Backstage Pass: Don’t Forget About Lighting Design at Business Events

 

One of the oft-overlooked aspects of producing largescale business events is lighting design. As brands look to find creative ways to capture tradeshow audiences with content, audio, and visuals, the right lighting can enhance an immersive experience like no other. In this new episode of Backstage Pass by Alford Media, host Daniel Litwin sat down with Blake Taylor, Director of Lighting Services to discuss creative ways to light tradeshow events that’ll leave a memorable impression on consumers.

Blake, who has more than 25 years experience in light direction and programming, says art often imitates life. Innovative lighting effects you might see at a concert or film will often make their way into business event design.

“Our industry as a whole is being pushed by other arenas of entertainment,” Blake said. “You go to a touring concert, for example, and you see things that really open it up visually.”

While business events are taking visual cues from entertainment, there’s still a lot of subjectivity when it comes to what clients want.

“A lot of clients don’t necessarily approach a project with specific lighting needs, so it’s up to us to work with creative directors and creative types to develop what that project wants to look and feel like,” Blake said. “Lighting is so objective. People know what they like and what they don’t like, so it just depends on how they view it.”

Also, in this episode, Blake shared what lighting design concepts he’s seen that work and are especially impactful, as well as what kind of lighting fixtures create specific moods or effects.

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Pro AV Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication. A new episode of the Pro AV Show drops every Thursday.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @ProAVMKSL
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

mobile gaming
From Flip Phones to Free-to-Play Empires: How Mobile Gaming Reshaped Business Models, Communities, and Esports
September 17, 2025

Mobile gaming has quietly become the largest segment of the global gaming industry, generating about $92 billion annually—more than both PC and console games. Yet for decades, many brands and agencies underestimated its reach, focusing instead on arena-filling esports tournaments or blockbuster console titles. With nearly everyone carrying a smartphone, however, mobile has become…

Read More
Revenue Cycle
Transformation Without Disruption: How Access Healthcare Is Rewiring the Revenue Cycle with Agentic AI
September 17, 2025

Hospitals are juggling shrinking margins and rising costs while denial volumes remain stubbornly high. In the revenue cycle alone, hundreds of billions are lost annually to preventable errors and inefficiencies—in fact, Access Healthcare CEO Shaji Ravi cites more than $250 billion wasted each year. Meanwhile, payers have accelerated their use of AI to adjudicate…

Read More
leading with intention
Making Meaning Out of Life’s Pause: Billie Whitehouse on Finding Strength, Setting Boundaries, and Leading With Intention
September 17, 2025

In June, Forbes profiled Billie Whitehouse, CEO and Creative Director of Wearable X, as she broke her silence about leading through a devastating health crisis. Diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer at 27 while 22 weeks pregnant, Whitehouse underwent emergency surgery that ensured her survival, but came with the profound heartbreak of losing her…

Read More
Critical Care
Transforming the ICU Through Technology: Advances in Critical Care Telehealth Delivering Gold-Standard Care Anywhere
September 17, 2025

Critical care in the United States faces a mounting crisis. With a shortage of board-certified intensivists and younger, less experienced nurses filling ICUs, hospitals often struggle to provide timely, gold-standard care. Studies show that hospitals with board-certified intensivists in their ICUs see a 30% reduction in patient mortality, yet thousands of facilities still lack…

Read More