Salon Lighting Fall Edition: Eco Expo Asia
The big comeback
To be honest, we were looking forward to going to Hong Kong for many reasons. Not to go sightseeing, although the place is still as pleasant as ever for Westerners like us, but to see what the territory had become after many events that have changed its history and ours as a result. To do this, what better than a trade show. So we set our sights on the fall edition of the Lighting coupled with Eco Expo Asia which was held from October 27 to 30, is organized as it should be by HKTDC at the controls of the major annual events.
Indeed, many things have happened, and not the least, since our last visit to the sumptuous exhibition center in 2019, on the occasion of another meeting. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, since that is now what this territory at the end of the world must be called, has experienced many vicissitudes. First, there were risky government decisions that lit the fuse at the end of spring and threw 2 million people into the streets to protest against a law extraditing opponents of the rather pro-Beijing regime that was beginning to tighten its grip. Faced with this human tide, the repression was intense. Many demonstrators were imprisoned following the internal security law put in place to control a population that has always fiercely defended its independence, according to an institutional system based on democracy via a government elected by ballot, and freedom of speech and opinion. All this was no longer acceptable to the Chinese authorities who considered that the territory belonged to them by right after the retrocession by England. The West, perfectly aware of these important changes, protested only very weakly, for fear of angering the giant of the Middle Empire. So much so that this muscular takeover took place in almost general indifference, especially since nothing had fundamentally changed in the business world. Hong Kong remained a stronghold of global finance, and a mecca of business on the Asian continent due to its know-how, the widespread use of the English language, its accessibility via very dense air coverage, and high-level reception and hotel structures. We barely noticed a rise in the Chinese presence in the business world, foreshadowing a new landscape in the field of economic functioning, not to mention an increased presence of continental tourists. In the field of trade fairs organized by HKTDC, nothing special to report. Exhibitors and visitors were well catered for. All the platforms of all these major professional events were doing very well and their international power of attraction was still as strong. In short, despite the very localized political events, therefore invisible to foreigners, everything was fine. That was without taking into account a disaster called COVID.
Disaster, then resilience
No one could have imagined a worse scenario than the one the planet experienced in this year 2020, with this unimaginable epidemic that brought the entire world to a standstill. No place was spared, and Asia more than anywhere else. However, states took all the precautions imaginable, China in the lead by barricading itself more than anywhere else, but nothing worked, the virus spread throughout the territory and everywhere in neighboring countries. In such a context, Hong Kong was not spared and the territory even experienced a panic that triggered a wave of permanent departures on the part of Western expatriates worried about the way the pandemic had been managed and its political and economic consequences. Many saw this as an opportunity for the Chinese authorities to take advantage of the situation to increase their authority over the territory. However, it is not certain that the epidemic was an accelerator, even if it complicated the situation a little more. The fact remains that the famous internal security law has been put in place, which is gradually putting an end, day after day, to any form of protest against the Beijing regime, under penalty of heavy prison sentences already applied. In addition, citizens of the Middle Kingdom are settling in increasing numbers on this land that they consider theirs, whether as residents or through businesses. Faced with this new situation, many foreign companies felt personae non grata and left for good. In this bleak picture, we did not give much for the future of the territory and even less for the appeal of its trade fairs.
However, this was a bit hasty. Despite their political influence, the Chinese authorities have never blocked Hong Kong's economic development, especially in an economic context that continues to become increasingly tense. The stock market remains one of the most powerful in the world, capital circulates and economic activity has resumed without too much damage. Certainly other territories such as Singapore attract foreign companies, certainly foreign tourists have a hard time returning, despite the efforts of the Hong Kong government, still in control, despite the events, business is back according to the pragmatism that prevails in Asia and breaks down all ideological barriers. Thus, the Hong Kong trade fairs have very quickly regained their cruising speed and dynamism, as we were able to see for ourselves during our visit to the platform dedicated to lighting in all its forms, for this autumn session which was held from October 27 to 30. Never have we had the impression that so many events of the highest importance had taken place in these last four years. Resilience is not an empty word in this territory at the end of the world.
