The Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition (GILE) has picked its theme for 2018: THINKLIGHT: Embracing Changes. The announcement came from Hong Kong on December 12, 2017. By then more than 85% of the exhibition space had already been sold, as well-known brands confirmed they would take part.
The 23rd edition of the show will run from 9 to 12 June 2018 at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou. GILE bills itself as the most influential and comprehensive lighting and LED event in Asia. The THINKLIGHT concept drew a positive response from the industry, so it returns for 2018 and will be developed further. The new focus reflects the digital shift in lighting, as the debate moves toward lights that are fully connected and smart.
Ms Lucia Wong, Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd, said digital lighting has clearly arrived. The open question, in her view, is how the industry handles these changes and keeps shining. She added that GILE has always tried to bring the lighting community together. The organizers also want people to see the potential of light and to explore lighting that is sustainable and good for well-being.
Besides showing the newest products from leading brands, GILE runs a broad program of side events on current trends and topics in the field.
From analogue to digital
The lighting industry began more than 100 years ago with the first electric lights. It has come a long way since then, yet true technological breakthroughs have been rare. Fluorescents, HIDs, low-pressure sodium and MR16 lamps each marked a turning point. The rise of LEDs, however, has been revolutionary.
The 2018 show will put that shift from analogue to digital front and center. LEDs are recyclable and last a long time. They also pair easily with control devices, which has driven major progress in connected and intelligent lighting.
When LED technology meets augmented reality, virtual reality, the Internet of Things and big data, new uses appear. Much of the industry talk now centers on how lighting can do more and fit into daily life. For vendors, that means a move from selling bulbs to selling a service built on IoT connectivity. Meanwhile, newer segments are drawing attention, including automotive LEDs, small-pitch LEDs, horticultural and poultry lighting, UV LEDs and IR LEDs.
Leading exhibitors from China and abroad will attend, while a full fringe program will raise new talking points. Organizers plan to name a series of high-quality speakers ahead of the show.
Smart lighting and the IoT
Smart lighting will again be a key product sector. Adding network links and intelligence to LED fixtures forms the backbone of smart buildings and cities, and it makes the IoT vision workable. Industry research expects this sector to generate US$4.5 billion in revenue by 2026.
Semantic lighting takes the idea further because it links the physical and digital worlds. Such systems can adapt to different users, tasks and settings, and in effect become aware of what they light. Human-centric lighting is spreading too. It can help people relax, shift their mood and even sleep better, which changes how we think about the role of light in daily life.
The fair covers production, technology and applications, from components and equipment to packaging. With seven months still to go, over 85% of the space was booked.
Mr Tom Jory, Vice President of Illumination Marketing at returning exhibitor Luminus, explained why his company keeps coming back. At GILE, he said, it can meet its customers all in one place. He has also seen the number of international visitors grow over the years, and the company regularly meets many of its target buyers there.
Wong thanked the international and domestic lighting communities for their support. Thanks to them, she said, the fair has become the leading platform in Asia for sharing market intelligence, technical innovation and new design. The organizers chose the theme since they believe modern technology has taken the possibilities of light into a new dimension.
GILE runs alongside Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology. Both belong to Messe Frankfurt’s Light + Building Technology fairs, led by the biennial Light + Building event in Frankfurt, Germany, on 18 to 23 March 2018.