The third Smart Lighting Expo and the 17th Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Spring Edition), organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), concluded on April 24 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The four-day twin fairs brought together about 900 exhibitors and attracted some 13,000 buyers from 114 countries and regions for on-site visits and sourcing. Buyer numbers grew across Asian markets such as Malaysia and the Philippines; European markets including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia and Türkiye; and North and South American markets, including Brazil, Canada and the US. This growth highlights Hong Kong’s role as a key global hub for lighting products and technology exchange.
Jenny Koo, Deputy Executive Director of the HKTDC, said: “This year’s two lighting fairs attracted industry-leading enterprises who showcased cutting-edge high-performance, smart lighting and sustainable products and solutions. The events also attracted quality buyers from global markets. This helps companies diversify supply chains, explore new markets, and underscores Hong Kong’s strength as an ‘International Exhibition Capital’ which boosts efficient business platforms. The fairs are the preferred platform for the industry to showcase innovation, connect with global buyer networks and accelerate business development.”
An on-site survey conducted by the HKTDC, interviewing 450 exhibitors and buyers, found that overall confidence in future business development has increased. Among respondents, 49.1% expect overall sales to increase in the next 12 to 24 months, while 47.6% expect sales to remain stable. Respondents consider India (73.4%), Australia (71%), ASEAN countries (70.4%), and Japan (68.1%) to be promising or very promising target sales markets for lighting products over the next two years. In terms of new market development, exhibitors are actively exploring the Middle East (31.8%), Europe (29.5%), ASEAN countries (23.9%), Latin America (17.6%), and North America (14.8%).
In the smart lighting segment, respondents identified home automation and intelligent lighting control systems (48.2%), energy saving lighting control solutions (38.2%), and outdoor smart security lighting systems (31.1%) as having the greatest growth potential over the next two years. Compared with conventional lighting products, respondents indicated that consumers are willing to pay an average premium of 29% for lighting products equipped with smart functions.
The fairs introduced new zones to enhance sourcing effectiveness. The newly launched “Light Lab” features scenario-based and immersive designs integrating lighting products into landscape, sports, cultural and artistic applications. Shanghai Sansi Electronic Engineering showcased plant clamp lights and compact downlights suitable for museum applications. Guoli Zhu, Deputy Chief Engineer, said: “The Light Lab has effectively enhanced the presentation of our products, enabling buyers to more intuitively and swiftly grasp product features and their real-world application scenarios. This has successfully attracted buyers from Argentina, Canada, Germany, India, Japan and the US to visit our booth for in-depth discussions. We expect this to result in orders worth over US$1 million.”
The Smart Lighting Expo also debuted the “Smart Display and Stage Lighting & Sound Zone”. Industry leader Absen participated for the first time. Benjamin Tang, Senior Sales Engineer, said: “The new zone has effectively enhanced product visibility, attracting buyers from Eastern Europe, Oceania, North America, South America, and South Asia. We have successfully engaged in several promising collaboration discussions with potential clients from the Dominican Republic, Hong Kong and Thailand. We estimate the value of orders from the expo will amount to US$930,000. Riding on this momentum, we have decided to join the Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) this year.”
The newly launched “Leisure Lighting Zone” injected new momentum. Rebecca Seo, CFO of NIZ, a first-time exhibitor from Korea, said: “We have successfully connected with buyers from Denmark, Germany, Japan, and the US, and a well-known Japanese homeware retailer has already placed an on-site order. Thanks to the strong traffic generated by the new zone, we expect the fair to bring up to US$70 million in orders for our company this year.”
Supported by Zhongshan as the Special Partner City, the fairs featured the Zhongshan Guzhen Pavilion and Zhongshan Henglan Pavilion under the Zhongshan Smart Home Zone. Merry Liu, Manager of Bairan Lighting, said: “The two lighting fairs provide Zhongshan enterprises with an efficient ‘go-global’ gateway, enabling us to connect directly with buyers from Europe, the Middle East, South America, and Southeast Asia. We expect to achieve US$2 million in sales.”
During the fair, the HKTDC organized a buying mission to Zhongshan for the first time, visiting several lighting factories. The visit successfully facilitated several substantive business collaborations; New Zealand buyer Spark100 Ltd established a connection with a Zhongshan lighting supplier, with a potential order value estimated between US$100,000 and US$300,000.
Buyers from the Middle East also attended. Patrick Zhang, VP of sales of Tecnon Lighting Technology from the Shenzhen Pavilion, stated: “A buyer from the United Arab Emirates and a US buyer from a leading women’s fashion brand are likely to become our cooperation partners. We expect to generate US$2 million in sales turnover for our company.”
As construction projects in the ASEAN region accelerate, market demand for smart lighting solutions continues to expand. Sambath HK, Manager of RS Decoration from Cambodia, stated: “I travelled here specifically to source lighting products for 14 new commercial building and luxury residential projects. I have already met with over 20 new suppliers and identified two potential partners. I will initially purchase US$100,000 worth of smart street lights.”
Driven by the Belt and Road Initiative, urban development in participating countries is fuelling demand for high-efficiency and smart lighting products. Aigerim Beisekina, Supply Manager of Karelz.kz from Kazakhstan, said: “This is our first time visiting the twin lighting fairs, to find reliable suppliers for a solar-powered stadium and sports lighting for three international schools currently under construction in Kazakhstan. Through the Click2Match business matching platform, we have identified three potential suppliers from the Chinese Mainland and plan to purchase lighting equipment valued between US$600,000 and US$900,000.”
During the fairs, multiple professional events were held, including the Asian Lighting Conference and the Smart Lighting Solutions Forum. Under the hybrid EXHIBITION+ model, the twin lighting fairs combined in-person sourcing with online meetings via the HKTDC’s Click2Match smart business-matching platform and hktdc.com sourcing platform. Click2Match will be available until 30 April to facilitate discussions between exhibitors and buyers around the world.
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