Spotlight on the Light Middle East Awards: Exclusive Insights from our Jury Chair

As Strategic Partners to Light Middle East, Light Collective, have been involved in selecting the judges and helping to shape the process and criteria of the Light Middle East Awards Program. It’s great to be involved in the details for the second year running as it gives an opportunity to look at what worked last year and what didn't and to refine and hone the process each time alongside the Light + Intelligent Building team. 

2024 is the 10th year of the Light Middle East Awards and the decade marks the growth and improvement of lighting projects undertaken in the region. We can see how the quality of design has got better and better over this period of time and are pleased to help share the work on an international stage. 

The Awards are split into two sections for Product and Projects and we are hoping to see an array of innovative and exciting entries this year. There are a number of new approaches within the judging process. 

Last year, the shortlisted product entries got to pitch their products to the judges on the show floor and this year, we have introduced the opportunity for shortlisted project entries to pitch their projects to the jury too. This means that the decisions are made through a rigorous two stage process with an initial online stage and then an in-person session that Light Collective will chair. This face-to-face element is unique and doesn’t occur in any other award platforms, making the LME Awards more than just a photo competition and allowing a real dialogue between designers and judges.

For the product category, this gives the judges the chance to see the actual shortlisted products up close and ask questions of the manufacturer pitching them. We wanted to add this opportunity to the session, so judges could ask questions above and beyond the submitted photos and text. We are confident that this means the best products are chosen as winners.

Also, for 2024, in order to create a higher level of equity between project category entries, a detailed marking scheme has been devised. Within your entry you will be asked to describe your lighting design project in a series of short statements related to ten key criteria. Judges will award marks on each criterion. These include Concept & Narrative, Aesthetic Impact, Creativity and Innovation, Contextual Fit, Integration & Detailing, User Experience, Technical Excellence, Longevity and Challenges.

As the theme of the show and the Thinklight conference is “Enlightened Futures: How Responsibility Will Guide the Future of Light and Buildings”, we are also looking to award marks for how entrants have considered their responsibility to the future as part of the design process. This could include the energy efficiency, sustainability and overall environmental impact of the lighting design, including the use of energy-saving technologies, control, recycling/circularity, minimising light pollution and impact on the local ecosystem.

Light Collective believe that now is the time to consider the wider world and take responsibility for how we impact it and with our creative power as lighting designers, we need to consider carefully how we light. We have invited an expert and international panel to make up the jury and hope that the awards receive many entries. If you enter, you help to showcase the incredible and amazing work of the region and therefore can demonstrate to the rest of the world, that it is a center for excellence in lighting design.

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY HERE

See you on Awards night!

Martin Lupton & Sharon Stammers

Light Collective - Strategic Partner to Light + Intelligent Building Middle East