In late August, the American Lighting Assn. (ALA) hosted an online education course, the first-ever for the lighting industry association, which conducts frequent, in-person learning sessions at markets throughout the year. Nicole Juneau, ALA's Director of Education, says the webinar format makes sense as fuel prices remain high.
“Traveling is more expensive,” Juneau says. “We’re trying to decrease costs [for our members].”
For its premier webinar, ALA turned to education instructor Joe Rey-Barreau and the popular program “Advanced Kitchen and Bath Lighting Solutions.” To keep things simple the first time out, ALA capped participation at 50 students (although 58 industry professionals ultimately took part in the Aug. 28 session). The course sold out in about a week, according to Juneau.
At the prescribed hour, attendees dialed into a conference call featuring Rey-Barreau, which was accompanied by a web-based slide show that expanded on the course material. Participants drove the conversation by submitting questions through a dedicated chat system. ALA members who completed the hour-long session also received one credit hour toward association accreditation.
According to Juneau, ALA will rely heavily on Rey-Barreau’s expertise in crafting future webinar topics.
“[Joe] sees what topics are on the horizon and what needs to be taught and what people are wanting,” she says.
The second webinar (“Fundamentals of LED Lighting”) is scheduled for Oct. 16, at 11 a.m. ALA hopes to offer at least one webinar per month, and members are welcome to suggest interesting or timely topics for future courses.
For more info, contact Juneau at (800) 605-4448, ext. 26, or njuneau@americanlightingassoc.com.
