Patrick Laidlaw
Director of Business Development-IntegrationWAC GroupPatrick grew up in the lighting business, working in lighting showrooms and supply houses from an early age. He began his professional career as a lighting sales representative in Michigan 39 years ago. After several guest appearances, he served as an Instructor for Lighting Design and Application for Baker College for 5 years, and hosted lighting tours with other local colleges nearby. In 2016, he sold his Agency and transitioned to the manufacturing side with WAC. Patrick joined as Director of Business Development for the Distribution and Specification channels. In 2021, AiSPIRE was launched, and he serves as Director of Business Development for the Custom Integration channel, including AiSPIRE, WAC and Modern Forms Smart Fans.
Lighting and Shading as the New Integrator Frontier
Lighting and shading are quickly becoming one of the most powerful opportunities for integrators to expand their influence in residential projects. To…Lighting and shading are quickly becoming one of the most powerful opportunities for integrators to expand their influence in residential projects. Together, these systems allow professionals to shape how a space feels and functions by balancing dayl…Lighting and shading are quickly becoming one of the most powerful opportunities for integrators to expand their influence in residential projects. Together, these systems allow professionals to shape how a space feels and functions by balancing daylight, electric light, and automation to maintain consistent comfort and atmosphere throughout the day. This session will explore how leading firms are positioning lighting and shading as a unified des…Lighting and shading are quickly becoming one of the most powerful opportunities for integrators to expand their influence in residential projects. Together, these systems allow professionals to shape how a space feels and functions by balancing daylight, electric light, and automation to maintain consistent comfort and atmosphere throughout the day. This session will explore how leading firms are positioning lighting and shading as a unified design and technology discipline—coordinating fixtures, controls, and motorized shades to manage glare, preserve views, enhance aesthetics, and support daily routines. Attendees will also examine the business implications of this shift, including how integrators can enter projects earlier in the design process, collaborate more effectively with architects and designers, and build a profitable practice around solutions that go far beyond basic lighting control.Show MoreClick the title to see all detailsShow More
Making Mixed‑Vendor Lighting Actually Work
Most residential lighting systems today are assembled from multiple ecosystems—architectural fixtures, decorative lighting, landscape systems, retrofi…Most residential lighting systems today are assembled from multiple ecosystems—architectural fixtures, decorative lighting, landscape systems, retrofit products, and control platforms that were never designed to work together seamlessly. This session…Most residential lighting systems today are assembled from multiple ecosystems—architectural fixtures, decorative lighting, landscape systems, retrofit products, and control platforms that were never designed to work together seamlessly. This session examines how integrators can successfully deploy mixed-vendor lighting systems without sacrificing performance, serviceability, or client experience. Topics will include managing dimming compatibilit…Most residential lighting systems today are assembled from multiple ecosystems—architectural fixtures, decorative lighting, landscape systems, retrofit products, and control platforms that were never designed to work together seamlessly. This session examines how integrators can successfully deploy mixed-vendor lighting systems without sacrificing performance, serviceability, or client experience. Topics will include managing dimming compatibility across phase, 0-10V, and digital control methods; maintaining consistent color and fixture behavior across manufacturers; integrating architectural lighting with control platforms and shading systems; and identifying failure points that lead to flicker, mismatched color, or unpredictable scene performance. Attendees will gain practical strategies for evaluating interoperability before the project begins, building lighting packages that behave consistently in the field, and avoiding the hidden technical pitfalls that often appear when multiple manufacturers share the same lighting design.Show MoreClick the title to see all detailsShow More
