Nearly 20,000 buyers from 108 countries and regions attended the four-day eighth Hong Kong Lighting Fair (Spring Edition) at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, which finished Saturday.
Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the event featured more than 1300 exhibitors from 11 countries and regions.
Attendance was up 3.6 per cent over last year’s fair, with significantly more buyers from mainland China, Malaysia, Korea, Singapore and Indonesia. There were also more buyers from the UK and the US.
This indicated that buyers remain optimistic in the face of lingering global economic uncertainties and challenges, says HKTDC deputy-executive director Benjamin Chau.
More than 342 exhibitors and buyers were interviewed in an independent on-site survey commissioned by the council, with 64 per cent of respondents expecting overall sales this year to either not change or grow.
As for product trends, 35 per cent of respondents believed LED and green lighting to be the product sector with the best growth potential in the sales/export market. This was followed by household lighting (23 per cent), commercial lighting (15 per cent) and smart lighting (10 per cent).
On the customer side, 90 per were increasingly concerned about product quality as well as practicality, with 89 per cent concerned about after-sales service/maintenance, and 87 per cent about product price.
Strong demand
LED products were in strong demand at the fair, with lower prices and easy integration with smart lighting systems.
Matrix Holdings director Eric Leung says the company’s latest LED product, the Viribright A19 bulb, has a colour rendering close to natural light, and gained interest from buyers from Australia, Europe and the US.
Primarily looking for LED bulbs, floodlights and panel lights, Russian buyer Andrey Egoshin, product manager for Universal, said he had had business negotiations with more than 30 suppliers from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. He expected the company’s first order with each new supplier to amount to US$100,000.
In the survey, 92 per cent of respondents believed the development of smart technology would impact the lighting industry in the next two years. Household lighting systems controlled by smartphone/tablet applications were seen by 49 per cent to have the greatest development potential, followed by smart, energy-saving lighting systems for household/industrial/commercial purposes (46 per cent) and industrial/commercial lighting systems that can be controlled by apps (26 per cent).
A smart lighting display at the fair showcased a simulated home environment with a smart lighting system, and buyers could try out the apps.
IoT control
At the fair for the first time, Hong Kong’s Tronico Technology presented its Kuju smart home system and devices for controlling household appliances through the Internet of Things (IoT). GM Alex Chan says the company connected with buyers from Southeast Asia, Europe and the US, and is expecting orders to be confirmed after samples are tested.
Among the themed zones at the show, the Hall of Aurora showcased lighting collections from more than 230 brands, while the LED & Green Lighting zone gathered energy-efficient products from more than 430 companies.
The World of Professional and Industrial Lighting zone displayed situation-specific lighting fixtures and systems, including emergency and safety lights, large-venue lighting and industrial environments. A first-time exhibitor in this zone, Australian company Lumn, had interest from buyers from China, the Middle East, the UK and the US, according to director Alistair Bailes.
In view of the strong demand for outdoor lighting, the HKTDC will organise the first Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo at AsiaWorld-Expo in late October. Meanwhile, the 18th edition of the HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) will be at the HKCEC from October 27 to 30.