AOLP was originally established in 2001. We are a trade association whose membership consists of contractors, manufacturers, lighting designers, landscape architects and distributors from all over the U.S. and Canada. Overall, AOLP's mission is to promote and advance the architectural lighting industry for lighting designers and installers, distributors and manufacturers.

They do this by establishing professional standards in accordance with the following tenants:

• That the association develops and is professionally committed to follow industry standards and organizational code of ethics.
• That the consumer is better served when landscape lighting is designed and installed by a certified professional holding designations such as COLD or CLVLT.
• That the industry, and ultimately the consumer, benefit when adhering to the business‐to‐business model.

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Getting certified

What clearly identifies a professional from others in his or her industry? First and foremost are certification and education. AOLP offers both! If you want to be recognized as a landscape lighting professional, then becoming a Certified Low Voltage Lighting Technician (CLVLT) and a Certified Outdoor Lighting Designer (COLD) should be at the top of your list. Both certifications are offered at Illuminate, AOLP’s Annual Conference and Expo.

CLVLT exam

Throughout the United States, there are no clearly defined national standards for low voltage outdoor lighting. In most states, the test given to license low voltage contractors has little or nothing to do with the actual work that they perform. AOLP feels this lack of standards has a profound impact on the safety and quality of services that we provide.

AOLP has created a standardized certification test to address the lack of standards that presently exist. The Certified Low Voltage Lighting Technician (CLVLT) exam is administered by AOLP. The CLVLT exam measures the knowledge and capabilities of the applicants and is specifically for 12-volt systems.

COLD program

AOLP is offering its members an advanced level of specialized training in landscape lighting design. Design, or to be specific, landscape lighting design, is very subjective and cannot be tested upon. There is no set of rules to memorize, but there are a series of fundamental principles that are universally acknowledged to form the basis of “good and responsible” lighting design. Therefore, the Certified Outdoor Lighting Designer Course (COLD) program will insist on each participant contributing their photo work, plans, thoughts and questions to the entire group for peer review as well as everyone’s learning benefit.

Our primary goal is to promote design excellence and to allow for the development of an individual’s own lighting design style. It is our intent that everyone learns and re-learns the concepts presented, so that progressive change is made in the thought process of an individual design.

For more information, visit aolponline.org/certification or contact AOLP’s Certification Associate at certification@aolponline.org

Illuminate expo

Illuminate, AOLP’s Annual Conference & Expo, is known throughout the industry for its excellent educational sessions and speakers, as well as great opportunities for networking with vendors and members. It truly lights the industry up with inspiration, year-after-year.

Attendees of the show get to hear from industry-leading speakers, take part in hands-on technical sessions and engage with fellow outdoor lighting professionals. This is a great opportunity to:

• Learn: Illuminate education sessions and panel discussions are designed with you in mind. We bring speakers and session topics to the event based on feedback from past conference participants. It’s our goal to give you education that can help build your business.
• Network: This conference is the time to make new connections and build on existing relationships. Enjoy spending time with like-minded people who understand the ins and outs of your business.
• Get inspired: From seeing and hearing about award-winning projects, to meeting outdoor lighting professionals who motivate you, to discovering a new product you can use in your designs, Illuminate offers something for everyone!
• Get certified: Stand out from the crowd and get started on taking your career to the next level by coming to conference a few days early. Becoming a Certified Low Voltage Lighting Technician (CLVLT) and a Certified Outdoor Lighting Designer (COLD) sets you apart from the competition.

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Benefits of membership

Being a member of AOLP gives you the opportunity to be involved in the only association that serves the outdoor lighting industry. The value of your membership and benefits of joining can be found at the links below. In addition, please remember to take advantage of AOLP’s Membership Drive Incentive Program to earn money towards next year’s membership dues amount!

• Company Membership
• Distributor Membership
• Manufacturer Membership
• Affiliate Manufacturer Membership
• Industry Service Provider Membership
• Educator Membership
• Student Membership
• Retired Membership

Complete the online membership application or download the form.

Award programs

The goal of the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals’ Lighting Awards is to honor and promote professional excellence in outdoor lighting design and to recognize industry achievement, to create greater public awareness of the benefits of professionally designed and installed lighting systems and to provide opportunities for learning through visual representation of excellence in outdoor lighting design.

The two components of the AOLP Lighting Awards consist of:

• Lighting Awards: AOLP members will have the opportunity to participate in online judging in residential, commemrcial, feature-focused, outdoor living, holiday lightig, splash of color and mobile mastery categories.
• Industry Achievement Award: The Awards Committee presents this to industry leaders, professionals and pioneers who have significantly contributed to the advancement of outdoor lighting. Nominations for consideration for this award can be submitted by any member. Selection of the winner is based on voting by the Awards Committee, Board of Directors and all AOLP Committee Chairpersons and past winners of the award.

The Lighting Awards program offers all AOLP members the opportunity to be recognized by peers and other lighting design professionals for lighting design achievement and to receive public recognition for earning such an award. Throughout the process, there are opportunities to learn additional lighting techniques and to interact with fellow lighting designers. In addition, each participant will be able to learn more about the lighting industry’s history and the individuals who have made a significant impact in its advancement. Each year, award winners are announced at the Lighting Awards Ceremony at the AOLP Annual Conference & Expo and are promoted to the media and industry trade magazines.

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Learn more about AOLP by visiting their Coffee Shop Directory. Subscribe to AOLP's YouTube channel. Here's what members have to say Highlights From Illuminate '25
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