ISOTeam adds to outstanding track record with $20.49 million in new contract wins

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The Group’s "Others" segment continues to gain traction and break new ground.

The Group’s “Others” segment continues to gain traction and break new ground.

ISOTeam Ltd. an established eco-conscious Repairs and Redecoration (R&R) and Addition and Alteration (A&A) specialist in Singapore, recently announced that it had secured 14 new private and public sector contracts in Singapore totalling an aggregate of $20.49 million

These latest contract wins show that ISOTeam continues to maintain an established track record for reliability and excellence in public sector R&R and A&A works with $9.38 million worth of projects secured from town councils alone. Its recently expanded “Others” segment, which comprises four complementary businesses it acquired in October 2014, also continues to gain traction and break new ground for the Group with projects secured from new sectors and new clients.

ISOTeam CEO, Mr. Anthony Koh. Image courtesy of ISOTeam.

ISOTeam CEO, Mr. Anthony Koh. Image courtesy of ISOTeam.

Said Anthony Koh, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of ISOTeam, “We are very encouraged by the latest slew of contract wins. The slowing Singapore economy has caused competition in the industry to be a lot more intense but I believe our strong track record and reputation for quality and reliability will definitely tip things in our favour. I am glad that we were able to bag these contracts and end 2015 with a bang, and I look forward to a good 2016.”

For more information, visit www.isoteam.com.sg.

Arup bags top structural engineering award for Singapore Sports Hub

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Singapore Sports Hub shines in the night. Image courtesy of Arup.

Singapore Sports Hub shines in the night. Image courtesy of Arup.

Arup, a multidisciplinary engineering and consulting firm with a reputation for delivering innovative and sustainable designs, was recognised with the highest accolade at the The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) Structural Awards 2015 on 13 November 2015.

The Singapore Sports Hub, for which Arup was the structural engineer, won the Supreme Award for Structural Engineering Excellence. This is the highest accolade of the ceremony and is given at the judges’ discretion, to the project that has distinguished itself from all submissions in 2015, and for being the finest global example of structural engineering design in the year.

Stunning retracting roof at Singapore Sports Hub in action. Image courtesy of Arup.

Stunning retracting roof at Singapore Sports Hub in action. Image courtesy of Arup.

The Singapore Sports Hub is home to the world’s largest free-spanning dome of 310 metres, the approximate width of four A380 aeroplanes parked wing to wing. The roof, which covers the 55,000-seat sports stadium, also sets new benchmarks in efficiency of design and material usage, utilising a third of weight of steel normally used in a span of this size.

“It is a rare honour to have worked on and led the design for the Singapore Sports Hub – a fantastic project, with contributions from so many talented people. I am elated with the recognition the project and team have received, and am particularly proud of the work Arup has done on the National Stadium roof. Working under intense pressure, the team delivered exceptional technical work with a brilliant outcome. They pushed the boundaries of technology and thoroughly deserve this recognition,” said Andrew Henry, Project Manager at Arup.

The firm also won in four other categories: the Award for Sports or Leisure Structures, again, for the Singapore Sports Hub; the Award for Arts or Entertainment Structures for the Vegas High Roller in the USA; the Award for Regional Groups for the SSE Hydro in Glasgow; and the Housing for Low-Income Communities project in El Salvador was presented with the Award for Sustainability.

For more information on The Structural Awards 2015, visit www.istructe.org/structuralawards/2015/home.

Research reveals gaps in indoor wireless connectivity

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Planning for mobile connectivity doesn't match consumer demand.

Planning for mobile connectivity doesn’t match consumer demand.

In a world in which approximately 80 percent of wireless data traffic originates or terminates within a building, new global research focused on the professionals who design and manage buildings is shedding some light on this critical indoor wireless gap. For example, only about 56 percent of building managers, facilities managers, real estate managers and architects always consider mobile connectivity for a building’s tenants as a factor when working on projects.

The study, commissioned by global network infrastructure leader CommScope and carried out by Coleman Parkes, examined the current performance, attitudes and insights of building managers, facilities managers, real estate managers and architects regarding access to indoor wireless connectivity.

