Illuminating Engineering Society
The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) is a non-profit ANSI-accredited Standards Development Organization, founded in 1906, that publishes over 100 lighting standards, LD+A magazine, and LEUKOS research journal for engineers, architects, designers, manufacturers, and educators across nearly 60 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1906
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Illuminating Engineering Society does
The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) is a 501-style non-profit professional membership organization founded in 1906 and headquartered at 85 Broad Street, Floor 17, New York. It is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as a Standards Development Organization and operates across nearly 60 countries, serving engineers, architects, lighting designers, manufacturers, contractors, educators, students, and scientists in the illumination field. Its core asset is the Lighting Library®, a portfolio of more than 100 ANSI-accredited lighting standards developed and maintained by volunteer technical committees of subject matter experts.
IES monetizes through five interlocking streams: recurring individual and sustaining membership dues; event registrations for IES26 The Lighting Conference, SALC (Street & Area Lighting Conference), and the Illumination Awards & Gala; sales of standards documents and LD+A magazine (print and digital) via the IES Store and member portal; advertising and sponsorship in LD+A, the Lighting Ledger newsletter (90,000+ reach), Field Notes, and event exhibits; and recurring/subscription education revenue from the eLearning Portal (CEU/AIA-LU courses, webinars, LC Study Group). Distribution runs through a member self-service portal (my.ies.org), a Cvent-powered event registration platform, regional local sections and districts, and a Webscribble-powered Career Center.
The product surface spans publications (LD+A magazine, LEUKOS peer-reviewed journal), the Lighting Library® of standards, design tools (Illuminance Selector, Reference Retriever), the FIRES fundamental research initiative, the eLearning Portal, conferences (IES26, SALC, Light for Life Virtual Symposium, Light + Intelligent Building 2027), and the Illumination Awards program. Technology vendors underpinning operations include MemberSuite, Higher Logic, Wicket, Cvent, OpenWater, Mailchimp, PropFuel, Sage Publishing, and Webscribble. In 2025, IES realigned its fiscal year to the calendar year, indicating active administrative modernization alongside its program expansion.
Illuminating Engineering Society firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Illuminating Engineering Society
- Legal name
- Illuminating Engineering Society
- Website
- https://ies.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1906
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) is a non-profit ANSI-accredited Standards Development Organization, founded in 1906, that publishes over 100 lighting standards, LD+A magazine, and LEUKOS research journal for engineers, architects, designers, manufacturers, and educators across nearly 60 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Illuminating Engineering Society industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Association & Standards Development Organization
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Lighting Design Services (BPAHAKAJ)
Keywords
Where Illuminating Engineering Society is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Illuminating Engineering Society business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from individual professionals and organizational/sustaining memberships. Members receive access to standards, publications, local sections, and professional development resources.
- Event Registrations: Conference and event registration fees including IES26 The Lighting Conference, SALC (Street & Area Lighting Conference), symposia, and webinars. Event cancellation policy shows $99 processing fee for cancellations.
- Publications and Standards: Sales of standards documents, LD+A magazine (print and digital), research papers, and education materials through the IES store. The Lighting Library subscriptions and secure digital PDFs are non-refundable digital products.
- Advertising and Sponsorship: Advertising opportunities in LD+A magazine, LD+A Lighting Ledger newsletter (90,000+ subscribers), Field Notes e-newsletter, and event sponsorships/exhibits. Custom native/sponsored content opportunities available.
- Education Programs: Revenue from eLearning portal courses, live webinars, seminars, LC Study Group, and CEU/AIA-LU programs for lighting professionals seeking continuing education credits.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Coordinator, Sales & Marketing position |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels12 records
Illuminating Engineering Society product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) is a non-profit professional membership organization that develops and maintains ANSI-accredited lighting standards through its Lighting Library (over 100 standards), publishes the LD+A magazine and LEUKOS research journal, hosts major conferences (IES26, SALC), and provides continuing education through its eLearning Portal. Its offerings serve lighting engineers, architects, designers, manufacturers, and educators across nearly 60 countries, generating revenue through membership dues, event registrations, standards sales, advertising, and educational programs.
