The 10th edition of Light Middle East 2015, the region's premier lighting design and technology trade fair, ended on a successful note in Dubai last week with innovative product launches and solid participation, up 14 per cent over the previous year.

The event, held along with Light Middle East Conference, featured 370 exhibitors from 33 countries. Also more than 6,155 trade visitors from 65 countries attended the show.

A glittering awards ceremony drew the curtains on the three-day event which was marked by innovative product launches and novel energy saving lighting solutions, said the event organisers.

At the show, more than 100 of the world’s leading manufacturers showcased their latest hi-tech products in particular at the Future Zone, providing a clear view of the future direction of lighting design and technology.

US-headquartered Lutron, a specialist in lighting controls and dimmers, announced the Middle East launch of its Quantum Vue Facility Management Tool – an integrated system that manages light and temperature in buildings from anywhere, on any device.  

The high tech system was installed in The New York Times office building, saving the daily newspaper $600,000 in annual lighting expenses.  

According to Shadi Kharouf, the sales director for Lutron in the Middle East, Turkey, and Central Asia, Quantum Vue will be just as effective in the region.

“The Middle East is one of the most interesting regions that Lutron operates in because there is a strong demand for sustainable lighting solutions and new technology,” remarked Kharouf.

"Another advantage of this region is that everything is being built right now. It’s not an established market such as Europe where most lighting and building management solutions are retrofitted," he stated.

“Here they are building new cities and new buildings, so there is this opportunity to embrace the latest sustainable technology from the beginning. There’s an acceptance of these new technologies, and the money to spend on them as well,” added Kharouf.

Another exhibitor pushing the boundaries of technology and imagination at the show was German manufacturer Lux Velocitas, which presented a global launch of its volaTiles – ultra-thin LED modules with control software mounted under glass mosaics.

Joerg Bordan, the president of Lux Velocitas, said the volaTiles can display millions of colours, and have proximity and touch sensors allowing them to intuitively adapt to surrounding environments.

A smartphone volaPlay app also allows users to download and transfer personalised colour designs onto the tiles to reflect a specific mood.

“The uniqueness of volaTiles is that we combine traditional 2x2cm glass mosaics with a high end state of the art LED technology,” said Bordan. "The lights are driven by the user experience or desire to have a specific lighting mood; they’re not just buying a product, they’re buying emotions," he added.

The Light Middle East Awards, which is into its third year, is the customary conclusion to Light Middle East, said the organiser.

“Every year, the Light Middle East Awards attracts an increasingly diverse range of projects and products with energy efficiency and the use of new LED technologies a constant theme,” said Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East.

"It’s very important to highlight the thought process behind these amazing projects, and share with the public the reason why lighting, whether in public spaces, exteriors or interiors, is so stunning," he noted.

“We see lights wherever we go, and providing an award for such an integral aspect of our daily lives is very important and great for the lighting design industry’s recognition,” added Pauwels.

Box Park and Souk Al Manzil in Dubai, along with Qatar’s Banana Island Resort by Anantara, were among the big winners at this year's Light Middle East Awards, which was attended by 500 industry professionals to recognise and reward the region’s most outstanding lighting projects and products.

Designed by Delta Lighting, Box Park won the Exterior Retail Lighting Project of the Year and Public Lighting Project of the Year categories, as an independent judging panel evaluated the merits of 32 shortlisted finalists competing across 10 categories.

The Banana Island Resort by Anantara, designed by Studio Lumen Lighting Design, won the Exterior Hospitality Lighting Project of the Year Award, while Souk Al Manzil and Thani Murshid Establishment, both from the UAE, were joint winners of the Sustainable Lighting Project of the Year award.

Elsewhere, Light Middle East 2015 was the scene of new partnerships, as manufacturers and distributors combine to expand their business interests in a Gulf lighting systems market worth $3.5 billion by 2020.

Yaming, which has been manufacturing luminaires since 1923, was the debut exhibitor at Light Middle East 2015. The company early this year set up its Middle East, Africa, and CIS headquarters in Dubai.

Eager to hit the ground, starting with the UAE market, Yaming announced during Light Middle East the appointment of Khaled Al Hamed Group as its sole distributor in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.

“Our commitment is to support this initiative in making it a successful business agreement and introduce Yaming to Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. We are, at the moment, involved in several large projects that have been referred to us by Khalid Al Hamed Group and soon more will be announced,” stated Zhuang Shenan, the chairman of Yaming worldwide.

The two-day summit, Light Middle East 2015, hosted 24 international lighting experts and designers analysing the changing trends and dynamics of lighting design and their impact on architecture and urban environments.

Kevin Grant, director of design firm Light Alliance UK, spoke about how sustainable lighting technologies are shaping architectural design:  “There is a growing demand for our buildings and spaces to be more efficient, more effective,” said Grant.  

"This has influenced an evolution in tools and technologies that allow us to shape and influence architecture," noted Grant.

“3D printing has made it much easier, quicker and more cost effective to create optics and prototypes, meaning that bespoke designs can be tailored to suit a particular space or application or more easily integrated within the architectural design,” he added.

Grant said the Middle East region was certainly taking sustainability seriously now.

"Most of the countries throughout the region have now set out positive visions to manage the impact and performance of their buildings and spaces, and they are actively promoting the development and implementation of more sustainable design practices and technologies," he added.

The 11th edition of Light Middle East will return in November 2016.-TradeArabia News Service