The findings revealed that about 48 percent of architects across the globe plan and design buildings with dedicated in-building cellular networks in mind. Providing access to cellular coverage inside buildings appears to be considerably less important to European architects than to their counterparts across the Atlantic, with 31 percent always considering it for their projects compared to nearly 65 percent in the US.

Network operators and their partners should be engaged early on.

Network operators and their partners should be engaged early on.

Despite an apparent lack of commitment to planning for in-building mobile connectivity, however, 73 percent of respondents globally cited it as an “important” or “very important” factor. However, nearly 47 percent admitted to having no control over cellular coverage in their buildings, but wish they did.

“Mobile users expect uninterrupted voice service and super-fast wireless broadband wherever they are, indoors or out,” Dr. Ispran Kandasamy, global building solutions leader, CommScope said. “As bring-your-own-device policies become increasingly prevalent in the workplace, the earlier you start planning for wireless in building design, the easier it is to deliver high quality, high bandwidth networks that give consumers what they demand. The ‘build it first; fix it later’ model doesn’t work anymore with indoor wireless.”

The research also demonstrated differing opinions across industry sectors when assessing the importance of connecting people inside buildings. For example, 70 percent of respondents in retail, a sector that relies on mobile as part of a multi-channel commerce strategy, always consider indoor wireless as part of their building projects. Less consideration was given in sectors without as much reliance on mobile, such as banking and insurance (58 percent), and energy and utilities (50 percent).

All the parties involved in operating buildings should see these survey results as validating the need for taking a greater leadership role in the provisioning of in-building wireless, in the same way that seamless wired/wireless LAN connectivity is taken for granted within buildings,” Kandasamy said.

NIPSEA Group unveils nine colours set to trend across Asia

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The nine trend colours were curated and handpicked by more than 50 design professionals, colour experts and enthusiasts. Image courtesy of NIPSEA Group.

The nine trend colours were curated and handpicked by more than 50 design professionals, colour experts and enthusiasts. Image courtesy of NIPSEA Group.

NIPSEA Group, one of Asia’s leading paint and coatings manufacturers recently launched its second “Trend Beyond Colours”, unveiling nine key colour palettes featured across three inspirational themes: “We Are One”, “New Eco” and “Wonder-Lust.” The nine colours are forecasted to drive utilisation across various industries and applications in 2016 and 2017.

The nine trend colours were curated and handpicked by more than 50 design professionals, colour experts and enthusiasts from all over the Asia Pacific region during the Asia Pacific ChromaZone Colour Forecasting Workshop 2015, organised by Colour Marketing Group (CMG).

“We study and analyse the effects of colours and how behaviour is influenced by colours in Asia to capture the region’s essence,” said Wee Siew Kim, Group CEO of NIPSEA. “We then translate these into nine colours under three themes, to make it easier for our consumers to develop their own stories in the future,” he added.

“We Are One” features modern colours that remind consumers how new age technology and social media are constantly affecting our lives and keeping us connected wherever we are. The second series, “New Eco” celebrates the wonders and simplicity on Nature, bringing consumers back in touch with Nature through the use of stylish yet comforting colours, while “Wonder-Lust” embodies all things YOLO as it explores consumers’ discovery for the perfect balance in life.

Trend Beyond Colours 2016/17 is available for download online. To download or to read it online, visit www.nipponpaint.com.sg/colours/trend-beyond-colours.

Plazit-Polygal launches economic new roofing material

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The easy-to-fit system comes in five colours. Image courtesy of Plazit-Polygal

The easy-to-fit system comes in five colours. Image courtesy of Plazit-Polygal

Plazit-Polygal, a producer of polycarbonate building materials, has launched Topgal, a modular range of translucent roofing material, which is attractive, economic, flexible and easy to install.

The Topgal range is suitable for any building that requires natural light, such as sports stadiums, commercial buildings and even pool enclosures. The Topgal sheets come in five different colours: clear, bronze, ice, blue and polyshade silver. It also comes in a variety of sizes and thickness levels, and delivers different levels of light transmission to meet even the most demanding of needs.

Topgal panels are linked together with easy-to-fit connectors, which create a mechanical lock between the sheets, ensuring that the panels are strong and watertight. Fixture points are hidden and the sheets can be flexed to suit any type of structure.

