The 2013 Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition (GILE 2013), currently the world’s second largest--as well as Asia’s biggest--lighting event, has recently kicked off at China Import and Export Fair Pazhou Complex in Guangzhou, China. Organized by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. and Guangzhou Guanya Messe Frankfurt Co. Ltd., the lighting exhibition is scheduled to take place from June 9th to June 12th, and will showcase the lighting products of nearly 2600 exhibitors from 29 different countries. The grand lighting exhibition will be held concurrently with notable events such as Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology and Guangzhou International Architecture Exhibition.

Total Exhibition Area Increases following 10% reduction in Exhibitor Turnout
   
During the foreign media press conference, the representatives of Franke Messe Ltd. made a special mention of the declining exhibitor acceptance rate: In 2013, the total number of manufacturers accepted into GILE is approximately 10% lower than the number of those accepted in the previous year. The number of exhibitors permitted to participate during 2012, likewise, declined by 9% compared to 2011. GILE’s organizers believe that controlling the number of exhibitors is important as it not only helps to improve the overall quality of the exhibition, but also prevents the exhibited items and technologies from overlapping. In 2012, nearly 300 exhibition applications are known to have been rejected by GILE’s organizers. This year, that number has risen to approximately 400. With there being less and less exhibitors overall, the manufacturers who are accepted into GILE are believed to have more spaces as well as flexible options to work with when showcasing their products.  

Spotted throughout the general lighting section (“Area A”) of GILE 2013 are various high quality, global standard lighting equipments produced by medium to large sized manufacturers. The majority of these products, as observed by LEDinside, utilize technologies that are far more advanced and mature than those of the preceding year’s exhibition (whether in the area of system integration, smart lighting, or conventional lighting design). The commercial lighting, architectural lighting, and public/private lighting items have so far managed to garner the most attention in the general lighting section. Given that both indoor lighting and fashion lighting equipments are beginning to use LED components, the number of the said items exhibited at GILE has also, unsurprisingly, increased.    

In the LED lighting components section (“Area B”) of GILE, the amount of attention drawn is equally noteworthy. The total numbers of visitors, along with the general scope of the product categories, have shown a notable increase compared to the previous year. Among the buyers who visited this particular exhibition section to inquire about LED light sources and designs, many turned out to be either lighting product manufacturers or market channel vendors.

The notable international lighting manufacturers who showed up at the lighting exhibition this year include, but are not limited to: Phillips (Holland), Osram (Germany), Tridonic (Austria), Citizen (Japan), Seoul Semiconductor (Korea), GE Lighting (US), Cree (US), and Semileds (US). Representatives from Taiwan –for instance, Epistar, Lextar, Genesis Photonics, TSMC SSL, Edison, Everlight—also made notable appearances throughout the event. Many of the above companies' trademark equipments, along with the specific component technologies that drive them, can be spotted at numerous areas of this year’s exhibition.

Topanga Technologies (US), Fumagalli Srl (Italy), Corning (US), and Kny Design GmbH are among the various major lighting companies that are currently gaining a lot of attention within the global lighting market.  

One important event held during GILE 2013 that is worth mentioning is “Asia LED Discussion Forum,” which is divided into two parts: “2013 New Age LED Forum” and “LEDforum 2013: State of Chinese and Global LED Market” (organized by LEDinside and Frankfurt Messe Ltd). The issues discussed generally revolve around LED core chips, LED packages and modules, LED drivers, smart control systems, and heat dissipation technology. Experts from all over the industry have been brought together in the seminar to not only provide valuable insights on the aforementioned developments, but also to discuss how the LED industry has, amid various technological advancements, managed to evolve in the past five years. In addition to showcasing popular lighting products and holding discussions on LED technology, the organizers of GILE 2013 have made sure to include a major section devoted to product innovation. Those wanting to see creative lighting-based items can visit the popular “Lighting Design Gallery” and “Asia Lighting Art Discussion Forum”.

Focus of 2014 Shanghai Lighting Exhibition to be Different from that of Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition

It is worth noting that in September, 2014, Shanghai will be looking to host its own major international lighting exhibition. The overall theme of the lighting event will be notably different from that of GILE, and will supposedly center more heavily on energy saving technologies, power efficient lighting solutions, and energy-based lighting applications (for instance, professional lighting, decorative lighting, LED light sources, etc). Given the increased number of business opportunities in the East China market—along with the fact that approximately 43% of the country’s architectural projects are focused in that region— an increase in the number of solutions intended for architectural and commercial lighting products can be expected. The new Shanghai lighting exhibition will expand on the foundations originally laid out by Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition and will aim to extend its focus to practical lighting applications and designs. At the same time that Shanghai's lighting event opens, an architectural exhibition emphasizing building-related LED appliances and system integrations will also be held. As Shanghai's International Lighting Exhibition will be largely focused on promoting professional as well as project-based lighting products, foreign investors and local buyers alike can expect to find ample purchasing opportunities at the event.

As before, the next Guangzhou international lighting exhibition will take place during June. The exhibition’s focus will be on lighting systems, smart lighting, LED light source, and other related components. The main theme, on the other hand, will revolve around major LED trends and developments.