The 27th Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition), the 10th Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo, both organised by the HKTDC and the 20th Eco Expo Asia, jointly organised by the HKTDC and Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and co-organised by the Environment and Ecology Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), concluded successfully. Together, the three exhibitions attracted around 62,000 buyers from 141 countries and regions.
Deputy Executive Director of the HKTDC Jenny Koo said: “This year’s Autumn Lighting Fair and Outdoor and Tech Light Expo attracted top global brands, showcasing a wealth of innovative and smart lighting products and solutions. Eco Expo Asia debuted a new pavilion that featured 22 local green start-ups presented by the Environmental Campaign Committee and the ANSO Environmental Technology Industry Alliance, led by the Alliance of National and International Science Organizations for the Belt and Road Regions (ANSO), and 11 mainland enterprises, bringing together diverse green technologies. The three fairs drew some 62,000 buyers. Buyers from outside Hong Kong primarily came from the Chinese Mainland, Taiwan, India, Korea, the US and ASEAN countries, including Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. This shows the fairs’ appeal as global hubs for the lighting and environmental industries, leveraging Hong Kong’s strengths as a trading centre and gateway to international markets."
Survey Reflects Optimism About Lighting Industry Sales Over the Next Two Years
An independent survey of more than 730 exhibitors and buyers at the Autumn Lighting Fair and Outdoor and Tech Light Expo revealed a generally optimistic outlook for the industry. About 61% of respondents expect overall sales to increase over the next 12 to 24 months, while 37% anticipate sales will remain stable. In terms of target markets, respondents were most optimistic about ASEAN countries (71%), India (70%), and the Middle East (70%).
In terms of lighting product trends, respondents foresee that artificial intelligence (57%), smart city development (40%), and technological advancement (36%) will be the key drivers of industry growth. A total of 74% of respondents believe that smart lighting will show good to very good market potential over the next two years. They identified the greatest development potential in home automation and smart lighting control systems (39%), followed by energy-efficient lighting control solutions (38%) and wireless lighting control systems (29%).
Regarding challenges, respondents highlighted the top three operational issues this year as fluctuations in the global economy (65%), rising costs due to inflation (42%), and growing protectionist measures such as export controls, tariffs, and sanctions (35%). In light of U.S. tariffs, 54% of respondents reported no or minimal impact on their companies’ procurement and sales strategies, while 16% indicated a significant impact.
Exhibitors’ Experiences
Under the theme “Illuminated Designs for a Smarter Future,” the twin lighting fairs showcased innovative products and smart lighting solutions from leading global brands. The Hall of Connected Lighting returned as the highlight of the Autumn Lighting Fair, featuring around 70 renowned brands demonstrating cutting-edge smart lighting and IoT applications.
Dutch company Signify unveiled its latest product in Asia, the VitaUp Vitamin D3 Modules by Philips, which provide a safe and controlled source of low-intensity UVB exposure to help maintain healthy vitamin D levels. Raimond Dumoulin, LED Architect at Signify, shared that the company connected with more than 100 potential buyers from the United States, Egypt, Korea, Japan, India, the Netherlands, Finland, Norway, and Mainland China. Based on the strong interest shown in its newly launched products and other offerings, the company expects the fair to generate orders worth between EUR 1 million and 2 million.
Specialising in smart lighting controls, Casambi Technologies Oy from Finland created various themed scenes at the fair, such as a café setting, presentation mode, and light shows, providing buyers with a fully immersive experience while showcasing seamless mode transitions and intuitive, smart operation. Tommy Hoo, APAC Strategy and Marketing Leader, said: “This is our first time attending the Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition), marking our debut at an exhibition in the Asia-Pacific region. APAC is an emerging market for us, and the fair has been highly effective in supporting our expansion plans. During the first half-day, we spoke with over 100 potential clients and participated in about 10 business matching meetings. We also pre-arranged additional meetings using the Scan2Match service to connect with potential clients from Singapore, Australia, India, Canada, Denmark, and more.”
Additionally, AI-integrated lighting systems drew strong interest from buyers. Bweetech Electronics Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., an innovative enterprise specialising in personal wireless smart lighting, showcased a system where users simply express their intent, and the AI technology automatically interprets and generates the ideal lighting effects tailored to the scene. Green Geng, Marketing Manager of Bweetech, shared that the company attracted around 50 potential buyers from the United States, Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia within the first two days of the exhibition. The company also secured an onsite order worth RMB 8 million from a Thai buyer, doubling the total sales value achieved at last year’s fair.
The concurrent Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo brought a diverse range of outdoor commercial and industrial lighting solutions, supporting the development of smart cities. The returning Smart Pole and Solution Zone featured Chinese Mainland exhibitor Ningbo Freelux Lighting Appliance Co., Ltd. who joined the expo to look for buyers from new markets. The company’s CEO Allen Mao said: “We have met with new buyers from different parts of the world, including Africa, Europe, the Middle East, South America and Southeast Asia. Two to three new buyers from Argentina and Poland have expressed their intention to purchase our streetlights. We expect that total orders generated by this expo will be around US$2-3 million.”
Eco Expo Asia welcomed its 20th edition fully committing to net zero goals
Under the theme “Green Innovations for Carbon Neutrality,” Eco Expo Asia highlighted the latest advancements in circular economy, waste management, green mobility, and ESG-related services, serving as a vital platform for global networking in the green industry. Supported by governments, industry associations, and enterprises worldwide, the expo, co-organised with the Environment and Ecology Bureau, also welcomed delegations from Mainland China, ASEAN, and Belt and Road countries to explore green technologies and products.
Mainland-based enterprise Infore Enviro shared that the fair provided valuable opportunities to connect with international government representatives, including those from Hong Kong, the UAE, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Following strong interest from the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the company plans to pursue potential collaborations in the region and expects its annual overseas revenue to grow by more than 200%.
One local startup said it showcased green innovation achievements through the expo. Jay Hsu, Senior Manager, GreenTech of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, shared: “The expo attracted Hong Kong investors and property management companies to visit, buyers from the Belt and Road countries and Southeast Asia such as Malaysia, Vietnam, and Singapore are also interested in our solutions. We have generated numerous leads, with six out of 10 exhibiting companies identifying potential buyers, and expect orders to reach approximately HK$15 million.
A local exhibitor Dunwell Engineering Company Limited has participated for 20 years. The company’s Sustainability Officer, Benson Leung, stated: “In the first two days of the expo, we have already connected with potential buyers from Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia and EU countries. They showed particular interest in a food waste processing system targeting hotels and residential estates, and lithium battery fire extinguishers. Additionally, we secured approximately 10 business matches with ASEAN buyers via the Click2Match platform, with meetings scheduled at the fair. This participation is projected to contribute around 20% of the company’s annual revenue.”
The HKTDC’s Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) and Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo together attracted about 3,000 exhibitors and over 50,000 buyers, reaffirming their status as leading global lighting marketplaces. Meanwhile, Eco Expo Asia, co-organised with Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. and the Environment and Ecology Bureau (HKSAR), featured around 340 exhibitors and drew more than 11,000 buyers.
