Metropolitan Pavilion, 1st Level/Full Pavilion, 125 West 18th St, New York, NY
Brought to you by the IES New York City Section (IESNYC) and the Designers Lighting Forum of New York (DLFNY)
As lighting controls continue to evolve at the intersection of design, data, and integration, NYControlled remains committed to providing a forum where learning and collaboration spark progress.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!
How Hands-On Learning is Shaping the Future of Trade Shows
At NYControlled 2025, Randy Reid of EdisonReport led dynamic discussions at the Conversation Corner. He was joined by NYControlled Chair, Nehal Youssef; Committee Member, Gary Meshberg; and Webster Marsh from LCA for an engaging session “Are Hands-On Learning and Conversational Formats Shaping the Future of Trade Shows?” The group explored evolving attendee expectations, the success of this year’s new hands-on workshop, and what’s ahead for the event’s continued growth and innovation.
Webster led this year’s hands-on workshop, which received tremendous feedback from attendees. “Lighting controls can be complex, and people often don’t know where to start,” he said. “We wanted to make controls approachable and give people a chance to understand them from a foundational level.”
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
The NYControlled Hands-On Workshop was built to empower attendees who are new to lighting controls to engage the exhibit hall with confidence and curiosity. Lighting controls can be intimidating and people may shy away if they aren’t confident in their knowledge; we wanted to remove that barrier, and I believe we accomplished that goal. I was able to see many of the participants from the workshop actively discussing systems and solutions throughout the exhibit hall, eager to apply what they learned and expand upon that knowledge.
C. Webster Marsh
Education Manager, Lighting Controls Academy
It’s excellent to have a show that is exclusively focused on controls. There are many lighting events where people come to look at lights, but here they come because they want to see controls—and your solutions—and we want to be part of that.
Hands-on learning is especially important in our field—it connects technology to real-life application and back to design intent. NYControlled’s balance between product showcase and educational programming truly supports that connection.
Jordan Mills
Regional Sales Manager, Casambi
NYCONTROLLED Starts In