If the phrase “battery-operated lighting” conjures images of flimsy fixtures and low-impact flicker, it's likely you haven't encountered today's innovative products to light up tables. With their long-life batteries and LED lights, these easy-to-use illuminators keep on glowing until the last event guest has bid farewell. And with their impressive designs, they bring serious style to the table.
BRANCH OUT
An inventive alternative to conventional floral and foliage in any season, Fortune Products' Winter Spray Light Branches are growing on clients, says Bob Kocher Jr., president of the Lake Stevens, Wash.-based firm.
Fortune Products bundles the branches in groups of 20 or more, bound at the base, allowing the user to simply drop a bunch into a preferred vessel or arrange the branches free-form, Kocher notes. He adds that the flexible branches, available with blue or white lights, also “can be bent into imaginative shapes.”
Light Branches are manufactured to provide lasting light on-site. A powerful portable battery pack, sold separately, ensures more than 12 hours of warm, bright light, Kocher notes. Or, for setups where an electricity source is readily available, Fortune Products offers a 120/12v adapter that offers endless illumination.
SUPER STAR
With its newest product, San Mateo, Calif.-based Glimmers Inc. gives the light-up ice cube concept the star treatment. Made from gold- and silver-flecked injection-molded plastic and featuring three randomly flashing LED lights apiece, the company's three-dimensional Star Lites can be submerged in vases, floated in punch bowls or scattered on tables for different effects.
With their waterproof housings, simple on-off switches and 12-hour battery life, Star Lites are not just fun for guests, they're easy for event experts to use, says company president Jill Flynn.
Star Lites are “available with 16-inch removable rods — ideal for floral arrangements,” Flynn notes, adding that stars and rods are available in gold and clear.
SLEEK SHOW
Designers on the lookout for a refined yet contemporary lighting look will brighten at the discovery of Table Decor International's new torchiere lamps. Lynn Wells, owner of the Marietta, Ga.-based company, says it's the torchieres' terrific range of light and power options that has been winning fans since the line's introduction in January.
For the client whose heart burns for a genuine flame, the company offers a 30-hour oil cell. For others, a flickering LED light with a replaceable coin-style battery provides approximately 50 hours of life and is a cost-effective choice. Wells adds that the LED is available in white or in amber.
Table Decor International also sells an LED light with a separate recharger — an option that's great for clients such as event venues, which “don't want to change out a coin-style battery but prefer to charge overnight,” Wells says. The company's cordless incandescent rechargeable battery system offers warm, realistic light and dual brightness levels. The top-of-the line lighting choice is “more expensive than an LED but gives a brighter light,” Wells adds.
RESOURCES
TABLE LIGHTING
Fortune Products
800/345-4833
www.fortuneproducts.com
Glimmers Inc.
650/578-8276
www.glimmersinc.com
Table Decor International
770/432-1156
www.tabledecor.com
