HKTDC Smart Lighting Expo & Hong Kong Lighting Fair Wrap Up: 13,000 Buyers from 114 Countries Signal Strong 2026 Sales Outlook

The 3rd Smart Lighting Expo and the 17th Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Spring Edition), organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), successfully concluded today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The four-day fairs brought together some 900 exhibitors and attracted some 13,000 buyers from 114 countries and regions for onsite visits and sourcing. Buyer numbers recorded growth, including those from Asian markets such as Malaysia and the Philippines; European markets including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia and Türkiye; and North and South American markets, including Brazil, Canada and the US, highlighting Hong Kong’s role as a key global hub for lighting products and technology exchange.

The 3rd Smart Lighting Expo and the 17th Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Spring Edition), organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), successfully concluded today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, attracted some 13,000 buyers from 114 countries and regions for onsite visits and sourcing. Photo By HKTDC

Jenny Koo, Deputy Executive Director of the HKTDC, said: "This year’s two lighting fairs attracted industry-leading enterprises who showcased cutting-edge high-performance, smart lighting and sustainable products and solutions. The events also attracted quality buyers from global markets. This helps companies diversify supply chains, explore new markets, and underscores Hong Kong’s strength as an ‘International Exhibition Capital’ which boosts efficient business platforms. The fairs are the preferred platform for the industry to showcase innovation, connect with global buyer networks and accelerate business development.”

To keep abreast of the latest industry developments, the HKTDC conducted an onsite survey during the fairs, interviewing 450 exhibitors and buyers. The findings show that overall confidence among exhibitors and buyers in future business development has shown a general increase.

Key market outlook and product trend findings:

• 49.1% of respondents expect overall sales to increase in the next 12 to 24 months, while 47.6% expect sales to remain stable.

• Respondents consider India (73.4%), Australia (71%), ASEAN countries (70.4%), and Japan (68.1%) to be promising or very promising target sales markets for lighting products over the next two years in terms of growth.

• In terms of new market development, exhibitor respondents are actively exploring Middle East (31.8%), Europe (29.5%), ASEAN countries (23.9%), Latin America (17.6%) and North America (14.8%).

• In the smart lighting segment, respondents identified home automation and intelligent lighting control systems (48.2%), energy saving lighting control solutions (38.2%), and outdoor smart security lighting systems (31.1%) as having the greatest growth potential over the next two years.

• Compared with conventional lighting products, respondents indicated that consumers are willing to pay an average premium of 29% for lighting products equipped with smart functions.

The newly launched “Light Lab” features various scenario-based and immersive designs, integrating lighting products into landscape, sports, cultural and artistic application settings. Shanghai Sansi Electronic Engineering showcased plant clamp lights and compact downlights suitable for museum applications. Guoli Zhu, Deputy Chief Engineer of the company said: “The Light Lab has effectively enhanced the presentation of our products, enabling buyers to more intuitively and swiftly grasp product features and their real-world application scenarios. This has successfully attracted buyers from Argentina, Canada, Germany, India, Japan and the US to visit our booth for in-depth discussions. We expect this to result in orders worth over US$1 million.”

The newly launched “Light Lab” adopted a series of scenariobased and immersive designs, integrating lighting products directly into landscape, sports, cultural and artistic application settings, enabling buyers to better understand product features and practical applications. Photo By HKTDC

At the Spring Lighting Fair, the featured “Hall of Aurora” brought together 120 international and premium lighting brands, attracting numerous global buyers. Photo By HKTDC

The Smart Lighting Expo also debuted the “Smart Display and Stage Lighting & Sound Zone” which displayed a wide range of intelligent display solutions. Industry leader Absen participated in the fair for the first time. Benjamin Tang, Senior Sales Engineer, said: “The new zone has effectively enhanced product visibility, attracting buyers from Eastern Europe, Oceania, North America, South America, and South Asia to our booth. These inquiries came from new clients across key sectors such as cultural tourism and stage engineering. We have also successfully engaged in several promising collaboration discussions with potential clients from the Dominican Republic, Hong Kong and Thailand, further strengthening the company’s market expansion plan. We estimate the value of orders from the expo will amount to US$930,000. Riding on this momentum, we have decided to join the Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) this year.”

