The lighting manufacturer will be offering a weekend get-away for car enthusiasts California-based Access Lighting…
Read More →
Top Showrooms Share Best Practices
Finalists in the Showroom of the Year Awards reveal four keys to their success
As the Dallas Market Center’s partner in the Showroom of the Year Awards, I read over every entry that was submitted last year and took note of the common denominators of these successful lighting showrooms – large and small – throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s what they had in common:
1. They change displays often
It’s been said many times before, but it bears repeating. Vignettes and lifestyle settings are the key to selling merchandise at all price points. If you are still displaying all of your lighting fixtures above customers’ heads like a second layer to the ceiling, you need to make significant changes to your merchandising strategy in order to succeed in 2026. Before you say that nobody does that everything-on-the-ceiling technique anymore, I can tell you first-hand that there are enough showrooms still doing this for me to mention it.
The Lighting House in Vermont noted, “Our displays are always rotating with new, on-trend lighting styles and technology. We regularly attend Dallas Market to stay on top of the latest in lighting, and we partner with our top brands to update displays to keep them clean and fresh, and to ensure new items grab customers’ attention. We’ve also built vignettes (nooks) to showcase a full collection, such as pendant, chandelier, wall and ceiling mounts. We also have fun tying in our outdoor furniture displays with our lighting, like a chandelier hanging over a table, which helps customers visualize the products in their own homes.”
Tidewater Lighting in Connecticut has had to work around space limitations at its second location. Showroom owner Carla Snowden stated, “Our displays were a challenge given that we have only 15 feet in width. We also have a suspended ceiling that is 12 feet high, but we could not suspend clouds as it is not strong enough. As a solution, we anchored clouds to the walls and then used wood 4x4s to hold up the cloud on the front of each, creating a cute, hut-like look. We have a vignette below and between each cloud. Each cloud represents a finish – i.e. Polished Nickel, Brushed Brass, Brushed Nickel – or a look, such as Coastal and Organic. We then pull in furniture – for example, upholstered chairs, end tables, lamps, mirrors and art and accessories – that complement the fixtures on the cloud. This makes it easy for customers to shop while creating a cozy look.”
For Hermitage’s most recent showroom in Nashville, “We’ve reimagined the traditional showroom by presenting our products within beautifully designed room settings. As customers step into our space, they experience a variety of thoughtfully arranged products that reflect how these pieces function together in a real home. In addition, the back section of the showroom features curated collections, offering customers the flexibility to explore multiple options for their spaces.”
At Lee Lighting in Arlington, Texas, “We completely refresh our displays to showcase the latest trends every three months. ensuring that our customers get a real-world look at how these designs will transform their homes — because lighting isn’t just about function; it’s about creating an inviting, inspiring space for everyday life.”
The Lighting Corner in Michigan credits its showroom designer “who is always coming up with innovative ways to display lights, artwork and accessories” with creating attractive presentations. “We move items around constantly to give the showroom a fresh look and turn the product.”
2. They deepened their community involvement
The finalists in the Showroom of the Year awards went beyond hosting occasional designers’ events or CEU sessions – which they all do regularly – and made a concentrated effort to be in front of their communities all year long.
For Dominion’s Arlington, Virginia, showroom, “community outreach and engagement is a core part of the showroom design. The space functions as an event and gathering space after hours and hosts rotating art exhibits to provide a platform and visibility for local artists and groups. [By mid-2025] we hosted over 10 separate art shows representing nearly 50 local artists. As part of those shows, over a dozen art pieces have been sold to collectors who might otherwise have never seen or been aware of these works.”
Dominion has also partnered with a local community alliance, celebrating the renaming of the street it is on from Lee Highway to Langston Boulevard. “Not only did we host over 100 guests in and outside our showroom, but we also used the opportunity to curate a show of local artists of color, as well as create a permanent exhibit of the history and heritage of African Americans in our community,” showroom staff said.
