Header: NeoCon
The upcoming edition of NeoCon, a major design event in the USA, will feature Illuminate, a show-within-a-show focused on lighting innovation. Over 60 international lighting brands will present their designs alongside immersive installations, interactive opportunities, and expert-led programs. Illuminate will make its debut on the seventh floor of The Mart, between June 8 and 10, 2026.
Featured exhibitors and panel presentations
The impressive list of exhibition features top industry professionals in several fields, including linear and downlighting solutions, architectural and functional systems, hospitality section, independent studios, sustainability, and acoustic integration. The full list of exhibitors is available on the NeoCon website.
On Monday, June 8, 2026, the NeoCon Presentation Studio will host a discussion on the role of lighting in shaping spaces, defining architectural intent, and revealing materiality. Titled The Lighting that Shapes Design the conversation will gather companies Morlights, SCI Lighting Solutions, West Consulting | Design, Art, Strategy, Reed Burkett Lighting Design, and Stantec.
Live podcast recordings
Each morning at the Spotlight Stage, attendees can tune into live recordings of leading lighting industry podcasts:
- Monday and Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. — LytePOD by Lytei, hosted by Sam Koerbel. The first pod will focus on how lighting shapes critical environments (hospitals, airport terminals, etc.), followed by a talk on lighting’s influence on spatial decision-making the following day.
- Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. — Lighting Matters, hosted by Avi Mor and Lisa Reed, will recap standout moments from the show.
Five-vignette series
Experiental vignette series developed by line + form + light are divided into five parts, each centred on lighting as a material force in interiors – from shaping interior spaces to impact on human health.
“These vignettes are designed to deepen the A+D community’s understanding of lighting, revealing challenges, conversations, and decision points that shape project outcomes. By translating nuanced lighting concepts into immersive, hands-on experiences, we’re offering attendees new perspectives and practical insights that they can apply directly to their own projects.”
Sohana Arni, Founder and Creative Director of line + form + light, and an Illuminate advisor
Wall Wash vs. Wall Graze: These outputs are not the same
Organised by Inter-lux Lighting and HLB Lighting Design, this vignette showcases how similar lighting installations change the depth, surface, and texture of a room due to different distribution and placement strategies.
Light Finishes vs. Dark Finishes: Why Does It Matter?
Conceived by Axis Lighting in collaboration with AKLD, this vignette examines how human perception of brightness, contrast, and spatial balance changes depending on material reflectance. These changes are examined under consistent lighting conditions.
Good Light. Bad Light. What Is True Circadian Lighting?
This installation focuses on circadian-aligned lighting and its physiological effects. The vignette hosted by BIOS Lighting in partnership with GGLD Lighting Design is based on research originally developed for space-based environments.
Lights on You: Strike a Pose
The fourth vignette focuses on the visual interpretation of emotions and facial perception, and the changes caused by lighting direction. Lights on You: Strike a Pose is presented by ETC Inc. in partnership with Dark Light Design.
Color vs. Material: Why Does This Finish Look Different Than the Sample You Approved?
Presented by Lighting Services Inc. and Morlights, this installation describes how spectrum, intensity, and source characteristics change how we perceive finish and colour in real-world situations.
Spotlight sessions
The idea that Great design starts with great lighting will be a starting point for fourteen 20-40 minute conversations organised in partnership with Lytei. These talks will take place on the Spotlight Stage sponsored by TLS Architectural Lighting, and will encompass a range of topics, including circadian health, adaptive digital spaces, and the role of lighting in project delivery. Additionally, the Neocon will host The Luminary Bar and Neuroaesthetic Art: A Healing Journey to Self-Reflection, an interactive experience.
The debut of Illuminate is a major milestone for the representation of lighting design at NeoCon. The event will examine how light impacts performance, materiality, and human well-being. Held under the theme Where Design Connects, the new platform offers a sneak peek at trends and innovations in the lighting industry.