The Shanghai Pudong Intelligent Lighting Association also returned to the Smart Lighting Expo for the third consecutive year, presenting the “Intelligent Ecosystem & IoT Supply Chain Zone”. Photo By HKTDC

As for the Spring Lighting Fair, exhibitors include the Xiamen Pavilion, and newly participating Changzhou Zouqu District Pavilion and Zhejiang Pavilion, further broadening industry exchange. Photo By HKTDC

The two fairs gathered numerous renowned brands and industry leaders, including Absen (photo), an LED display provider featured at the NBA All-Stars Games, the FIFA Qatar World Cup and Qatar Doha World Expo, and a Guinness World Record holder; and Shanghai Sansi, which supplies over 60% of the display screens in Times Square, New York. Photo By HKTDC

The newly launched “Leisure Lighting Zone” has injected new momentum into the Spring Lighting Fair. Rebecca Seo, CFO of NIZ, a first-time exhibitor from Korea, said: “The fair has provided us with an excellent platform to connect with international buyers. We have successfully connected with buyers from Denmark, Germany, Japan, and the US, and a well-known Japanese homeware retailer has already placed an on-site order. Thanks to the strong traffic generated by the new zone, we expect the fair to bring up to US$70 million in orders for our company this year."

Supported by Zhongshan as the Special Partner City, the fairs featured the Zhongshan Guzhen Pavilion and Zhongshan Henglan Pavilion under the Zhongshan Smart Home Zone, presenting the manufacturing strength and competitiveness of the region’s lighting industry while supporting enterprises in “going global”. Merry Liu, Manager of Bairan Lighting, said: “The two lighting fairs provide Zhongshan enterprises with an efficient ‘go-global’ gateway, enabling us to connect directly with buyers from Europe, the Middle East, South America, and Southeast Asia. This helps drive our products and brand onto the international stage. We expect to achieve US$2 million in sales.”

During the fair, the HKTDC organised a buying mission to Zhongshan for the first time, visiting several lighting factories and participating in business matching meetings. This initiative aimed to deepen exchange and cooperation within the Zhongshan lighting supply chain. The visit successfully facilitated several substantive business collaborations; New Zealand buyer Spark100 Ltd established a connection with a Zhongshan lighting supplier, with a potential order value estimated between US$100,000 and US$300,000.

During the fairs, the HKTDC arranged various matching activities to connect buyers and exhibitors. The photo shows buyer Powermep from the UAE in discussion with an exhibitor. Photo By HKTDC

During the fairs, the HKTDC organised a buying mission to Zhongshan for the first time, visiting several lighting factories and participating in business matching meetings, strengthening exchange and cooperation within the Zhongshan lighting supply chain. Photo By HKTDC

This year’s exhibition also attracted buyers from the Middle East. Patrick Zhang, VP of sales of Tecnon Lighting Technology from the Shenzhen Pavilion, stated: “At this year’s fair, a buyer from the United Arab Emirates and a US buyer from a leading women’s fashion brand are likely to become our cooperation partners. We expect to generate US$2 million in sales turnover for our company.”

As construction projects in the ASEAN region accelerate, market demand for smart lighting solutions continues to expand. Sambath HK, Manager of RS Decoration from Cambodia, stated, “I travelled here specifically to source lighting products for 14 new commercial building and luxury residential projects. I have already met with over 20 new suppliers and identified two potential partners offering smart street lights, solar lights, and decorative lighting products. I will initially purchase US$100,000 worth of smart street lights.”