The Topgal system. Image courtesy of Plazit-Polygal.

The Topgal system. Image courtesy of Plazit-Polygal.

“The Topgal system is translucent but all damaging UV rays are filtered out while heat transference is limited,” said Tito Asher. “It is modular so units can be added as needed,” he added.

The Topgal standing-seam panels and components integrate the unique properties of multi-wall structures to deliver superior strength, rigidity and thermal insulation. Topgal sheets are manufactured in 600 mm and 1,000 mm widths (centre to centre) and in thicknesses from 8 mm to 20 mm. In addition to the standard colours, Plazit-Polygal can tailor special colours and solar radiation levels. Find out more at www.plazit-polygal.com.

Iconic Parisian tower comes to life in Macau

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An artist’s rendering depicts The Parisian Macao, slated to open in the second half of 2016. Image courtesy of Sands China Ltd

An artist’s rendering depicts The Parisian Macao, slated to open in the second half of 2016. Image courtesy of Sands China Ltd

Standing next to another distinguishable Sands development, The Venetian Macao, the replica Eiffel Tower at the Parisian Macao is set to become both a landmark feature and a popular outlook, offering guests and visitors alike spectacular views of Macau’s bustling Cotai Strip.

The Macau Eiffel Tower, which is half the scale of the original, is a faithful replica of the famed 19th century counterpart in Paris, and retains many decorative features of its Paris cousin, including cornice scrolls, balustrades, gussets plates, lattices, staircases and mesh screens around the observation decks.

Global engineering consultants Aurecon was closely involved in the planning and design for the distinctive new structure. The company provided full structural engineering consultancy on the job, and helped manage the difficulties of maintaining an authentic design while addressing the challenges caused by extreme weather, a congested construction site, and the anticipated high number of visitors.

At the project’s outset, Aurecon provided the drafting of the tower using Revit software, which allowed the team to visually represent the complicated design connections in 3D. This made it easier to detect any potential challenges or clashes that might arise during construction even before building work had begun. As a result, this ensured time-consuming amendments at the shop drawing preparation or fabrication stage were avoided.

“The key to recreating this iconic landmark has been strong team work and the close collaboration between the design and construction teams,” says Dr Alecs Chong, Aurecon’s project leader on the Macau Eiffel Tower. Dr Chong says the close co-operation between the design and construction teams started at the earliest stages of the project, and has delivered efficiency improvements from the beginning.

Among the biggest challenges for the design team was addressing the issue of typhoons, which occur seasonally in Macau. In particular, the design team had to ensure it made the correct critical wind loading calculations for the tower in the event of a direct hit from a typhoon.

“We used the Equivalent Static Wind Loads (ESWL) approach developed for towers to determine the critical wind loads,” says Dr Chong. “We also ran a series of studies to investigate the wind-induced dynamic response at the tower’s top peak at various wind speeds. And we then looked at the subsequent impact on human comfort in terms of potential vibrations. Our thorough investigations and scenario planning allowed the project team to ensure not only an aesthetically pleasing and accurate design, but also a safe one.”

A luffing jib crane facilitated the modular construction method on site. Image courtesy of Aurecon.

A luffing jib crane facilitated the modular construction method on site. Image courtesy of Aurecon.

A further challenge for the design team was accounting for the very high number of visitors the attraction is likely to draw. In particular, says Dr Chong, they focused on the footbridge that will connect the tower with an adjacent casino complex. Aurecon and its partners also had to contend with how to get the large steel sections needed for the tower’s construction to the job site and, once there, how to assemble them.

“The port of Macau is neither large enough nor deep enough for the vessels that would normally deliver the oversized steel sections needed,” says Dr Chong. “As a result, the job had to request shallow-hulled vessels, but this limited delivery capacity. This, in turn, meant we had to plan the size of the delivery racks, to maximise delivery capacity and minimise delivery costs, which were estimated as being anything up to a quarter of the overall material cost.” And on the job site itself, there was a challenge presented by the selection of the tower crane needed to place the steel and other building materials.

The solution came in the form of a luffing jib crane, which can articulate its jib between the horizontal and near vertical angles. Using such a crane, and fitting it with a shorter jib, meant less of the lifting force was distributed laterally and more was directed down the crane’s mast. With a maximum hoisting capacity of 28 tons, the crane facilitated the modular construction method on site, overseeing the fast and safe installation of building elements.

