The third edition of the Taiwan International Lighting Show (TILS) has made tremendous strides in the quality of exhibitors, breadth of product lines shown, and its educational program.
The expression “Made in Taiwan” used to have a negative connotation, but now with the country’s commitment to excellence in electronics – particularly LED technology – it is said as a badge of honor. Taiwan has earned a reputation for producing quality LED chips and packages that are widely used all over the world, and having all of the major factories exhibiting at this annual show was ideal for overseas visitors to examine the new products and test the quality in person.
Furthering its recognition as a significant LED trade show for Asia, this year the organizers Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and Taiwan Lighting Fixture Export Association invited two principal global lighting organizations – Global Lighting Association (GLA) and the ZHAGA consortium for developing international LED light engine standards – to hold their annual meetings on-site during the Taiwan International Lighting Show.
Despite the fact that the Light+Building fair was occurring in Frankfurt just a few weeks after the Taiwan lighting show, the latter has demonstrated measurable growth with each year. The 2012 Taiwan exhibition expanded by 20 percent over the previous year and enjoyed support and recognition from major lighting manufacturers and first-time exhibitors such as Delta Electronics, Vantage, Everlight, Edison Opto, ProLight Opto, Jan Cheng, Sunsonic, Taiwan Roled Opto, SEED Lighting, and Leotek Electronics. Manufacturers that have provided long-term support of Taiwan’s lighting show include BJB, Epistar, AMKO SOLARA, LVD International, JUSTENERGY, Taiwan- N Lighting and TYC.
More than 15,000 visitors participated in the four-day event, with the number of overseas buyers increasing by three percent compared with last year. The reaction from exhibitors was positive. LVD International President Chi-chang Chen said, “This year, we increased our number of booths from 9 to 12 because we are very optimistic about the Taiwan International Lighting Show. We believe it will allow us to get in touch with important buyers and also be tremendously beneficial to the promotion of our company’s new products.”
AMKO SOLARA’s Chief Executive Mr. Huang commented, “This [show] is our premier platform for showcasing our new products. We increased our number of booths dramatically from 20 to 35. In addition to being able to see many new products and innovative designs at the exhibition, the competition between vendors gives our company an opportunity to demonstrate the strength, features, and superiority of our products.” Mr. Liu, a manager with BJB, stated, “Our company has been involved in the Lighting Show since its first exhibition. We watched it grow over the years and we highly value its professionalism. We have already reserved booths for next year.”
With respect to overseas buyers, Abdullah Achmad Ghaeti from Indonesia’s PT. Global Mitra Teknik claimed that Indonesia’s purchases of lighting products has been increasing gradually, with unlimited potential for LED and other green lighting products in the Indonesian market. Mr. Maurizio Cugini, a senior executive of Italy’s Altair, came to the Taiwan International Lighting Show for the second time. He said that not only had the exhibition’s scope significantly expanded but both the appearance and level of technology have surpassed previous events. He considered this a very worthwhile trip.
One of the most successful educational events was the “Cross-Strait LED Lighting Industry Development Forum,” which attracted close to 200 attendees. The forum was presided over by Chairman David Chang of the Taiwan Lighting Fixture Export Association and participants analyzed the cooperative and competitive relations between vendors in China and Taiwan. The next day, the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and TAITRA co-hosted the “LED Advanced Manufacturing Equipment and Module Applications Seminar,” which was attended by 170 industry professionals.
Also during the show, TAITRA’s Market Development department arranged one-on-one negotiation sessions between major overseas buyers and exhibitors. A total of 243 sessions were attended by 21 major buyers and 56 exhibitors. Prominent international buyers included: the British vendor Home Retail Group (Asia) Ltd. (Hong Kong), Light Vision LLC of United Arab Emirates, and LPS Distribuidora de Materias Eletricos Ltda of Brazil. Their principal procurement targets were LED tubes and lamps, construction lights, and LED application products.
In addition, TAITRA organized a joint government procurement session attended by vendors that had won government contracts (Government Procurement Agreement) on March 15. Nine buyers who had participated in government procurement projects were invited to join a total of 59 one-on-one negotiation sessions. Major buyers include Brazil’s Unitron Engenharia Industria, which intended to purchase stairwell emergency lights; Warsaw’s ENERGA Oœwietlenie Sp. z o.o., which planned to buy LED street lamps; Kiev’s ETC, and Bucharest’s LOIAL IMPEX.
To improve the exposure of Taiwan’s LED lighting products globally, TAITRA’s Market Development department has plans to lead Taiwanese LED manufacturers to expand to countries such as Malaysia, Mexico, India, and other emerging markets as well as to showcase the country’s LED lighting products internationally.
Taiwan reportedly enjoys three main advantages: a complete LED industry chain, very strong technological capabilities, and established agreements with mainland China. By the show’s end, there were more than 300 booths booked in advance for the 2013 edition of TILS, to be held March 26-29. Show organizers estimate next year’s event will exceed 1,000-booths as the show’s popularity continues to grow.
Taiwan International Lighting Show International Lighting Forum
