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Winning at Value Engineering

Presented by: Light Can Help You Team

Offered Once Wednesday, February 18, 2026 9:30am-10:30am – 60 Minute Session Essentials Pass and Premium Pass Admission made possible by our Sponsor AiSpire a WAC Company

Level: Beginner to Intermediate

For: Architect, Design, Engineering, Sales, Technician, Ownership, Project Manager

When budgets tighten, lighting design often comes under pressure—but value engineering doesn’t have to mean sacrificing quality. In this session, we’ll explore practical strategies for adjusting designs in ways that respect client budgets while still delivering beautiful, functional results. We’ll look at common approaches for reducing costs without undermining the project, and highlight the pitfalls that can leave clients disappointed or compromise the long-term value of the lighting system. Through examples and discussion, you’ll gain insight into how to make smart trade-offs, preserve design integrity, and keep clients happy even when tough choices are required. Walk away with a framework for turning budget challenges into opportunities for creative problem-solving and client trust-building.

Good, Bad, Ugly: Lighting Documentation

Presented by: Light Can Help You Team

Offered Once Wednesday, February 18, 2026 8:00am-9:00am – 60 Minute Session Essentials Pass and Premium Pass Admission made possible by our Sponsor AiSpire a WAC Company

Level: Beginner to Intermediate

For: Architect, Design, Engineering, Sales, Technician, Ownership, Project Manager

Great lighting design is only as effective as the documentation that communicates it. In this session, we’ll break down what makes documentation clear, complete, and useful—and how to spot when critical information is missing. We’ll explore the essential elements every set of lighting documents should include, discuss the bare minimum needed to move a project forward, and highlight examples of both effective and ineffective documentation. Along the way, we’ll consider documentation from both perspectives: what you should expect when receiving documents from others, and what to provide when you’re the one preparing them. Attendees will leave with a practical checklist of the most important details to include and the confidence to recognize when documents support success—or leave too much to guesswork.

Brilliant Plans: Kitchens

Presented by: David Warfel-Founding Dreamer, Light Can Help You

Sponsored by AiSpire by WAC

Offered Once Tuesday, February 17, 2026 4:00pm-5:00pm – 60 Minute Session Essentials Pass and Premium Pass Admission made possible by our Sponsor AiSpire a WAC Company

Level: Beginner to Intermediate 

For: Architect, Design, Engineering, Sales, Technician, Ownership, Project Manager

David Warfel expands on last year’s Brilliant seminars with a closer look at lighting plans for kitchens in this workshop. Learn how to pick the places for fixtures, pick the products, and get creative when designing kitchens and see how the same principles can apply to almost any room in the home. See common details and explore options as you create your own kitchen plan along with David.

Easy Design Theory 101

Presented by: David Warfel-Founding Dreamer, Light Can Help You

Sponsored by AiSpire by WAC

Offered Once Tuesday, February 17, 2026

1:00pm-2:oopm – 60 Minute Session Essentials Pass and Premium Pass Admission made possible by our Sponsor AiSpire a WAC Company

Level: Beginner to Intermediate 

For: Architect, Design, Engineering, Sales, Technician, Ownership, Project Manager

Overwhelmed with acronyms and technical terms and barely understandable science- or trying to convince reluctant clients to upgrade their lighting? Join David Warfel for an easy-to-understand dive into lighting design theory based on human perception, needs, and comfort. Simple terms and clear value propositions will make high-end lighting more digestible by you, your team, and your clients, opening the door to category growth.

Selling the Invisible: How Lighting Changes What We Feel, Not Just What We See

Presented by: Mark Rea, PhD

Light and Health Research Center

Icahn School of Medici

Offered Once Wednesday, February 18, 2026

3:00pm-4:00pm – 60 Minute Session – $40 (Fee Increases to $60 December 1st and $80 January 1st)

Level: Intermediate to Proficient

For: Architect, Design, Engineering, Interior Designer, Sales

Lighting adds value to a home, but it is not always easy for customers to see and appreciate the value that lighting provides. In this keynote address, Dr. Rea will discuss the value of lighting.

His presentation will include important value propositions of lighting and controls, and how these can best be articulated by technology integrators and explained to customers. His presentation will include information about how people see, how lighting interacts with surfaces, and how it can add value and change the way people feel in a space. Dr. Rea will discuss layers of light, how each function of lighting control must have a purpose, and how technology integrators can articulate the purpose and show the value to their customers.

Lighting for Residential Environments: A Design Process Approach

Presented by: Craig Bernecker, PhD 

Director, MFA Lighting Design Program – Parsons School of Design

Offered Once Thursday, February 19, 2026 8:30am-10:00am – 90Minute Session – $60 (Fee Increases to $90 December 1st and $120 January 1st)

Level: Intermediate to Proficient

For: Architect, Design, Engineering, Interior Designer, Ownership, Programmer, Project Management, Sales, Technician

How can we be certain a residential lighting system performs as designed? This hands-on session introduces the tools and techniques professionals need to measure, verify, and fine-tune lighting installations. Participants will learn how to use a light meter effectively, capture the right measurements, and apply procedures that assess brightness, contrast, and overall visual quality within a space.

