Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition attracted 116,000 visitors

July 2013
Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition
9 – 12 June 2013
China Import and Export Fair Complex
Guangzhou, China

Final Report

Substantial growth: Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition’s 2013 edition attracted over 116,000 visitors

More than a sourcing platform: Attendees praise the fair’s ability to showcase current and upcoming market trends

Market Foresight: Design, Technology, Market & Strategic partnership presented across 120 sessions of seminars and networking events

Over 116,000 visitors from 120 countries and regions attended the 18th edition of the Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition, a six percent increase for one of the world’s most influential and comprehensive lighting and LED events. The show was held from 9 – 12 June 2013 in Guangzhou, where it welcomed professional buyers both from China as well as a number of mature and emerging markets across the globe. The top ten overseas visiting countries and regions in 2013 included Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Korea, US, Singapore, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan.

Held once again at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou, the sold-out show welcomed 2,588 exhibitors from 27 countries and regions, who presented the most comprehensive collection of lighting fixtures and products, electronic components and accessories as well as solutions from across the entire supply chain of LED lighting development. In addition, four international pavilions participated in the fair, promoting the competitive advantages of their respective LED and lighting technology firms, including Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan and the US.

The fair was held concurrently with Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology and Building Solar China. Combined, the three shows provided coverage across a broad spectrum of integrated building solutions, with a special focus on the emerging project-based business sector in China. In total, 21 halls were utilised by the three events, covering 215,000 sqm.

Commenting on the successful year, Ms Lucia Wong, Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Ltd noted: “I am very impressed with the quality of the 2013 lighting show and glad to see the support from the worldwide lighting industry for the fair. By bringing together the different lighting sector groups under one roof, we have been playing a dynamic role in the development of the lighting industry, by offering a comprehensive industry platform for presentation and communication on the international stage.”

More than a sourcing platform: Attendees praise the fair’s ability to showcase current and upcoming market trends

Three of the biggest trends to be witnessed at the 2013 show were in the areas of intelligent lighting, project-based business development and LED technology integration. Exhibitors at the show were unanimous in their praise of the fair serving as the annual platform for promotion and education on the growth and innovative solutions across these three trends.  

In the intelligent lighting sector, advanced products such as controllers have become one of the key drivers of growth in the lighting industry. Controllers have been hailed as one of the driving forces in the development of energy efficiency as well as smart home and city lighting. Compared to the previous edition, the 2013 show attracted a number of exhibitors interested in showcasing their collection of intelligent and efficient control systems for use in hotels, homes, offices and public areas. Commenting on his company’s success in the field, Mr Samuel Wu, President and CEO of Asia Pacific at OSRAM shared: “In terms of trends, there are several key factors that can be seen in the industry. One of the biggest I have observed at the Guangzhou show is the integration of control technology into lighting products. This fair is an important annual event for Osram to see where the market is moving forward.”

Mr Jim Prior, President of Architectural Lighting Works in the US and a buyer at the show added: “One of the biggest trends I witnessed during the show was the need for more control of light through technology. Controllers allow for better customisation of lighting, therefore users can adjust light not only to one specific space, but also to the time of day or even to their personal mood. This is a very important event for my business, and I will continue to visit it for years to come.”

For project-based business suppliers, the show provided access to this rapidly growing sector of China’s property development industry. Ms Sandra Niederberger, Division Manager for Customer Relations at Kny Design GmbH, a manufacturer of custom-made chandeliers for over three generations noted: “We decided to participate in order to find new customers, and our prime target was project-based businesses in the high-end residential and hotel development sectors. The Messe Frankfurt brand is held in very high regard by our company, and we felt the organiser was able to offer a platform for great business opportunities in China.”

LED suppliers believed the 2013 fair provided a wide variety of machinery and systems for the development of chips, wafers, die-bonded materials, encapsulation, packaging, heat sinks, thermal management and much more, to cope with the increasingly strong market demand for Solid State lighting. LED component, accessory and production equipment suppliers overwhelmingly had positive views on the show’s ability to let them meet target overseas and domestic buyers. Ms Elaine Chuen, Marketing Manager of Niche-Tech (Hong Kong) Ltd, a first-time exhibitor to the show noted: “We produce packaging, bonding wire as well as LED silicon encapsulates, and most of our customers are actually lighting product exhibitors at the show. The fair has a very strong influence on the industry and it is a great opportunity to exhibit here.”

