Northern California’s Premier Architectural Lighting and Design Show w 4 AIA HSW Accredited Seminars.
On June 25, 2026 from 11:30AM – 8:00PM, IES San Francisco Section’s Light! Design Expo returns to Pier 27 on San Francisco’s Embarcadero, with its beautiful panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay and waterfront. This exciting annual expo showcases the latest in architectural lighting products, attracts a wide range of design professionals, and is the only architectural lighting products show in Northern California. This exciting event for the design community is becoming known as one of the best lighting shows in the United States.
Light! Design Expo continues to set the standard for lighting events in the United States, bringing together education, innovation, networking, and celebration in one dynamic experience.
Light! Design Expo features carefully curated product showcases and complimentary educational seminars tailored to the Bay Area architecture, design, and construction community. Attendees include lighting designers, architects, interior designers, engineers, contractors, building owners, facilities and maintenance teams, school districts, municipalities, real estate developers, and more.
The event is free for the design community and provides a unique opportunity to connect with industry peers while exploring the latest architectural and decorative lighting solutions available today. All of this takes place in a vibrant social atmosphere set against breathtaking waterfront views.
Attendance is expected to exceed 1,600 professionals from the design and specification community. The IES San Francisco Section is partnering closely with leading industry organizations including AIA San Francisco and International Interior Design Association. Light! Design Expo will also host four complimentary seminars featuring accredited courses offering AIA/LU, IDCEC/CEU, and IES/CEU continuing education credits.
Guests will enjoy complimentary food and beverage offerings throughout the event, including cuisine from local San Francisco food trucks, dessert carts, and coffee bars conveniently located across the show floor. In addition, three full no-host bars will be available from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM, contributing to the lively and engaging atmosphere.
A highlight of the event is the Project Exhibition Gallery, showcasing some of the Bay Area’s most recent and innovative lighting projects. This exhibit celebrates the collaborative work of local designers and manufacturers while offering inspiration and insight into cutting-edge lighting design solutions.
Attendees and exhibitors are encouraged to participate by submitting their own projects or nominating outstanding Bay Area work for inclusion in the gallery. Submissions may be completed through the official form by May 15, 2026. For additional information or inquiries, please contact the event team through the official contact form
12:00 PM
RP-46-25 is Here, Now What?
Circadian supportive lighting is an innovative approach to lighting design that focuses on supporting human health, wellness, and performance through thoughtfully designed lighting strategies.
Presenter: Robert Soler, Founder, BIOS Lighting
Bio:
Robert Soler is a leading expert in circadian lighting and its effects on human health and performance. He collaborates with the International WELL Building Institute to advance global health standards and received a grant from the Department of Energy for his work on circadian lighting strategies.
2:00 PM
Inclusive Design: Sensory Sensitivities & Light…from Neurodivergent to Aging Eye Populations
Across populations that experience sensitivity to visual stimuli, responses to light may be similar, though solutions often require nuanced and individualized approaches.
Presenter: Patricia Rizzo, Senior Healthcare Product Marketing Manager, Kenall Manufacturing
Bio:
Patricia Rizzo is Senior Healthcare Product Marketing Manager at Kenall Manufacturing with 25 years of expertise in lighting for healthcare and behavioral health environments. She holds an M.S. in Lighting from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is EDAC certified.
4:00 PM
The A, B, C’s of Power Over Ethernet Lighting + Controls – Panel Discussion
Exploring the feature-packed potential of Universal Power Over Ethernet (UPOE) to deliver operational-grade DC power and communications to essential building systems through a unified network.
Panelists:
- Akram Khalis, CEO, MHT Technologies | Principal Owner, Digital Building Solutions
- David Robinson, President, PoE Consortium | Vice President of Automation, Mecho
- Joe Herbst, CTO, PoE Texas
- Jim Simpson, Director, Electrical Training Alliance
Bios:
Akram Khalis
Akram Khalis serves as CEO of MHT Technologies and Co-Founder of Inspextor. Recognized as an innovator and thought leader in PoE systems for lighting and smart building automation, he has spent more than a decade accelerating the growth of emerging technologies.
David Robinson
David Robinson is Vice President of Automation at Mecho and has more than 35 years of experience in the lighting and controls industry. He has presented extensively on the importance of integrating automated shades and lighting control systems in smart, sustainable building design.
6:00 PM
Mass Lighting in Mass Timber: Tales of Integrating Lighting within Mass Timber Architecture
An exploration of the complexities of lighting design when working with Cross Laminated Timber through lessons learned across five mass timber projects completed with different architectural teams.
Presenter: Alec Buxton, Senior Designer, PritchardPeck Lighting
Bio:
Alec Buxton has been a designer with PritchardPeck Lighting for eight years and has worked in the lighting design field since 2014. His background in architectural engineering provides a strong technical foundation and deep understanding of the science of light. His passion for the natural world informs his design philosophy, from creating outdoor environments that respect native ecology to advancing energy-efficient solutions that support a zero-carbon future.