Overall, says Dr Chong, being involved on the recreation of the Eiffel Tower on the Parisian Macao Integrated Resort has been a hugely challenging yet rewarding venture for the team at Aurecon. Visit www.aurecongroup.com for more.

50,000 visitors grace inaugural Intelligent Green Building exhibition

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The Shanghai edition, which comprised five fairs, occupied 40,000 square metres of exhibition space

The Shanghai edition, which comprised five fairs, occupied 40,000 square metres of exhibition space

The Shanghai edition of the the “Intelligent Green Building – IGB” exhibition platform – held from September 23 to 25 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre – featured over 700 exhibitors showcasing an array of products and solutions for smart homes, intelligent building, HVAC, building automation and more.

IGB comprised five different exhibitions, namely Shanghai Smart Home Technology (SSHT), Shanghai Intelligent Building Technology (SIBT), Shanghai International Lighting Fair (SILF), Shanghai International Trade Fair for Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (ISH Shanhgai & CIHE) and Building Solar China (BSC)

Intended as a cross-sector building ecosystem with total solutions for energy-efficient building technologies, IGB was also a successful platform for industry players to forge better business opportunities, especially as smart home technologies steadily gain global prominence. Exhibitors and trade associations found the exhibition to be an effective platform to promote mutual business development.

Mr Sun Rui, Marketing Manager of Jiujiang Derui HVAC Co Ltd, a system integrator, commented: “It is great to showcase HVAC, smart home and building technologies under one roof. The heating industry crosses over with home decoration in many areas. Along with the growing popularity of heating supply in East and Central China, the requirements of customers become more sophisticated. They look for the integration of lighting, heating and air conditioning for homes. These fields are interrelated and complementary.”

IGB also served as an effective platform for networking and mutual development.

IGB also served as an effective platform for networking and mutual development.

An “#IGB_NETWORK” event was organised by the IGB platform in the afternoon of 23 September, where influential industry professionals freely exchanged ideas on building efficiency and sustainability in a casual environment. Participating guests, included the chairmen and chief secretaries of significant international and domestic trade associations and standards organisations, leaders and experts from renowned building enterprises, colleges and universities, design institutes and trade media, appreciated the networking opportunities.

Mr Tom Owens, Director of International Development at the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA), commented that the “#IGB_NETWORK” event was a great way to start off the shows. He said, “There are a lot of professionals that believe in the same things. The networking event is a great way to create partnerships and build new relationships.”

Visit www.intelligentgreenbuilding.cn for more information, and register online at www.intelligentgreenbuilding.cn/vor.

 

Singapore-based design firm makes Interior Design magazine’s Hospitality Giants 2015 list

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Cocktail lounge of Bin 38, designed by Alan Barr. Image courtesy of greymatters

Cocktail lounge of Bin 38, designed by Alan Barr. Image courtesy of greymatters

greymatters was recently ranked #68 in hospitality design by Interior Design magazine in its annual industry rankings, making it the only Singapore-based firm – and one of the only two firms headquartered in Asia – to make the cut this year.

Alan Barr, founder and Managing Director said, “We are thrilled to be recognized by Interior Design Magazine as being amongst the top design firms in the hospitality sector. It is truly an honour, especially with the increased competition in this industry, hence we will continue to strive to be innovative and creative in our ideas and solutions, in order to push the boundaries for ourselves and our clients.”

The firm, which just celebrated its online casino third anniversary, has various exciting projects in the works, such as its first full hotel project, the Amari Hotel & Resort in Galle, Sri Lanka, followed by W Resort & Spa renovation in the Maldives, Ozo UM City Hotel in Iskandar, Malaysia and more. greymatters is set to expand under the helm of Alan Barr, a prominent designer in the field, and is fast becoming a design force to be reckoned with. Visit the firm’s Facebook page to keep up with its latest projects at www.facebook.com/SuiteGreyMatters.

