What's happening
LDI 2026 is set for 2–8 December at the Las Vegas Convention Center West Hall, with the exhibition running 6–8 December and training courses from 2 December. Organisers expect more than 215 presenters, over 350 exhibitors, more than 75 training courses and over 125 LDInnovation sessions. Programming splits into dedicated tracks for lighting designers, audio, stage management, rigging and XR content creators.
Why it matters for buyers
For a retailer, venue or signage buyer, the practical effect is simple: the unit that reads on your wall at your ambient light, with your artwork, beats the one with the bigger number on the box. Specification order — distance, image size, ambient, then brightness — decides the result.
It also changes lead-time risk. Custom gobos and certified outdoor builds need briefing before the date is fixed; the projector is rarely the long pole, the artwork and certification are.
The technical angle
Cooling method decides noise and life. Fanless passive units are silent but capped in power; forced-air units go brighter and louder. For a quiet retail or wedding setting, the noise floor is part of the spec.
What to specify
Before you request a quote, lock these down:
- Lead time on a custom gobo versus a stock pattern
- Ingress rating if it lives outdoors or gets washed down
- Throw distance from bracket to surface, measured on site — not estimated
- Gobo material: glass for longevity and colour, metal for cheap short runs
