In architecture and in trade‑fair / event projects, conversations revolve around budgets, footprints, design and technology. What almost no client prices in: interfaces between trades are among the biggest cost drivers. It’s rarely the luminaires, loudspeakers or cables that blow budgets—it’s the lack of coordination between stakeholders.
Architecture and trade‑fair / event projects are high‑performance builds: tight schedules, many trades on the floor and extreme technical density. If you’ve seen an AV team lay cable at night only to find the electrical crew claiming the same tray in the morning, you know the core problem: interfaces.
Ask project leads in architecture and trade‑fair / event builds about their biggest stressors and you’ll hear the same answers: compressed schedules, many trades working in parallel, and safety requirements that ‘suddenly’ take centre stage. In that context one term appears—often with a sigh: SiGeKo, short for safety and health coordination.
When non‑specialists talk about lighting, they usually mean brightness. Professionals know: lighting is wayfinding, atmosphere, brand messaging and a sustainability lever all at once. In fairs and events it’s one of the strongest tools to ensure safety, generate emotion and make brand identity visible.
“We need to save” — few project days pass without that sentence. Budgets are tight, margins thin, and clients are under pressure to cut costs. Grabbing the cheapest offer seems logical. In practice, it’s often a trap.
Show lighting is not “bright and colourful.” It tells a story, leads the eye, builds tension and releases it at the right moment. And it works not only in the room but above all on camera—on livestreams, IMAG and in press photography.
Great shows aren’t born at the console. They start with a clear idea that fits the brand and triggers a response in the audience. Technology is a means, not the end.