The 23rd edition of the Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition (GILE), the most influential and comprehensive lighting and LED event in Asia, is set to take place from 9 ‒ 12 June 2018, at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou, China. The “THINKLIGHT” show concept will return and continue to develop at the 2018 show under the theme of “Embracing Changes”. As the lighting industry continues to undergo its digital revolution, thoughts are now turning to how lighting can expand its scope by becomingfully connected and a ‘smartʼdevice.
     Commenting on next year’s show theme, Ms Lucia Wong, Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd, said: “Digital lighting has well and truly arrived. The question we as an industry face is how do we tackle these changes and continue to shine? GILE has always aimed to serve as a platform that gathers the lighting community together.We want people to recognise the potential of light and to explore lighting that is sustainable and contributes positively to our well-being.”
     GILE 2018 will be at the forefront in showcasing how the introduction of LED technology has changed the lighting industry from analogue to digital. Being not only recyclable and possessing a long lifespan, LEDs are also easily integrated with controlling devices, leading to the significant development in connected and intelligent lighting technologies.
     The combination of LED lighting technology with concepts such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), Internet of Things (IoT) and big data has led to the emergence of many new application fields. For lighting vendors this entails a shift from selling light bulbs to selling a service that is based on IoT connectivity. New market segments such as automative LEDs, small interval LEDs, horticultural lighting, poultry lighting, UV LEDs and IR LEDs are beginning to receive more attention from the industry.
     GILE 2018 will explore the latest industry developments and present a number of new talking points for the industry. A series of high quality speakers will be announced in the lead up to the show. With seven months to go, over 85% of the exhibitor space for the 2018 show has already been booked and the fair has once again secured the participation of many globally recognised brands.
     The Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition runs concurrently with Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology. Both are a part of Messe Frankfurt’s Light + Building Technology fairs worldwide, headed by the biennial Light + Building event which will take place from 18 – 23 March, 2018, in Frankfurt, Germany.
     For more information regarding the lighting shows in China, please visit www.light.messefrankfurt.com.cn.