Driven by the Belt and Road Initiative, urban development in participating countries and regions are in full swing, fuelling a continuous surge in demand for high-efficiency and smart lighting products. Aigerim Beisekina, Supply Manager of Karelz.kz from Kazakhstan, said: “This is our first time visiting the twin lighting fairs, to find reliable suppliers for a solar-powered stadium and sports lighting for three international schools currently under construction in Kazakhstan. Through the Click2Match business matching platform, we have identified three potential suppliers from the Chinese Mainland and plan to purchase lighting equipment valued between US$600,000 and US$900,000.”

The Smart Lighting Solution Forum was held on 21 April. Industry experts shared developments in smart home lighting systems and human-centric lighting for home entertainment as well as discussion of the eco-system of health and connected lighting supply chains. Photo By HKTDC

During the fairs, multiple professional events were held, including the Asian Lighting Conference and the Smart Lighting Solutions Forum. Designers and industry representatives from different regions shared market trends, application cases and technological developments, providing forward-looking market insight for the industry.

EXHIBITION+ model sustains post-fair business opportunities

Under the hybrid EXHIBITION+ model, the twin lighting fairs combined in-person sourcing with online meetings via the HKTDC’s Click2Match smart business-matching platform and hktdc.com sourcing platform. Click2Match will be available until 30 April to facilitate discussions between exhibitors and buyers around the world.

As part of the city’s megaevent economy, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (official exhibition promotion partner) arranged special “Cheung Po Tsai” Victoria Harbour night cruises during the fairs to enhance the business travel experience of convention and exhibition visitors. Photo By HKTDC

Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the 3rd Smart Lighting Expo and the 17th Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Spring Edition) open today and will run for four consecutive days from 20 to 23 April at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) in Wan Chai. Under the theme “Go Smart, Live Green”, the twin lighting fairs introduce a number of new zones this year, including the debut of “Light Lab”, which focuses on lighting solutions that combine innovation and sustainability, unveiling the latest lighting trends for 2026.

The 3rd Smart Lighting Expo and the 17th Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Spring Edition) are being held from today for four consecutive days, from 20 to 23 April.

Jenny Koo, Deputy Executive Director of the HKTDC, said: “This year’s twin lighting fairs bring together some 900 exhibitors, including new exhibitors from the Netherlands and Vietnam. A number of industry leaders are participating, including Absen, whose LED displays were in use at the World Cup and World Expos, and has been ranked first nationally in LED display exports for 16 consecutive years, and Shanghai Sansi, which supplies over 60% of the screens in Times Square, New York. Overall, our exhibitor lineup is strong. As one of the key events of Business of Innovation and Technology Week (BIT Week), the Smart Lighting Expo focuses on cutting edge lighting technologies and applications. This year, the newly launched Smart Commercial Display & Stage Audio-Visual Zone features lighting products and equipment related to cultural tourism and performing arts. As top-tier trade events for lighting products and technologies, the twin lighting fairs not only help promote Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology hub but also support the development of the megaevent economy by fostering cross industry exchange and collaboration.”

The newly introduced “Light Lab” in Hall 3 features three scenario-based designs that present a range of lighting products in an immersive manner, allowing visitors to experience the characteristics of lighting fixtures in different settings. The Lumin Garden showcases garden lighting, smart lamp posts and solar luminaires. Zhongshan Faner Lighting (Booth: 1C-B02) presents its solar ground stake lights.

According to Statista, the global smart lighting market is expected to reach US$44 billion by 2030. An analysis released by the International Energy Agency in March said that a second wave of LED transformation is imminent. In regions including Africa, Latin America and the Asia Pacific (excluding India and Chinese Mainland), LED penetration remains relatively low. In the residential sector alone, around 30% of lighting fixtures worldwide have yet to be upgraded, creating opportunities for high efficiency LED technologies. At the same time, early generation LED products, which account for nearly 15% of global residential lighting fixtures and have an average lifespan of 10 to 15 years, are gradually reaching the end of their service life, creating opportunities for high efficiency and more intelligent lighting systems.

The Lumin Arena showcases professional grade lighting performance with stadium lights and high bay lights. Foshan Electrical and Lighting (Booth: 3E-D19), which provides lighting for the China National Youth Football Training Centre, presents its F Series stadium lights, manufactured using full aluminium forging technology.

