The Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition, Asia’s largest and most comprehensive lighting event celebrated its 15th edition at the China Import and Export Fair Pazhou Complex, Guangzhou.  Visitor numbers to the Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition 
and the concurrent Electrical Building Technology Guangzhou totalled 71,801, an increase of 36 per cent from last year. There were more than 2,000 exhibitors for the two shows and the exhibition space covered 13 halls which represented 135,000 sqm. First time exhibitors to the show came from Canada, India, Mexico and Russia and there were new group pavilions from Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and the US.

LED – world’s fastest growing lighting sector attracts huge crowds

 
As well as the popular Brand Name Halls showcasing global companies such as Osram (Germany), Philips (the Netherlands), Everlight (Taiwan), GE Lighting (US) and Toshiba (Japan), enthusiastic buyers crowded the LED halls to view industry leaders such as Cree Inc (US), Nichia (Japan), Oasistek (Taiwan), Rohm (Japan) and Seoul Semiconductor (Korea).

Brand Name Hall exhibitor General Electric chose to exhibit their various LED product applications.  “Everyone is very excited about LEDs and people are trying to know how best to use it,” said Mr Nikhil Khosla, Field Product Manager, LED-Asia.   “It has been very educational for customers to see LED applications at our booth and they like this kind of presentation.” 

In order to capture buyer interest, Taiwanese LED manufacturer, Everlight Electronics Co Ltd, increased their previous booth size by one-third.  “This received very good response,” commented Mr Bernd Kammerer, General Manager, Sales and Marketing Business Group. “The visitor flow was higher than expected. Truly this is the second largest lighting fair in the world, in terms of size, market access and brand names showing up. We used to be an electronics and component-oriented company and started our integrated lighting business in the last two years. We need more brand building and this fair has helped us to make a big step forward.”  Commenting on future lighting trends Mr Kammerer added: “We are very positive with the LED market and believe it will grow three to four times in size by 2014.”  
Toshiba holds a large share of Japan’s LED market and were showcasing their commercial LED products in China for the first time.  Mr Kazuaki Makita, Chief Specialist, Strategic Business Promotion Office, New Lighting Systems Division, Toshiba Corporation Principal Office (Japan) said:  “In order to expand market share in China, it is important to work closely with designers and we are very glad that many designers visited our booth and showed interest in our products. The Chinese LED market is growing and expanding so fast that we are taking it as one of the most important markets in the world.” 

Chinese exhibitor Ningbo Aishi Electric Equipment Co Ltd (China) has been exhibiting at the show for seven years.  Mr Chen Jin-da, the company’s Sales Manager said: “We are an outdoor lighting manufacturer and we have had lots of enquiries, especially from overseas visitors. The reason why we exhibit the show for so long is that the fair helps us to maintain our relationship with old customers as a social network as well as promoting our company to source new buyers.”
 
First time group pavilions report success
 
This year’s show saw the first time appearance of pavilions from Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and the US.
 
Mr Tokio Nishi, Supervisor of Corporate Communication Division, ROHM Co Ltd, Japan, said his company was exhibiting because of the show size and visitor quality.  “ROHM has developed semiconductor to a mature stage, yet is new to LED technology, so we hope to let more people know about us and our products,” he explained.  “We were able to get in touch with a lot of buyers and contacts after the first day of the show.”
 
Singapore pavilion exhibitor Ms Hui Leng, Ng, Sales & Marketing, LightVision Corporate Pte Ltd said her company benefited from being in a hall with three other group pavilions. “I believe this attracted more visitors to come to the hall,” she said.  “We are the manufacturer of LED products which are made in Taiwan.  Our cost may not be as competitive as the Chinese exhibitors but we are very confident about our product quality.”  
 
Mr David Chang, Chairman of the Taiwan Lighting Fixture Export Association and organiser of the Taiwan Pavilion commented: “Taiwan used to enjoy the reputation of ‘Lighting Kingdom’ in the traditional lighting field. Now with LED becoming the global trend, we aim to establish again our frame and expand our influences in the LED sector through this very good platform. The result is good and visitor flow is high. Our members are happy with the show. We plan to organise an even bigger pavilion next year to build up an overall image of Taiwan manufacturers. Participating as a pavilion has many advantages. Apart from establishing the brand of Taiwan, it facilitates buyers to source Taiwanese products and enables us to provide better support and service to our member exhibitors.”
 
Record number of visitors include domestic and international visitor delegations
 

The largest ever number of show visitors included many visitor delegations from Chinese government departments and institutions as well as international delegations from world-wide industry associations which included the China Directory Center from Iran, LED industry representatives from the Electrical and Electronics Association of Malaysia (TEEAM) and the Hong Kong Electrical Contractors Association.
 
TEEAM brought a delegation of 12 companies to the show.  Council Member Mr Lawrence Lai said: “The delegation was impressed by the large scale show which is a very good sourcing platform for lighting products. We got to know the latest development and trend of lighting products and electrical building technology.”
 
The Hong Kong Electrical Contractors Association organised a delegation of more than 20 people from 15 different companies to the show.  Mr Simon Chan, the association’s Vice Chairman said: “By coming to the concurrent shows, our delegation members familiarised themselves with the recent lighting and electrical installation equipment developments in China.”
 
