Frankfurt Reflections - Conversations, Connections, and the Changing Face of Our Industry

Frankfurt always has a way of reminding you just how quickly our industry moves.  Over the past few days at Light + Building 2026, I spent my time doing what these events are truly about.  Conversations.  Not just the scheduled meetings on the stand, but the real discussions that happen throughout the day and into the evening.  In truth, it probably split about 50/50.

Half of the time was spent on stands discussing products, technologies, and opportunities.  The other half happened over coffee, lunch, or a quick bite to eat when the halls closed.  Often, those informal conversations are where the most interesting ideas emerge.  What struck me this year was how much the landscape has evolved since my first visit back in 2015.  Back then, the industry was already moving quickly, but today the pace of innovation feels different.  New technologies are arriving faster, integration is becoming more seamless, and the expectation from clients is shifting towards complete, intelligent solutions rather than individual products.

 

At the same time, something else remains constant.

Despite the scale of the show, this industry is still fundamentally a people business.  Partnerships are built through trust, reputation, and simply taking the time to sit down and talk.  Some of the best discussions I had were not about immediate orders or projects, but about where the market is heading next.  Topics like integration, data security, interoperability between systems, and how design, lighting, and controls are increasingly being considered together as part of a wider experience within a building.

 

Of course, Frankfurt has its own rhythm.

 

The halls are busy, the days are long, and the evenings often involve continuing the conversation over a good meal with colleagues from around the world.  It is one of the few places where you can move from a discussion about product design in the morning to a conversation about international distribution over dinner.

 

For me personally, these events always reinforce one key point.  Progress in our industry does not just happen through technology.  It happens through collaboration between manufacturers, integrators, designers, and distributors, all working together to create better solutions.

A huge thank you to everyone I had the chance to catch up with during the week. It was a pleasure to reconnect with old contacts and meet many new ones.

 

Now the real work begins, turning those conversations into opportunities.  Frankfurt 2026 has certainly given plenty to think about.