Against the backdrop of surging demand for high efficiency and intelligent lighting, this year’s fairs curate multiple highlights that bring advanced lighting technologies into real world application scenarios. The newly introduced “Light Lab” in Hall 3 features three scenario-based designs that present a range of products in an immersive manner, allowing visitors to experience their characteristics in different settings. The Lumin Garden displays garden lighting, smart lamp posts and solar luminaires. Shanghai Sansi LED Lighting presents plant lighting fixtures that use proprietary independent ceramic technology, delivering heat dissipation efficiency superior to metal structures. Combined with precise spectral control and professional optical systems, the solution meets the needs of plants at different growth stages.

The Lumin Gallery focuses on high end museum lighting, displaying modular track lights and spotlights that highlight the integration of precise light control and aesthetics. Shanghai Sansi (Booth: 1C-F23) demonstrates the hill spotlight series, which create soft edged light with natural transitions, seamlessly integrating into museum aesthetics.

The newly launched Smart Commercial Display & Stage Audio-Visual Zone features lighting products and equipment related to cultural tourism and performing arts.

The Lumin Arena showcases professional grade lighting performance with stadium lights and high bay lights. Foshan Electrical and Lighting, which provides lighting for the China National Youth Football Training Centre, presents its new overseas sports lighting product, the F Series stadium lights, manufactured using full aluminium forging technology. Under the same illuminance level, the lights are 20% to 45% lighter than traditional fixtures and use high thermal conductivity 1060 pure aluminium, effectively reducing LED chip operating temperatures. With a lifespan of up to 100,000 hours, maintenance requirements are significantly reduced. The Lumin Gallery focuses on high-end museum lighting, displaying modular track lights and spotlights that highlight the integration of precise light control and aesthetics. Guangdong ThinkGis presents ultralow glare spotlights that emphasise glare control, reducing eye stimulation through specialised optical design and enhancing operational comfort and safety.

The twin lighting fairs receive strong support from Zhongshan City, which partners as a special collaborative city this year, bringing the Zhongshan Guzhen Pavilion and Zhongshan Henglan Pavilion to showcase competitive lighting manufacturing capabilities and innovative solutions.

As for the group pavilion, the twin lighting fairs receive strong support from Zhongshan City, as a Special Partner City this year, bringing the Zhongshan Guzhen Pavilion and Zhongshan Henglan Pavilion to form the Zhongshan Smart Home Zone, showcasing competitive lighting manufacturing capabilities and innovative solutions. The Shanghai Pudong Intelligent Lighting Association participates in the Smart Lighting Expo for the third consecutive year, setting up the Smart Ecosystem and IoT Supply Chain Area, together with brands including BWEETECH, AIDimming, Darkoo and TYF, presenting the latest developments in smart lighting and IoT solutions. In addition, pavilion from Shenzhen also participate, while the Spring Lighting Fair brings together pavilion from Xiamen, as well as new pavilions from Changzhou Zouqu and Zhejiang, further expanding industry exchange.

Four major lighting trends move forward in parallel, showing new directions in smart, low carbon, immersive and human centric lighting

As artificial intelligence technologies continue to mature, lighting products are no longer limited to basic illumination functions. Instead, they integrate design, aesthetics, health, personalised experiences and sustainability, and even become an important part of urban and social infrastructure. Exhibitors at the Smart Lighting Expo and Spring Lighting Fair fully demonstrate the four major lighting trends currently taking shape in the market.

• Smart lighting: enhancing flexibility and scenario experience through technology Many exhibitors focus on intelligent control and scenario-based applications to enhance the flexibility and user experience of lighting systems. BWEETECH (Booth: 1B-E18) showcases its Bwee Smart Control Knob, which has won the MUSE Design Award and iF Design Award. The product supports the Zigbee protocol and integration with platforms such as Apple Home, offering stepless dimming from 1% to 100% and millisecond level response, enabling easy whole home smart control. KC Lighting (Booth: 1E-A02) presents its M7 Micro 48V Track System, which supports Casambi and DALI smart control. With its ultra slim and flexible design, the system meets the needs of precise lighting layout and scenario management in residential and high-end commercial spaces. In addition, Xiamen PVTECH (Booth: 1E-B02) introduces its off grid intelligent lighting control panel, featuring multiple preset office and meeting room scenarios and one touch human-centric lighting (HCL) switching, demonstrating the practical application potential of smart lighting in workplace environments.

