• Energy efficiency and the application of intelligent lighting highlight the 2014 show’s core theme
• Light-plus series of events revealed four vital areas in global lighting development 

The Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition has once again provided an impressive demonstration of the growth of Asia’s lighting and LED market as well as the growing significance of the region to the international lighting community, reconfirming its role as the most influential lighting and LED event in Asia. In total, 2,621 brands (2013: 2,588) from 25 countries and regions exhibited this year, utilising a record-breaking 21 halls across 225,000 sqm of space.

Meanwhile, visitor numbers increased by 11 percent compared to last year with the final count being 129,885 from 132 countries and regions. The level of visitor internationality also rose, with the countries and regions represented at the fair increasing by 9.17 percent.

Visitors line up to registrate at GILE 2014 at Guangzhou, China during early June thie year. (All photo courtesy belong to Messe Frankfurt/Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition)

Celebrating its 19^th edition this year, the fair has grown to become both a comprehensive and in-depth showcase of virtually the entire supply chain of lighting and LED technologies. Categories displayed as well as some of their associated suppliers at the 2014 show included: 

Lighting applications, accessories and electronic components:

Philips (Netherlands), Everlight (Taiwan), Neo-Neon (China), Alanod (Germany) and BJB (Germany)

LED chips, packages, modules and light engines:

Cree (US), Epistar (Taiwan), HC Semitek (China), ROHM (Japan) and Seoul Semiconductor (Korea)

LED drivers, driver ICs and controllers:

Helvar (Finland), Meanwell (Taiwan), NXP (Netherlands), Power Integrations (US) and Tridonic (Austria)

LED components and packaging materials:

ALPHA (US), Dow Corning (US), Panasonic (Japan), Shin-etsu (Japan) and WACKER (Germany)

LED inspection, testing and manufacturing equipment:

Everfine (China), Labsphere (USA), Lpkf (Germany), Nordson (US), Konica Minolta (Japan), Radiant Zemax (USA) and Zvision (China)

Visitors come and go at a booth at the show.

With the support of government and industry associations, country and regional pavilions that participated this year were from Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, the US and for the first time, Japan. Pavilion participation added value to the show by bringing innovative companies and products, as well as showcasing the core competencies of the lighting and LED industry from a country and regional level.

Gary Stanley, Department Director at the U.S. Department of Commerceand organiser of the U.S pavilion noted: “Messe Frankfurt has been an invaluable player to us in exporting U.S brands to overseas markets. The exhibitors we brought to the 2014 show have overwhelmingly expressed great satisfaction with the show’s quality, and a number of them have said they intend to come back to the show’s next edition.”

A foreign buyer greets a manufacturer, while two foreign visitors speak to another sales in the background.

One of the exhibitors from the Japan pavilion, Yousuke Tanaka of Topcon Technohouse Corp mentioned: “The 2014 show has been very successful for us. There was a wonderful mix of suppliers from across the entire supply chain on display. I think the show catered to visitors across the entire lighting spectrum including manufacturers of LED components, lighting fixtures as well as lamps. I am sure we will be back at the Guangzhou fair again next year.”

The 2014 edition created a new visitor attendance record, with those coming from overseas increasing by 15.98 percent. The top-five international visitor countries included India, Korea, Russia, USA and Singapore. There was also a substantial presence of overseas visitors from expanding markets such as Malaysia, Turkey, Thailand and many more. Particularly striking was double-digit rates of growth in the number of overseas delegations and group buyers, to a total of over 600 delegates from 43 countries and regions. The delegates that attended the fair included diversified trade-based buyers such as lighting importers & exporters, merchandisers from international chain stores, lighting e-tailers/ retailers and wholesalers.

Commenting on his experience as a visitor to the fair, US buyer, Mr Steven Nia, CEO of NIA Energy LLC noted: “I have visited the Guangzhou Lighting fair many times. The show offers a great variety of lighting products for me to source. As a supplier of LED- and solar-based lighting solutions, I always find a number of new products to import to the American market. It is a fantastic show that offers an incredible learning experience to everyone who attends. I look forward to the 20^th edition next year.”

Products displayed at the GILE 2014 show this year.

Zheng Wei, General Manager, Bao Ji North Lighting Tech. Co. Ltd noted: “Compared to the last few years, there was an even more comprehensive range of products showcased at the 2014 show. Unlike other trade fairs, by viewing the new products and solutions at the Guangzhou show, I could better understand industry trends and explore the direction of development. The fair is a must-attended occasion for me.”Energy efficiency and the application of intelligent lighting highlight the 2014 show’s core theme

Resource conservation and energy efficiency have become greatly interconnected with the development of lighting technology. Suppliers of traditional lighting products have made considerable efforts to convert their light sources to more energy efficient systems.  Among them, the adoption rate of LED lighting in commercial, residential, industry and other application markets has garnered more and more attention throughout the industry.

