Concluding on October 13, Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition reached a milestone of 25 years as a leading industry platform. From 96 exhibitors at its debut in 1996, to a total of 2,028 at this year’s edition, the growth and achievements of the past quarter of a century are to be celebrated. Once again, the fair was held concurrently with Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology (GEBT) and together, the two fairs attracted over 140,000 visitors to the heart of China’s manufacturing hub. As industry professionals gathered to showcase the latest lighting products and solutions, the show provided a platform to assist businesses to rebound, reconnect and regain momentum.

Commenting on the development of the fair, Ms Lucia Wong, Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd said: “As we reflect upon the past 25 years of the show, it brings us great pleasure to observe how it has grown exponentially, alongside the thriving lighting industry. Over the years, the fair has managed to align itself with market changes and even today, as the industry experiences transformations with the adoption of 5G and AIoT into the daily lives of consumers, it continues to represent progression and innovation. And judging by responses from this edition, the show is highly-valued by the industry as a platform to capitalise on the new opportunities presented by such market changes.”

“Of course, this year has been more challenging than most. So as China’s economy builds upon its promising recovery, we are delighted to have witnessed many successful business interactions across the four days and to have injected a sense of positivity into the industry. As we look ahead with 25 years of experience and knowledge behind us, we are confident that GILE will continue to inspire, encourage and motivate the lighting sector to evolve and develop, whilst maintaining an appreciation for the fundamental foundations of the industry,” Ms Wong added.

Over its 25 years, GILE has always been one of the most effective platforms in the region to discover the latest product and industry trends, and 2020 was no exception. Exhibitors and buyers alike were all discussing and on the look-out for what was trending this year. What was observed and heard throughout the four days of the fair included smart lighting as well as smart street lighting and IoT related products; healthy lighting particularly in light of the effects of the pandemic; healthier lights for children including the development of new school lighting; lighting to improve people’s performance at work; and energy saving products.

Exhibitors’ reports
“The successful opening of the fair has stimulated the lighting market, and the number of exhibitors here at the fair indicates their eagerness to reconnect with the lighting industry. In the last two days, we’ve had many visitors and acquired a number of business leads. What’s more, a number of visitors are returning clients who wanted to learn more about our latest products. Intelligent lighting is currently an important trend, and we have developed our own smart lighting technologies and solutions. We’ve had many enquiries for such products at our booth, indicating the strong demand for this in the industry.”
Mr Bill Xu, R&D, NPI & PM Function Manager, MLS Co Ltd, China

“With large crowds of visitors at our booth, I am pleased that we have successfully reached our goals. An offline platform is important to our business because it is through face-to-face interaction where clients can get a better understanding. This edition also presented a great opportunity to implement online methods to connect with overseas clients. I appreciate the fact that the organiser set up a livestream so we could introduce our products to overseas buyers at our booth. It was very successful. This year I noticed more education lighting products at the fair. This is due to the Chinese government putting more emphasis and investment into education. Furthermore, smart lighting is also an important trend with high demand for these products in the future along with intelligent building solutions.”
Mr Billy Yeung, Foreign Trade Director, Shenzhen Fluence Technology PLC, China

“Physical events such as GILE are important to us as we can reach a lot more customers. It is crucial for buyers to see the lighting effects in person, and this cannot be achieved via online showcases. Through this fair, we can interact with both old and new buyers to learn about the market demand and their preferences. As for the future of the industry, I think consumers will focus more on the quality of lighting, including comfort and energy saving. And for the younger generation, lighting can add a ‘wow factor’ in their lives, not just for illumination.”
Ms Diana Wu, Sales Director, Blueview Elec-Optic Tech Co Ltd, China

“The fair is positioned as a meeting place for the whole Chinese lighting industry, so a lot of buyers from the upstream and downstream are here. This year, many buyers from different sectors have visited our booth already. The fair provides us the perfect opportunity to promote our newly-launched products and meet with clients since the pandemic put a pause on face-to-face business interactions before. I am very satisfied with the results. Being part of an event which helps promote industry exchange and provide support to our fellow peers is very meaningful. The fair has given the industry a necessary boost amid the pandemic.”
Mr Song Hongwei, Chairman, Fonda Technology Co Ltd, China

