The summer edition of Lightovation, North America’s largest and most comprehensive residential lighting show, returned to Dallas Market Center June 24–27, bringing together retailers, interior designers, architects, builders, and industry professionals from across the country to discover new products and explore the latest trends across every category of home lighting.

The show also included Design + Build Day on Tuesday, June 23, a full day of programming dedicated to innovation, education, and connection for architects, builders, designers, and other trade professionals, as well as the lighting retail showrooms building business with these customers. The Lighting One Convention also preceded Lightovation, running June 22-23 and featuring peer networking sessions and major vendor partner meetings.

“This June was a powerful reminder of why Dallas is the home of lighting, and Lightovation continues to stand in a class of its own,” said Cindy Morris, President and CEO of Dallas Market Center. “The education and inspiration were unmatched as the industry gathered to connect and review what’s new across the marketplace.”

New brands and relocating exhibitors added fresh energy. Les Jardins (TM 4926-5), Modern Mirrors (TM 4432-22), and Snowball Inc. (TM 4432-16) made their Dallas Market Center debuts at Lightovation, while InStyle Gallery (TM 4311) and Terracotta Designs (TM 3920) relocated to new showroom spaces within the building.

On the heels of a major relocation and expansion in January, Lib & Co. (TM 4402) President Tony Zitoli remarked: “Lightovation delivered meaningful value for Lib & Co., particularly through the opportunity to connect with new customers from international markets. These new relationships are an encouraging sign of continued global interest and growth potential. Equally important was the strong presence of our existing customers who attended the show — their engagement, support, and continued partnership played a key role in making our overall experience a success and reinforced the strength of our current market relationships.”

DESIGN + BUILD DAY

Dallas Market Center continued its popular Design + Build Day preceding Lightovation on Tuesday, June 23. Produced in partnership with media sponsors Business of Home and Custom Builder, the day featured CEU-accredited panels, guided showroom tours, and networking opportunities with some of the design industry’s most recognized voices.

These included:

-“Collaboration Wins & Costly Mistakes: An Architect, Builder and Designer in Conversation,” moderated by Custom Builder’s Head of Content Pauline Hammerbeck.

-“Women Who Build” Lunch & Learn, hosted by Buster + Punch in the International Pavilion and moderated by Nikki Watson, founder of The Design Quad.

-“Becoming the Builder’s Designer,” presented by Business of Home and moderated by Editor-in-Chief Kaitlin Petersen, with panelists including acclaimed designers Corey Damen Jenkins, Alison Giese, and Erin Sander.

-A closing reception at Eichholtz (TM 3321) celebrating AD100 designer Corey Damen Jenkins’ new lighting line for the brand, where Jenkins signed complimentary copies of his book Design Reimagined for the first 100 guests.

LIGHTOVATION PROGRAMMING

Programming during Lightovation was equally strong, emphasizing timely topics that also offered CEU accreditation, some HSW certified. Among the highlights:

-“What Great Lighting Looks Like Now” featured expert speakers from the upcoming ArchLIGHT Summit like Jason Livingston, Craig Bernecker, Julia Gordon, and Leigh Gice in a discussion led by ArchLIGHT Summit Education Director C. Webster Marsh.

-“Global Lifestyle and Lighting Insights & Influences” with Maison & Objet Global Trend Ambassador Patti Carpenter, identifying the trends shaping design in 2027 and beyond, followed by a tour of resources exemplifying these trends.

-“Proven Strategies for Tapping Into the Remodeling Trend” panel moderated by Linda Longo with insights from Leslie Killingsworth, Jay Schneider, and Gabriel Trinidad.

-“Living Lighting Indoors & Out: Static vs Dynamic” with Tim Ryan, Emily Gorecki, and Wes Jackson, a session and tour that commemorated Lightovation’s Exteriorscape display, which was expanded in June to include products from Kichler.

SHOWROOM OF THE YEAR AWARDS

The 17th annual Showroom of the Year Award Ceremony took place during Lightovation, produced by Dallas Market Center and official media sponsor Linda Longo, Editor-in-Chief of Lighting News Now.

The ceremony, hosted by Longo and Dallas Market Center’s VP of Marketing for Lightovation, Laura Van Zeyl, honored one Showroom of the Year winner in each of three dollar-volume categories, along with specialty awards recognizing Outstanding Merchandising Display, Exceptional Community Involvement, and Showroom of the Future.

“It is our privilege to recognize the innovation and inspiration within the retail lighting showroom channel, which remains the core audience and focus of Lightovation even as show attendance has expanded to include others for whom lighting is also important,” said Van Zeyl.

See the 2026 Showroom of the Year award winners here.

PLANNING AHEAD

The next edition of Lightovation continues its traditional date pattern, occurring Wednesday, January 6, to Saturday, January 9, with a 3 pm close on Saturday. Design + Build Day will precede Lightovation on Tuesday, January 5. The Total Home & Gift Market will run concurrently, January 6-12, 2027. Registration information is available at www.dallasmarketcenter.com/lightovation.

January 2028 show dates have also been announced, with Lightovation running January 19-22 and the Total Home & Gift Market running January 18-24 in 2028.

This fall, Dallas Market Center will host the sixth annual ArchLIGHT Summit, the trade event and educational platform for architectural and commercial lighting and design professionals, takes place September 15-16, 2026. More information on ArchLIGHT Summit is available at www.ArchLIGHTSummit.com.

Keep up with the latest developments by following the #Lightovation and #dallasmarket hashtags on social media, visiting the Lightovation Facebook Page, and joining the Lightovation - Lighting Industry Discussion Group on Facebook.

For information about all upcoming markets and events, visit the Dallas Market Center website and download the new, completely redesigned Dallas Market Center mobile app. Stay current by visiting Dallas Market Center on Facebook, Instagram, and the DMC Daily Dose blog.

About Dallas Market Center
Dallas Market Center is a global business-to-business trade center and the leading wholesale marketplace in North America connecting retailers and interior designers with top manufacturers in gourmet and housewares, home décor, holiday/floral, gifts, lighting, and apparel. Inside its dynamic, 5 million-square-foot campus, nearly 200,000 customers from all 50 states and 85 countries seek industry trends, business education, and new products from exhibitors throughout the year via dominant trade events for gift, home décor, holiday, and floral; the nation’s most comprehensive apparel and accessories markets featuring the latest styles from East Coast and West Coast designers; the largest residential lighting trade event in North America; and the largest and most successful open-daily design center. To make plans for upcoming markets, visit the Dallas Market Center website and download the Dallas Market Center App.