At the 2014 show, many exhibitors showcased smart lighting applications and products including drivers and control systems. Lucia Wong, Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Ltd, shared: “The spotlight of this year’s fair was on energy efficiency, as well as the integration of LED technology with advanced intelligent lighting control systems. We observed the adoption of intelligent lighting systems in commercial lighting through features such as wireless motion controls and on/off dimming switches. In residential lighting, parallel to prevailing trends in smart home technology and the use of personal mobile devices, some lighting exhibitors showcased centralised monitoring and control interfaces for lighting so that the users could conveniently control lighting with their tablets and smartphones in any location. I believe intelligent lighting applications will be a vital ecological and economic aspect towards the future of the lighting and LED industries’ development.”

A view of visitors at the show.

Light-plus series of events revealed four vital areas in global lighting development

Visitors as well as exhibitors were treated to a series of comprehensive complementary programmes of events under the newly designed “Light-plus” series. Over 140 sessions took place with topics focused on the four vital areas of lighting and LED industry development: market, technology, network and design. Some of the events included:

Light-plus DESIGN

10^th Asia Lighting Arts Symposium –Focused on the two core themes of “Lighting project management: from design to implementation” and “Lighting inspiration in design”, the event invited 14 international lighting designers, architects and lighting engineers to share their inspirational projects and expertise on lighting design. The two-day event attracted an audience of over 1,100 professionals. Symposium attendee, Mr King Wang, Lighting Designer of Nanjiang Ludeng City Lighting Planning & Design shared: “The seminar and the fair were a good platform where industry players could discuss ideas and explore suitable paths that could lead China to a greener future.”

2014 Alighting Forum Guangzhou: Lighting design – The event invited nine world-class lighting designers, engineers, academics and company CEOs to share their insights on current and upcoming lighting trends.

Light-plus MARKET

Russia Lighting Information Forum – The forum introduced and educated lighting suppliers on doing business in the growing Russian lighting market.

2014 Alighting Forum Guangzhou: Channel Marketing –   A networking and information sharing platform on diversified channel management strategies in China.

Light-plus TECHNOLOGY

Asia LED Summit: LEDth Summit 2014 –Utilising the theme “LED Globalisation: Technology, Market and Future Trends”, the summit consisted of 38 presentations and five panel discussions on recent developments in LED technology. The event presented in-depth market analysis, forecasts on technological developments in chips, packaging and modules, drivers and components as well as component, production and inspection equipment and their application to LED lighting. Over 1,200 professionals attended the two-day event. Mr Elan Zhang, Director of Technical Marketing, Shanghai Duty Cycle Semiconductor and an attendee of the summit said: “This summit was an eye-opening experience. It gave me a lot of ideas and inspirations in product development. I hope to see more next year.”

Asia LED Summit: LEDForum Guangzhou 2014 – Organised by LEDinside and Cnledw.com, the forum invited top executives from international firms such as Philips Lumileds, Osram, Samsung, Seoul Semiconductor, Toyoda Gosei, Epistar, Sanan and many more to talk about the current status of the global LED industry.

ZigBee Smart Lighting Control Seminar – Co-organised with the ZigBee Alliance, the seminar introduced how the innovative ZigBee wireless technology can provide cost-effective ways for smart lighting control in building and home automation.

Light - plus NETWORK

Lighting Design Gala – Celebrating its fifth edition, the gala focused on the theme of “Light & People”, and gathered worldwide & domestic lighting associations (IALD, LUCI, CLDA, AALD and CLIA) to share inspirations on lighting design. It also served as platform for lighting designers, manufactures and installers & engineers to exchange ideas.

AGORA – Returning for its fourth edition, the AGORA platform once again served as an effective networking event, with a number of influential industry associations participating.

The 19^th Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition: Alighting Awards – Aimed at encouraging the future development of China’s lighting market, the award returned for a second year with greater recognition of its contribution to the Chinese lighting industry. Award categories presented at the 2014 edition included the “Top Ten Products award”, the “Top Ten Projects award” and the “Top Ten Outstanding Contribution award”.

Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition, along with the concurrently-held Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology, is headed by the biennial Light + Building event, which will take place from 13 – 18 March 2016 in Frankfurt, Germany. The next edition of the Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition, celebrating its 20^th anniversary, is scheduled to take place from 9 – 12 June 2015 at the China Import and Export Fair Complex.