Platform on architecture, interior design and landscape architecture
Future Lighting is celebrating its first five-year anniversary this year. The fifth edition will take place on November 18 and 19 at Evenementenhal Gorinchem. The organizers are building on a format in which knowledge and a well-organized exhibition floor reinforce each other. At the same time, the scope is being broadened: to include a wider variety of disciplines within the lighting industry and to attract visitors, exhibitors, and speakers from outside the Benelux region.
According to account manager Tim Bosch, it was already clear during the previous edition that the event’s direction is well-received. Seventy-two percent of the participating companies booked their spots for 2026 right during the event. Visitor numbers also remained stable. However, the organizers consider who comes to Gorinchem to be more important. “The quality of the visitors is high. These are people who are responsible for projects and buildings and are actively seeking solutions. As a result, the level of discussion is immediately high.” As an example, he cites eight museums that were represented at the last edition. Future Lighting therefore does not aim to be a mass-market event, but rather a place where professionals with specific lighting challenges can gain knowledge and meet suppliers.
The exhibition floor should better reflect everything needed for a building’s lighting. From the start, Future Lighting has had a strong technical focus, but it is gradually expanding its offerings. According to Bosch, an increasing number of companies in the decorative lighting sector are also finding their way to Future Lighting. This year, for example, SLV and Lightbox are joining the event.
Lighting control is also gaining more prominence. For example, the representation of companies working with KNX and other protocols is increasing, and several suppliers of control solutions are now participating. As a result, the focus on the exhibition floor is no longer just on the luminaire or the light source, but increasingly on the interplay between design, use, and control. Bosch: “Every construction process requires control over peak loads; that’s why sensors and light fixtures go hand in hand.”
For the conference program, the organizers are once again collaborating with industry and professional associations, including NSVV, Fedet | NLA, and Groen Licht Vlaanderen. The program will explore the impact of light on people and animals, with sustainability, well-being, and technology as key themes. “For architects, we want to present topics that directly relate to their practice. Last year, for example, the focus was on the relationship between daylight and artificial light in design.”
During the anniversary celebration, we’ll also look back on previous well-attended sessions. For example, a previous presentation by LightingEurope will be followed up with a presentation by Marion Ebel.
Future Lighting is also seeking to expand beyond the Benelux region. A first Greek supplier has now joined, and contacts are underway with parties in Spain and other countries. In addition, efforts are underway to increase international content, including two English-language presentations and a CIE symposium on Thursday morning. The organization sees opportunities to grow from its current Dutch-Belgian base into a recognizable European platform focused on light, science, and practical solutions.
Growing in size is not an end in itself. “It is precisely our exclusive nature that is one of our greatest strengths,” Bosch emphasizes. “Future Lighting must remain manageable, with a high-quality program of content.”
Some elements that worked well in previous editions are making a comeback. For example, catering during the event will once again be made possible thanks to an additional contribution from exhibitors. According to Marketing Event Manager Laura Versteegh, this encouraged visitors to stay longer and spend more time talking to one another last year. On Wednesday, the first day of the trade show will conclude with “Celebrate Light,” a joint reception with NLA.
The Future of Lighting Innovation Awards are also returning, once again featuring both a jury prize and a people’s choice award. According to Versteegh, the awards are garnering increasing attention within the industry even after the event has concluded. The deadline for submissions is around the end of September. As part of its fifth-anniversary celebrations, the organization is also looking further ahead. Throughout the event, attention will be focused in various ways on what the lighting industry will look like in five years and which developments will shape it.
