From a Roadside Exhibition to the Global Stage: The 30th GILF Challenges the New Heights

ZHONGSHAN, China, March 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Looking back at 2023, the 28th and 29th China (Guzhen) International Lighting Fair (GILF) attracted a total of 550,000 visitors during the spring and autumn editions, and displayed new technologies, new products, new ideas and new trends in the lighting field. From March 18 to 21, 2024, the 30th GILF will take place grandly in 9 major venues, aiming to create a lighting spectacle with over 3,300 high-quality exhibitors, roughly 100,000 new products and 1.5 million sqm of exhibition space.

The GILF has gone through a glorious course of 25 years since the roadside exhibition in 1999. With the industrial transformation from traditional lighting to LED lighting, the GILF has evolved from a triennial, biennial and annual exhibition to the current event held in spring and autumn based on the distinctive mode featuring front exhibition+back factory, exhibition-megastore linkage, and online+offline exhibition, building an exhibition and trade platform for the entire industry chain.

The scale of the exhibition and the number of exhibitors reach a new height. Although there was only a temporary exhibition hall built on the roadside when the GILF was firstly held, the event gathered 200 local exhibitors and attracted vast visitors from surrounding villages and towns. Since then, the GILF has embarked on a journey of rapid development. The 2nd to 11th editions of the GILF were all held in Guzhen Lighting Square with an exhibition area of 28,000 sqm, while the 12th edition started to be held at the Guzhen Exhibition & Convention Center with an exhibition area of 55,000 sqm. With subsequent joining of eight sub-venues, the GILF has become a mega-sized exhibition with over 3,300 high-quality exhibitors and 1.5 million sqm of exhibition space. The 16.5-fold increase in exhibitors and more than 50-fold increase in area reflect the solid progress of the exhibition.

The 30th GILF will open a new chapter. Based on the exhibition-megastore linkage mode, about 100,000 new products will be unveiled at the main venue, Guzhen Exhibition & Convention Center, and other 8 sub-venues, including Lihe Lighting Expo Center, Huayi Plaza, Star Alliance, Lighting Era Center, Chang’an Lighting Parts City, Caosan International Lighting Parts City, Guyi Ruifeng International Lighting Fittings City, and Guyi Qingfeng LED Lighting Trading City, to jointly create a one-stop sourcing platform to meet the full-category, precise and all-round purchasing needs of global buyers.

9 venues gathering 3,300 lighting suppliers

The number of buyers and satisfaction are increasing. Guzhen Town, China’s Lighting Capital, has successfully opened the export market of its lighting products through the exhibition, achieving a significant transformation from “Introducing Guzhen to the World” to “Guzhen Lighting up the World”. As the influence and appeal of the GILF are increasing, from 2014 to the 29th edition, the number of domestic visitors has doubled, and the number of overseas visitors has quadrupled, attracting high-quality buyers from more than 130 countries and regions. Among them, nearly 60% of the visitors come from the Belt and Road countries and regions. Visitor satisfaction is up to 97%, and the elites, buyers, or designers in the industry can reap more business opportunities here.

The quality and category of exhibits are improved and diversified. With the development of traditional lighting, as well as the rise and popularization of LED technology in Guzhen Town, the GILF has advanced scenario-based development and diversified application of light. Participants can also learn about the history and trends of China’s lighting industry during the fair, which has undergone a significant change from simple decorative lamp-based exhibits to high-quality original products from the whole industry chain.

The 30th GILF will continue to forge forward. This year’s exhibition will gather exhibits in the fields of smart lighting, indoor decorative lighting, commercial lighting, industrial lighting, outdoor cultural tourism lighting, new energy storage, accessories & parts and mechanical equipment, highlight exhibits in the fields of intelligent transportation, cultural and tourist attractions construction, new energy storage, smart lighting, smart lighting solutions, and original design, and focus on the latest trend of the lighting industry such as “intelligence+lighting”, “low carbon+lighting” and “innovation+lighting”.

Online+offline exhibition mode optimizes event activities. The GILF has been promoting digital transformation since 2014 by performing paperless, intelligent and electronic management. In 2016, Guzhen Town and the GILF officially launched the B2B trading platform Denggle.com, which integrates a full range of exhibition services and products online and provided online+offline marketing and trade matchmaking services for the industry. As online+offline integration goes further, jiagle.com and GILF Mini Program were launched, and services including online pre-registration, electronic bulletin and purchasing guidance are available through computer, mobile and mini programs, in order to meet the needs of different users, and provide buyers and suppliers with 24/7 services and the latest exhibition and industry information without time and space limit.

The 30th GILF will embrace the era of digital transformation. It will further empower the exhibition with digital technology and upgrade the online system to provide richer services and more comprehensive display of products and industry information. “EZTalk” livestreaming forum will use real-time virtual technology at the exhibition site to integrate the frontier ideas of forum guests, thus to run the lighting forum in a metaverse virtual way and provide a new mode for industry communication.

In addition, a number of high-end forums and activities will be held concurrently to help participants understand industry needs and gain insights of practitioners, making the fair a high-quality and informative “feast of ideas”. Various theme activities and sales promotions will also be launched in sub-venues in the form of buying season, trendy products show, art festivals, and live store visits.

Liu Shengping, executive director of the China Association of Lighting Industry, said: “The GILF has been held for 30 consecutive editions, and the changes in scale, exhibits and visitors have fully demonstrated the increasing vitality, influence and expected value of the fair.”

The 30th GILF will take place grandly from March 18 to 21, 2024 in Guzhen Town, China’s lighting capital, where you can “visit the fair during the day and appreciate lanterns at night”. You can also learn about the latest achievements in the lighting industry, experience the perfect integration of cutting-edge technology and artistic design, and witness the glorious history of the 30th GILF in this feast of light, shadow and innovation.

Source : From a Roadside Exhibition to the Global Stage: The 30th GILF Challenges the New Heights

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