Dominion’s vice president is deeply involved in the local business community and has been appointed to four separate community and design boards including local chapters of ASID, IFDA, as well as the Langston Boulevard Alliance and the Arlington Visual Arts Studio Tour. He also mentors recent design school graduates, assisting them with portfolio development, job placements, and career counseling, and has taught onsite lighting sessions for the local university interior design program.
At Ultra Design Center in Colorado, the showroom supports Covered Colorado, a non-profit that empowers survivors of sex trafficking toward healing and self-sufficiency. “We have invited Covered Colorado to multiple, large networking events where they can effectively discuss their mission with the A&D community and increase donorship,” a staff member stated.
Ultra Design Center is also a supporter of One Tree Planted, a non-profit focused on reforestation. Since 2020, Ultra has directly funded over 15,000 trees which are planted in areas in need of reforestation, including areas affected by wildfires.
The employees of Ultra Design Center are committed to helping the next generation of designers by hosting students from Heritage School of Interior Design in Denver. “Our sales experts volunteer their time to introduce the students to what we do and are always available for Q & A sessions to educate them on best practices. We also provide our event space each year for their graduation.”
Tidewater Lighting is actively involved in the town’s Chamber of Commerce. “In our showroom, we keep business cards for all other small business owners and promote them whenever possible. It is about word of mouth and making sure when some is in the store shopping they make sure to shop at my other merchants in town as well,” Snowden explained.
At EL Design in Illinois, “Community isn’t just something we support, it’s woven into the very fabric of who we are. Supporting and uplifting local businesses has been a priority. Whether it’s working with florists and caterers to enhance the showroom experience or partnering with home renovation specialists like stone shops and flooring experts, these collaborations ensure clients have access to a trusted network of skilled professionals. This approach goes beyond commerce; it’s about cultivating a thriving design community. By sharing knowledge, resources, and a passion for quality craftsmanship, we’re creating something bigger than a showroom. This is a space where connections are made, and the design industry grows stronger together.”
For Light & Day Lighting in Maryland, becoming very involved in the local Women in Business group is important. “Our team helped plan an event in October that focused on the idea of ‘We are stronger when we step forward together.’ The event was a way to get Women in business to come together and get inspired to take steps forward in the business world. It was a great way to make new connections and to get more involved in the community as a whole,” a staff member said.
3. They doubled down on their social media strategy
Dominion uses multiple digital platforms to generate awareness and drive clientele to its multiple showrooms for appointments. The company does this through Google Ads, targeted banner ads for design organizations such as ASID, emails through design partners such DC Modern Luxury magazine, the local issue of Architectural Digest, Northern Virginia magazine, Home & Design magazine, and through boosted posts on Facebook and Instagram.
At Ultra Design Center, staff explained, “We provide relevant content to teach designers, builders, and homeowners about some of the newest products we offer. We promote and share our clients’ projects, and we advertise the many events we host in our showroom to invite and welcome new faces into our space. Our digital newsletter is geared towards our professional trade partners, and we use this tool to keep builders, architects, and designers aware of industry information and local happenings that affect their business.”
Tidewater Lighting uses social media to promote sales and educate about new releases’ designs and finishes: “Instagram has been our go-to for spreading information about our business. It is also about collaboration. I make sure we give lectures with our trades as a combined effort; for example, we held a landscape lighting seminar with a landscape designer. We also seek ways to get our product into other businesses. We have a landscape lighting lab in a local stone and garden center, where they feature our landscape lights and send customers to us. Collaboration keeps harmony among other like businesses and helps to promote ours.”
The Lighting House keeps engagement local by posting about Vermont weather, local restaurants, or “stores we have worked with or want to support, as well as other local events and happenings to connect with the community in the greater Burlington area.”
The showroom also posts application photos on Instagram and Facebook from its vendors to offer interior design inspiration, shares new products available, features new displays in the showroom, and posts about members of the sales team so customers can get to know the staff on a more personal level.
