Lightovation begins on Saturday and, as previously reported, has plenty of education and networking events lined up, including a series of CEU workshops focused on exterior lighting on Saturday and a Women in Lighting reception on Sunday. There will also be a special nearshoring exhibit of lighting manufacturers from South and Central America featured in the Trade Mart Jan. 10-12.
In our special lighting newsletter tomorrow, we’ll have stories on what tops the agenda of lighting showrooms headed to market, a discussion with Hubbarton Forge CEO Maria Mullen about her company’s growth strategy for 2026, and several other lighting-specific stories.
We’ll be reporting from the show floor throughout the weekend, so please keep your eye on our social media and our website for the latest news and information.
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Atlas Lighting and Home, which made its industry debut late last year, has named lighting veteran Jill Gardner vice president of sales.
Gardner has more than 18 years of experience across numerous channels of retail distribution, Atlas said. Most recently, she was director of lighting assets sales & customer service at Savoy House. Prior to that, she was sales manager for North America at Capital Lighting Fixture Co. in Flowery Branch, Ga. She also served as vice president of operations and sales manager at R. Brown & Associates Lighting Sales Agency; sales representative at Forman & Associates Lighting Sales Agency; and as a regional account manager at Kichler Lighting.
Gardner will be based out of Atlas Lighting and Home’s office in Rabun Gap, Georgia, and will oversee the company’s national sales strategy.
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IKEA is introducing smart versions of its popular donut-shaped Varmblixt lamp collection. The lamps, designed by Rotterdam-based designer Sabine Marcelis, introduce color-shifting and dimmable light, and they feature a soft, matte white glass surface rather than a glossy one. Its color-changing ability and the soft glow from the matte finish are meant to change how people experience light in a room, IKEA said.
The remote-controlled lamp is built on the Matter standard, which means it can work across different smart home systems and be easily integrated into an existing setup, according to IKEA. The launch builds on IKEA’s recent introduction of 21 Matter-compatible products, which laid the foundation for a simpler and more open smart-home experience.
