THE BUSINESS OF LIGHTING DESIGN™
IALD MAKES A BOLD
Change By RANDY REID
Brainstorming session at IALD Enlighten Americas Conference, SEP 2022.
In a landmark shift, the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) has altered its bylaws to allow individuals who both design lighting and sell products to join its ranks—a move that has been colloquially referred to as the “Paul Gregory Amendment.” This change not only shatters a long-standing barrier within the professional community but also marks a significant transformation in the business of lighting design. The amendment to the bylaws was accepted with 71% in favor and 29% opposed. Paul Gregory, a seasoned lighting designer whose career traversed from the stages of regional theatre to architectural wonders across the globe, has long been a proponent of such a change. Paul started his career in entertainment lighting, beginning with an unexpected call from Robert Stigwood, manager of the Bee Gees and the force behind the iconic film Saturday Night Fever. Gregory admits, "I didn't know who Robert Stigwood was," but this introduction led to his
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designing lighting
involvement with the movie and subsequent lighting designs for clubs worldwide. Litelab, located in downtown Buffalo, was founded in 1975 by Paul Gregory and Rick Spaulding, giving rise to a firm that not only designed but also manufactured bespoke lighting equipment. Gregory explained, "We had five offices across the United States—Boston, Buffalo, New York, Chicago, and LA. When the club business was booming, we were there, creating architecture with light." For the first time, lighting wasn't just a utility; it was an integral part of the club's experience, "where you could feel the lighting as you could feel the sound," said Gregory. At the height of Litelab's operations, their designs were ubiquitous. "There wasn't a club in Tel Aviv or Baghdad or Reykjavik or Buenos Aires or Hamburg that we didn't know about," stated Paul.