Product overview
The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) operates as a professional standards organization and industry association rather than a traditional software product company. Its core offerings consist of: (1) the Lighting Library, a digital platform containing over 100 ANSI-accredited lighting standards; (2) LD+A magazine, a monthly publication covering lighting industry news and technical developments; (3) LEUKOS, a peer-reviewed research journal; (4) the Illuminance Selector, a design tool for project illuminance selection; (5) the eLearning Portal for continuing education and CEU credits; and (6) various events including the annual IES26 Lighting Conference, SALC, and the Illumination Awards. The society also provides the Career Center job board and LC Study Group certification preparation resources. These offerings serve engineers, architects, designers, educators, and manufacturers in the lighting industry across nearly 60 countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Lighting Library: The Lighting Library contains over 100 standards written by subject matter experts in technical committees, published through an ANSI accredited process.
- LD+A Magazine
- LEUKOS
Products and services
- LD+A (Lighting Design and Application) Magazine Monthly magazine covering technical developments, industry trends, and news in the lighting industry for professionals in lighting art, science, manufacture, teaching, and implementation.
- Lighting Library Comprehensive digital library of over 100 ANSI-accredited lighting standards published and maintained by IES through its technical committees, covering various lighting applications and practices.
- Illuminance Selector Online tool that helps designers select appropriate light levels for projects according to IES/ANSI recommended illuminance criteria, enabling faster project design.
- LEUKOS IES's peer-reviewed research journal publishing scientific studies and technical research on illumination, photonics, and lighting technology.
- FIRES (FUndamental Research on Illumination Engineering) IES's fundamental research initiative focused on advancing the scientific understanding of illumination engineering.
- eLearning Portal Online learning platform offering continuing education courses, webinars, CEU credits, and professional development resources for lighting professionals.
- IES26 The Lighting Conference IES's premier annual conference for lighting professionals covering research, design, and technology across all aspects of illumination, including education sessions, networking, and the Illumination Awards.
- SALC (Street & Area Lighting Conference) Annual conference focused on street and area lighting applications, standards, and technologies, attracting municipal, utility, and outdoor lighting professionals.
- Light for Life Virtual Symposium Series Virtual symposium series covering various lighting topics and continuing education for lighting professionals.
- Illumination Awards & Gala Annual awards program recognizing excellence in lighting design and application, culminating in the Illumination Awards Gala.
- IES Career Center Online job board and career resource connecting lighting professionals with job opportunities in the lighting industry.
- LC Study Group Study group resources and preparation materials for the Lighting Certified (LC) examination.
Companies that use Illuminating Engineering Society
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Illuminating Engineering Society technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Illuminating Engineering Society partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered support and core.
- Acuity BrandssupportMajor lighting and building management solutions company listed as a supporter/sponsor of IES. Represents the manufacturer segment of IES's membership base and stakeholder community.
- Cooper Lighting SolutionssupportCommercial lighting company listed as a supporter/sponsor of IES. Represents commercial lighting manufacturer segment in IES ecosystem.
- SignifysupportGlobal lighting company listed as a supporter/sponsor of IES. Represents international manufacturer perspective in IES community.
- SoneparsupportB2B electrical products distribution company listed as a supporter of IES. Represents the distributor segment of the lighting industry supply chain.
- MemberSuitecoreMembership management platform provider. Essential cookies set for website functionality including membership operations and secure areas.
- Higher LogiccoreCommunity platform provider referenced in cookie policy for website functionality.
- GooglecoreAnalytics and customization cookies provider. Collects aggregate website usage data to help IES understand how visitors use the site.
- WebscribblecorePowers the IES Career Center at careercenter.ies.org. Collects information on registered users for job listing customization.
- WicketcoreThird-party service for individual records related to IES membership and participation, event registrations, and transaction histories. Stores data indefinitely until user requests deletion.
- CventcoreEvent operations platform for in-person events including registrations, hotel booking, call for presentations, on-site check-in, mobile app, and event communications.
- OpenWatercorePlatform for IES Illumination Awards submissions and calls for presentations processing. Collects information relevant to award programs.
