As we approach the end of another year, it is a good time to reflect on the achievements of 2023, the progress made by the business and shine a light on some of the wonderful projects we have been involved in again this year.
We have seen the launch of a number of new CORE products, enjoyed award-winning collaborations and overseen the evolution of some more familiar products.
We can also look forward to some exciting new developments for 2024.
Events & CORE COMPACT
For the first time in almost three years, we were able to attend a number of trade shows in 2023.
Futurescape was an opportunity to demonstrate the new CORE COMPACT Uplighter, which we are now taking early bookings for, and will launch in early 2024, following its inception for the Green Space Dark Skies collaboration with Walk the Plank in 2022.
With its compact design, high waterproof rating and wireless functionality, the CORE COMPACT was a hit with discerning landscape designers, architects, contractors, facilities managers and interior designers all looking for aesthetic lighting solutions for both indoor and outdoor projects.
CORE Festoons
We also enjoyed great success at the Event Production Show in February. As a show dedicated to the live event industry, EPS represents a great place for us to showcase so many of our lighting solutions that are designed for outdoor and live events; including festivals, sports, corporate and brand experiences, local authority events and stadiums.
In particular this was an opportunity to highlight our battery-powered festoon lighting system and our Energy Point rechargeable battery pack, which is an excellent addition for task and atmospheric lighting for events, exhibitions, shopping centres, market stalls, marquee tents and field work.
They can even be used to light pathways for safety and guidance in an atmospheric way with lengths up to 50m from one battery pack
We were also able to exhibit at the Showman’s Show with partner Essential Supplies, which remains one of the UK’s most comprehensive exhibitions of products, services and entertainment for the festival, outdoor and special event industry.
New CORE Lighting Products
CORE EnergyPoint
In 2023, there have been what you might call ‘lightbulb’ moments for us as we have added some new products, and new functionality to the CORE lighting range.
For example the EnergyPoint rechargeable battery pack now comes with new, added solar power capability, creating lighting solutions for use ‘off-grid’
By harnessing the power of the sun, whether it is for a string of Festoon lights running down a pathway, one of the plug and play pathway lights we have just developed [call for details], or internal lighting for a yurt or glamping pod, our lighting solutions; never need to be connected to 230V mains, which improves safety in outdoor areas and usually costs much less than getting lights connected to mains.
The size of the battery pack and solar panel(s) can be scaled according to which of our products are being utilised and the length of time they will be running.
The solar panel powered EnergyPoint packs can power multiple lighting accessories from one battery pack, including our floodlights, meaning we can create safe, low voltage cable runs of lights which don’t need a qualified electrician to install, using our simple connection systems we recently developed.
The EnergyPoints can also power other field items such as inverters – to drive laptops or monitors- phone chargers meaning you can operate all day without a mains power source
The EnergyPoint rechargeable battery pack units can be controlled from an app on any phone to change settings such as switching on at dusk, the duration they stay lit and turning them on and off manually.
CORE TablePoint
Another of our products that was redesigned in 2023, designed to be rechargeable from our solar- recharged Energy Point was our CORE TablePoint lights. In addition to indoor lightbulb-replacement this extends its capability for complete off-grid use in glamping/yurt sites.
The TablePoint was a new innovation for CORE Lighting and for the market when we launched it in 2016. But this year has seen huge growth in the need for on-table battery lighting, which has led to a redevelopment of the product.
Producing a warm, white light, with significant additional brightness, The TablePoint wireless table lamp is just a little larger than a standard light bulb, which fits into a table lamp to light up dining tables, occasional tables, and even fits in standard lamps and lanterns.
Like most CORE products, it’s also weatherproof, improving its outdoor durability – a stand out in this category.
As well as being very popular in the hospitality and events industries, for use on tables, in marquees, yurts and to light seating areas, because the TablePoint is wireless and weatherproof, another use for it has been as low level marker lights to create footpaths or mark out walkways in badly lit areas like woodlands or fields – guiding guests to a more secluded destination.
CORE Floodlights
The audience at Plantworx show was perfect for our new longlife battery powered Floodlight products; the CORE Flood Box and the CORE Flood Pro.
Designed for instant, temporary lighting anywhere, the wireless CORE Flood Pro comes with extremely high 24,000 lumens’ brightness and is designed for very fast setup and complete portability to quickly light up large work areas, car parks, roads and pathways for up to 8 hours on full power.
Similarly, the CORE FloodBox is also designed for extra-fast set up, complete mobility and comes in two brightness options; 20,000 or 40,000 lumens, with 1 or 2 light heads, giving almost full 360 degree area lighting.
In addition to lighting large work areas, car parks, roads and pathways, it can also be used to light sports pitches and training areas. It makes the perfect smaller, lighter weight replacement for lighting towers that can be overkill for the job, improving logistics -many FloodBox can be transported in a small van rather than large lorry- or simply a lower cost solution to tower lights.
CORE Collaborations
On the back of phenomenal success in summer 2022, the Green Space Dark Skies launch event was the springboard for all its 26 projects that followed around the UK.
We are delighted that the Green Space Dark Skies project was the winner for Best Use of Technology for the Geolight system incorporating our handheld lights at the Event Production Awards in February. This product development also gave us the CORE COMPACT.
The lights were also used extensively in October by Walk the Plank on Ullswater Droving –https://fb.watch/oVGQ3YG2_O/
Lock Insh, in the Cairngorn’s national Park was chosen as a location for one of the Green Space Dark Skies events and was shortlisted in November for the Best Event at the Highlands and Islands awards.
It was also wonderful to be able to wrap up 2023, with some events closer to home with the Painswick Goodwill Evening, where all different kinds of lighting was used. In particular the main public area and stalls were lit using our battery festoon systems. We also helped to light other Christmas markets such as those in Andover, Grimsby and others.
Photography accredited to Gary Davies
What’s Coming in 2024
We are always evolving our products and offer UK manufactured, high-quality, wireless lighting solutions for indoor and outdoor use.
Later in 2024, we will be launching further accessories for the rechargeable battery pack system, the EnergyPoint, which already has compatibility with a Solar recharging solution and timers to increase its capacity and extend the life of the battery pack.
We also hope in 2024 to share a new version of the CORE PinPoint lamp, which comes with a zoomable pin spot light.
The PinPoint wireless magnetic Pin Spot already has a very narrow, bright 4 to 45 degree zoomable beam spread that can pinpoint any object, such as a floral centerpiece, painting, or sculpture.
In the current design the head is attached to a flexible gooseneck and can move in and out to reduce the spread of light and increase the intensity of light pointed at an object or artifact.
In 2024, we will be adding a tilting head to the design, which will reduce the length of the products’ neck, to look neater and increase its robustness for different kinds of use.
2023 was also the year that we merged our Easy Wireless and CORE Lighting businesses to simplify our proposition to the market and provide the platform needed to expand our offering to the professional lighting sector.
We continue to champion UK manufacturing and distribution, which will be key to our market offer in 2024 as we seek to engage new customers and new markets.