LUCI and the city was fantastic; it was a jam-packed event but immensely useful and enjoyable. I was just one of more than 200 delegates from 26 countries, including representatives from 33 cities and 57 other organisations and institutions.
It was fantastic hearing how, all around the world, colour within cityscapes is being done differently. There were speakers from the city of Providence in Rhode Island, from New York, Seoul and Oulu. I never knew, for example, that Seoul has an annual colour for the city. They have ‘Seoul pink’, grey, green and so on. Which are all aligned throughout the city throughout the year, through all the façade and architectural lighting; even private buildings will colour change their lighting. But it expands way beyond light or city assets – you can even buy matching cosmetics, for example. It was really cool.
FOREST TRAIL
The second day, the highlight for me was a fascinating presentation from light artist Jason Bruges on ‘the intersection between art and technology’. He explored how you can take light, integrate it into a space and make something beautiful. Some of it was massive, some of it was small and intimate, all of it was amazing.
I also very much enjoyed the workshop by speakers from CIE, including Sheffield University’s Professor Steve Fotios, on where our standards come from and how they (often) need to be rethought. I had a great conversation with Professor Dionýz Gašparovský, of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. I very much of course pointed people in the direction of GN01 and GN08 while I was at it!
LIGHTMONGERS LIVERY DINNER
During March, I then had the pleasure of attending – with Michala Medcalf – the first How To Be Brilliant of 2026 at the Lutron Experience Centre in London. Hearing Rebecca Weir and Michael Grubb reflect on their experiences, their careers and ‘how to be brilliant’ as lighting designers was really interesting.
That was followed by a YLP mini paper event for the North East Region, where YLP Chair Ben Steels spoke about, essentially, much the same thing, but ‘how to be brilliant’ as a lighting engineer. It was fascinating and a privilege to hear him speak, as well as to hear presentations from two of Ben’s colleagues at Kier, along with two apprentices from Thorn Lighting, among others.
One of the things I always love about YLP events is the opportunity it gives for people who have never presented in public to get that speaking experience in a ‘safe’ and supportive space.
Then mid-way through March I had the pleasure of attending the Worshipful Company of Lightmongers Livery Dinner, which included guests from the various arms of the military, which was lovely to see. It was powerful to see the way the traditions are being upheld, and a wonderful welcome from Graham Smith, the current master.
FINAL REFLECTIONS
Finally, reflections on the year? It has been amazing. It has been brilliant to be able to go out and speak to so many people, people who want to learn, get involved and engage with the ILP. It has also been amazing to see how people are learning from each other, helping each other. I have been so honoured.
Highlights for me include the launch of the new website, the relaunching and reworking of membership development – and my thanks to Peter Raynham and Elizabeth Thomas for their amazing work on that – and, similarly, the work that Emily Bolt and Guy Harding have done on refreshing the technical knowledge base.
It has been so rewarding – an absolute honour – to be ILP President. To get to speak to so many dedicated people across the membership over the past year has been humbling. There have been moments I will never forget and I have made friends who I am sure I will keep in contact with for years to come. I couldn’t have wished for more.
James Duffin BA (Hons) IEng MILP is President of the ILP as well as senior lighting designer at Enerveo
This is an abridged version of the article that appears in the May edition of Lighting Journal. To read the full article, simply click on the page-turner to your right.
Image: a well-wrapped-up James Duffin at the Luci Association Cities & Lighting Summit in Oulu, Finland. Courtesy of James Duffin
