Whether a lighting venue is in Asia (Hong Kong), Europe (Light + Building), or the USA (Lightfair), the latest developments in LED are what every specifier, distributor, and manufacturer was seeking.
[dropcap style=”letter” size=”52″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]S[/dropcap]o far this year, any venue offering an opportunity to learn more about lighting technology and building integration broke records in exhibitor mix and attendance. LEDucation 10, held the end of March in New York City, celebrated its 10th anniversary with a new, larger location to accommodate the increased number of exhibitors and visitors coming from all over North America.
That same month, Light+Building — a much- anticipated lighting, electrical technology, and home/building automation show held every other year in Germany – broke all previous records for the number of visitors, exhibitors, and square footage with 2,589 exhibitors from 55 countries, and 216,000 visitors from 160 countries.
“We are extremely pleased with this year’s Light +Building and delighted with the further increase in the indices. This underscores the significance of Light+Building as the world’s leading trade fair for lighting and building services technology, as well as the positive mood in the sector and the on-going high level of exhibitor satisfaction,” said Wolfgang Marzin, President and CEO of Messe Frankfurt.
The level of internationality also rose in comparison to the previous event with 67 percent of exhibitors and 49 percent of visitors coming from outside Germany, such as Italy, The Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, China, Spain, and Eastern Europe, as well as from Turkey, India, Morocco, and Iran.
One of the main themes at Light+Building was safety and security technology, which was also the subject of the first Intersec Forum held concurrently with the fair. According to Light+Building’s organizer Messe Frankfurt, the motto of show was, “Where modern spaces come to life: digital — individual — networked.” Intelligent solutions and future-oriented technologies revolving around digitalization and networking were also a focus.
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“The convergence of light and technology marked every dimension of LFI 2016 with new product introductions, new design concepts, and new connectivity setting clear direction for the way forward,” said Jeffrey L. Portman, Sr., Vice Chairman, President and COO of LFI managing partner AmericasMart® Atlanta.”
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In April, the eighth Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Spring Edition) featured 1,300 exhibitors from 11 countries and regions, drawing nearly 20,000 buyers from 108 countries and areas, drawing double-digit growth in attendance from the Chinese mainland, Malaysia, Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Europe, the U.S., and the United Kingdom, among others.
And in May, Lightfair International (LFI) set trade show floor and attendance records in San Diego by covering 269,680 square feet and bringing 617 exhibitors and 27,628 attendees. This year’s rendition was the largest event in the show’s 27-year history.
“The convergence of light and technology marked every dimension of LFI 2016 with new product introductions, new design concepts, and new connectivity setting clear direction for the way forward,” said Jeffrey L. Portman, Sr., Vice Chairman, President and COO of LFI managing partner AmericasMart® Atlanta. “We expect our 2016 event to have transformative impact on the world of lighting design now and for years to come.”
“The 2016 exhibitor and product mix has expanded as the industry evolves,” observed Rochelle Richardson, CEM, LFI International Vice President. The expanded trade show floor featured a product mix of 46 categories that included controls, decorative, alternative energy (including solar power), software, exterior and roadway, digital signage, intelligent buildings, healthcare, hospitality and – new for 2016 – IoT (Internet of Things).
“Global product launches, the coming together of great industry minds, and non-stop opportunities to connect with colleagues help drive the vitality and relevance of LIGHTFAIR year after year,” notes Mark Roush, President of IES. “LFI 2016 was the intersecting point for all things new in lighting products which affect lighting design practice.”
Lighting’s role in residential and commercial buildings is gaining in importance, especially as it relates to other convenient and energy-saving functions. The reason for each successive LED-centric trade show breaking all previous records – particularly in a year that happens to have quite a lot of shows! – underscores this continual thirst for expanding our collective knowledge in this emerging technology’s capabilities. Your customers are also going to be looking for answers and expertise as well; become the source they can turn to, and your business will benefit from that effort.
