Specialist lectures, presentations and discussion panels encourage exchange and provide opportunities for personal encounters.
Design Plaza
The Design Plaza in Hall 3.1 B40 is a central lecture stage where a varied programme of events relating to lighting, architecture and design will take place on all six days of the fair. In addition to inspiring keynotes and talks on topics such as sustainability, efficiency and digital developments, the audience can look forward to exciting trend presentations every day and the ceremonial presentation of prestigious design awards.
Architonic DAAily Live Talks
Architonic editor-in-chief Simon Keane-Cowell from the DAAily platform group explores the challenges and opportunities, as well as the latest developments and innovations in the world of lighting design and planning, in a series of lively and entertaining on-stage interviews with some of the best international A&D practitioners.
Designplus Award by Light + Building Award Ceremony
The Designplus Award by Light + Building honours products that convincingly combine innovation, design quality, function and sustainability. Exhibiting companies can submit their pioneering solutions in several categories. The award is presented in cooperation with Stylepark. The award ceremony will take place on Sunday, 8 March, at the Design Plaza.
More about DesignplusIALD
The IALD – International Association of Lighting Designers will be presenting high-quality content at the Design Plaza for one day. The IALD Awards will also be presented.
Details about the IALD AwardsLicht.de (ZVEI)
A particular highlight is licht.de Day on Wednesday, 11 March, taking place at the Design Plaza in Hall 3.1, directly opposite the licht.de stand (B51). The compact programme of presentations brings together the expertise of the lighting industry and provides valuable insights into the planning, implementation and modernisation of lighting solutions.
Following the presentations, licht.de invites visitors to continue the discussion and engage in personal exchange with the speakers at the exhibition stand.
Discover the presentation programme nowThe ZVEI industry initiative licht.de will be represented by its own information and dialogue stand in Hall 3.1 (Stand B51). Visitors can expect a high-quality programme of presentations and information addressing both current and future topics within the lighting industry.
The focus will be on lighting management, digitalisation and the refurbishment of lighting installations. These key topics are explored in depth through expert publications and practice-oriented presentations. In addition, licht.de experts will be available throughout the trade fair for personal technical discussions. The stand also offers comprehensive information on digitalisation, standardisation and regulations, as well as sustainability in lighting — all essential aspects for future-proof planning and investment decisions.
Talks & Tours by World-Architects
To help visitors find their way around the wide range of exhibits on offer, World-Architects invites them to Talks & Tours. Following an informative specialist presentation, international lighting experts will guide visitors to their personal highlights at the exhibition during Talks & Tours.
The tours start at the Design Plaza.
More information about the Guided ToursTrend talks
Every day, the style agency bora.herke.palmisano. highlights current trends and social developments in its trend talks that will significantly influence lighting design for the 2026/27 season.
More about the Lighting TrendsVirtual Lighting Design Community (VLDC)
On 12 March, the Virtual Lighting Design Community will present the ‘Future Forum – Look into the future’ at the Design Plaza. Various industry representatives will report on new technological developments and how innovation can be reconciled with environmental responsibility, human experience and meaningful storytelling through light.
Women in Lighting
Women in Lighting is a global initiative founded seven years ago by Light Collective to support, connect and empower women across the entire lighting industry — from design and engineering to manufacturing, research, education and light art. Through interviews, panel discussions, curated events and storytelling, the project celebrates the achievements of women in the sector while also highlighting the barriers that still exist, encouraging meaningful dialogue around visibility, equality and leadership.
Women in Lighting is both a platform and a movement: it builds community, amplifies diverse voices and supports a more inclusive and representative future for the lighting industry. Today, the initiative spans 80 countries worldwide.
On International Women’s Day, the WIL community comes together to listen to women working across a wide range of professions within lighting. The event will take place on 8 March from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, concluding with a networking session. Speakers include Sally Storey (UK), Erika Baffico (Italy), Daphne Delbeke (Belgium), Clara Daguin (France) and Lisa Ishii (France).
The session will be moderated by Sabine de Schutter, WIL Ambassador for the project in Germany. The initiative is supported by formalinghting and Archifos.
40 under 40 Awards
The 40 Under 40 Awards celebrate and spotlight the next generation of international lighting design talent. Created to recognise emerging creatives who are shaping the future of the industry, the programme honours 40 outstanding individuals under the age of 40 for design excellence, innovation, leadership and their impact on the global lighting community.
The awards are judged by an international panel, with nominations representing a broad mix of sectors and disciplines. More than a list, 40 Under 40 aims to elevate voices, strengthen global visibility for the lighting industry and foster a culture of progress within lighting design. The awards are supported by Filix and Selux.
This session will honour the 40 Under 40 2025 winners, followed by past recipients sharing why they “Choose Light” in a Pecha Kucha format.
