Canada Light Expo 2025 Concludes with Resounding Success – A Stronger, Smarter, Sharper Edition
December 2, 2025
Canada Light Expo: Highly Anticipated 2025 Edition Concludes in a Strong Lighting Community Success
By: Ishaan Hans
Canada Light Expo concluded its second edition on 12–13 November at the International Centre, Toronto, bringing together professionals, innovators, and leaders from across Canada and North America. Organized by MEX International Inc., this year’s expo welcomed over 1,436 attendees and featured more than 90 exhibiting companies, presenting a diverse showcase of architectural, decorative, landscape, smart, human-centric, horticultural, and sustainable lighting solutions. Attendees represented key regions across Canada, including Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, as well as international visitors from countries such as the United States, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, Italy, and Japan. The steady rise in participation fostered an environment where meaningful conversations, practical insights, and new business opportunities naturally flourished.
The event’s growth was evident, with the show expanding from nearly 40 exhibitors in its debut year to a sold-out floor of 80+ exhibitors in 2025. According to the organizers, this progression highlights the industry’s clear need for a focused, national platform dedicated to the architectural, design, and specification community in Canada.
The event opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by the Advisory Board of the show, comprising respected industry leaders including Mr. Carl Huestis, Axis Lighting; Mr. Dan Hadash, lightSPACE at SMP Engineering; Ms. Dawn Brown, Ontario Aesthetic Lighting Design; Ms. Deborah Gottesman, Gottesman Associates; Mr. Eric Teacher, STL Lighting Group; Ms. Joan Orgel, Electromart Hamilton; Ms. Martha MacEachen, Dubo Électrique; Mr. Michael Jennison, Lighting & Controls; Mr. Paul Boken, Sourcery; Ms. Rozlyn Mead; Ms. Shirley Coyle, Cree Lighting Canada; and Mr. Tom Butters, The Lighting Agora; along with Mr. Gaurav Juneja, Director at MEX International, and Ms. Himani Gulati, Director of sales- international market, MEX international inc & Ms. Cindy Foster Warthan, Director of Event Strategy, Canada Light Expo; The Advisory Board also includes Alana Punit and Dayna Bradley, further strengthening the collective expertise guiding the expo’s direction
Strong industry backing further elevated the event, with Axis Lighting and Cree Lighting Canada supporting the 2025 edition as Silver Sponsors. Sourcery powered the event as the Mobile App Sponsor, while Salex, Omnilumen, and TPL Lighting came on board as Official Agency Partners. Additional support included Rosco as the Bronze Sponsor, and The Lighting Agora (LA) along with SARA National as Knowledge Partners.
Media Partners Commercial Construction & Renovation, Designing Lighting, Light Now, Light Directory, Kerwill LDS, and Arc Magazine amplified the event’s presence across the design and lighting community. The Expo also received strong backing from key industry associations, including IALD, IES Toronto, ARIDO, RAIC | IRAC, WILD, WIL, NLB, CSLA, NEMRA, CIE-CNC, TIDC, OSEA, OALA, ALA, and the Nuckolls Fund, underscoring its commitment to serving professionals and fostering industry-wide collaboration.
The two-day Canada Light Talks at Canada Light Expo (12–13 November 2025) delivered a rich, CEU-certified programme under SARA National, featuring 15 accredited sessions, 31 expert speakers, and 100+ attendees per session. Highlighted sessions included Dynamic Discourse, where Dan Hadash explored colour-changing light technology and its real-world applications, and Mastering LED Lighting Specifications, where Deborah Gottesman and Sharyn Gitalis Adler guided participants through decoding multi-page LED specification sheets and making context-driven product decisions.
Other sessions covered a wide spectrum of today’s most relevant topics in lighting — from health and wellness lighting and interior–lighting design collaboration to responsible outdoor lighting, horticultural lighting trends, daylight-first strategies, AI in lighting design and specification, networked controls, professional networking, and the evolving shift in design control. This comprehensive mix offered attendees concise, practical insights into the technologies, practices, and innovations shaping the future of lighting.
The Canada Light Expo 2025 also offered a range of interactive networking and knowledge-sharing experiences. Highlights included a power-packed networking luncheon panel by ARIDO, Better by Design: Why Interior and Lighting Design Collaboration Creates Better Spaces, which explored how early collaboration between interior and lighting designers leads to more functional and aesthetically impactful spaces. The Cocktail Reception and Networking Game Show, Lovers of Light, engaged attendees in a playful, interactive competition blending entertainment with professional discussion. On the second day, the Breakfast Networking Workshop, Unplugged but Illuminated: Finding Balance in a Technological World, focused on harmonizing technology and well-being in lighting design.
Additionally, a networking luncheon panel on AI and Lighting Specification – Pros and Cons provided insights into the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence in lighting specification and project workflows. These sessions and events fostered collaboration, mentorship, and engagement, providing attendees with both professional insights and memorable experiences.
The expo also featured the Connections Section, an exclusive networking space that brought key industry associations together for direct engagement with professionals across the lighting community. Leading organizations—including LA, NLB, Nuckolls Fund, IALD Canada, IES Toronto, ARIDO, WIL, WILD, CIE, and NEMRA—participated, encouraging focused dialogue, collaboration, and knowledge exchange. Their strong involvement further reinforced the expo’s role as a dynamic hub for innovation, learning, and connection within the Canadian lighting community.
Canada Light Expo continues to grow as an important platform for lighting designers, interior designers, architects, engineers, students, and building professionals from Toronto and beyond. With sustainability, smart technologies, and human-centric design shaping the future of the industry, the expo has become a place where ideas take shape and collaborations begin. The enthusiasm shared by exhibitors, visitors, partners, and speakers underscored the industry’s desire for a dedicated and forward-thinking gathering of this kind.
Reflecting on the event’s success, Himani Gulati, Director of Sales – International Markets at MEX International Inc., highlighted the vision behind Canada Light Expo as a national, design-forward platform that inspires learning, fosters meaningful dialogue, and encourages innovation across the lighting industry. The 2025 edition’s strong response reaffirms the growing importance of this initiative and the value it continues to bring to the Canadian lighting and design community.
“Canada Light Expo continues to evolve as a premier platform for the architectural, design, and specification community in Canada. Our goal is to connect professionals, foster collaboration, and showcase innovations that drive the lighting industry forward, creating meaningful value for the entire community.”
Mr. Gaurav Juneja, Director at MEX International
As one of Canada’s newest events dedicated to the commercial architectural industry, Canada Light Expo attracts lighting designers, interior designers, architects, engineers, students, facility managers, and building owners from Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and surrounding areas. Featuring leading manufacturers from the United States, Canada, and Europe showcasing the latest lighting technologies and products, the Expo has established itself as a must-attend event, earning a reputation as one of the “don’t miss” gatherings in the Canadian lighting industry.
Dates for 2026 have been confirmed for November 18-19 to return to the International Centre, Toronto, Canada.
For a complete list of exhibiting companies and presentations, visit the Canada Light Expo website https://canadalightexpo.com/
