The 3rd Smart Lighting Expo and the 17th Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Spring Edition) opened today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, running from April 20 to 23. Organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the twin fairs operate under the theme “Go Smart, Live Green” and bring together approximately 900 exhibitors, including newcomers from the Netherlands and Vietnam. Notable participants include Absen, whose LED displays were used at the World Cup and World Expos, and Shanghai Sansi, which supplies over 60% of the screens in New York’s Times Square.
Jenny Koo, Deputy Executive Director of the HKTDC, emphasized the significance of the fairs in promoting Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology hub. “As one of the key events of Business of Innovation and Technology Week, the Smart Lighting Expo focuses on cutting-edge lighting technologies and applications,” she said. The newly launched Smart Commercial Display & Stage Audio-Visual Zone features lighting products for cultural tourism and performing arts, supporting the development of the mega-event economy.
According to Statista, the global smart lighting market is expected to reach US$44 billion by 2030. The International Energy Agency noted that a second wave of LED transformation is imminent, with low LED penetration in regions like Africa and Latin America creating opportunities for high-efficiency LED technologies. Additionally, early-generation LED products are reaching end of life, driving demand for more intelligent systems.
A highlight of the fairs is the new “Light Lab” in Hall 3, which features three scenario-based designs: the Lumin Garden, Lumin Arena, and Lumin Gallery. The Lumin Garden displays garden lighting and smart lamp posts, including plant lighting fixtures from Shanghai Sansi that use proprietary ceramic technology for superior heat dissipation. The Lumin Arena showcases professional-grade stadium lights, such as the FSeries stadium lights from Foshan Electrical and Lighting, which are 20% to 45% lighter than traditional fixtures and have a lifespan of up to 100,000 hours. The Lumin Gallery focuses on high-end museum lighting, featuring ultra-low glare spotlights from Guangdong ThinkGisp that reduce eye stimulation.
Group pavilions from Zhongshan City, as a Special Partner City, include the Zhongshan Guzhen Pavilion and Zhongshan Henglan Pavilion, forming the Zhongshan Smart Home Zone. The Shanghai Pudong Intelligent Lighting Association returns for the third year with the Smart Ecosystem and IoT Supply Chain Area, featuring brands like BWEETECH, AIDimming, Darkoo, and TYF. Other pavilions include Shenzhen, Xiamen, and new ones from Changzhou Zouqu and Zhejiang.
Four major lighting trends are evident at the fairs: smart lighting, green lighting, entertainment lighting, and human-centric lighting. Smart lighting exhibitors like BWEETECH (Booth: 1B-E18) showcase the Bwee Smart Control Knob, which supports Zigbee and Apple Home integration for whole-home control. KC Lighting (Booth: 1E-A02) presents the M7 Micro 48V Track System with Casambi and DALI smart control. Green lighting products include Absen’s A25 Series low-carbon LED display, consuming less than one kilowatt-hour per square meter per day, and solar street lights from Guangdong Zhongqian New Energy. Entertainment lighting features dynamic backlights from Zhongyuan Innovation and Gobo projection lights from Zhongshan Walton Lighting. Human-centric lighting includes dim-to-warm track lights from Shenzhen Norming Lighting and an aroma diffuser lamp from Mascuge.
The fairs also host forums, including the Asian Lighting Forum on April 20–21, focusing on immersive entertainment lighting and landscape lighting design. The Smart Lighting Solution Forum on April 21 will discuss smart home lighting and human-centric entertainment lighting. Exhibitor Opple Lighting, as the official partner of the buyers’ VIP lounge, showcases SDL smart spectral lighting technology.
