Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology: High turnout received for the 2012 show

Exhibitors expressed positive views on the growth of intelligent building; Visitors praised new technologies available at the fair; Fringe programmes provided engaging platforms for knowledge exchange

The 2012 Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology fair recorded its most impressive numbers in terms of exhibitor and visitor participation to date. Running concurrently with the Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition and Building Solar China Guangzhou from 9 – 12 June 2012 at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou, Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology served as Asia’s leading exhibition for the electrical engineering and building automation industries.

This year, the fair welcomed 26,147 visitors, a 148% increase from 2011. Of all visitors, 79% were domestic, while 21% came from overseas. Exhibition space also saw an impressive increase of 50% at the show’s ninth edition. The 2012 show attracted 261 exhibitors across two dedicated halls totalling 15,000 sqm.

Mr Richard Li, Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt in China commented: “There were a number of impressive trends we saw at the fair this year. For example, the 50% increase in exhibition space can be explained by the increasing popularity of building and home automation. A number of our exhibitors this year presented innovative solutions for smart home technology. For electrical engineering, this area continues to be an integral part to building technology. I believe the quality of both exhibitors and visitors has greatly improved this year. From the electrical engineering exhibitors I spoke with, there have been more quality professionals visiting their booths. We believe this was due in part to the concurrent lighting fair. Electrical engineering plays a key role in the development of lighting control systems.”

Exhibitors expressed positive views on the growth of intelligent building
Second time exhibitor, Schneider Electric (China) Co Ltd, came back to the fair this year to introduce its range of energy efficient office and smart home solutions. Mr Shu Zhongming, LifeSpace Marketing Offer Manager commented: “The results from the fair have been great. Visitors are very professional and the flow is high. Internet and intelligent cities are hot topics among them. Our solutions on energy efficiency and smart home concepts have drawn a lot of attention.” When asked for comment on intelligent building development in China, he added: “The development of smart homes is growing fast in East China, and is headed by Shanghai. However, with a strong economic base, the room for development in South China is huge.”

KNX China chose to highlight its strength in intelligent building and smart home development at the fair. Mr Joost Demarest, Director of the KNX Association said: “The results are quite good. I’ve had serious discussions with users who are interested in the products and technology shown by our member manufacturers, and people who want to become our members. From the fact that there are more and more manufacturers expressing interests to join KNX, the development of intelligent buildings and smart homes in China is very positive.”

France Léwin Tech International, a smart home solution provider and intercom system manufacturer, exhibited at the fair for the first time in 2012. Their aim was to launch their in-house brand to a global audience. And based on comments from Mr Matthew Ma, Marketing Director for Southern China, the 2012 fair exceeded their expectations. He said: “Our goal and objective had already been achieved by the second day. We received 400 to 500 leads from developers and system integrators. Visitors showed great interest in our products, and we are very satisfied with the result. The market for intelligent building has high potential in China.”

Already a veteran exhibitor at the show, Hedong Electrical Co Ltd returned for its sixth year to the building technology fair, to showcase its latest solutions in intelligent building and lighting. When asked about his thoughts on the show, Mr Huang Yi, Marketing Manager remarked: “I think Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology is the most professional trade fair in this industry in China. Our main customers are hotel owners, real estate developers, design institutes and distributors from domestic markets. We found some new customers whom we can introduce our main products to at the fair this year. We will exhibit again next year.” 

For exhibitors focused on electrical engineering, Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology provided successful synergies between the fair and the Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition. Wieland Electric Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd gained considerable advantages from the two concurrent shows. Mr Miles Cai, Field Application Manager noted: “There are a lot more lighting fixture OEMs, who are our major target visitors, coming to our booth this year compared to 2011. The increase of LED and related exhibitors definitely reflects industry trends and the government’s support. Being one of the pioneers of electrical connection technology, I think the advantage of this fair is bringing lighting and electrical engineering together. This exhibition is definitely the biggest in Asia.”

Visitors praised new technologies available at the fair

Overall, visitors were as equally impressed with the 2012 show. Mr Amit Ahuja, Business Head, Vision Edge from India commented: “I came here to find both LED products and home machines. It’s the third time I have visited this show. Our company’s new task is to enter the China market. I found some new suppliers doing special intelligent home systems which are exactly what we were looking for. As usual, I think it’s a good channel to explore the Chinese market. I will certainly visit the next show.”

[an error occurred while processing this directive] Mr Gao Ning, Manager, Shanghai Maitong Industries from China came to the fair to learn more about smart home technology. He said: “This is my first time visiting the fair. Being a system integrator, I am interested in smart home products and technology. I want to learn more about how to do it through the internet and my goal was achieved. The fair is good.”

Mr Alexey Vtyurin of South China Service Group Ltd remarked: “I came from Russia and I work in an LED trading company in Guangzhou. We are interested in home automation products and I am here searching for potential manufacturers. I think this fair is very well organised when compared to other Guangzhou fairs. I can find a wide variety of products and get in touch with different companies. This is a fruitful experience and I will come again next year.”

Fringe programmes provided engaging platforms for knowledge exchange
This year’s show offered five fringe programmes, as well as the highly regarded AGORA platform.

Mr Ma Si Ke, General Manager, Shandong Zhong Yuan Hi-Tech Liao Cheng Company was an attendee of a range of fringe programmes at the fair. He commented: “I have attended several fringe programmes over the last three days, and they have all been very informative. My company provides security and access control systems, and I am planning to expand our business into intelligent building automation. I am very interested in wireless technology. The requirement of customers nowadays is higher. They look for total solutions for their homes and buildings, which involves access, video, remote monitoring and many other aspects which can be found at the building technology fair.”

Under the Intelligent Green Building Alliance Conference, Mr Robert Zorn, Manager, Corporate Development, TUV Rheinland Greater China, spoke about the best practices in green technology. He explained: “The conference is very important for transferring the knowledge and the mindset of a comprehensive approach to green building to the audience. China is picking up and developing quickly in this area, especially the LED sector.”

Making its annual return to the fringe programme line up was the KNX Technical Seminar. Audience member Mr Shi Qing Pai, General Manager, Shishi City Bo Sheng Electronic Trade Co Ltd shared: “I learned that the application scope of KNX standards is very broad at the seminar. It will become the trend in the industry. My future purchasing decisions will follow this direction. The seminar helped me understand the technical and application aspects.” Speaker Dr Wang Linkun, Network Control Research Senior Engineers, Instrumentation Technology & Economy Institute China added: “The seminar provides me with a good way to communicate with users and potential users directly. It helps to raise their interest in a short time.”

For AGORA, speaker Mr Ellis Wong, Chairman, The Federation Asian and Pacific Electrical Contractors Association, praised the platform for allowing him to deliver new information to a broad audience. He added: “AGORA’s format opens to the public and thus can attract a broader range of audiences.”

Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology is organised by Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd. The fair is part of Messe Frankfurt’s architecture and technology shows, headed by the biennial Light+Building event in Frankfurt with the following building technology events in China:
 
•    Shanghai Intelligent Building Technology
19 – 21 September 2012
•    Beijing International Building Technology
8 – 10 April 2013.
•    Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology
9 – 12 June 2013.

To find out more information about these events, please visit www.building.messefrankfurt.com.cn or email building@china.messefrankfurt.com