Co-organized by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and  Taiwan Lighting Fixture Export Association (TLFEA), the third Taiwan International Lighting Show (TILS) will be held over four days starting March 13 at Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC). Compared to last year, TILS 2012 will grow by at least 20% with 782 booths and 321 exhibitors such as Epistar, Everlight, Delta, AMKO SOLAR Lighting, JAN CHENG, TAIWAN-N LIGHTING, Genesis Photonics, Wellypower, JUSTLED, BJB (Taiwan), Future Lighting Solutions, China Electric Manufacturing, TYC, Edison, LVD Int’l Light & Energy, AURORA and Avertronics. Such an expansion indicates the optimism towards the Taiwanese lighting industry and TILS’ transformation into an annual event that no LED firm can afford to miss.

TILS exhibits to coincide with various events and international organizations’ annual meetings, held in Taiwan for the first time
While the TILS exhibitors are ready to feast visitors’ eyes on the results of painstaking research and development (R&D) programs besides technological breakthroughs, a series of exciting events will be available off the exhibition venue. Among others, Taiwan is expected to further attract delegations from international lighting associations as both the Global Lighting Association (GLA) and CIE-Taiwan are holding their 2012 annual meetings in the country for the first time. Listed below are events coinciding with TILS this year:

March 12: annual meeting of GLA
The Global Lighting Association (GLA) currently comprises members from 5,000 lighting device makers worldwide. It is committed to information sharing among regional markets in terms of lighting technologies, regulations, trends in product development, market opportunties, and global lighting policies. On March 12, delegations from lighting associations all over the world will meet in Taiwan---the first-time host country of GLA annual meetings---to discuss the latest trends in lighting. GLA’s annual meeting and TILS, the two events most anticipated by lighting firms this year, are believed to bolster interactions among market leaders and draw massive attention for their influence on the industry as a whole 

March 13: International Forum on Lighting Solutions
Centered on the theme of “Global Market Trends on Solid-State Lighting”, keynote speeches will be given by representatives of such GLA members as the Electric Lamp and Component Manufacturers Association of India (ELCOMA), Japan Electric Lamp Manufacturers Association (JELMA), European Lamp Companies Federation (ELC), Lighting Council Australia (LCA), National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), OSRAM and PHILIPS.

March 14: One-on-one procurement meetings that generate business opportunities
Thanks to the efforts of TAITRA’s 56 offices abroad, buyers from all over the world will attend the TILS 2012 and will be incentivized to make procurements through customized services and face-to-face meetings with exhibitors. A direct and effective sales channel, the procurement meeting program is instrumental in the global marketing of Taiwanese products and proves highly popular this year, with nearly 160 one-on-one meetings scheduled for 25 high-profile buyers including EPICENTRK., a Ukrainian home improvement chain, the Hong Kong-based hypermarket Home Retail Group (Asia) Ltd., and LPS Distribuidora de Materias Eletricos Ltda., a Brazil-based integrated lighting solution provider. The fact that LED lighting devices/components top most buyers’ shopping list underscores the popularity and sales potential of Taiwanese LED products!

March 14: Annual meeting and seminar of CIE-Taiwan
The International Commission on Illumination-Taiwan (CIE-Taiwan) is a country-level member of CIE that focuses on scientific issues concerning light, lighting, colors while taking part in, or dominating, international standard-making processes in this regard. Since its inception more than a year ago, CIE-Taiwan has been committed to the globalization of Taiwanese standards, hoping to provide local lighting companies with opportunities to shine on the internationally accepted standard platform. The annual meeting of CIE-Taiwan will take place on March 14 at the venue of TILS, with experts from different countries speaking on the lighting industry standards.

March 14: Cross-strait forum on LED lighting industry
The organizers of TILS 2012 will partner with the Industry Technology Research Institute (ITRI) to launch on March 14 a cross-strait forum on the lighting industry, where companies from Taiwan and China are expected to share experiences in a brain-storming session centered on the development of a cross-strait LED lighting industry. The forum will hopefully shed light on technological advances and business opportunities in the cross-strait lighting market.

March 15: 2011 LED Advanced Manufacturing Equipment and Module Application Workshop
The one-day LED industry workshop, jointly launched on March 15 by TILS’ organizers and ITRI, will see companies and experts address trends pertaining to the marketable applications of LED products/technologies.

March 16: ZHAGA Consortium will visit TILS
Members of the ZHAGA Consortium, which is committed to standardizing LED light engines, will visit TILS 2012 at the show organizers’ invitation on March 16---the day their seminar in Taipei is scheduled for--- in an attempt to bolster ties among lighting companies.

Brilliant ideas of Innovation Products Awards nominees to be unveiled in a special display area
A not-to-be-missed part of this year’s TILS is a special area dedicated to the Innovation Products Awards nominees, a platform for local companies to showcase the results of their R&D programs. Considered by experts and scholars as the cream of the crop, the eight awards nominees are the LEGO brick-shaped LED by UKIN TECH, a high-efficiency LED light bulb (20W) by TESS, the “Traveler” LED lamp by CROSSCARF, Yi-Jin Photonics’ egg-shaped safety light that doubles as an emergency flashlight, the glass-like LED light by CONVERTEC, the Dimmable T-Tech HV LED light bulb “Nature” by JUSTLED, the architecturally crafted landscaping lampshades by Rong Jih, and the high-efficiency, low-color-temperature LED street lamp by EVERLIGHT. Designed on the basis of aesthetics and energy-efficiency intelligence, these creative products are available for a free trial on the spot. You won’t be disappointed!

Taiwanese government makes every effort to nurture LED industry, improve domestic demand, and explore overseas markets
In a November 9, 2011 report entitled “Taiwan’s Development of Low-Carbon, Green Industries as Countermeasures against Global Warming and Surging Oil Prices”, the Council for Economic Planning and Development announced five measures to cope with the challenges facing Taiwanese LED lighting industry, namely “assisting local companies in achieving performance goals and exploring overseas markets”, “redoubling efforts to lay down standards for LED products and  accreditation/certification regulations”, “starting a flagship LED brand while exploring China’s market for LED lighting”, “redoubling efforts to standardize LED lighting modules”, and “continuously applying LED technologies to street lamps and traffic lights”. These measures echo the seven strategies and ten focuses proposed by the Executive Yuan in an economic stimulus program it approved on December 1, 2011, with one of the focuses being “LED street lamps installed nationwide”. The Taiwanese government is making relentless efforts to nurture the LED lighting industry. The Ministry of Economic Affairs vowed to take the demonstration project for LED street lighting to the next level starting 2012, replacing a total of 326,000 lamps that include a combined 53,000 in Keelung, Hsinchu and Chiayi Cities (under the “Demonstration City Project for LED Street Lighting”), 23,000 in 5 special municipalities and 14 counties/cities (under the “Demonstration Project for Energy-Saving LED Street Lighting”) and 250,000 in 5 special municipalities and 14 counties/cities under an expanded project of energy-efficient LED street lamp installations. The three projects are expected to receive a combined NT$2.424 billion from government subsidies and boost LED industry output to NT$3.9 billion. In other words, 2012 is a year of breakthrough for Taiwan’s LED street lighting solution providers, with the strong domestic demand drumming up their competitiveness against the global giants.

Boasting professional exhibits, a colorful array of workshops, and discussions that encourage diversity in opinions, the TILS 2012 is a must-see annual extravaganza jointly presented by Taiwanese lighting firms! We are looking forward to your presence at the show, which will run from March 13 through 16 at TWTC Exhibition Hall 1! For details please visit www.TILS.com.tw.