Philips Lumec blogger Jean-François Duquette highlights how industry insiders can learn and get new ideas from trade shows and conferences. Below is the blog entry:

Inspiration really does come from all industries. Conferences and tradeshows can be good places to network, see competitors but mostly to get inspiration.

Philips Lumec blogger Jean-François Duquette notes people can become inspired from conferences and tradeshows. (Phlips/LEDinside)

Las Vegas was host to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) a few weeks ago and Detroit started off this year’s round of North American International Auto Shows. The news, concepts and product launches are always fun to see. I find these shows interesting not only from the standpoint of a guy who likes technology, gadgets and cars but they also serve as an inspirational point of view. The product launches are practical but the concepts are the really fun part. 

Conferences and tradeshows are used to showcase concepts and ways of working, test and influence the market, and for companies to show their prowess and innovation. Even if they are not related to lighting on the first level, there is always a connection to be found. 

Lighting technology has been pushed forward by the auto lighting industry in the form of headlights and taillights. At the CES (yes the CES, not the Auto Show, proof of cross-industry uses) Audi not only introduced us to their new interior and dashboard but also to their new laser headlights. 

These concept launches can help us in a few ways: 

1-      They show us new and different applications for light.

2-      They show us new technologies and new shapes.

3-      The testing is already done for us.

4-      They show us the trends of the future.

5-      They show us the maturity of the concept and their product development process: How long it takes from concept to mass production.

These shows can also give us a glimpse into the clients’ minds and help us gauge the future markets by analyzing the reactions to certain concepts through magazine articles and social media.

Conferences are more formal and are more front-end. By this I mean that what you learn at a conference can help you do something with what you see at a tradeshow.

A conference will allow you to see into other companies processes and ways of working. You can see how they innovate and how you can apply the same notions at your job. It also permits you to open your mind to different things and looking outside of the box that can be your industry.

I attended the Fast Company Innovation by Design conference in October and while I took away a lot from that extraordinary conference, one thing particularly applies to this blog. 

Real innovation happens when disciplines intersect.

I would push this further and say that real innovation happens when industries intersect.

Conferences and tradeshows help us deliver to the clients by way of different industries what they really need and want.