Australia Day

While I will always be true to my English heritage, at this time of year in particular it’s great to be an Aussie.

Yesterday was Australia Day, a national public holiday where Australians are encouraged to think of the things that make this nation what it is.  For many this is a trip to the beach, a barbecue, sharing a drink or two with friends. That certainly was schedule for the Beale family yesterday.

I think it’s also worth reflecting on the where the Australian lighting design industry is at and I’m pleased to report that things are looking good.  There are more clients and architects insisting that a specialist be appointed to design lighting to projects.  It’s almost unheard of now for a public project not to call for a specialist designer to be part of the consultant team.  And the scope for the specialist designer appears to be growing too – we are not just being asked to design the transitional spaces such as foyers and lobbies but also the less sexy spaces such as offices.  I believe there is more satisfaction in getting these spaces right because that’s where people will be spending most of their time.

I’m seeing more interest in things like the IALD in Australia and envisage membership to grow.  Fed Square will be holding their Light in Winter again this year – I have seen the plans and believe me it will be by far the best yet.  Then there is State of Design which has a dedicated lighting trade show and associated lecture series (curated by Electrolight).  Then we have the guys from Objective Light who will be arranging some more fantastic talks, building on their successes last year.  Then there is the IES international lighting design awards in March (in which Electrolight has 2 short-listed entries).

It’s going to be an exciting year for Electrolight and for the lighting industry as a whole.  Bring it on.