 

Visitors up by 22% in SIBT 2015 fair

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Aisle 3The 2015 edition of the Shanghai Intelligent Building Technology (SIBT) fair opened its doors from 23 – 25 September at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. Once again, the show was jointly organised by Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade – Shanghai Pudong Sub-Council, and Shanghai Hongshan Exhibition Service Co Ltd. SIBT was also held alongside its debuting sister exhibition, Shanghai Smart Home Technology (SSHT). A total of 230 exhibitors spread across 13,000 sqm of fairground space welcomed a record-breaking 20,589 visitors, a 22% increase over last year, from 47 countries and regions.

This year was the ninth edition of SIBT. Commenting on the significant results achieved in 2015, Ms Lucia Wong, Deputy General Manager at Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd, said: “We are grateful for the strong industry support we continuously receive, which enables SIBT to grow in unison with the intelligent building industry’s multidirectional development. The industry’s growth potential ranges from the individual applications of smart technologies to the construction of smart cities with IoT and cloud centres. In addition to IoT development and the integration of intelligent buildings, building controls and smart homes, another trend is data communication between smart home applications and controls with various external information sources. In response to these trends, we were delighted to debut SSHT in conjunction with SIBT which formed a comprehensive industry technology platform. Throughout the fairs, the integrated application of smart technologies and Internet Plus, and innovative ideas surrounding big data, smart home, intelligent building and smart cites were discussed. The platform encouraged knowledge exchange and helped industry players to explore the abundance of business opportunities in the Internet Plus era.”

Booth 2  Interaction 5

Comprehensive intelligent building technology platform showcased development trends within the IoT era

Demand for intelligent buildings presents great development opportunities for the building automation systems sector. The growing market for intelligent buildings in China looks to optimise automation systems, integrate innovative solutions and enhance users’ experiences. Various well-known brands specialising in different areas of the intelligent building sector took part in the show to demonstrate their latest technologies and innovations. Participating brands included A&R, Aikewa, Beckhoff, Control4, Echelon, EnOcean, GVS, HaiLin, HeDong, IoT Sensor, KNX, ORVIBO, Premium-Line, REC WAGO, RICISung, Ruixuan, SenseAir, TCS, Tiancheng and others. Areas covered by their featured exhibits included:

Building Automation Technology

Demand for the integration of building automation and light current systems is increasing. Being able to manage operations on a single platform has its benefits such as minimising wiring and installation costs, optimising user friendliness and improving ease of maintenance. Additionally, the rise of cloud computing and big data has stimulated demand for intelligent building analytic products such as operation analysis tools for building automation systems.

Integrated Intelligent Building Solutions

The market is now asking for integrated intelligent building solutions which incorporate Internet Plus into intelligent building technologies. This trend is a major driver for the development of energy consumption data analysis, which aims to effectively reduce building energy consumption levels.

Intelligent Building Network Standards

The open standard for the intelligent building market in China is still in the developmental stage. Data sharing between automatic control systems and various business systems is becoming more mainstream and energy efficiency will become the ultimate goal for intelligent buildings in the future.

The KNX Association and its 21 attending member companies showcased solutions that are compliant with KNX’s international industry standards, including smart controls, wireless best online casino systems, sensors, security systems, cameras and more. Mr Heinz Lux, CEO of the group, mentioned that they were satisfied with the flow of visitors to KNX’s area this year. “Considering the volume of smart home products on display at this year’s event, we believe that the Chinese market has fully accepted smart home and building automation technologies. As such, more and more ground-breaking innovations and market-changing technological applications will be developed in the future,” he added.

Overall, many exhibitors noted an impressive visitor flow and met high quality target customers. Giving their testimonial include first-time exhibitor Beckhoff Automation (Shanghai) Co Ltd – a German manufacturer of automation systems, WAGO Electronic (Tianjin) Co Ltd – supplier of smart electrical products, and HaiLin Energy Technology Inc – provider of integrated energy efficient solutions.

Exhibit 10

Convergence of industry experts, insights and new initiatives

The development of the intelligent building and smart home market is boosted by information sharing. To facilitate this, SIBT, together with SSHT, organised 13 technical forums with 80 hot-button topics, which focus on technology and innovation. Some of the forums were:

Intelligent Building and Smart Home Standard Forum

Reputable international building standards organisations and associations, including the AllSeen Alliance, Bluetooth SIG, EnOcean Alliance, KNX Association, LonMark International, Z-Wave Alliance, ZigBee Alliance and others, shared their techniques on network standards and outlook on future development.

