GILE (Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition) 2020 Concludes Successfully, Marking Its 25th Anniversary Milestone

The leading platform for the lighting industry — GILE (Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition) 2020 concluded successfully on October 13, marking a 25th-anniversary milestone. From 96 exhibitors at its inception to 2,028 this year, the exhibition's growth relies on industry support and trust. With gratitude, we are committed to helping companies relaunch, reconnect, and regain momentum. Held concurrently with GEBT (Guangzhou International Building Electrical Technology Exhibition), the two events together attracted over 140,000 visitors.

Mr. Hu Zhongshun, General Manager of Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co., Ltd., commented on the development of the trade fair: "Looking back over the past 25 years, we have been fortunate to witness how the exhibition has rapidly developed alongside the booming lighting industry, successfully aligning with the market. In the new era of connected lighting, the industry will continue to progress and innovate. We will also continue to advance together with the industry, exploring the immense potential of the lighting market."

Mr. Hu continued, "Although the industry is facing unprecedented challenges this year, with the steady recovery of China's economy, we are delighted to witness many successful business exchanges at this four-day exhibition and bring positive messages to the industry. Looking ahead, GILE will continue to inspire, encourage, and drive progress and development in the lighting sector."

During the four-day exhibition, hot topics discussed and showcased included smart lighting, smart street lights and intelligent control systems, healthy lighting, and lighting applications in various细分 sectors. Industry participants gave positive feedback on the event, engaging in exchanges and business negotiations, creating a lively atmosphere. Feedback from some exhibitors, visitors, and speakers is as follows:

Exhibitor Feedback

"The successful opening of the Guangzhou Lighting Exhibition has promoted the development of the lighting market, and the large number of exhibitors this year reflects everyone's desire to reconnect with the lighting industry. Over the past two days, we have received many visitors and secured some business deals. More importantly, many visitors were returning customers who wanted to learn more about our latest products. Smart lighting is currently a major trend, and we have also developed our own smart lighting technologies and solutions. Many people visited our booth to inquire about such products, indicating strong demand in the industry."

Mr. Xu Bingfang, Regional Manager of R&D Department, Hexing Mingxin (Yiwu) Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd., China

"We had a large number of visitors at our booth this year, so we are very pleased to have successfully achieved our expected goals. Offline platforms are crucial to our business because face-to-face communication allows customers to receive clearer explanations. This exhibition also presented us with an excellent opportunity to provide some online solutions to help us connect with overseas customers. We are very grateful to the organizers for arranging live streaming, which allowed us to introduce our products to overseas buyers at the booth, achieving great success. The government attaches great importance to and is vigorously strengthening investment in education; therefore, I noticed more educational lighting products at this year's exhibition. In addition, Smart lighting is also an important trend, and there will be significant demand for these products as well as smart building solutions in the future."

Mr. Yang Shibo, Foreign Trade Director of the LED Foreign Trade Department, Shenzhen Super Three Technology Co., Ltd., China

"Physical exhibitions like GILE are very important to us because they reach a larger and broader audience. It is crucial for buyers to personally experience the ambiance created by the lighting on-site, something that online displays cannot fully replicate. Through the exhibition, we can communicate with new and existing customers to understand market trends and their specific needs. For the future of the industry, I believe consumers will pay more attention to light quality, comfort, and energy saving, while the younger generation will pursue a sense of technology. Lighting is not just a luminaire; it can bring surprises to life."

Ms. Wu Dan, Sales Director, Sichuan Blueview Optoelectronic Technology Co., Ltd., China

"This exhibition is a gathering place for China's lighting industry, so many domestic upstream and downstream customers are here. This year, we have already received many buyers from different fields at our booth. Due to the impact of the pandemic, face-to-face business exchanges were halted in the first half of the year, so the exhibition provided us with an excellent opportunity to promote new products and meet with customers. I am very satisfied with the results of the exhibition. It is very meaningful to participate in the exhibition and become part of the effort to promote industry exchange and support peers. The exhibition has provided necessary support to the industry during the pandemic."

