LEDVANCE highlights some of its initiatives that are helping to create a lasting impact beyond the product.

In the electrical and lighting sector, it’s easy to focus purely on performance metrics – efficiency, output, controls and compliance. These are, of course, critical. But increasingly, the industry is recognising that its role stretches far beyond specification sheets and installations. The most forward-thinking companies are those finding ways to connect with communities, inspire future generations and demonstrate real social value.

A standout example of this in action comes from LEDVANCE and its recent player escort initiative with SV Werder Bremen. While the campaign itself has now concluded, it serves as a powerful example of how a lighting manufacturer can step outside its traditional remit to create something genuinely memorable.

The concept centred around one of football’s most iconic moments: walking onto the pitch alongside professional players. For the February 2026 Bundesliga fixture between Werder Bremen and FC Bayern Munich, LEDVANCE offered 11 children the chance to experience exactly that – but with a creative twist that tied directly back to its core business.

Rather than running a standard prize draw, the company invited children aged six to nine to design and create their own football-themed lamps. Whether painted, crafted or drawn, each entry was a reflection of imagination, individuality and the connection between light and sport. It was a simple idea, but an effective one: encouraging creativity while subtly introducing younger audiences to the concept of lighting design.

Stepping into the spotlight

A panel of judges, including members of the LEDVANCE marketing and sales teams, selected the most imaginative entries. The winners were then given the opportunity to step into the spotlight in a way few could ever forget.

On matchday, those selected walked hand in hand with professional players onto the pitch, in front of thousands of fans. Each child received a full player escort kit to keep, along with tickets for an accompanying adult – ensuring the experience could be shared with family. The entire day was captured on film, creating a lasting reminder of what, for many, will be a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

While the experience itself is extraordinary, what makes this initiative particularly compelling is the thinking behind it. LEDVANCE didn’t simply attach its name to a sporting event; it created a meaningful engagement that links brand, creativity and community.

Importantly, this was not an isolated effort. The company has a track record of using its partnerships in football to deliver wider social value. Previous initiatives have included working with children from the Caritas Youth Care Center St. Vinzenz in Landshut, offering similar matchday experiences to those who may not otherwise have access to them. By continuing this approach, LEDVANCE is demonstrating a long-term commitment rather than a one-off campaign.

At the same time, the initiative reinforces the company’s technical credentials. As the official lighting partner for Werder Bremen, LEDVANCE has played a key role in delivering modern, energy-efficient lighting at the club’s home ground, the Weserstadion. Beyond this, it has contributed to major projects such as the BayArena, home of Bayer Leverkusen, as well as a wide range of smaller-scale sports facilities.

This dual focus – combining engineering expertise with community engagement – is increasingly relevant across the electrical wholesale sector. Customers and partners are no longer looking solely at product performance. They are also asking what companies stand for, how they contribute to society, and whether they are investing in the future.

For wholesalers and contractors alike, there is a clear takeaway. Lighting is not just functional; it shapes experiences. From grassroots sports pitches to elite stadiums, the environments we help create have a direct impact on how people feel, interact and remember moments.

Creativity in outreach

Initiatives like the LEDVANCE player escort competition also highlight the value of creativity in outreach. By asking children to design their own lamps, the company moved beyond passive participation and encouraged active engagement. In doing so, it planted a seed – introducing the idea that lighting can be imaginative, expressive, and even fun.

There’s also a broader message here about accessibility. While large stadium projects often dominate headlines, LEDVANCE’s portfolio spans facilities of all sizes, ensuring that local clubs and community venues can benefit from the same level of innovation and efficiency. This inclusive approach mirrors the ethos behind the competition itself: opening doors and creating opportunities.

Ultimately, what sets this initiative apart is its balance. It celebrates technical excellence in sports lighting while simultaneously delivering a human story – one centred on excitement, creativity and inspiration.

For an industry sometimes perceived as purely technical, that’s an important reminder. Behind every installation is an opportunity to make a difference, whether that’s improving sustainability, enhancing wellbeing, or simply creating moments people will never forget.

And in this case, that moment was simple but powerful: a child stepping onto a football pitch, under world-class lighting, hand in hand with a hero.

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Joshua Hammerton, co-founder of Enkin and former electrician, discusses smart dimming and its impact on the lighting sector.

