Why Lighting Matters More Than We Realise

So yes - I knew lighting was important.

But one evening at home made that understanding land in a way no conference ever had.

It was winter, just after 6pm, and already dark. I stood at my front door, cycling through my keys, unable to see which one would unlock it. Beside me was my three-year-old, desperate to get inside and watch Bluey. What should have taken seconds became frustrating. In that moment, lighting stopped being an industry and became an experience.

Lighting isn’t just about products or specifications. It’s about people, safety, and functionality. In the daytime the sun does this but at night, without light, it is not possible.

At The LIA, a large part of my role centres around events, creating spaces where people come together to talk about lighting. But the moments that really bring its importance into focus don’t always happen at work. Sometimes they’re much smaller. Like standing at your front door in the dark, fumbling for your keys, and feeling that brief but very real sense of uncertainty.

It’s often only when light is missing that you fully feel its impact. Good lighting helps us feel secure, reduces stress, and supports independence.

That’s why events like TECH-X matter to me. This July, TECH-X brings together four stages, Technical, Sustainability, Lighting Design, and Connected Lighting, because lighting touches so many aspects of the built environment.

The same thinking sits behind the ICEL Emergency Lighting Conference in September. As a fire marshal, I’ve seen how emergency lighting easily goes unnoticed, right up until the moment it’s needed. In those uncertain moments, it’s not about regulations or specifications; it’s about reassurance. It quietly shows people the way out, helping them feel calm, confident and safe when it matters most.

I realised just how much I’d absorbed from this industry when I visited my grandparents’ flat. In the hallway, something caught my eye straight away, the emergency lighting wasn’t compliant. It scared me, because I knew they weren’t safe. After some back and forth with the building manager, the lighting was fixed. And I was right.

For the first time, I saw the direct impact of the work and knowledge behind the events I help organise.

Those moments, at my front door, and in my grandparents’ building, reminded me why the industry matters. They reminded me why this is such an important sector to be part of.

If you’re considering a career in lighting, know this: what you do affects how people live, work, and feel, often in ways they’ll never consciously notice.