Salon Lighting
Gallery
As in the best days
We therefore found ourselves in the middle of a compact and dense crowd like on the best days, without it being stifling, since there were no less than 60,000 visitors from 150 countries who made the trip during these four days, spread over two sites rather far from each other without these distances ever having posed any difficulties in terms of timetables and management of visits. Just a small hiccup in an organization that we had always known to be almost perfect. The responsibility for this one came from the fluidity of the shuttles between the city's exhibition center which hosted the bulk of the troops and the one named World Asia Expo center here near the airport about thirty kilometers away. The reason for this problem? A record influx of visitors who stormed them from the first day, causing long waits. We did not experience the following days, but that is called the price of success, and the flow probably dried up after the opening rush. Still, this 2024 edition has shown that Hong Kong remains an essential platform for anyone wanting to do business on the Asian continent.
Looking a little closer at the visitors, we nevertheless note without surprise, that the majority concentrated on the famous exhibition center of the city center in the heart of the Wanchai district, due to the greater number of exhibitors. We found there this unique atmosphere which makes the visits never tiring. The traffic is always fluid thanks to a building arranged in floors facing large bay windows, overlooking the famous bay, all in a very hushed atmosphere. This environment and this decorum, we do not find it anywhere else. Complete change of scenery for the other meeting named Eco expo Asia, 19th of the name and welcome to modernity and functionality. Its remoteness does not pose any problem apart from the rush of the first day towards the shuttles. But in any case, the train station leading to the city center is located within the very grounds of the complex. All this to say that the teams HKTDC have always done everything to provide maximum comfort and practicality, and this element is a strong argument for buyers around the world.
A green, sustainable and smart offer
Of course, a comfortable show is a major asset, but it is not enough to attract visitors and exhibitors. If the former numbered 60,000 on the two sites, it is because the 3,000 exhibitors from 22 countries and regions had something to show them. To this end, they were not disappointed, as the lighting market is dynamic and innovative in Asia, thanks mainly to the Chinese companies that provided the bulk of the troops. This is neither surprising nor regrettable. If manufacturers of all types of lighting-related products come from the Middle Kingdom, it is because they have invested in this market for many years now and dominate it, mainly in the sourcing sector. This is what we have seen, and this offer suits buyers, the figures prove it. They thus find an exceptional platform in terms of choice. The phenomenon is all the more marked insofar as it is these same subcontracting companies of all types that set the tone in terms of innovations. It must be said that many of them continue to make efforts in terms of research and development, occupying all the niches of this gigantic market. This means that they inspire buyers around the world while responding to dominant trends.
Of course, through this offer which could not be more vast, between the platform Lighting and Eco Expo Asia, the latter being mainly dedicated to the outdoor sector, major demands emerge. These are broken down into a triumvirate that integrates sustainability, respect for the environment and artificial intelligence. Regarding the first, there is almost no need to insist, as this concept is integrated into the specifications of the entire profession, and as it is also requested by consumers around the world. It took a little longer regarding environmental respect, as the standards have been fluctuating for a long time and as it was more difficult to accept by populations who had to agree to pay the price in their purchasing decision. However, it would not occur to anyone today to dispute its merits. More complex is artificial intelligence, which fascinates and worries. Its performances, which apply to all types of lighting, are prodigious and carry limitless capacities, while it is only in its infancy. It worries precisely because of this.
So these are the key themes of the trade fairs. Lighting and Eco expo Asia who swept them and exhibited them in all their forms on these two platforms during these days. There were of course other more specific themes where design, decoration, urban planning were expressed. But beyond this exceptional offer by its diversity, its scope and its depth, what we will remember from this visit is that the Hong Kong fairs under the leadership of the teams HKTDC have found their place in the firmament. As if to say that great events never die. Such is the moral of a story that is not about to end.