The lighting industry is evolving faster than ever. Conventional control systems are giving way to intelligent, connected systems designed to enhance comfort, optimise energy performance, and support regulatory compliance. For electricians, a solid understanding of the technologies and standards underpinning smart dimming is no longer optional, it’s becoming a core part of modern professional practice.

Smart lighting has moved beyond novelty. Customers now expect lighting that integrates seamlessly with voice assistants, mobile apps and home automation systems. Whether in residential or commercial properties, demand is rising for reliable, flexible and energy-efficient lighting controls that are simple to install and maintain. The challenge lies in balancing sophistication with practicality. Many smart systems remain complex to configure, difficult to retrofit, or incompatible with existing wiring arrangements.

However, products like the Enkin ZDM150 Inline Zigbee Smart Dimmer represent a new generation of solutions designed with electricians in mind.

This dimmer module combined with Zigbee technology is designed to allow you to control your lighting from any location using a smartphone or tablet.

The ZDM150 dimmer module is supported by Zigbee protocol, providing you with state-of-the-art smart control. Allowing you to dim, turn your lights on and off, and even pre-set ambient moods for different times of the day when partnered with a compatible Zigbee enabled hub.

The dimmer module is ideal for those looking to upgrade their lighting control to a smart system without the need for extensive rewiring. Its compatibility with various smart hubs and ease of installation makes it a versatile choice for smart home enthusiasts.

Why choose smart dimming?

The Inline Zigbee Smart Dimmer offer a mix of convenience, energy savings, ambiance control, and automation. These positives appeal to customers and homeowners for the following reasons:

• Convenience & Remote Control

Control lights from your phone, voice assistant (like Alexa), or remote, even when you’re not home. Easily dim or brighten lights without getting up or reaching for a switch.

• Automation & Scheduling

You can set lights to automatically adjust based on time of day, sunrise/ sunset, or for when you are away. You can automatically dim lights at night for winding down or brighten in the morning to simulate sunrise

• Energy Efficiency

Dimming lights reduces energy usage and can extend the life of bulbs. Helps cut down electricity bills, especially with LED lights.

• Mood Scene Setting

You can create custom lighting scenes for moments at home such as watching films, dining, or reading. Smooth dimming lets you fine-tune ambiance to match your mood or needs.

• Integration with Smart Home Systems

Works seamlessly with other smart devices (e.g., motion sensors, door locks, thermostats) to create a cohesive smart home experience. You can automatically dim the lights when the TV turns on or when you leave home.

• Accessibility & Safety

This is a great feature for elderly or mobility-impaired users who may struggle with traditional switches. Lights can turn on automatically in hallways or bathrooms at night for safety. 

The Enkin Inline Zigbee Smart Dimmer is a compact, in-wall smart dimmer module designed to integrate traditional lighting circuits with modern smart home systems.

The ZDM150 also features a wiring option for both retractive, two-way and off retractive switches. With this unique feature you can still control your lights via touch, as well as with your device.

Here are the all-important key features:

• Easy push button setup
• Trailing/Leading Edge
• No Neutral required
• Soft start feature
• Silent & flicker free
• Self-Recovering Thermal Fuse
• Short Circuit & Overload Protection
• Manual dimming possible via a connected Retractive Switch(s)
• Supports Zigbee protocol for wireless control and automation (gateway/ hub required)
• Compatible with most leading Zigbee Gateways / hubs.

The electrician’s role in the smart era

Electricians are no longer just installers – they now bridge the gap between electrical safety, digital connectivity and user experience. As clients increasingly expect voice-activated and app-controlled lighting, professional electricians who understand the governing standards, procedures and design considerations will be able to lead these conversations.

Smart dimming isn’t just about convenience; it’s about control, efficiency and compliance. Smart dimmers represent a natural progression in modern lighting.

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Martin Thompson, Technical Services Manager & Sustainability Lead from Tridonic UK, gives an insight into the manufacturer’s current focus on sustainability and plans for the future to keep driving towards Net Zero. He also shares the successful overhaul of Tridonic’s Spennymoor facility, using the sustainability principles that the company is renowned for.

At Tridonic, we’ve worked hard to establish a reputation across the global lighting sector for our sustainable lighting solutions that are manufactured responsibly. Our commitment to environmentally friendly lighting technology is based on a vision of realising the full potential of light and making a positive contribution to the planet and community through our solutions.

