AOLP members who attended Illuminate ’19 learned about industry trends and made new connections and rekindled old during the annual conference, held January 31 – February 1, 2019 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Scottsdale Resort, in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Conference attendees found that Illuminate ’19 was packed full of educational sessions and timely information to help their businesses grow.

“Attending the annual Illuminate conference is essential in keeping up-to-date on the best business practices of running a successful landscape lighting company,” said Michael Sestak, CLVLT, COLD, Sestak Lighting Design, Sacramento, Calif.

Members said that the networking and idea sharing that takes place is invaluable.

“AOLP is always the most valuable conference of the year for Texas Outdoor Lighting,” said Daniel Freeman, general manager of Texas Outdoor Lighting, Austin, Texas. “The sessions are informative and relevant, but the real value lies in the knowledge you gain from the relationships you build with other lighting professionals.”

“The knowledge gained from bouncing ideas and practices amongst like-minded individuals with similar passions is invaluable,” echoed Scott Armusewicz Jr., Hamptons Landscape Lighting, Southampton, N.Y.

“The conference never fails to inspire,” said Matt Carli, Moonlighting Landscape Lighting Systems, Charleston, S.C. “Attending the awards dinner and seeing what everybody is doing creatively, and how everybody is doing their part to advance this industry, is an inspirational thing to be a part of,” he said.

Whether new to the field or a veteran outdoor lighting professional, the conference brought applicable information.

“Being in the green industry for over 30 years and now in the lighting world for six years, this conference was the perfect place for me to develop new insights of an amazing industry and to create new relationships with some of the top lighting pros in the field,” commented Steph Tanguay, Concept72, Québec, Canada.

“Conference is such an amazing opportunity to connect with the most experienced individuals in our field,” said Jimmy Kidd, CLVLT, COLD, Tranquility Lighting Design, Utica, Ky. “There’s no way to measure the value in learning the nuances of lighting from the people that have seen every scenario in the field. If you are a lighting professional, it shouldn’t be missed.”

“If stepping up your knowledge of the lighting industry is your goal, Illuminate is the place to do it,” said Alex Hambleton, Allure Outdoor Lighting, Rehoboth Beach. Del.

Paul Welty, CLVLT, COLD, Innovative Nightscapes LLC, Sherwood. Ore., agreed. “Every year, I leave this event with new energy for the season ahead!” he said. “The people I meet and the insight I gain from them is priceless. See you next year!”

Save the date for Illuminate 2020!

We’ll be at the Rosen Plaza, in Orlando, Fla. February 20 – 22, 2020. Certification training is planned for the two days before conference – February 18 and 19. Mark your calendar now and plan to attend!

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