For the majority of show visitors, LED was the major drawcard.  Mr Lee Tae Jong, President and Director from Korean company AoneMecha Co Ltd, came to learn more about the LED market in China.  “China is a big market and we would like to extend our business into this important market,” he explained.  “The scale of the show was very large with all the big brands present so it gave me a good opportunity to learn a lot.  I collected market information and input on how to improve our technology and upgrade our products.”
 
Regular show visitor and manufacturer of energy-efficient lamps, Mr Qiu Xiangdong, Managing Director from Shanghai New Terminal Industrial Co Ltd (China) said: “It is a good show for exchanging market information and learning about industry trends. This year I notice that LED is the hottest sector.  Now, due to cost-efficiency and the problem of colour rendering index (CRI), LED is still wrestling with traditional lighting.”  
 
Other visitors came to source a variety of lighting items.  Lighting consultant, Mr Fausto Martin from Italy was looking for bulbs and lamps for two Italian lighting projects worth a total of EUR 1 million.  “I was looking for an induction lamp,” he explained.  “It is not too popular in Europe and is quite expensive.  Only a few multinational companies offer a limited range of models and ratings.  I already knew a good Taiwanese supplier at the show and I wanted to first test that supplier’s induction lamp before ordering it.”
 
Mr Esteban Pérez, General Manager, Electropar, Paraguay came to the show to look for consumer and commercial lighting and electrical products which he could sell in his home country.  “Our country has a small population but the market is good because there is a lot of construction going on so this show is very useful for me.”
 
Fringe programme attracts 2,280 attendees
 

The largest ever line-up up of fringe programmes proved very popular with more than 2,280 attendees and many events were filled to capacity.  Some of the most popular seminars were:  
 
Guangzhou International Lighting Technology  

Symposium 2010 
LEDforum China 
Innovation in Lighting Symposium 
Global Lighting Information Day which discussed the “Development of Energy-efficiency Lighting”
China Lighting Information Day
 
Guangzhou International Lighting Technology Symposium speaker, Ms Reiko Chikada, Lighting Designer and Representative Director from Reiko Chikada Lighting Design Inc (Japan) said: “The Symposium is a good platform to promote exchange between Japan and China. The level of Chinese designers is very high. There are many specialists and professionals and the audience were eager in raising questions.”
 
Commenting on LEDForum China, Mr Francis Weng, Country Manager & Regional Sales Director, Taiwan for Advanced Analogic Technologies Inc, Taiwan said he visited the show especially to attend the LEDForum.  “The speakers were professional and delivered informative messages about the LED trend through panel discussion,” he added. “I am able to know different views from the speakers and their comments were very constructive.  I will bring their ideas to my engineering team for the LED development.”
 
Innovation in Lighting Symposium speaker Mr Thomas Kwok, Regional Technical Manager, Greater China, Future Lighting Solutions (Hong Kong) said: “LED is getting more and more important and a lot of countries have banned the use of the traditional light bulb. However, you can’t just shift to LED overnight or by imitation. Companies with knowledge in thermal and electronics technology will have an advantage.  So a technical symposium of this kind is useful for industry players to learn about technology know-how.”  
 
Global Lighting Information Day speaker Mr Albert Studerus, Senior Vice President, Osram Ag from Switzerland was impressed with the quality of attendees.  “The Q&A section was unexpectedly overwhelmed by a slew of enquiries from the audience which made the event overrun its time,” he said. 
 
Seminar attendee Mr David Wong, Manager Company, Artemise & Co Ltd, Solar Power and LED Technology and Product Development, Hong Kong added: “I was impressed by the speakers who are from professional fields and provide various suggestions and comments on LED development. The information day brings together a comprehensive aspect of views, from manufacturing to consumer. Since our business covers sourcing of raw materials, LED technology and product development to retailing, it helps me understand more about the development of LED technology.”
 
Commenting on China Lighting Information Day, Mr Andy Huang, Engineering Manager, Sunglory International Enterprises Limited, China said: “The information day was very practical and informative as the speakers cover a lot of views on end-users. It enables
manufacturers like us to have a deeper understanding on how to make the products to meet customers demand.”
 
Another new attraction was the Lighting Design Gallery where lighting design professionals shared their ideas and experiences.  
It was co-organised by the Chinese Lighting Designer Association (CLDA), the LUCI Association (Lighting Urban Community International), the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) and the Professional Lighting Designers' Association (PLDA). 
 
Commenting on the Lighting Design Gallery, Mr Chen Yuehua, Technology Director, Shenzhen Skyworth Lighting Electronics Appliances Co Ltd (China) said: “This new initiative is quite attractive. I have been to this fair for many years and this is a unique showcase element and helps to make the whole fair more energetic. I appreciated the creativity of the set up as it used paper cups to create the special effect. It implies an innovative and eco message.”
 
The Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition is part of Messe Frankfurt’s architecture and technology shows, headed by the biennial Light+Building event in Frankfurt, Germany.  The Guangzhou show, which runs concurrently with Electrical Building Technology Guangzhou, is organised by Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt.  
 
The next show will be held 9 – 12 June 2011.