40|REPORTAJE Miguel Ángel Julià TGustavo Avilés: echnology and internationalization were the two pillars that stood out in Light+Building 2016. Regarding the first concept, there were hundreds of stands featuring luminaries and lighting solutions with systems that facilitate people’s life in their daily routine, at a personal level and in the work place. There were many activities, conferences and exhibitions in the fair covering this topic with key conversations such as connected safety systems, efficient energy management and the automatization of homes. This important topic, established with LED for some time now, has attracted the attention of 2.589 exhibitors from 55 countries from all over the world; they have filled 248.500 square meters of the fairgrounds of Fráncfort del Meno. These numbers represent an increase of 2,3%, compared to the last edition of the L+B, establishing the Fair’s “position as world fair leader, a positive disposition from the field and a high degree of satisfaction in the exhibitors”, in the words of Wolfgang Marzin, president of management of Messe Frankfurt. Regarding internationalization, the numbers have grown too. 67% of the brands in exhibition and 49% of visitors were foreigners. Germany was number one for visitors, followed by Italy, Netherlands, France, Great Britain and China. The countries from the East and Spain (also, Turkey, India, Morocco and Iran), also increased the number of visitors in this edition of the fair. Modern illuminated spaces “Where modern spaces come to life: digital – individual - connected in network”. This was the slogan of Light+Building 2016, and it translated into intelligent solutions and cutting- edge technologies for digitalization and connection in homes and spaces. Together with the effects of light on people, market tendencies, connected security systems, efficient energy management and automatization of homes, they have been the major actors in this edition of the Fair. Not only in the different stands, were these topics present, they were touched upon in conferences, symposiums, workshops, exhibitions and various activities, as well as in the visitor’s conversation. What was L+B 2016? We have asked various professionals who attended Light+Building 2016 for their impressions and opinions of the fair. We spoke to two lighting designers and detectives of light – Lighting Detectives: Gustavo Avilés and Elías Cisneros; one architect: Miguel Angel Juliá and an architect student, who is passionate about and specialized in lighting: Victor Jordá: Gustavo Avilés: I have been going to the Light & Building Fair for many years, even when it was in Hannover and there weren’t many people. Today, it’s a different story: the confusion, the improvisation, the novelty, the materialism and opportunity instinct overwhelm me. I see a Babylon facing extinction. A Tower of Babel of materialistic scientific opportunism after the destruction of humanism and spirit. So much, so much of nothinga. Elías Cisneros: Without doubt, it’s the most important event, at global scale, in the lighting field. For our company it is very rewarding to be more involved and have more influence on this organization. In this edition we were very happy to see our lighting design of the Bucaramanga Bridge, in Colombia, published in iCandela magazine. The copies flew! They were displayed in the Hall, in front of the IALD stand...Because of this dissemination our work is well known and valued around the world. In previous years we have participated delivering lectures, designing for Luminale and as guest speakers for Pecha Kuchas. The integration of more electronic components has boosted the technologies we use in lighting design. It is very satisfying to see the IoT established as a solid offer for the cities and their inhabitants. Today, we all want/need to live in a Smart City. The presence of Latin/Ibero-America in this kind of international fairs is becoming more evident each year. Victor Palacio debuted as our World Manager of IALD and Javier Reul was the winner, among the international designers, of the contest for the best presentation of an application using the renowned software DiaLuz. Miguel Ángel Julià: There is always a first time...And in this case there will be many more. “Light&Building” is one of those fairs, where “LightingLovers” should not only fall into, but also make the most of it. Stroll, look at novelties, listen, firsthand about brands and directly from the designer. This places have become more and more, a meeting place for people, clients, friends and professionals, who share a love of light. I’m still asking myself...Why didn’t I go before? Víctor Jordà: This 2016 edition of the Light and Building Fair has gathered, once more, the large family of the lighting field. The more than 216.000 visitors of this edition,