Fellow exhibitor, Mr Mikhail Berest, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Monocrystal, had no doubt that Asia’s top lighting event, was the destination for his company, the world’s largest manufacturer of synthetic sapphires. He shared: “The show offered the opportunity to do research on how to bring new technology from Russia. Synthetic sapphires have quickly become a key component to LED lighting encapsulation companies in China. We’re able to learn a lot about the Chinese market in just a few days. It was a great networking and sourcing destination for us.”

Frequent visitor to the show, Mr Zou Qing Sheng, Deputy General Manager, Hubei Chuji Technology Co Ltd commented: This is the largest professional LED and lighting show in Asia, and we need it in order to keep track of international trends. Each year there are new products from a number of renowned exhibitors. I believe this is due to the rising living standards of the general public. I am sure I will continue to attend.”

Market Foresight: Design, Technology, Market & Strategic partnership presented across 120 sessions of seminars and networking events

Jointly organised with influential industry associations and media outlets, a total of 120 sessions of seminars and networking events were hosted during the 2013 show.

Design
With design becoming a crucial component to Chinese lighting suppliers being able to differentiate their products and solutions from competitors, a strong focus was given to new, avant-garde and sustainable design concepts both from China and around the world. For 2013, programmes dedicated to design included:

• 9th Asia Lighting Arts Symposium
  Mr Kaoru Mende, Principle Lighting Designer at Lighting Planners Association (speaker): “I was invited to talk about lighting design particularly in the hotel sector. My goal was to show professionals a series of examples on the how to succeed with lighting projects, by tailoring designated settings to the clients requirements. With so many engaging questions, I believe the presentation was overwhelmingly successful.”
• Lighting Design Gallery
  Mr Lear Hsieh, President, Chinese Lighting Designer Association (co-organiser): “The gallery is an excellent platform for us to network with other design associations such as PLDA, LUCI and IALD, as well as share the latest concepts from the industry’s top designers. The opportunity provided by the gallery is rare in other parts of the world.”

Technology
Highlighting the latest advancements in lighting and LED technology, top industry brands were invited to share their expertise on the growth of LED lighting at the Asia LED Summit, a combination of two events that attracted over 1,000 industry professionals.

Market
Providing valuable news on China’s lighting market, two well-attended summits were presented at the 2013 show:

• China Lighting Distribution Market Summit 
• China Urban Lighting Development Summit 

Strategic partnership
To find business opportunities, strategic partnerships need to be cultivated. And through the AGORA platform, industry associations, manufacturers and solution-seeking buyers were able to meet, share and exchange expertise.

Award
Celebrating the achievements of the Chinese lighting industry, the inaugural edition of The Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition – Alighting Awards was held at the 2013 show.

Both Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition and Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology are headed by the biennial Light + Building event, which will take place from 30 March – 4 April 2014 in Frankfurt, Germany. The next edition of the Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition is scheduled to take place from 9 – 12 June 2014 at China Import and Export Fair Complex.

To find out more information about the shows, or to obtain the list of winners at The Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition – Alighting Awards, please visit www.light.messefrankfurt.com.cn or email to light@china.messefrankfurt.com.

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Background information on Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt is one of the world’s leading trade show organisers with 538* million euros in sales and 1,891* active employees worldwide. The Messe Frankfurt Group has a global network of 28 subsidiaries and approx. 50 international Sales Partners, giving it a presence for its customers in more than 150 countries. Events “made by Messe Frankfurt” take place at more than 30 locations around the globe. In 2012, Messe Frankfurt organised 109* trade fairs, of which more than half took place outside Germany. Messe Frankfurt’s exhibition grounds, featuring 578,000 square metres, are currently home to ten exhibition halls and an adjacent Congress Center. The company is publicly owned, with the City of Frankfurt holding 60 percent and the State of Hesse 40 percent. For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com
* preliminary numbers (2012)

Media Contact
Amadou Doumbia
Tel. +852 2238 9941
Fax +852 2519 6800
amadou.doumbia@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com
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