- Mailchimp (Intuit)coreEmail service provider for e-newsletters and direct marketing emails. Gathers statistics on email opening and clicks for campaign performance monitoring.
- PropFuelcoreRelationship and interaction-based communication platform for membership renewal and event marketing. Connects to Wicket member database for member communications.
- Sage PublishingcorePublishing partner for LD+A magazine advertising and media kit distribution. Leslie Prestia serves as Senior Account Specialist II for LD+A Magazine.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Illuminating Engineering Society competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD): Global professional association for lighting designers with overlapping membership base and professional development mission. IALD focuses on designer credentials while IES focuses on broader technical standards; together they represent the two major lighting professional organizations serving the same audience.
- CIE (International Commission on Illumination): International authority on lighting science and standards, publishing parallel standards to IES. CIE's global scope and scientific focus make it the most direct international counterpart to IES in the lighting standards ecosystem.
Broad incumbents
- ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers): Major building industry standards organization with overlapping scope in building systems and energy efficiency standards. ASHRAE's Standard 90.1 directly influences lighting energy codes, creating natural co-standards work with IES.
- IEEE Industry Applications Society: Global technical professional organization with standards spanning electrical systems including lighting. IEEE's broader electrical engineering scope overlaps with IES on certain lighting control and electrical standards.
- NFPA (National Fire Protection Association): Developer of the National Electrical Code (NEC/NFPA 70) which governs lighting installations. NFPA's safety standards intersect with IES lighting standards in code-compliant building projects.
- UL Solutions (Underwriters Laboratories): Global safety standards and certification organization with significant lighting equipment safety standards. UL's product safety standards are referenced alongside IES standards in lighting specifications.
- American Institute of Architects (AIA): National professional association for architects, a core IES member and audience segment. AIA's CES provider system and continuing education framework complement IES's CEU/AIA-LU programs in the architecture community.
- ASTM International: Global standards organization with lighting-related standards covering photometric testing, colorimetry, and lighting materials. ASTM's broad test method standards complement IES's application standards in lighting specifications.
Regional players
- Illuminating Engineering Society of Australia and New Zealand (IESANZ): Regional lighting professional society serving Australia and New Zealand with a similar membership model, standards adoption, and conference programming. Represents IES's regional counterpart in the Asia-Pacific market.
- The Lighting Industry Association (LIA): UK-based trade association serving the lighting industry with membership, training, and certification services. LIA represents a regional counterpart in the European lighting professional ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Illuminating Engineering Society social profiles
Digital presenceIlluminating Engineering Society financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Illuminating Engineering Society leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Illuminating Engineering Society funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Illuminating Engineering Society M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Illuminating Engineering Society
What does Illuminating Engineering Society do?
The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) is a non-profit professional membership organization that develops and maintains ANSI-accredited lighting standards through its Lighting Library (over 100 standards), publishes the LD+A magazine and LEUKOS research journal, hosts major conferences (IES26, SALC), and provides continuing education through its eLearning Portal. Its offerings serve lighting engineers, architects, designers, manufacturers, and educators across nearly 60 countries, generating revenue through membership dues, event registrations, standards sales, advertising, and educational programs.
Is Illuminating Engineering Society a public or private company?
Illuminating Engineering Society is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Illuminating Engineering Society founded?
Illuminating Engineering Society was founded in 1906. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Illuminating Engineering Society based?
Illuminating Engineering Society is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Illuminating Engineering Society make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are event Registrations, publications and Standards, advertising and Sponsorship and education Programs.
Who are Illuminating Engineering Society's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) and CIE (International Commission on Illumination). Broad incumbents are ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers), IEEE Industry Applications Society, NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), UL Solutions (Underwriters Laboratories), American Institute of Architects (AIA) and ASTM International. Regional players are Illuminating Engineering Society of Australia and New Zealand (IESANZ) and The Lighting Industry Association (LIA).
Does Illuminating Engineering Society have an API?
No public API is recorded for Illuminating Engineering Society.
What industry is Illuminating Engineering Society in?
Illuminating Engineering Society's product category is Professional Association & Standards Development Organization. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAJ, Lighting Design Services. Its SIC code is 8600.