LonMark International has been committed to developing standards for open interoperable control systems that focus on efficiency. The organisation presented “An Introduction to Open Systems: Developing Building, Streetlighting, and Smart City Applications Using Open Control Networking Standards” seminar, which discussed the fundamentals of interoperability through common device profiles and their applications in building automation, home automation and outdoor lighting systems.

Intelligent Technology Innovations and Modern Building Developments Forum

SIBT partnered with the Intelligent Engineering Branch of China’s Exploration and Design Association to co-organise the “Intelligent Technology Innovations and Modern Building Developments Forum”. The event gathered designers, system integrators, engineers and manufacturers to discuss the innovative technologies, applications and trends of intelligent building. Topics covered included “Integrated Micro Modular Data Centre Solutions”, “Application of Coloured Steel Bridge in Building”, “Intelligent Building– Simple but Smart Network Solutions” and more.

2015 Modular Data Centres and Cabling Forum

Joining the China Data Center Committee (CDCC) and China Cabling Team (CTEAM) of CECS, the fair organisers co-organised the forum. The event invited renowned data centre experts and end-users of modular data centres to share their experiences and insights. Furthermore, the combined presentations by manufacturers and distributors of electricity supplies, air conditioners for engine rooms, and networks and cabling offered a comprehensive view on how to build modular data centres.

The show’s concurrent events were a success and created industry dialogue. Visitor Mr Zhenghao Wang, Electrical Engineer of the Department of Design Management at Shanghai Sanxiang (Group) Co Ltd, shared: “As a real estate developer, our focus is to figure out the value of smart homes and buildings so that users can benefit from their practicality, ease of use and human-centric features. We participated in the exhibition and forums as we wanted to understand more about building energy efficiency and smart home technologies. We will come back again next year.”

Given the success of the concurrent events, Ms Lucia Wong, added: “The industry has to absorb and implement new technologies in order to add innovative designs and ideas to traditional architectural concepts. We will continue to strive for the best, raise the technical level of the fair and concurrent events, promote industry exchange and industrial development, and cope with the development of the Internet, digitisation and integration trends.”

Visitor with product 2

SIBT and SSHT are a part of Messe Frankfurt’s building and energy shows, headed by the biennial Light Building event in Frankfurt, Germany, which will take place from 13 – 18 March 2016. Additionally, light and building fairs will also be hosted in Argentina, India, the United Arab Emirates and Russia.

 

For more information on Light Building shows worldwide, please visit www.light-building.com/brand.

 

The next editions of Shanghai Intelligent Building Technology and Shanghai Smart Home Technology fairs are scheduled to take place from 31 August – 2 September 2016. To find out more information about these events, please visit www.building.messefrankfurt.com.cnor email building@china.messefrankfurt.com.

Over 73,000 buyers converge at Lighting, Building & Eco Fairs

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The Autumn Lighting Fair is a major event for the Asian lighting industry that attracts buyers from all over the world, as evidenced by the large number of visitors to the venue

The Autumn Lighting Fair is a major event for the Asian lighting industry that attracts buyers from all over the world, as evidenced by the large number of visitors to the venue

The Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition), Eco Expo Asia, Hong Kong International Building and Hardware Fair and World of Outdoor Lighting & Lighting Accessories (WOLLA) came to their successful conclusions over the past couple of days. Together these events attracted more than 73,000 buyers from around the world, creating a vibrant atmosphere for business discussion and networking.

For the fairs as a whole, double-digit percentage growth in buyer numbers was recorded in developed markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom and France. Buyers from emerging markets were also very active: double-digit percentage growth in buyer numbers was also recorded for India, the United Arab Emirates as well as ASEAN countries including Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines.

World’s largest lighting marketplace

The newly launched WOLLA features more than 170 exhibitors from around the world to showcase a diverse range of products

The newly launched WOLLA features more than 170 exhibitors from around the world to showcase a diverse range of products

The Autumn Lighting Fair has long been a major event for the global lighting industry. To build a more effective international sourcing platform and give the fair more room for development, the WOLLA was organised by the HKTDC for the first time at AsiaWorld-Expo this year. The two events welcomed a total of 2,727 exhibitors from 35 countries and regions, forming the world’s largest lighting marketplace.