“Our main purpose in joining this fair was to promote our lighting products and services after we became an independent brand from OSRAM in 2019. From the results of the first two days, we have totally achieved this purpose as we discovered a lot of customers who are looking for high-end imported products. The future trends of LED lights will focus on health. We need to develop products with eye protection by combining health and smart solutions.”
Mr Liu Jitao, General Manager, LEDVANCE Lighting Co Ltd, China

Visitors’ comments
“We’ve participated in GILE for many years, it is a good platform for gaining business partnerships. Each time we come here we feel it is a very international fair. Although this year a lot of overseas exhibitors and buyers could not join we expected this, so our main purpose was to look at the latest industry trends. By learning what our peers are doing and their innovations, this can help us to move on from the pandemic. GILE is a must-attend trade fair recognised by the industry with great influence. Each time we come we gain something new.”
Mr Tian Tao, Zhongshan Shen Lighting Co Ltd, China

“We visit GILE every year. I think that for all those in the lighting industry, it is a must-visit trade fair. Since GILE is a one-stop sourcing platform, I can find a wide range of LED products here. I know that a lot of trade fairs were impacted by the pandemic, but this year I have seen basically everything I wanted to. I found reliable suppliers and some new, advanced technologies. I prefer to participate in physical trade fairs to directly touch the products and feel their characteristics, and get more critical information face-to-face.”
Mr Huang Jinrong, Senior Electronic Engineer, Led Lenser Co Ltd, China

“This year I can find more product displays for smart street lighting, which responds well to the current market trends. This fair is well-known in the lighting industry. It is important to hold a physical event as it is much clearer to understand the effects that different lighting presents. The face-to-face communication with exhibitors is also a valuable learning opportunity. Although the demand for city lighting such as the illuminating of city landscapes has decreased slightly due to the pandemic, there is huge potential in the lighting industry. I will for sure visit the fair again!”
Mr Wu Hao, Manager, Shenzhen Qianbaihui Illumination Engineering Co Ltd, China

“Visiting GILE is an invaluable experience as I met with many leading companies and learned about the latest industry developments. Each time I am here, I have to join the concurrent events as I want to draw on the cutting-edge ideas from industry experts so as to plan for the direction of our product development.”
Mr Cao Cheng Chao, Engineer, Hunan Yong Shen Technology Co Ltd, China

Speakers’ trend insights
“From illumination to decoration, from added functionality to on-demand lighting, the improvement of technology in the industry and the development of LEDs have created a lot of new opportunities. With the emergence of LEDs, we can now design lights for specific spaces or users’ demands.”
Mr Dou Linping, Secretary General, China Illuminating Engineering Society (CIES), China

“I’m optimistic about the lighting industry as we haven’t seen much declining data this year. We’ve also recorded an increase in our export business. There has been numerous evidence recently proving demand in the lighting industry remains strong.”
Mr Qidong Wen, Deputy Secretary General, China Association of Lighting Industry, China

The next editions of Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition and Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology will take place from 9 – 12 June 2021 and will be again held at the China Import and Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou.

The Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition is a part of Messe Frankfurt’s Light + Building Technology fairs headed by the biennial Light + Building event. The next edition will take place from March 13 to 18 2022 in Frankfurt, Germany.

Messe Frankfurt also offers a series of other light and building technology events worldwide, including the Thailand Lighting Fair, BIEL Light + Building in Argentina, Light Middle East in the United Arab Emirates, Interlight Russia as well as Light India, the LED Expo New Delhi and the LED Expo Mumbai in India.

For more information on Light + Building shows worldwide, please visit www.brand.light-building.com. For more information regarding the lighting shows in China, please visit www.light.messefrankfurt.com.cn or email light@china.messefrankfurt.com.