|

IES Ottawa: The 7 Things That Need to Be Fixed in the Lighting Industry – Like, Now!

October 3, 2023

IES Ottawa Presents…

Tom Butters will explore 7 areas where the lighting industry needs to either up their game, change their focus, or blow it up and start anew.

Event Details

Date: Thursday, October 19th

Time: 12:00pm – 2:00pm

Location: KS on the Keys – 1029 Daze St, Ottawa

Included: Lunch, non-alcoholic drinks, networking, presentation

About the Presentation

The 7 Things That Need to be Fixed in the Lighting Industry. Like Now!

With apologies to George Carlin. Industry veteran, Tom Butters, will explore 7 areas where the lighting industry needs to either up their game, change their focus, or blow it up and start anew.

Coming out of the hibernation from COVID-19, the North American Lighting industry is experiencing seismic challenges mostly from within our own ranks.

In this sometimes tongue in cheek, expletive laden, often self-serving diatribe, Butters will explore some of the issues concerning the North American lighting industry in 2023 with the goal to open a dialogue where all industry stakeholders can share best practices and move us forward. The industry is NOT better off than pre-COVID, but it can be.

Subjects that will be brought up may include: our siloed industry, the ludicrous fight over circadian lighting, the time to bury CRI was in 1964 not 2024, Lightfair, the dumbing down of lighting education, global supply chain issues, and the apparent total lack of empathy in the lighting industry.

As with any of Tom’s presentations, he will seek to educate while entertaining.

The views expressed in this presentation, are those exclusively of the presenter and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the IES, IES Ottawa Section, Lightfair, CRI, or any other person.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completed viewing of the IES Ottawa presentation, you will:

  • have a better understanding of the landscape of the North American lighting industry with an eye to ask the important, and sometimes hard, questions to grow our industry.
  • have a firm understanding of what CRI is, and why it needs to be replaced, now.
  • be aware of the extreme need for in-person lighting education.
  • have a better understanding of what Lightfair is, what it means to the industry and how important it is to support it.

About the Speaker

Tom Butters LC, – Founder and Executive Director of The Lighting Agora

Tom Butters, LC, is the creative mind and developer behind some of the most well received educational tools and events of the global lighting industry. Since 1986, Tom has worked in or served the entire array of the lighting industry. He uses this diverse background and empathy to understand the needs of the individual or organization to deliver high quality lighting education to suit the precise needs of the user. Tom is a proud board member of the Nuckolls’ Fund for Lighting Education and an Emeritus Member of the IES.

Tom was the co-developer, along with F.X. Morin, of the globally successful free lighting app “IES Ready Reference”. He is the creator of “Light for Life – a Global Collaboration 2020” which involved 17 webinars from 15 lighting organizations from around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tom was the director of the IES’ free 4-hour live webinar “Germicidal Disinfection in the Days of COVID-19” which had over 3600 live attendees from 56 countries and has been viewed by thousands more as a free offering on the IES website.

He is renowned for bringing people together for the betterment of the lighting industry and the general population.

More information available here

Related Event

IES District 6+ Fundamentals of Lighting Course- Fall 2023 (Online)

This virtual (online) course, held over the course of five weeks, provides participants with an introduction to the fundamentals of illumination. It gives a comprehensive overview of basic lighting principles, lamp and luminaire types, lighting calculations, and controls, as well as functional and aesthetic applications best practices. This course is ideal for architects, engineers, designers, contractors, sales reps, customer service reps, manufacturers, distributors, and students. Find full descriptions for each module below.

Related Articles


Changing Scene

  • August 27, 2026 - Symmetry Lighting Announces David McCrone as Their New Commercial Sales Manager

    Symmetry Lighting Announces David McCrone as Their New Commercial Sales Manager

    Meet David McCrone, Symmetry Lighting’s new Commercial Sales Manager!⁠ David brings extensive leadership experience in the lighting and electrical industries. His combination of industry expertise and technical knowledge is a valuable asset as they continue to grow and enhance the support they provide to their customers and partners. They are very excited to have him… Read More…

  • August 26, 2026 - Ben Fischer & Andrew Parker Promoted at Salex

    Salex Announces Two New Leadership Updates

    Salex is excited to share two important leadership updates! Ben Fischer, Principal has been appointed Vice President Sales & Strategic Accounts, where he will lead Salex’s overall sales strategy, supporting continued growth across their markets while strengthening their sales teams, key accounts, and manufacturer partnerships. Andrew Parker P.Eng., Principal has been appointed Vice President Technical… Read More…


Design

  • Lumenpulse: Ethernet as a Backbone for Lighting

    Lumenpulse: Ethernet as a Backbone for Lighting

    Ethernet is a high performance and reliable networking technology that has been making inroads into architectural LED lighting applications. Having undergone decades of research and development as a workhorse of the IT industry, Ethernet brings a refined pedigree to a lighting industry which is trending toward highly intelligent light fixtures and services. This article highlights… Read More…

  • LEDVANCE: Four-Inch vs Six-Inch Recessed Lighting – Which Is Better?

    LEDVANCE: Four-Inch vs Six-Inch Recessed Lighting – Which Is Better?

    When you need to add lighting to rooms in your commercial and residential spaces, one of the most popular options today is to install recessed light fixtures. It provides a visually pleasing effect while saving space, especially on ceilings. However, many people are confused about which size is appropriate for their needs. Usually, people hesitate… Read More…


New Products

  • WAGO: Lighting Management Solutions

    WAGO: Lighting Management Solutions

    WAGO Lighting Management is a sophisticated solution for lighting control in large spaces such as production facilities and warehouses. Using a combination of predefined hardware and user-friendly software, WAGO offers a lighting management system that facilitates design and commissioning of new lighting systems while providing numerous additional advantages for their operation. Read More…

  • Leviton – Certolux Visioneering (Viscor): LMNW Series LED Wide Commercial Wrap Luminaire

    Leviton – Certolux Visioneering (Viscor): LMNW Series LED Wide Commercial Wrap Luminaire

    When dependable row mounting performance and broad, uniform illumination are required, the LMNW wide commercial wrap delivers a practical solution for both renovation and new construction projects. Designed as a versatile commercial wrap, LMNW combines a wide footprint with a fully illuminated polycarbonate lens to provide smooth, even light distribution while helping simplify upgrades from… Read More…