Next month’s Lighting Live Annual Conference in Glasgow is coming up fast. Join us for two days of high-end CPD, networking and industry engagement.
From saving the planet to debunking myths around photocells; from the best use of traffic data to the opportunities and challenges facing lighters in Scotland – next month’s ILP Lighting Live Annual Conference in Glasgow boasts a stellar speaker line-up.
The conference is being held at the Crowne Plaza in Glasgow from 18-19 June and registration is now open.
The annual highlight of the ILP’s CPD calendar, Lighting Live is a chance for members to come together, immerse themselves in high-quality knowledge-sharing and networking over two days; engage with peers, manufacturers and colleagues within the industry; and take part in informative workshops.
The two-day event will open with a presentation from Glasgow City Council’s David Dunn on ‘Glasgow Then and Now’. David will be just one of a number of Scottish lighting professionals presenting at Lighting Live, with the city’s Nich Smith doing a ‘How to be brilliant’ talk the night before on his work and the evolving shape of lighting design in Scotland.
Kael Gillam, senior associate at Hoare Lea, will aim to ‘untangle’ the acronym-heavy world of EPDs (environmental product declarations), LCAs (life-cycle assessments), TM66 and TM65.2
She will explore the current landscape for environmental data and assess the challenges that the lighting design profession faces in incorporating these new metrics and tools into their specifications
FOCUS ON PHOTOCELLS
Robert Ashworth, technical sales manager at Lucy Zodion, will aim to ‘debunk the myths’ around photocells, in particular how the British Standard has not evolved to align with technological advancements and the changing demands of the market.
He will argue that, against the backdrop of rising energy costs and increasing environmental responsibilities, it is essential the industry works to ensure the accurate specification of photocells that meet both operational and compliance requirements.
In his presentation, Adam Chaffey, technical director at Solaris Smart Lighting, will drill down into the different technologies now available to monitor changes in traffic patterns or road utilisation during night-time hours.
He’ll consider how sensors deployed on to streetlights can be used more effectively to monitor, classify, and report on vehicle volumes 24/7.
In a joint presentation, Alex Brown, senior lighting designer, and Kelly Smith, senior engineer, at DFL will present a paper intriguing titled, ‘how lighting annoys your barnyard velociraptor’.
In this, they will argue that, while our current guidance landscape provides answers to nuts-and-bolts questions such as what lighting levels we need, what grids we need, and what positions we should use – are we fully considering the knock-on, secondary problems these can create?
Alex and Kelly will consider the due diligence an engineer should be considering to be ‘competent’ and to make sure any decision about lighting is fit for task without causing destruction or unnecessary change. They will also discuss how we measure the impact and significance of the light that we do introduce.
Stainton Lighting Design Services director, and former President, Anthony Smith will present on the potential impact of the principles of SP ratio on the evolution of environmental lighting solutions, as well as the use or amber and monochromatic light sources.
YEAR-ROUND SOLAR LIGHTING
Peter Diamond, managing director of Pudsey Diamond, will ask whether a solar lighting system can genuinely be resilient enough to work all year round.
Our knowledge and understanding of solar could be improved, he will argue, and he will question whether councils in particular do enough to determine the resilience of solar lighting systems before purchase.
In another joint presentation, civil engineering technician Irfan Uddin, and Salman Ahmed, civil engineering apprentice, at London Borough of Islington, will consider small cells and the future of attachments.
They will look at the future grow of the market, drawing on research they have carried out, and how these attachments can affect column assets.
WSP’s Allan Howard and Toby Penter will consider some of the lighting implications around autonomous vehicles, in a presentation entitled ‘Help, my autonomous car is confused’.
PITCHES AND WORKSHOPS
As well as the keynote presentations, there will be ‘elevator pitches’ from the conference’s key sponsors and partners (and see the panel for more on this) and a number of more interactive workshops running across the two days.
ILP Technical Manager Guy Harding will walk members through the new iteration of TR12: Lighting of Pedestrian Crossing and, with Emily Bolt, Vice President – Technical, run a workshop on technical guidelines.
Guy will also lead a workshop on ‘glossophobia’, or the fear of public speaking – so how to overcome public speaking nerves, and how to present confidently and clearly in public.
The new regional chairs will spend some time outlining their upcoming plans, and CPD activities, for the year.
There will be panels discussion on the new procurement regulations that came in earlier this year, under the government’s Procurement Act 2023 and the challenges of PFI expiry, as well as a workshop on bat conservation.
One highlight of the second day will be a series of mini papers from YLP members, so as to give new lighters the experience of presenting in public, with a focus on ‘pathways into lighting’.
Continuing the focus on routes into the profession, there will be a discussion around the latest models for, and the government’s reform agenda around, apprenticeships.
Students from City of Glasgow College will also be attending the conference – so do look out for them and do what you can to support them and make them feel at home.
There will be a membership upgrade ‘bootcamp’ led by Membership Services Manager Karen Suggett.
GALA DINNER
On the Wednesday evening (18 June), members will be invited to gather for the traditional black-tie conference Gala Dinner.
This is being held at the Glasgow Science Centre, 50 Pacific Quay, and will be hosted by the Lord Provost of Glasgow.
As well as drinks reception and three-course dinner, the night will end with a ceilidh of traditional Scottish music.
The dinner is traditionally an opportunity for members to come together, to network, and reflect on the year plus look forward to the year ahead.
PARTNERS AND SPONSORS
Street Lighting Supplies & Co Ltd (https://streetlightingsupplies.com/) is the ILP’s Lighting Live Annual Conference event partner this year in Glasgow. There are also six headline sponsors:
- Charles Endirect
- OrangeTek
- Schréder
- CU Phosco
- Signify
- Lucy Zodion
Our thanks to all this year’s partners and sponsors for their continuing support of the Institution.
HOW TO GET YOUR TICKET
As in previous years, there are a range of delegate options available to attend the Lighting Live Annual Conference, including attending virtually rather than in-person.
For attending both days in person, tickets cost £255 per day for a non-member, falling to £145 for members and then £65 for local authority members (though members will be required to book using their council email address as proof).
Online-only tickets cost £65 per day for non-members, and £35 for ILP members and local authority members. Tickets for the Gala Dinner are £100 plus VAT.
Image: Glasgow Crowne Plaza Hotel, venue for next month’s Lighting Live Annual Conference. Shutterstock
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
WHAT: The ILP Lighting Live Annual Conference 2025
WHERE: Crowne Plaza, Glasgow
WHEN: Wednesday 18 to Thursday 19 June, with the black-tie Gala Dinner on the evening of 18 June
HOW: To register and for online updates go to https://lightinglive.org.uk/2025annualconference/