Speakers include:
Joe Vose (2016), Anna Sbokou (2016), David Ghatan (2017), Darío Nuñez Salazar (2017), Faraz Izhar (2017), Mariana Novaes (2018), Nick Albert, MIES (2018), Dan Lister (2018), Katia Kolovea (2019), Julia Hartmann, IALD, CLD, Assoc. IES (2019), Maryam Aghajani (2019), Magali Méndez (2020), Brice Schneider (2021), Eugenia Cheng (2022) and Ayça Donaghy (2023).
The Nordic Lighting Associations
As part of this presentation at the Design Plaza, an outstanding Nordic lighting project will be showcased: the Queen Silvia Concert Hall in Stockholm, winner of the Nordic Lighting Design Awards.
On Tuesday, 10 March, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., senior lighting designer Daniel Hodierne (AFRY Architects, Stockholm) will provide insights into the holistic interplay of light, architecture, acoustics and education. The presentation explores how light shapes emotional spatial experiences, creates proximity between audience and performance, and supports learning and cultural engagement.
Using the award-winning concert hall as a case study, visitors will discover how innovative lighting design creates atmosphere, transforming music from something that is merely heard into something that is truly experienced. The talk highlights the design approach, key creative decisions and the role of light as a connecting element between people, space and sound.
An inspiring session for anyone interested in lighting design, architecture and user-centred spatial concepts.
World Design Capital
Frankfurt: City of WOW!
Frankfurt Rhine-Main is World Design Capital 2026. As a company with strong roots in the city and international appeal, Messe Frankfurt is also participating in selected projects during the festival year. The guiding theme is ‘Design for Democracy. Atmospheres for a Better Life.’ and combines economic, social and urban development issues.
A central pillar of this commitment is the main sponsorship of the immersive experience ‘Frankfurt: City of WOW!’. The multimedia 270° production shows Frankfurt's development from a historic trading and trade fair city to an international economic and innovation metropolis. In doing so, it vividly and comprehensibly highlights the role of the Frankfurt trade fairs and Messe Frankfurt as drivers of economic development.
The immersive experience will be on show from the beginning of March to the end of December 2026 in the former high-bay warehouse of Dresdner Bank on Gutleutstraße. Concept and implementation are by the agencies Nordisk Büro and satis&fy.
World Design Capital – find out more
Further information is available at: Frankfurt: City of WOW!
ZVEI Technology Forum – Industry in Dialogue
The Technology Forum offers a platform for dialogue-oriented knowledge exchange in Hall 12.1 D86. Presentations and discussions focus on electrification and digitalisation in the building sector.
Experts from ZVEI member companies will present innovative solutions and new standards across manufacturers – independently, thoroughly and practically. The forum is organised by ZVEI – the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association – in collaboration with Messe Frankfurt.
Exhibitor Stage
A new format was introduced at Light + Building 2024 with the Exhibitor Stage. Technical presentations, product presentations and practical solutions from exhibitors met with great interest from the audience. At Light + Building 2026, exhibitors will once again be offering exciting insights into current developments, presenting innovative products and showcasing application-oriented solutions for lighting and building technology on the stages in Hall 9.0 from Monday to Thursday. The lecture programme will follow shortly. Further information for exhibitors
Exhibitor Stage: Where Innovation Meets the Future
On 10th of March 2026, the Exhibitor Stage in Hall 9.0, hosted by industry expert Dr. Heiko Baumgartner, will present a high-caliber conference program showcasing the key trends and technologies shaping the building, security and lighting sectors.
Featuring leading industry figures, practical insights and forward-looking perspectives, the stage will become a central meeting point for everyone committed to shaping the future of the building industry.
Smart Buildings, Investment Trends & High-Tech Sensor Technology
Tuesday focuses on the future of building technology – from a strategic, technological and economic perspective. Renowned speakers will highlight:
- Investment and technology trends in the global smart building market
- Digital twins as the foundation of sustainable building intelligence
- Advanced LiDAR systems for visitor flow management, security and object detection
A day offering valuable guidance for decision-makers while demonstrating how dynamically the market is.
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IEECB&SC’26 and European ESCO conference 2026 11 + 12 March 2026
The 13th International Conference on Improving Energy Efficiency in Commercial Buildings and Smart Communities (IEECB&SC’26) is organized in conjunction with the European ESCO Conference and will take place on 11 and 12 March in the Portalhaus, Level Via, Room Frequenz. Previous editions of the IEECB&SC conference have attracted key international researchers, experts, academics, manufactures, building owners, ESCOs, financers and policy makers on energy efficiency in non-residential buildings and smart communities, districts and cities.
The conference covers the topic of smart, sustainable and positive buildings, districts, communities and cities covering energy systems and services, efficient technologies, digitalization, renewable energies and optimized solutions at district or city level. The conference aims at attracting key international participants to allow exchanges of experiences and best practices among different regions, countries and continents.
Day one of the conference deals with technical issues related to high energy performance buildings and net zero emission buildings and smart positive districts and cities. Particular focus is also on energy efficiency in data centres.
Day two covers relevant EU and national policies needed to foster the building decarbonisation, financing investments, energy performance contracting, Energy Performance Contracting (ESCOs) and energy management.