Shining success

HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Spring Edition)

Buyers seeking to stock up between traditional sourcing seasons will find plenty of bright ideas at a new lighting show that is set to become a glittering extravaganza.

The inaugural HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Spring Edition) runs from 13-16 April at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wanchai.

Building on the huge success of the decade-old Autumn Edition of the fair, the spring event fills a gap in the calendar for lighting sourcing, offering buyers additional opportunities to assess market trends and place orders for the latest hot items in time for the busy autumn/winter season.

Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the coming fair will host more than 200 exhibitors from all corners of the world, displaying an extensive array of products including:

• green lighting
• crystal lighting
• holiday lighting
• outdoor lighting
• table lamps
• lighting accessories and components

In the spotlight will be environmentally friendly, energy-efficient products such as solar lights and LED lamps with low power consumption features, as an increasing number of countries and regions are encouraging the use of such items.

A highlight is the Product Demo & Launch Pad, a presentation session where select exhibitors will unveil new, creative items.

Insider insights

The fair will also serve as an information exchange platform, where participants can keep up to date with the latest technological developments and market intelligence by comparing notes with colleagues as well as attending the Symposium on Lighting - Sustainability and New Technologies, where prominent industry players and academics will share their insights on lighting trends.

The fair will be the perfect platform for contact building within the industry, which will be further facilitated by a Joint Networking Reception on the opening day.

Cross-interests buyers will benefit from additional sourcing opportunities offered by two concurrent shows to be held at the same venue:

• the HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Spring Edition)
• the HKTDC International ICT Expo

Overseas traders may also make the most of their trip to Hong Kong by extending their stay to attend two other fairs later in the month:

• the HKTDC Hong Kong Houseware Fair (20-23 April 2009)
• the HKTDC Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair (27-30 April 2009)

Perfectly placed

The lighting show is ideally located in Hong Kong, which boasts a vibrant industry that shipped US$1.42bn worth of lighting products in 2008 alone, with major markets the US, the Chinese mainland, Germany, the UK and Japan.

As such, the first HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Spring Edition) looks certain to be a shining success for buyers and exhibitors alike.

Leading lights

The Spring Edition is an eagerly anticipated addition to the highly acclaimed HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair, of which the Autumn Edition is the biggest show of its kind in Asia and the second-largest in the world.

The autumn event marked its 10th anniversary last year when it was held from 27-30 October at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, once again providing the lighting industry with immense business opportunities and an ideal information exchange platform.

About 17% larger than in the previous year, the 2008 edition featured more than 1,570 exhibitors from 33 countries and region, including first-time exhibitors from Romania, the Slovak Republic and Turkey.

They showcased the gamut of lighting products in main halls and theme zones such as:

• Galaxy of Stars, where premium lighting products were displayed in an elegant setting
• Crystal Indulgence, resplendent with crystal lighting and chandeliers
• Green Lighting, with a focus on state-of-the-art, energy-efficient and environmentally responsible lighting

The fair emphasised style, safety and the environment, in response to the latest market trends.

"Consumer demands, environmental awareness and regulatory compliance all factor in to push the industry to a higher level of competition, involving greater standards, research and development, novelty and flexibility for both products and production techniques," Clement Chen, Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, told the opening ceremony.

The fair was attended by 28,210 buyers from around the world, who were invariably impressed by the product range.

Super show

"I think Hong Kong is one of the best sourcing destinations for lighting products," said buyer Traian Rusu, General Manager of RR Trading Group SRL from Romania. "The products on show are also very interesting and very innovative, presenting buyers like me with many opportunities to expand our buying agenda."

Fifth-time Spanish visitor Antonio Gomez, Director General of Lamparas Nydea SL was equally thrilled. "I am particularly impressed by the creativity and innovation of local designers. I have found many interesting products and I will come back in two weeks to follow up with some suppliers," he said.

The HKTDC organised 67 buying missions, which represented 3,593 buyers from 2,368 companies that included leading brands, chain stores and distributors. Among them were Cooper Lighting from the US, Endon Lighting (the UK), Haji Commercial Co (LLC) (the UAE), Nissei Trading Co Ltd (Japan), OSRAM (Germany) and Real R Lighting (Russia).

Top tips

Fair participants kept themselves up to date at seminars where industry experts shared their insights or success stories on energy-efficient lighting, solid-state lighting and international lighting trends.

The show also featured winning and finalist entries of the Hong Kong Lighting Design Competition, which attracted a total of 187 entries under the theme "The Power of Light".

Dazzling with glowing reviews, the HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) is clearly a firm favourite that inspired the glittering debut of the Spring Edition.

Don't forget to pick up HKTDC Lighting, the official magazine of the HKTDC Hong Kong Lighting Fair, at the show!