When most of Lismore and the Northern Rivers think about the Lismore Lantern Parade, you tend to think of that one incredible family night in the CBD that brings people together during the winter solstice.

The reality is that Jyllie Jackson, CEO and Artistic Director, and her team of volunteers at LightnUp Inc work all year round to bring money into the business to keep it operating.

"We hire out our lanterns for special events," said Jyllie, "We've just had a bunch of lanterns in the library in Byron Bay for Book Week."

LightnUp Inc can be found all over the country from Dubbo (at the Moorambilla Gala) to Arnhem Land in North Queensland and south to Tasmania.

Councils and companies hire Jyllie to run workshops so they can make their own lanterns for future events as well as commission LightnUp Inc to create lanterns like a baby elephant and rhinoceros for the Dubbo Zoo that are made in Lismore and trucked to Dubbo.

Next week, LightnUp Inc goes global as Jyllie takes off for Qatar to work with 4000 children to decorate Chinese Lanterns for a big event the day before the official opening of the 2022 World Cup.

How does a local Lismore business end up working in Qatar?

"A woman who used to live in Lismore (Jyllie did not want to identify the person) went to work in Qatar and she mentioned it (the Lismore Lantern Parade and LightnUp Inc) to the ceremonies people. Some were familiar with our lanterns as there were some Australians in the ceremony team," Jyllie explained.

"It was mentioned a year or so ago and we've been planning and negotiating since then. I haven't been thinking that it was going to happen until the contracts were signed and the plane ticket was confirmed."

The day before the opening ceremony for the World Cup in Qatar which is Sunday 22 November, there is an event in an area called the Doha Corniche just outside of the football stadiums. The Doha Corniche has fountains and lakes along the foreshore that will be the backdrop for fireworks, drones, lasers and projections.

"They wanted to have something for the children," Jyllie added, "So, they're going to have 4000 school children parading decorated Chinese lanterns."

"My role is to teach them how to decorate efficiently and nicely, first up."

"They want to have a legacy, that's their buzzword," Jyllie said, "So, I'm also spending a lot of my time there working with some artists and teachers, 60 of them, and teaching them how to make a lantern like we do, ala LightnUp. We are going to make the flower lantern. That gives them all the basics for going on and making whatever comes into their imagination."

(Jyllie Jackson holding the flower lantern that she will be showing 60 local Qatar teachers how to make)

"The process will be filmed so it will be available to the Department of Education to distribute throughout Qatar."

While one local business (Two Mates) expands into other markets, LightnUp Inc is expanding internationally.

Not bad for little old Lismore.