The Autumn edition of the Hong Kong International Lighting Fair included the inaugural Hong Kong International Outdoor & Tech Light Expo, Eco Expo Asia, and the Hong Kong International Building & Hardware Fair.
[dropcap style=”letter” size=”52″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#efc21f”]T[/dropcap]he more than 77,000 buyers from 148 countries and regions who attended the four shows – which were running concurrently with shuttle bus service between them – benefited from having a comprehensive selection of products from various sectors of the industry taking place at one time.
Visitors included those from mature markets such as the U.S., Germany, and Australia, as well as emerging markets such as the Chinese mainland, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
Benjamin Chau, Deputy Executive Director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), said, “At the four fairs this year, buyer attendance increased 5.6 percent compared to last year. We saw vibrant business momentum at the fairgrounds, which is an indication of optimism about market prospects. As users become more conscious of environmental protection, and companies place greater emphasis on energy-efficient and socially responsible strategies, the potential for green business is vast. Exhibitors and buyers from around the world made full use of the HKTDC’s one-stop, large-scale, cross industry sourcing platform.”
The HKTDC commissioned an independent market research agency to conduct on-site surveys during the joint fairs, interviewing 654 exhibitors and buyers. The survey found that over 60 percent of the respondents regard North America and Western Europe as the traditional markets with the highest growth potential, while others consider the Chinese mainland (64 percent) and ASEAN countries (42 percent) as the most promising emerging markets.
Nixon Chen, CEO of Canadian company SmartRay Inc., noted daylight in some of the North American regions is insufficient to support optimal plant growth, creating a niche market for artificial lighting in North America. “I am happy to have found a good supplier of grow lights at the fair. I am planning to place an initial order worth US$100,000 with them.”
Russian buyer Anton Korolev found the Autumn Lighting Fair to be more international than other similar shows in the region. “Russia is an emerging market for smart lighting because consumers find smart products very convenient,” he explained. “I have already found several potential suppliers from the Chinese mainland and France and we are in talks about supplying home lighting products and smart lighting solutions.”
The on-site survey found that 40 percent of the respondents consider LED and green lighting to have the greatest growth potential in 2017, and they expect indoor household lighting and smart lighting systems to have the highest growth among all LED application areas.
One of the products garnering a lot of attention were the dimmable 3D spiral light bulbs from Sim Lighting. The Simbulbs resemble an old-fashioned filament incandescent, but with the energy-savings of an LED.
According to the company, the Simbulb offers “true 360° light distribution.” The 4.7-watt Simbulbs offer 100 lumens per watt (470 lumens) and a 25,000-hour lifespan. A, B, G, and ST bulbs are available and meet ENERGY STAR requirements. The product line won the internationally recognized Red Dot Award’s Lighting Design category in 2016.
Tapping the smart home category was AZ e-lite Pte Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Aztech Group Ltd., which debuted its AZSENCE Zigbee LED Downlight that allows consumers to gain wireless control over their LED fixtures, light bulbs, remotes, and switches.
Vaxcel, a company that also has a North American headquarters, unveiled a motion-controlled indoor light bulb under the Instalux brand. The sensor is on the top of the bulb (ideal for a downward-facing wall light, pendant, or task lamp). Waving one’s hand under the sensor once turns the light on and off; to dim, hold one’s hand under the sensor until dimming occurs; and waving one’s hand twice under the sensor “locks” the light at that level. The 6.5-watt A-lamp Instalux provides 350 lumens of LED illumination at 3000K and 80 CRI; the 12-watt B-lamp version offers 800 lumens in 3000K with 80 CRI. Neither is recommended for enclosed fixtures.
Vaxcel also offers a patent-pending motion-controlled LED undercabinet light – in several configurations ranging from puck light to linear –
with a five-year warranty. The undercabinet models can be turned on and off with the wave of a hand as well as dimmed and a “safe exit” mode (by waving the hand twice) that gradually dims to off within one minute. The company also has a line of motion-controlled Instalux Wall Lights (ideal for bedside lamps, hallways, and living rooms) with on/off, dimming, and sleep mode functions.
