Experiencing Light 2012 is held in the city of Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Located in the south-east of the Netherlands, Eindhoven is within 50 kilometers of both the German and Belgian borders. It is easily accessible by train, car, and plane. Eindhoven is the fifth-largest city in the Netherlands, and number one in terms of technology. The Eindhoven region is known as Brainport and holds a strategic position in Western Europe as one of the leading centers for advanced technology. It has been the base of the research and development facilities of Royal Philips Electronics for over a century, and many other global companies have established R&D and production facilities in the Eindhoven area. Eindhoven offers many of the usual amenities of modern cities, such a luscious variety of ethnic foods and beers from around the world.

Eindhoven University of Technology is a relatively young and modern university that specializes in engineering science and technology. It intends to be a research driven, design oriented university of technology at an international level, with the primary objective of providing young people with an academic education within the 'engineering science & technology' domain. TU/e strives to take a significant role in the international scientific world, and to make meaningful contributions to the knowledge-intensive industries and other sectors of the community with a high, or rapidly developing, technology intensity.