SCHAUMBURG, Ill. – When it comes to residential lighting, homeowners demand whole-home lighting solutions from the kitchen to the closet and beyond. Several studies, including Closets & Organized Storage’s annual State of the Industry study for 2023, reported that accent lighting was one of the top requested upgrades.
This growing trend provides an excellent opportunity for closet and cabinet companies to increase their profit margins with accent lighting as a relatively easy add-on in design and installation.
To show just how easy it is to incorporate lighting into more design projects, the 2024 Closets Conference & Expo, which will be held in Schaumburg, Illinois, will host the Closet Lighting Installation Clinic, sponsored by ELEKTRA, on Thursday, April 18, at 10:30 a.m.
Led by industry veteran Eric Marshall, Closet Training Institute, this clinic will focus on lighting and how to install it. The main objective is to empower designers to confidently sell lighting solutions while assuring installers that the process is now more straightforward than ever.
“I think that the Installation Clinic is a perfect tool to reach out at the same time at the same place with the relevant players in the closet industry,” said Boris Niessing, general manager of ELEKTRA. “The way of communication “on stage” through a very well-introduced and experienced person, which Eric is, provides to the whole a character of professionality and reliability. That matters most.
“The main thing the attendees should learn about lighting is that now using and installing lighting in closets (but of course also cabinets, kitchens, etc.) is made very easy and quick, with relevant advantages on the shop side, on the job side and finally for the private end consumer, by providing additional value to all of us.”
Ease of installation
The clinic aims to demystify the process of lighting installation, making it accessible and affordable for both designers and installers.
“All of the suppliers have made lighting super easy to install,” Marshall notes. “In the past, it wasn’t. This clinic [will] show that there's been a huge progression the past few years.”
Marshall will showcase these advancements in lighting technology, especially the simplicity introduced by innovative companies and the move from complex wiring systems to integrated modules within transformers, making installations seamless.
During the clinic, Marshall will demonstrate live on stage how a whole closet can be illuminated with a single strip of lighting, focusing on a specific type of silicone strip lighting. He plans to showcase vertical, horizontal, adjustable shelves and focused puck lighting for the entire closet. The goal is to illustrate that effective closet lighting is achievable with minimal effort and affordable products.
The Closets Lighting Installation Clinic will target a diverse audience, including installers, designers, and business owners.
“This clinic is for everyone – installers, designers, and business owners,” Marshall explains. “Business owners need to encourage their sales teams, installers need to see that it's not as daunting as it may seem, and designers need to realize the potential and simplicity in offering lighting solutions. It’s an educational experience for all.”
Register now for Closets Conference & Expo.
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About the Closets Conference & Expo and Wood Pro Expo Illinois
The annual Closets Conference & Expo (CCE) is the only national event for all closet and home storage professionals. The 2024 edition is co-located with Wood Pro Expo Illinois (WPE), a regional marketplace for woodworking professionals. The events are organized by Closets & Organized Storage and FDMC magazines respectively. Each is a distinct media brand of Woodworking Network. The twin-bill event is scheduled for April 17-19, 2024, at the Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, Ill.
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CCE and WPE each kick off with a separate full-day conference on April 17, co-sponsored by the Association of Closet and Storage Professionals and Cabinet Makers Association respectively. The two-day co-located expo, April 18-19, features woodworking machinery, supplies, and components. Additional educational programming is offered on each day of the expo. Tours of local manufacturing plants and the popular Top Shelf Design Awards networking reception are also key features of the event. View current program schedule.
For information about exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities, contact Laurel Didier, exhibit sales. For all other inquiries, contact Kim Lebel, show manager.
More Woodworking Network events
Salon Industriel du Bois Ouvré (SIBO), Oct. 24-26, 2024, Centrexpo Cogeco, Drummondville, Quebec.
Woodworking Machinery & Supply Conference & Expo (WMS), Nov. 12-14, 2025, Toronto Congress Centre, Toronto, Ontario.
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