WOLLA was held from 28 to 31 October concurrently with the Hong Kong International Building and Hardware Fair and Eco Expo Asia at the AsiaWorld-Expo so as to provide buyers with a one-stop sourcing platform. HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau said: “The lighting industry and the building material and hardware industry are closely related to each other as lighting is a key element in building design. Buyers such as real estate developers, contractors, engineering companies and construction companies can now look for related lighting solutions when they are sourcing building materials and hardware products and services. So the fairs create synergies and more cross-sector business opportunities for the industries involved.”

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Dipal Madlani, Manager of Madlani Associates of India visited both the Autumn Lighting Fair and WOLLA and said the two fairs together offered him a wider range of products to choose from. New World Dynamics, a Hong Kong company that offers one-stop lighting solutions, hoped to boost its brand recognition through participating in WOLLA. Brad Au, Controller – Special Projects, said that the running of the three fairs concurrently at the AsiaWorld-Expo allowed exhibitors to connect with more potential buyers and created a good atmosphere for business discussions.

Lori Zhang, sales representative of WoQinFeng (Hong Kong) Industrial, an outdoor lighting manufacturer, noted, “The concurrent staging of WOLLA and the International Building and Hardware Fair allows us to meet customers from different sectors. On the first day of the fairs, we received buyers from Switzerland, New Zealand and India. Our existing clients have also visited us to see our new products and told us that they will do their sourcing in the Autumn Lighting Fair as well in WOLLA.”

Jörg Fey, Founder of Jörg Fey Industrieanlagen Montage from Germany said: “When it comes to sourcing, streetlights always top our priority list.  The European governments plan to replace traditional streetlights with LED casino models and that would boost the demand of energy-saving outdoor lighting. Three events concurrently held at the AsiaWorld-Expo share the same theme of energy-saving and environmental protection. Strolling through the fairground gives me new ideas and inspiration.”

Survey reveals great market potential for smart lighting products

During the fair period, an independent research agency was commissioned to interview 645 exhibitors and buyers of the Autumn Lighting Fair and WOLLA to understand their views on product trends and market prospects. With the rapid advance of technology, all types of products are becoming more “intelligent”, so much so that smart city/smart homes have become a major focus of future technological development. More than 80 per cent of survey respondents were convinced that such a technology development trend would benefit the lighting industry in the next two years. In particular, they believed that “household lighting systems that are compatible with or can be controlled by smart phone/tablet application” and “smart lighting systems primarily with energy-saving purpose for household/industrial/ commercial purposes” would have the most potential.

Amid keen competition in the market, a new generation of lighting products is capitalising on the trend towards smart homes and intelligent offices to seek market breakthroughs. For this reason, the “Smart Lighting & Solutions Zone” was one of the highlights of the Autumn Lighting Fair.

Neonlite Electronic & Lighting (Hong Kong) (Megaman), a long-time exhibitor of the fair, this year showcased its latest LED innovations including the INGENIUM® BLU series that employs Bluetooth 4.1 technology and the INGENIUM® ZB series that adopts ZigBee technology. Since both series are capable of controlling light intensity through smart phone apps, they have caught the attention of buyers. Matthew Chu, General Manager of Neonlite, pointed out that smart lighting will bring immense changes to the lighting industry and, as intelligent lighting products constitute only about two per cent of the global market, there will be lots of opportunities to be tapped.

The Autumn Lighting Fair, WOLLA and the Hong Kong International Building and Hardware Fair were organised by the HKTDC. The events welcomed more than 38,000, over 11,000 and close to 12,000 buyers respectively.  Eco Expo Asia was jointly organised by the HKTDC with Messe Frankfurt (Hong Kong) Limited and welcomed more than 12,000 buyers. The Autumn Lighting Fair was held from 27 to 30 October at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, while the other events were held from 28 to 31 October at the AsiaWorld-Expo. These fairs provide a one-stop sourcing platform, which creates synergies and more cross-sector business opportunities for the industries involved.