It’s a particularly chilly October morning as I write this, a contraband cat on my lap (usually don’t allow that during the workday, but occasional exceptions feel warranted). It’s cozy, the coffee is brewing, and it feels like a nice segue way into a lovely New England fall weekend.
Certainly, I didn’t get on the computer solely to wax poetic about autumn and pets today. But I did want to mention that the change in seasons usually brings about some slowdowns in certain aspects of business, such as events. This being such an unusual year means that instead there are a lot of learning opportunities coming up on the calendar, and not just from our own group. But we’ll start there!
As you know, LEDs Magazine just held its first online-only virtual conference over two days last week. The speakers offered views from the more technical foundations of solid-state lighting (SSL) capabilities that will deliver improved quality of light, to studies, metrics, and design guidance that can accelerate the optimal experience of light indoors, to how business stagnation prevents companies from progress in LED uptake, along with ways to eliminate supply-chain bottlenecks and inform clients and design teams with the best approaches to specification and creative integration of SSL. You can still catch the virtual event “Renaissance of light quality: SSL industry swaps focus from efficiency to architecture” as an on-demand archive. Registration is free.
Coming this Tuesday, we will host a one-hour webcast titled “Optical silicones advance new LED lighting applications,” which will feature Dow speakers Gifford Shearer and Jacob Steinbrecher, one of our inaugural 40 Under 40 honorees. Why should you attend? Beam quality and distribution is directly influenced by the optical properties of materials used in the assembly of devices and systems. Plus, many materials simply are not hardy to the harsher conditions that the LED electronics themselves can handle. Shearer and Steinbrecher will explain how the resistance to ultraviolet (UV) damage, low yellowing from environmental conditions, and moldability of optically clear silicones enables them to meet diverse needs in applications from automotive to high-power stadium lighting to UV germicidal disinfection systems and more. You can register to attend live on Oct. 13 or on demand at your convenience.
Of course, we are getting ever closer to our two-day virtual HortiCann Light + Tech conference; that ground has been covered in a recent preview of the event program themes and industry stakeholder roles. On Oct. 20‒21, we’re excited to experience alongside the audience a whole spectrum of topics from updates in plant photometrics and applied science to granular control and automation opportunities that will deliver smart energy savings and actionable data for operations in the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) sector. This two-day virtual event is also free to attend. All sessions can be registered for at once or you can select only those that fit into your area of interest.
Finally, the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), like many organizations, has revamped its annual Street & Area Lighting Conference (SALC) to be held online only this year. The event schedule has been modified to spread across Oct. 26‒28 so that sessions can be worked into your schedule a little more conveniently. As Maury Wright had mentioned earlier in this week’s News & Insights newsletter, the lively and welcoming crowd will be missed from the in-person experience this year, but the presentations collected by the IES and industry stakeholders always bring fresh perspective and new takeaways for the planning and execution of safe and healthier outdoor lighting (find proof in our coverage of most recent years: 2017, 2018, and 2019). Check the registration options and get SALC on your calendar.
For up-to-the-minute LED and SSL updates, why not follow us on Twitter? You’ll find curated content and commentary, as well as information on industry events, webcasts, and surveys on our LinkedIn Company Page and our Facebook page.
Carrie Meadows | Editor-in-Chief, LEDs Magazine
Carrie Meadows has more than 20 years of experience in the publishing and media industry. She worked with the PennWell Technology Group for more than 17 years, having been part of the editorial staff at Solid State Technology, Microlithography World, Lightwave, Portable Design, CleanRooms, Laser Focus World, and Vision Systems Design before the group was acquired by current parent company Endeavor Business Media.
Meadows has received finalist recognition for LEDs Magazine in the FOLIO Eddie Awards, and has volunteered as a judge on several B2B editorial awards committees. She received a BA in English literature from Saint Anselm College, and earned thesis honors in the college's Geisel Library. Without the patience to sit down and write a book of her own, she has gladly undertaken the role of editor for the writings of friends and family.
Meadows enjoys living in the beautiful but sometimes unpredictable four seasons of the New England region, volunteering with an animal shelter, reading (of course), and walking with friends and extended "dog family" in her spare time.
