60 manufacturers, 5 months — did Illuminate at NeoCon actually pay off?

Half the year is gone — where did it go? Hosts Avi Mor of Morlights and Lisa Reed of Reed Burkett Lighting Design (RBLD) trade updates on a packed six months: the Holocaust Museum LA opening, the relit Campanile at the University of Kansas, and ongoing work on the Gordie Howe International Bridge and the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. But most of the conversation returns to Illuminate at NeoCon, where 60 manufacturers showed up in just five months.

Avi and Lisa dig into what worked — LSI's interactive color-temperature display, ETC's photo booth vignette — and what didn't sit right, including a pointed question Avi raises: are manufacturers being asked to do too much? They also touch on the newly announced NLB-IES partnership, the re-illumination of Notre-Dame, and a recurring IALD theme: designers as "shepherds" of a client's story rather than its authors. It closes with the IALD president's public call to elevate the profession, and Avi's blunt response: "I'd like to get beyond the words and see the action."

In This Episode:

• (00:00) Mid-year check-ins and recent project milestones
• (09:56) The case for lighting designers and debriefing Illuminate at NeoCon
• (12:53) Manufacturer highlights: LSI's color installation and ETC's photo booth
• (17:32) Planning NeoCon 2027 and rethinking manufacturer sponsorship asks
• (21:16) NLB-IES partnership and current project spotlights
• (24:09) Notre-Dame's re-illumination and the emotional power of cathedral lighting
• (26:28) Light as storytelling and putting words to a visual craft
• (27:05) The IALD's call to elevate the profession
• (28:25) Sign-off: pop culture picks and lighting in film
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About the show: 

Lighting Matters is hosted by Lisa Reed and Avi Mor. In each episode, we’ll dig deep into the meticulous process of creating lighting design for architecture, showcasing industry leaders who balance artistic creativity with technical precision, and listen as they share their successes and challenges in architectural lighting design.

Resources:
NeoCon 2026 Featured Panel Talk: https://youtu.be/8OKOe1oX90Q?si=rGxIhUvENzU9Es1J
Educational Vignettes at NeoCon 2026: https://edisonreport.com/2026/06/08/llluminate-at-neocon-2026-built-for-designers/

Art Lifting Website: https://www.artlifting.com/
Illuminate @ NeoCon 2026: https://edisonreport.com/2026/06/08/llluminate-at-neocon-2026-built-for-designers/
IALD —  iald.org
NeoCon neocon.com
Lighting Matters Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighting-matters-podcast/
Lighting Matters Podcast YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbLkEKnB8XgSXoeDY0T8t3w
Lisa Reed  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-j-reed-b198154/ 
Reed Burkett Lighting Design  http://www.rbldi.com

Avraham Mor  https://www.linkedin.com/in/avrahammor/

Morlights  https://www.morlights.com/