• Green lighting: driving low carbon transformation and sustainable development Many products on display cleave to the trend of green lighting, which helps the industry advance low carbon transformation. Absen (Booth: 1BB01) showcases its A25 Series low carbon energy saving LED display, which consumes less than one kilowatt hour of electricity per square metre per day and delivers over 50% energy savings compared to traditional solutions. Guangdong Zhongqian New Energy (Booth: 1B-E02) presents solar street lights powered by renewable energy, equipped with sleep mode and long lasting battery life, suitable for smart city and public lighting applications. Meanwhile, Ningbo Yadu Lighting (Booth: 1D-E18) introduces solar garden lights that combine solar power with USBC charging, providing long duration illumination for residential and outdoor environments.

• Entertainment lighting: creating immersive light and shadow and interactive experiences A wide range of lighting products emphasise interactive lighting effects and immersive experiences, injecting new elements into performances, gaming and cultural settings. Zhongyuan Innovation (Booth: 1B-D11) presents its Ambit 3 + Spot GREENTEK dynamic backlight, supporting 16 million colours and synchronised audiovisual lighting effects, designed specifically for gaming and entertainment environments. Zhongshan Walton Lighting (Booth: 1BC05) showcases its Gobo Projection Light that supports DMX512 control and multiple dynamic animation effects, widely used in stages, events and tourist attractions. Ledmy (Booth: 3E-B02) introduces its 360-degree neon lighting series, featuring uniform omnidirectional illumination and high design flexibility, commonly applied in stadiums, cultural projects and landmark developments.

• Human centric lighting: enhancing visual comfort and quality of life The fairs also feature products that leverage visual comfort for physical and mental wellbeing. Shenzhen Norming Lighting (Booth: 1E-C24) presents dim-to-warm track lights with colour temperature that changes naturally with brightness, high colour rendering and flicker free design, enhancing comfort in dining and living spaces. In addition, Mascuge (Booth: 3E-A03) introduces an aroma diffuser humidifying lamp that integrates soft lighting with aromatherapy and humidification, creating a relaxing lighting environment for homes and leisure spaces.

In addition to exhibition displays, the twin lighting fairs host a series of information rich key events. A highlight of the Spring Lighting Fair, the Asian Lighting Forum, will be held on 20–21 April, inviting lighting design experts from across Asia to share the latest trends in landscape, outdoor and immersive entertainment lighting.

Two Major Forums Examine Market Hot Topics

In addition to exhibition displays, the twin lighting fairs host a series of events to foster industry exchange. A highlight of the Spring Lighting Fair, the Asian Lighting Forum, will be held on 20–21 April, under the themes “Luminous Spectacle: Immersive Entertainment Lighting Experience” and “LightScape Aesthetics: LuminArt in Landscape and Public Space Design”. Award-winning lighting designers, including concert lighting expert from ANH Design Company (Taiwan) and the Bund’s landscape lighting designer from Tungsten (Shanghai), will share the latest trends in immersive entertainment lighting and outdoor lighting.

Meanwhile, the Smart Lighting Solution Forum at the Smart Lighting Expo will be held on 21 April under the theme “Illuminating Smart Living: Infinite Possibility of Light”. Industry experts will discuss smart home lighting, human-centric entertainment lighting, and the development of the lighting supply chain ecosystem, helping the industry grasp future application directions.

Exhibitor Opple Lighting, as the official partner of the buyers’ VIP lounge at the Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Spring Edition), is showcasing its SDL smart spectral lighting technology, and will also participate in on-site product promotions and launch events.