From controls demonstrations and hands-on installation exercises to immersive Experience Center tours, Acuity Brands Lighting helps customers connect technical knowledge with real-world applications.
Lighting can be described, specified and photographed, but some of its most important qualities are difficult to fully understand from a screen or specification sheet alone.
Whether it's comparing optical distributions, seeing controls respond in real time or experiencing how lighting affects a healthcare facility, manufacturing floor or workplace, context matters.
That belief is the foundation of Acuity Brands Lighting's (Acuity) approach to customer education. Through Acuity Academy, our Experience Centers in New York and Des Plaines, IL, and our ISF Controls Training Lab in Decatur, GA lighting industry professionals move beyond presentations and product literature into environments where they can explore lighting and lighting control in real-world applications and see how technologies perform in practice.
Bringing Learning to Life
Digital learning has transformed how the lighting industry accesses technical education. Online courses and virtual instructor-led training make it easier than ever to build knowledge and stay current on evolving technologies.
But many people also value opportunities to experience technologies firsthand.
At Acuity's Experience Centers, visitors can explore lighting and controls in ways that go beyond traditional classroom instruction. In New York, programs focus on experiencing lighting within a thoughtfully designed environment, while visitors to the Des Plaines facility can participate in “Controls Made Simple” sessions, tour packaging and automation operations, observe robotics in action and explore installed lighting applications throughout the space. Visitors may also engage directly with products through guided installation activities involving wafers and downlights, helping connect technical concepts to practical applications.
For customers interested in controls and connected systems, Acuity's ISF Controls Training Lab in Decatur provides opportunities to participate in controls programming activities and live demonstrations that help bring networked lighting systems to life.
Together, these experiences help customers better understand how lighting, controls and connected technologies are applied in real-world environments.
The Value of Hands-On Experience
Customer feedback consistently highlights the value of these experiences.
One attendee described a recent visit as "a very enriching and valuable experience" and noted, "I learned so much that I will be able to apply to my work."
Another shared that the program was "very informative and helpful for people that didn't know a ton and also for people that already knew a lot," demonstrating the value of hands-on learning across a range of experience levels.
Opportunities to interact directly with products are frequently among the most memorable parts of a visit:
"The hands-on portion was amazing. That was a game changer."
"Hands on activities were well planned and extremely beneficial."
"I truly enjoyed the mix between in-classroom learning & hands on activities."
For many attendees, those experiences help turn abstract concepts into practical understanding. They can compare lighting solutions, interact with controls and see technologies operating in realistic environments.
From Knowledge to Confidence
The goal of customer education is not simply to share information – it’s to help them apply that information with confidence.
Experiencing products firsthand provides context that complements technical training. Customers gain a deeper understanding of how lighting and controls work together and how different solutions can address project-specific challenges.
One attendee with nearly 20 years in electrical distribution described the program as "one of the best vendor training events I have ever been to." Another simply called it "the best training event I have been to."
See It for Yourself
Acuity continues to invest in multiple ways for lighting industry professionals to learn, whether through online education, virtual training, instructor-led courses or in-person experiences.
For those who want to move beyond specifications and presentations, Acuity Academy and our Experience Centers offer opportunities to explore installed lighting applications, participate in live controls demonstrations, interact with products and engage directly with subject matter experts. From touring automation and robotics operations to installing downlights and wafers, visitors gain practical insights that help turn knowledge into confidence.
Interested in learning more? Explore upcoming Acuity Academy programs and Experience Center visits. Whether you're looking to deepen your understanding of controls, compare lighting solutions or experience emerging technologies firsthand, Acuity offers opportunities to see lighting in action and learn by doing.