Of course, this has to be underpinned by a commitment to improving our own practices and policies. We formalised this back in 2021, when we created the ‘Sustainable Tridonic’ sustainability strategy and more recently our UK specific sustainability pillar in the Tridonic360 campaign. This strategy holds us to account on how we minimise the environmental impact of processes across our value chains. Organised into three pillars, the sustainability strategy gives us and our partners a clear focus on how we can work together to reduce our environmental footprint for a sustainable future.

The first pillar is sustainable products, which sets out how we minimise resource consumption, using materials more efficiently and increasing the proportion of recyclable raw materials. Circular design concepts are proven in our Cradle to Cradle (C2C) LED drivers and modules, products created for the long-term allowing them to be reused in a new cycle. Our goal is to align our premium product portfolio by 2030 with the Cradle to Cradle design concept.

Looking further at our own practices, we have continued to implement circular processes and optimise production for sustainability. The company’s packaging has been converted to 80-90% recycled cardboard, significantly reducing carbon emissions.

The second pillar is being a partner of choice. This is where we build responsible and sustainable cooperation with trust based collaboration – as an employer or technology partner, and with our suppliers.

The final pillar is environmental protection. Here we focus on reducing CO₂ emissions across our company’s value chain. We also concentrate on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in our manufacturing sites’ production and operation processes. It is through this pillar that we have undertaken a recent overhaul of our Spennymoor facility, using a range of Tridonic lighting solutions.

The Spennymoor site, which encompasses a Tridonic factory, test facilities and offices, is a prime example of how facilities managers can have a data-driven workplace strategy to drive long-term sustainability.

A recent upgrade to the facility’s lighting, using Tridonic solutions, has delivered an array of impressive energy savings and associated cost reductions. The upgrade has been completed utilising the introduction of Tridonic’s Building Asset 360 market approach, which included the replacement of outdated fluorescent lighting to LED lighting and controls.

Building Asset 360 market approach is built on the principle of seeing luminaires as more than just sources of light and enables the exploration of data on the performance and health of each luminaire.

This market approach encompasses all Tridonic solutions including wireless lighting and wireless emergency lighting. It also embraces the interoperability between other systems such as BMS for a market that is requiring retrofit solutions. In many cases, it can leverage assets that already exist with the building.

The result over just the initial three phases of the upgrade – offices, production hall, warehouse, compressor room, outside canopy and mezzanine – delivered savings of approximately 181MWhrs per annum. This is a 50% saving, securing a reduction in energy expenditure of £65,000 each year.

Spennymoor is now a fully-functioning, sustainable workplace that is not just collecting data, but converting these valuable insights into actions that make a big difference. This is not the end of the journey for Tridonic, however, and further energy saving projects, such as the implementation of daylight harvesting, are in the pipeline for the future.

Tridonic will maintain momentum in innovating and exploring new ways to reduce our carbon footprint, while supporting clients and partners to do the same.

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The lighting sector is embracing verified data on its sustainability claims, including Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). That was a key lesson from Circular Lighting Live 2024 in London. The conference and exhibition, held on 9^th October in London was packed with new information, initiatives and updates on all issues related to sustainability and lighting.

A theme throughout the day was the growing need for lighting manufacturers to provide credible third party certified environmental metrics such as Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) and EPDs. Recolight used the event to unveil its partnership with One Click LCA, which provides lighting manufacturers with a luminaire specific online tool to generate LCAs and EPDs.

The impact of AI on lighting product design and manufacture also featured strongly, as did the benefits of using additive manufacturing (3D printing) and newer, non-fossil fuel based bioplastics.  The importance of establishing an organisational baseline carbon footprint and setting carbon reduction targets was also covered in detail, supported by the availability of a new Recolight/Auditel carbon assessment service.

300 attendees, sponsors, and speakers hailed the event as a resounding success. The unanimous feedback from delegates confirmed that Circular Lighting Live, now in its third year, provides essential information and clarity in what is a both a vital, but also a rapidly changing landscape.

Greg Bristol of ASD lighting said: “CLL2024 was a fantastic event. I came away awed by the challenge but inspired by the amazing people and companies working towards a more sustainable industry.”

