LED marketplace shines at Strategies in Light conference

Santa Clara, CA--Strategies Unlimited and PennWell exceeded all previous records by hosting the largest exhibition and attendance to date at Strategies in Light (www.strategiesinlight.com), their 11th annual business conference and exposition on high-brightness light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and lighting, held February 10-12, 2010 at the Santa Clara Convention Center.

This year's event was the largest on record, attracting nearly 3,000 registrants from North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Australia--38 countries in all. In addition, the conference was supported by nearly 90 sponsors and exhibitors, ranging from equipment and materials suppliers to LED and lighting fixture manufacturers. For the first time the exhibit area included an LED Lighting Pavilion.

Bob Steele, Strategies in Light Conference co-chair, presented a highly positive market forecast for the high-brightness (HB) LED component market, and commented that we have not seen this type of growth since the earliest days of the HB LED industry. Overall, Steele predicts a 53% surge in the HB LED market for 2010 to a total of $8.2 billion, and growth to $20.2 billion by 2014, driven mainly by the market for liquid-crystal display (LCD) display backlights and lighting applications.

Focus on lighting

Strategies in Light 2010 included a separate lighting track to meet the information needs of lighting designers, equipment specifiers, architects, and luminaire manufacturers. This track focused on the many issues associated with the use of LEDs in lighting that are of concern to the lighting community. Through real-world examples and frank discussions of the do’s and don’ts of LED lighting, attendees gained a better understanding of the realities of LED lighting, now and in the future. Included in the lighting track was a "truth in labeling" session and panel discussion that addressed current questions and concerns regarding the manner in which LED lighting products are marketed and sold (see also "Strategies Unlimited forecasts high growth rates for LED replacement-lamp market").

In conjunction with the lighting track, the conference offered two tutorials on LEDs, including LED Fundamentals for Lighting Designers and Architects and Specifying LED Lighting Fixtures: What Lighting Designers and Specifiers Need to Know. These tutorials were in addition to pre-conference workshops on designing for LED luminaire reliability, intellectual property, quality of light for LEDs, and selecting drivers for LEDs.

A new Solid-State Lighting (SSL) Investor Forum for venture capitalists and investment bankers, which was added to the pre-conference schedule, debuted to a sold-out, standing-room-only audience. This afforded a unique opportunity for investors to hear presentations from 12 by-invitation-only start-up companies that represent broad sectors of the SSL space. It also included a panel discussion of leading VCs well experienced in the SSL sector.

Christine Shaw, senior VP and group publisher of LEDs Magazine and Strategies in Light Events attributes the event's success due to the quality of the content as well as the dynamic exhibitor, sponsor, and attendee participation. "We anticipate this positive momentum to continue and look forward to the our next Strategies in Light HB LED and lighting events in Japan and Europe in September 2010 as well as next year's 2011 event when we return to Santa Clara."

Insight into LED trends

Strategies in Light 2010 provided insight into the rapidly developing markets for LED lighting, backlights for LCD displays, and other major trends in applications, industry structure, government policies, markets, products, and technologies that will affect the industry's future. Featured speakers for the conference's HB LED market track included: Derry Berrigan, Principal, DBLD Sustainable Lighting Design; James Brodrick, Lighting Program Manager, US Department of Energy; and Cary Eskow, Director, Avnet LightSpeed. In addition, Bob Steele, conference co-chair and director of Optoelectronics Programs, Strategies Unlimited, provided his annual update on the market for HB LEDs, along with a five-year forecast.

Other companies and organizations contributing to the HB LED market track included Canaccord Adams, CH2M Hill, Philips Lumileds Lighting, Cree, Nichia America, Osram Opto Semiconductors, Telelumen, Lynk Labs, mSilica, Oree, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Inventronics, Carclo Technical Plastics, QD Vision, Bayer Material Science, GrafTech International, and Op-Test.

The featured speaker for the lighting track was Ted Konnerth, President and CEO, Egret Consulting Group, Vindra Bhandarkar, SIL Conference co-chair and senior market research analyst at Strategies Unlimited summarized the results of the company's latest market research on solid-state lighting luminaire market trends. Other participating companies and organizations included D&R International; Lightswitch Architectural; Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission; Canlyte Philips; Department of Transportation for City of San Jose; Johnson Controls; Gabriel Mackinnon Lighting Design; Luminae Souter Associates; Bergen School of Architecture; and Philips Lumileds Lighting.

Next year Strategies in Light will be held February 23-25, 2011 in Santa Clara. For further information, please contact Luba Hrynyk at [email protected], or visit us online at www.strategiesinlight.com. For more information on Strategies Unlimited market research and strategic consulting services for the photonics industry, please contact Tim Carli at 650-941-3438, ext. 23 or email at [email protected].

Other 'Strategies in Light' events

The longest running conference in the LED industry, Strategies in Light is considered to be the premier annual forum for presenting current commercial developments in HB LEDs for component and equipment suppliers, manufacturers, and end-users of HB LED devices. LED Japan/Strategies in Light (www.sil-ledjapan.com) attracted over 5,300 registrants in 2009. Strategies in Light Europe (www.sil-ledeurope.com) will debut this year in Frankfurt Germany, September 27-29, 2010.

Strategies Unlimited

Strategies Unlimited specializes in market research reports, and custom studies targeted for the optoelectronic, optical communications, compound semiconductor material, and RF/microwave components industries. Founded in 1979, Strategies Unlimited adeptly integrates technology and business issues. Primary data collection and detailed input-output analysis are developed to create models describing the commercial markets. With its in-depth understanding of market applications, technology developments, industry participants, and government policies, the company is renowned for its outstanding record in market forecasting. Recent research reports include "Image Sensors: Market Review and Forecast-2009" and "Optical Molecular Imaging 2010: Technology, Applications, and Markets".

--Posted by Gail Overton; [email protected]; www.laserfocusworld.com.