The course will also cover the role of mobile apps in evaluating lighting conditions and provide guidance on selecting the right measurement tools—including examples of both appropriate and inappropriate meters. By the end, attendees will have a clear framework for commissioning residential lighting systems that meet design intent and deliver comfort, functionality, and client satisfaction.

The Architecture of Light: Essential Elements for Residential Lighting Design

Presented by: Kevin Houser, PhD, PE (NE), FIES, LC, LEED AP

Professor, School of Civil & Construction Engineering, Oregon State University

Chief Engineer, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Co-Founder and CEO, Lyralux Inc.

Offered Once Thursday, February 19, 2026 10:30am-12:00pm – 90 Minute Session – $60 (Fee Increases to $90 December 1st and $120 January 1st)

Level: Proficient to Expert

For: Architect, Design, Interior Designer, Sales

This interactive workshop is designed to deepen understanding of how light reveals color in residential environments. Beginning with foundational color concepts, we’ll explore the interplay between light sources, objects, and human perception. The workshop will progress to advanced topics, including chromaticity, correlated color temperature, and color rendering, with a special focus on TM-30 IES Method for Evaluating Light Source Color Rendition. Participants will gain practical insights into how spectral characteristics influence object appearance and learn to predict and design for optimal color experiences in high-end residential settings. Through dialogue and hands-on demonstrations, attendees will develop the skills to interpret technical color metrics and apply this knowledge to create visually pleasing and psychologically satisfying living environments.

Residential Lighting Design Workshop: Layouts, Tools, and Analysis

Presented by: Craig Bernecker, PhD 

Director, MFA Lighting Design Program – Parsons School of Design

Offered Once Wednesday, February 18, 2026 2:00pm-5:00pm – 180 Minute Session – $120 (Fee Increases to $180 December 1st and $240 January 1st)

Level: Intermediate to Proficient

For: Architect, Design, Engineering, General, Interior Designer, Sales

This interactive workshop guides participants through the complete process of laying out a residential lighting system, from concept to analysis. Using a sample residential space, attendees will explore fixture selection, placement strategies, and the application of lighting layers to achieve both function and aesthetics.

The session will introduce web-based lighting design software, making it accessible regardless of computer platform, and will demonstrate how analysis tools can simplify the evaluation of design decisions. Participants are encouraged to bring their laptops and actively work through the exercises, gaining hands-on experience in applying professional techniques to real-world residential projects.

Advances in Circadian Lighting Research: How Lighting Affects Sleep, Alertness, and

Presented by: Mariana Figueiro, PhD

Light and Health Research Center

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Offered Once Wednesday, February 18, 2026 1:00pm-2:00pm – 60 Minute Session – $40 (Fee Increases to $60 December 1st and $80 January 1st)

Level: Intermediate to Proficient

For: Architect, Design, Engineering, Interior Designer, Sales

Light and dark have a profound impact on humans. A robust, regular pattern of daytime light and nighttime darkness keeps us in synch with our environment, leading to more daytime alertness and better nighttime sleep. In this presentation Dr. Figueiro will review the latest research

Optics – A practical exploration of what makes a quality beam of light

Presented by: Greg Barrett, Director of Product Management: Professional Lighting, SAVANT with Bruce Clark, Kaleidolight 

Offered Once Wednesday, February 18, 2026 10:00am-12:00pm – 120Minute Session – $80 (Fee Increases to $120 December 1st and $160 January 1st)

Level: Intermediate to Proficient

For: Architect, Design, Engineering, Interior Designer, Ownership, Programmer, Project Management, Sales, Technician

The beauty and effectiveness of lighting often boil down to the details, and at the forefront of these details is the science of optics. In this session, dive deep into the practical aspects that define a high-quality beam of light.

Uniformity: Discover the importance of consistent illumination, exploring the techniques and technologies that ensure a beam devoid of hotspots and shadows.

Beam Angle to Field Angle Ratio: Understand the nuances of beam spread and its implications on lighting design, ensuring optimal light distribution for various applications.

Accent Lighting: Delve into the art and science of highlighting specific objects or areas, learning how to create focal points that capture attention and elevate spaces.

Wall Washers: Dive into the techniques to achieve smooth, even illumination on vertical surfaces, exploring the balance between light intensity and distribution.

This session is perfect for professionals, hobbyists, and anyone keen on mastering the intricacies of optics in lighting. With a blend of theory and real-world applications, attendees will leave with a sharpened understanding of what makes light not just bright, but right.