Mr. Song Hongwei, Chairman of Zhejiang Fangda Intelligent Control Technology Co., Ltd., China

The main purpose of exhibiting this time is to promote the lighting products and services we launched after becoming an independent brand from OSRAM in 2019. Judging by the results from the first two days, we have fully achieved this goal, as we encountered many customers looking for high-end imported products. The future development trend of LED lights will focus on health. We need to combine health and smart solutions to develop products with eye-protection features.

Mr. Liu Jitao, General Manager of LEDVANCE Lighting Co., Ltd.

Audience Feedback

"We have participated in GILE for many consecutive years, and it is an excellent (Sales) channel for securing business collaborations. Every year, we feel that this Exhibition has a high level of internationalization. This year, we anticipated that overseas exhibitors and buyers would not be able to attend in person, so our main hope is to use this platform to observe the latest trends among peers, exchange ideas and learn from each other, and work together to overcome difficulties. GILE is widely recognized in the industry as an Exhibition that must be visited or exhibited at every year, and we gain new insights with each visit."

Mr. Tian Tao, Zhongshan Shenheng Lighting Electrical Appliance Co., Ltd., China

"We visit GILE every year. I think it is a must-attend exhibition for everyone in the lighting industry. Because GILE is a one-stop procurement platform, I can find all kinds of LED products here. I know many exhibitions have been affected by the pandemic, but this year I basically saw everything I wanted to see, found trusted suppliers, and discovered some new technologies. I personally prefer attending physical exhibitions, as I can interact with products more intuitively, experience their features, and obtain key information through face-to-face consultations."

Mr. Huang Jinrong, Senior Electronics Engineer, Yangjiang Nago Technology Co., Ltd., China

"This exhibition is quite renowned in the lighting industry, with a keen sense of current market trends. This year, I found more product displays related to smart streetlights at the show. Holding physical exhibitions is important because it allows us to clearly understand the effects presented by different lighting solutions, and face-to-face communication with exhibitors is also a valuable learning opportunity. Although urban nightscape / landscape lighting and other urban lighting demands have slightly declined due to the pandemic, the lighting industry holds immense potential. I will continue to visit GILE next year."

Mr. Wu Hao, Manager, Shenzhen Qianbaihui Lighting Engineering Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, China

"Visiting GILE was a valuable experience, as I met many leading enterprises and learned about the latest industry developments. Every time I come here, I make it a point to attend concurrent events, hoping to gain cutting-edge insights from industry experts to guide our product development direction."

Mr. Cao Chengchao, Engineer, Yongshen Technology Co., Ltd., Hunan Province, China

Speaker Feedback

"I remain optimistic about the lighting industry. The data decline we see this year is modest, and exports from January to August have actually increased. Countless facts and data from the past prove that our lighting industry provides essential products with resilient demand. China's central position as the global manufacturing and supply chain hub for the lighting industry is unshakable. Furthermore, the concept of smart health adds more added value and room for imagination to the industry. We remain bullish on the future; lighting is forever a sunrise industry, and everyone should maintain firm confidence."

Mr. Wen Qidong, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Association of Lighting Industry (CALI)

"Lighting has evolved from initial illumination to decoration, and then to additional functions, developing into today's on-demand lighting. Technological innovation in the Industry and the development of LED have provided new opportunities for our sector. Since the emergence of LED, we can design light specifically for a certain space or a particular need. In the past, we sold lamps; in the future, we will sell light, which is a complete Solution."

Mr. Dou Linping, Secretary-General of the China Illuminating Engineering Society

The next GILE (Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition) and Guangzhou International Building Electrical Technology Exhibition will be held again at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou from June 9 to 12, 2021.

For more information about GILE (Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition), please visit https://gile.gymf.com.cn/ or email lighting@china.messefrankfurt.com

Source: Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co., Ltd.