In addition to Facebook and Instagram, Lee Lighting is active on TikTok and YouTube: “Our digital presence is designed to engage and inspire. We leverage strategic digital advertising and weekly promotional emails.”
In addition to having an outside digital marketing team to manage the Facebook and Instagram accounts and respond to reviews on Yelp and Google, Just Lights in New Hampshire said that its most effective digital tool is its online catalog that staff utilizes when helping customers in person by using tablets and touchscreens.
The Just Lights website also has client-focused tools such as wish lists and a shopping cart function that allows the store to compete with internet companies. The showroom noted, “These tools help keep our staff, clients, and contractors on the same page for everything from fixtures to bulbs and dimmers, throughout the entirety of the project from information gathering through installation and use. This has expanded our email contact list exponentially, enabling our monthly promotions and events to be sent to a much larger audience.”
Inline Lighting’s Pelham, Alabama showroom leverages social media as a way to showcase featured items and curated vignettes, with messaging that encourages customers to visit and experience them in person.
Showroom staff stated, “By highlighting completed projects from our builders, we help customers visualize how our lighting transforms a space. To elevate Inline Lighting’s digital presence, we focus on dynamic content, including Instagram and TikTok videos, while engaging our audience through interactive polls and surveys. Our tagged product posts allow followers to shop exact fixtures directly from our website, making the online-to-in-store experience seamless. Beyond social media, we maintain a strong local presence through online news platforms, reinforcing brand awareness. Our robust SEO strategy prioritizes organic traffic, leading to a significant increase in website visits and a reduced bounce rate. Additionally, we use geofencing to strategically target retail businesses and new developments, ensuring our brand reaches the right audience at the right time.”
4. They focus on employees
Following Dominion’s acquisition by Border States, the showroom rolled out an extensive suite of in-person and online training sessions that covered everything from setting personal goals and learning new digital tools like Bluebeam Revu to how to better collaborate with a new, nationwide team.
Dominion also rolled out sales incentives and additional bonuses to help move older inventory and enrolled Dominion staff into Border States’ Employee Ownership Program (ESOP). The showroom actively tracks team productivity in meeting budgetary goals and rewards teams that hit or exceed those targets with bonuses.
“We’re extremely transparent about our data and monthly/fiscal year progress, issuing dashboards that show sales, profitability, and progress towards meeting bonus targets twice a month. We also celebrate big project wins, great customer testimonials, and online reviews across the entire team,” staff at Dominion said. “We also plan to double our manufacturer training, bolstering with online follow-up resources and Dominion-centric internal team trainings. In 2019, we started an extremely successful ‘Junior Designer Apprenticeship’ program that has greatly boosted sales, productivity, and engagement between key senior and junior designer teams.”
Ultra Design Center sponsors its salespeople’s participation in a variety of social and professional events hosted by professional organizations such as NKBA, DPHA, IDS, and ASID. “Our team remains experts in our field with weekly PK training. We also believe that when given the opportunity to enjoy social events outside of the showroom, our team strengthens their bond,” the showroom staff noted.
At Tidewater Lighting, Snowden shares the challenges and solutions she faces in order to help employees navigate similar situations in the future. “Anytime I come across a tough situation where a customer proposes a unique situation that makes me having to think long and hard about the right fixture to use, etc., I always share it with the sales staff. I want them to understand that no lighting solution is easy, and we often come across a challenge no matter how many years you’ve been in the industry,” she remarked.
Having everyone on staff earn their Lighting Specialist or Lighting Associate certification from the American Lighting Association is a requirement at The Lighting House. The showroom staff said, “ALA trainings are a priority to our team. We also make sure each of our employees gets to attend the Dallas Market to inspire and educate them so they can come back with renewed motivation and ideas for displays, etc. We are also always attending various webinars from brands and manufacturers to stay up to date with the latest technology and trends.”
