What are YOU Hoping to Get Out of LDI?

LDI 2010 is obviously coming up at the end of this week.  I am so ridiculously excited!  Not only do I get to see the products and systems that are being touted as the top cheese in our industries as a whole, but I also get to see our brothers and sisters in these lighting industries that we love.  I mean, really – how great is that?!  This time of year is my favorite time of year.

For those of you who read JimOnLight.com and are going to LDI – there are a few things to remember about the conference if you’ve never been.  First and foremost – you’re gonna have a blast, see amazing light and lighting, and you’re going to meet people wandering on the floor and in company booths that you’ll get to know and see across the world for the rest of your life.  Make the best of it!  TALK to people.  VISIT with the companies.  CHECK OUT the gear.  PUT YOUR HANDS on the gear.  This is your chance to go shake hands with some amazing people.  Make sure that you do it!

There is going to be a LOT of really cool lighting to experience, from LED this-that-and-the-others to the High End Systems Intellaspot XT-1, PRG’s Bad Boy CMY, the Martin Mac 101, and Mac 350 Entour.  This is a good time to pay attention.  I’m a programmer out of necessity (I do love doing it, don’t get me wrong), but my brain leads me more towards the luminaire side of lighting – optics, light sources, color, reflectors, and output.  When I need something programmed like a master, I call professionals like Cat West and Benny Kirkham!

A special note about LDI if you’re looking for a job:
Make sure that you take lots of resumes and business cards.  Also, make sure that your whole experience isn’t about you looking for a job.  Some people are looking for people to hire, and some aren’t.  If you’re lucky enough to find a job opening, play it cool and offer your materials.

Also, here’s a special note for new companies exhibiting at LDI – and quite frankly, for some of the existing companies that exhibit at LDI:
People who come by your booth want to talk to you.  People want to know about your products, see your face, and actually feel like you give a s*%t about talking to them about your product.  They want to give you a card.  They also want to feel like you’re not too good to talk with them because you’re too busy looking for someone with the smell of money on them.  Try to keep this in mind when you’re on the floor and someone comes up to you.  The picture below is of a booth at LightFair 2009 in Las Vegas – now does this kind of atmosphere welcome someone to come up to you and learn about your products?

Yeah, me neither.  These people below actually sneered at us when we walked by (when they weren’t staring at their Blackberries):

This wasn’t like the end of the day or anything, this was 2pm during an afternoon Expo floor session.

Come over and say hi to me and Jax if you see us on the floor – we’re coming on Thursday, leaving Sunday.  I’m looking forward to seeing you all!