The global lighting and LED industry is gearing up for one of their key trade fairs of the year in China. Industry peers converge on Guangzhou each year to do business, learn more about new market trends, and to look for inspiration to make the next breakthroughs in lighting technology and design. The 23rd edition of Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition returns from 9 ‒ 12 June 2018 at the China Import and Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou, China. With more than 2,600 exhibitors from around the world already confirmed to join, this year’s fair promises to be one of the largest editions to date.

(Image: Messe Frankfurt)

More than just a fair of booths and pavilions, Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition organises a comprehensive concurrent event programme to bring the best and brightest in the industry to the show. This year’s event programme ‒ THINKLIGHT: Embracing Changes ‒ will be developed with the help of a sharing programme that has been launched in advance to collect insights from the industry.

Commenting on this year’s event programme, Ms Lucia Wong, Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd, remarked: “We are pleased to launch the THINKLIGHT: Embracing Changes sharing programme and we are delighted to see the industry’s early positive response. Through the sharing of ideas and insights we are encouraging the industry to embrace these changes and to discover rewarding new opportunities from both within and outside of traditional industry realms.”

Exhibitors, visitors and industry insiders are welcomed to share their thoughts on current changes or future trends in the industry with the fair organisers. This feedback will guide the content of the concurrent event programme to ensure that every speaker and presentation during the four-day show is as constructive as possible.

Over 2,600 exhibitors select Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition as their platform of choice

(Image: Messe Frankfurt)

The changing dynamics of the industry will be on display throughout the exhibition. Demonstrating intelligent technologies that revolve around digitalisation and the latest design trends, more than 2,600 exhibitors have already been confirmed. Some of the key themes to look out for around the exhibition include:

Smart solutions:

The lighting industry is pinning its future on connected lighting and IoT. The 2018 fair will be a haven of smart lighting solutions including lighting with sensor integration, built-in wireless connectivity and colour tuning capabilities. This type of lighting will perform beyond mere illumination and will function to react to human activity. Ideal locations for such lighting is found in offices, homes and retail shops, helping to improve workplace efficiency and customer experience.

Outdoor lighting is a crucial partner in smart cities. Smart street lighting exhibitors will showcase smart poles that are able to perform data collection and provide real-time city monitoring, functions increasingly requested by urban planners and local authorities. Some of the brands on show include HPWinner, Fonda Technology, Shanghai Feilo, Ecoel lighting, Huati, HEM lighting, Delos and LeiMai.

(Image: Messe Frankfurt)

LEDs – Miniaturisation and integration:

The integration of LED technology with electronics means a more highly integrated and smaller light engine that combines LEDs with driver electronics. Such small form factors can incorporate connectivity and intelligence. LED manufacturers are able to improve the quality of light and simplify design and production for luminaire manufacturers.

On the chip level, CSP (Chip-Scale Packaging) technology is an obvious proponent. The trends in packaged LEDs open new markets beyond just retrofitting lighting but also in niche market applications. At the 2018 fair, Hall 10.2 (Area B) is dedicated to showcasing the latest packaging technology, including CSPs with different half-width-angle emission, high CRI (colour rendering index) and integrated primary optics as well as packaging for UV/IR LED-related applications and horticultural lighting.

On the module level, many companies are pushing towards higher integration levels by adding sensors, controls and wireless capabilities. Halls 12.2 and 13.2 will be dedicated to showcasing drivers, ICs, light engines and modules. Driver on Board (DoB) technology will be one of the highlighted product categories. The modules have the potential to be easily installed, have cost-effective drivers and emit an adjustable light source.

Human-centric lighting:

Advances in LED technology and the proliferation of cost-effective LEDs have also enabled new lighting designs with a focus on the human-centric concept. By creating lighting designs that are able to adjust their colour temperature and intensity at different times of the day, lighting is better able to match the natural circadian rhythm of human activity. Some of the exhibitors presenting these solutions include Dilux, LEDVANCE, Magic Lighting, Wellmax, Sparta, Shanghai Arex Electronics and Konka.

Commenting on these significant changes for the industry, Ms Wong added: “The rising trend of the smart city and smart building concepts utilising data analytics is revolutionising the way in which the lighting industry operates. We are glad to see these changes bring with them the possibility to introduce a renewed energy and strength to the industry. We will continue to cultivate the fair as a platform to help industry players navigate the evolving business landscape and to unveil the industry’s next game-changing breakthroughs.”

The Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition runs concurrently with Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology. Both are a part of Messe Frankfurt’s Light + Building Technology fairs worldwide, headed by the biennial Light + Building event.