At Hermitage, “Employee recognition is a key part of our culture; we honor those who have reached significant milestones, such as presenting five-year service pins or celebrating million-dollar performers with personalized acrylic block awards.” There are also weekly training sessions led by reps to keep the team ahead of the curve on the latest products.
“Investing in our team is a core part of our company culture,” noted staff at Lee Lighting. “Our director of training leads ALA Lighting Specialist certification courses year-round, with 98% of our staff proudly certified. Education and recognition are at the heart of our employee experience. We also reward success — sales associates who drive the most email signups each quarter earn prizes like company swag and extra time off.”
All employees at Bright Ideas Inc. Lighting Design Center in New Mexico are encouraged to learn as much as possible about different types of lighting, designs, and styles. “We regularly bring employees to market and enroll them in online classes and lunch and learns. We also provide in-person training when manufacturers visit and send employees to training hosted by brands in their showrooms,” staff said.
At Light & Day Lighting, there is a culture of continuous learning and excitement about new products by hosting breakfast/lunch and learn sessions. These informal gatherings allow the team to explore new lighting products while enjoying coffee and delicious food while keeping the atmosphere relaxed and enjoyable.
Light & Day has also partnered with a manufacturer to offer “Learn and Earn” quizzes that cover new products and updates. When sales associates watch the training videos and complete the quizzes, they earn a $25 gift card as a reward. “This initiative has not only helped our team stay knowledgeable about products, but has also kept morale high, making learning rewarding in more ways than one,” showroom staff remarked.
“We believe that a motivated team is the foundation of exceptional customer service,” said Inline Lighting. “We invest in our employees through extensive benefits, including a recently added local chaplain service and daycare expense assistance, ensuring they feel supported both personally and professionally. Our bi-annual employee retreat at a resort brings together team members from all branches, fostering camaraderie and connection. We celebrate birthdays and milestones, reinforcing a culture of appreciation. As an ESOP company, every employee has a stake in our success, creating a shared sense of purpose. Beyond these perks, our ‘we’ mentality and core values – Driven, Loyal, Curious, Trustworthy and Positive – guide us daily in working together to best serve our customers.”
Inline Lighting also emphasizes communication across all departments, from the showroom to the electrical side and warehouse in order to ensure a seamless experience from selection to delivery. “We recognize that every sale extends beyond the showroom floor — it carries through to how we deliver products to a job site or home,” staff stated.
Join the Winners’ Circle
The 2026 Showroom of the Year (SOTY) Awards are sponsored by the Dallas Market Center to honor exceptional independent lighting retailers across North America.
The SOTY Awards are judged on several criteria, including merchandising display, marketing and advertising, customer service and engagement, employee education and motivation, and community involvement. Finalists will be named in categories based on dollar volume, with a winner in each category. All finalists are also eligible for three specialty awards: Outstanding Merchandising Display, Exceptional Community Involvement, and Showroom of the Future.
Any independent lighting retailer in North America is eligible for these awards, and anyone in the industry may nominate a store. Retailers are also encouraged to enter their own businesses. All nominations and entries must be submitted by March 2, and both forms are available here.
The Showroom of the Year Awards are a wonderful opportunity for lighting stores to share their successful business practices with their industry peers and receive recognition for a job well done. This year, I would like to see more submissions than the competition has ever had before. There are a lot of showrooms in the U.S. and Canada that are exceptional, and we can all benefit from learning from their example. If you work in, own, or call on a showroom that is doing a remarkable job of merchandising, cross-selling or cross-promoting, has a commendable employee program/benefits, or is utilizing social media and modern technology to expand their customer base and educate the consumer public, please nominate that store for the Showroom of the Year Awards as a way to show the admiration and respect you have for that business.
Winners will be announced during the summer edition of Lightovation at a special Showroom of the Year Awards ceremony that is open to all show attendees. Follow the hashtag #SOTYAwards on social media for the latest updates.
Related articles