Rapidly growing trade show exposes tech integrators and designers to new trends and opportunities in luxury lighting.
Although modest in size, featuring roughly 60 exhibits, Lightapalooza stands tall as a powerhouse for empowering the integration and design communities with the education and resources they need to thrive in the growing luxury residential lighting business. Given the category’s diverse nature, this event offers a rare opportunity for experienced and novice industry professionals, alike, to explore and learn about every facet of lighting—from indoor and outdoor fixture styles to human-centric designs, control solutions, RGB applications, and more. With all the major players in the lighting industry gathered in one place, this trade show provided a comprehensive deep dive into the latest innovations and trends.
Overheard at Lightapalooza 2025
“I am blown away by the continued technological innovation and advancements across manufacturers in the space. Daisy will definitely be adding lighting designers to our teams in 2025! Lighting design is too important to our clients and increasingly challenging to keep up. –Hagan Kappler, Daisy CEO
Here are a few of the key takeaways from the event:
Artistic Flair
Expensive artwork, well-stocked wine collections, and exquisite architectural details are hallmarks of luxury living—so why let these treasures linger in the shadows? Several manufacturers showcased innovative techniques and tools to highlight these features, demonstrating how small, nearly imperceptible fixtures, paired with the right beam angle, color temperature, and intensity, can reveal their true beauty. A 10-minute demo from WAC/AiSPIRE erased any doubts, showing how a subtle shift in color temperature alone could unveil hidden shades and intricate details within wall art. To get the point across to customers, the company is offering demo kits for dealers.
Low-Profile Lighting
Minuscule fixtures and discreet linear lights offer an innovative alternative to traditional ceiling cans for general illumination. Imagine lighting an entire room with ½-inch fixtures or a length of flexible tape lighting seamlessly recessed within the drywall—several Lightapalooza exhibitors including Pure Edge, Lucetta, WAC/AiSPIRE, Lunaire, and others, demonstrated that this approach is not only possible but often preferable. Beyond their sleek aesthetic, these solutions run on low-voltage power, eliminating the need for a licensed electrician and simplifying installation.
Downplaying the appearance of linear fixtures is a smart design strategy, and using them as architectural accents is quickly gaining popularity as striking conversation pieces. Several Lightapalooza exhibitors, including Lucetta, PureEdge, and others, showcased flexible, bendable, and controllable options for both indoor and outdoor spaces, offering a modern twist on illuminated design.
Extraordinary Applications
Creative and application-specific, the illuminated wine racks from MP Lighting and closet rods from Optique provide integrators with quick, easy add-ons for lighting projects. These turnkey, high-quality, customizable pieces are attention-grabbers on the show floor and perfect solutions for clients seeking that extra touch of sophistication.
Outdoor Expansion
Unlike interior lighting, mistakes made outdoors are often easier to correct without significant consequences, making it an ideal space for lighting newcomers to get their feet wet. Several manufacturers at Lightapalooza are making it even easier for integrators to dive into the outdoor lighting trend with significant improvements in construction, flexibility, performance, and ease of installation across their product lines. ProLuxe, a division of American Lighting, showcased linear lighting that can be cut to size on-site, offering flexibility for custom installations. DMF Lighting and WAC/AiSPIRE also presented a variety of versatile, adjustable, and installation-friendly low-voltage outdoor lighting solutions, rounding out their impressive arsenals.
Electric Avenue
The quality of electrical power plays a crucial role in the performance and longevity of light fixtures. Several power management manufacturers, including RoseWater Energy and Torus Power, highlighted the advantages of regulated voltage for high-end lighting designs. One of the most compelling demonstrations involved showing how lights flicker noticeably when voltage drops, underscoring the importance of stable, well-managed power for maintaining both the aesthetic and functional integrity of luxury lighting systems.
Keypad Couture
Control is the cornerstone of functional, beautiful lighting, the user interfaces that command those lights should be equally as elegant and lifestyle-enriching. Keypads have undergone continual cosmetic facelifts to keep on pace with design trends, and Lightapalooza attendees were among the first to see reimagined designs from Vantage, Control4, Crestron, Basalte, Savant, and others. This new generation of keypads caters to the high end of the market, seamlessly blending ease of use with refined elegance. Integrators and designers looking to elevate the aesthetic have WALL-SMART as a resource. The company showcased a variety of custom flush mounts for many of the leading keypad manufacturers on the show floor.
Lightapalooza 2025 offered the integration and design communities a front-row seat to the latest innovations and emerging trends in luxury residential lighting. From the artistic potential of subtle illumination techniques to the flexibility of low-profile and outdoor lighting solutions, the show highlighted the boundless creativity and cutting-edge technology shaping the industry.