And Martin Wherry of Glamox added: “Circular Lighting Live 2024 was an inspiring and essential gathering. It showcased how the industry is coming together to innovate around circularity, pushing the boundaries of sustainable lighting design while embracing AI and digitalisation. The focus on reuse and refurbishment is exactly the kind of forward-thinking approach our sector needs to achieve net-zero goals”

The event was organised by Recolight, and the conference was hosted and curated by Ray Molony, editor of the Circular Lighting Report. The organisers have already confirmed that Circular Lighting Live 2025 will be held on 25 September 2025, at a newer and larger venue in central London.

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For this month’s Face to Face, we interviewed Micaela Abbott, recently appointed Sales Director at Megaman UK, to find out her views on the lighting sector.

How has the lighting industry changed during your 15 years with Megaman?

Since I joined Megaman in 2007, probably the most significant change has been the switch to LED lamps and the development of LED fixtures. In 2009, Megaman was the first company to launch a true replacement for halogen lamps – the LED Reflector Series with Thermal Conductive Highway (TCH) Technology – which was then extended in 2010 to include an MR16 LED and the innovative LED Candle. The Professional and Economy lamp series followed along with the IncandaLED range, evidence of the continued improvement of Megaman’s bread and butter product range – it’s lamps.

Furthermore, as the lifespan of LEDs increased, we found that lighting products were seen less as a commodity item and more as a long-term investment. As such, sales of our Professional range LEDs really took off. As did sales of our integrated fixtures, which provide a long working life, significant lumen capability and design flexibility as well as the benefit of a sleek fixture design. Fast forward to 2022 and we have just launched two new LED fixture ranges – Performa and Essentials – showing that demand for integrated LED fixtures continues to grow.

What are the differences between the Performa and Essentials product ranges?

Essentials is designed to be your everyday go-to. Megaman had identified a gap in the market for a range of products that could provide a reliable, everyday solution, so we stripped back all the features and benefits from our key products, to provide a reliable lumen package with a three year warrantee and at an economy price point. Since its launch, this Essentials range has generated a great level of demand and I’m sure that is to do with the quality of the product versus the price tag.

Performa, on the other hand, is a 5-year warrantied product range with added features and benefits. For example, our TEGO 2 Fire-Rated Downlight which comes with Dual Beam Technology (DBT), Colour Change Technology (CCT), multiple bezel options, microwave sensor capability and more. Crucially, several of our Performa fixtures offer an adaptable one-box solution – so regardless of desired lumen output, colour temperature, beam angle etc, the product that the installer takes out will do the job required and satisfy the customer’s needs.

Could more be done to educate end users on the long-term savings of energy saving LED lamps and fixtures?

There is definitely more work to do. Our customer services team often receive calls from homeowners about replacing old CFLs like for like – so for some the changing legislation has simply passed them by. For those who have LEDs already, realising that there is more you can do to reduce energy use is key, for example, fitting motion sensors or utilising smart technology so that lighting is only activated when needed.

It’s also important to educate users that low wattage does not mean a poor level of light – an energy efficient, low wattage LED, can provide an excellent level of light and help keep energy bills down.

With costs rising at their highest rate for 40 years do you think there is a risk that installer and end user buying habits will be increasingly influenced by price alone?

While more customers are realising that the old saying “buy cheap, buy twice” is true, I expect that over the coming months many people will be forced into thinking about initial purchase costs. Thankfully, with the launch of our Essentials range, we can deliver a reliable and cost-effective solution in these scenarios.

In such a crowded market how can wholesalers ensure they are stocking everything needed to cover all commercial or residential lighting applications?

Looking to adaptable, one-box solutions like our Performa range can help to alleviate stock issues in a crowded market. For the wholesaler, if they stock the Performa range, they can provide a single solution with a wide range of features and benefits straight off the shelf – instead of holding three or four basic products, one box can offer it all.

What are the lighting trends wholesalers should keep an eye on in 2023 and what are Megaman’s plans for the year ahead?

For us the key trend emerging at the moment is efficiency, especially given the challenges around energy prices. Customers are looking beyond just the environmental benefits of energy efficiency to products that can make a noticeable difference to their bills. At Megaman, we are focused on the continual development of innovative technology and control, so that we can offer those savings long-term and reduce operating costs for all end users.

Furthermore, in the pipeline over the next 12 to 18 months we have a number of exciting new product launching within both the Performa and Essentials ranges. We will also be announcing a new smart lighting product – but that’s still under wraps at the moment! What’s great about the Megaman product portfolio is that it never just stagnates. We are always looking at how we develop and evolve our ranges and at how we can better support our customers.

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