GILE 2025 drives innovation with six cutting-edge lighting labs

The Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition (GILE) began at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou, commemorating its 30th anniversary. GILE has launched the “illuminnovation lab” this year, a series of events geared at boosting industrial collaboration and pushing technological innovations. Unlike traditional exhibitions, GILE has gone beyond its primary event from June 9 to 12 with year-round events involving focus group talks, research forums, technical lectures, and networking in key Chinese cities.

With 3,188 exhibitors from around the globe demonstrating state-of-the-art lighting solutions, this year’s exhibition covers 250,000 square metres over Zones A and B. The event, held in conjunction with Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology (GEBT), is all set to provide a complete platform for sourcing products, exchanging expertise, and analysing the newest market trends, solidifying its position as Asia’s top lighting industry event. After the major show, GILE will hold events across the country to integrate innovative lighting solutions into real-world applications.

An important feature of GILE 2025 is the opening of the “illuminnovation lab”, a revolutionary project that is to take place outside of the main exhibition dates of June 9–12. This initiative will foster a year-round series of forums, focus groups, technical lectures, and business matchmaking events in key locations around China. These events are intended to promote discourse, inspire innovation, and speed up the adoption of innovative lighting technology. GILE continues to push the industry forward by developing a forward-thinking and collaborative communication platform.

“Light Asia” Annual Series
GILE has collaborated with Alighting to launch the “Light Asia” series, which includes pre-show promotions, entire exhibition programmes, and post-show activities. The programme aims to stimulate industry collaboration and spread novel lighting designs while meeting the market’s evolving needs.

Introducing the “illuminnovation lab”
The “illuminnovation lab” is a groundbreaking program that investigates the dynamic interplay between light, space, and people. It is intended to function as a collaborative hub, bringing together a wide range of stakeholders such as designers, architects, end users, and industry leaders. The primary goals are to improve lighting quality and energy efficiency, create consumer-focused policies, and facilitate the seamless integration of lighting technologies into everyday life. It seeks to rethink industry norms and uncover new lighting potential by encouraging cross-sector collaboration and compiling a library of cutting-edge research.

The “illuminnovation lab” consists of six specialised labs, each addressing specific lighting difficulties and trends:

City Lab
The City Lab examines how lighting transforms urban settings, focusing on smart cities, urban revitalisation, and sustainable public spaces. It includes technologies such as renewable energy-powered smart streetlights with solar panels, energy storage, and EV charging, as well as AI-powered road lighting that adjusts to traffic and pedestrians and vehicle-road collaboration systems for increased safety and efficiency.

Tourism Lab
This lab combines cultural aspects and current technology to improve tourism experiences. Immersive illumination, such as AR/VR environments, brings historical sites to life, whereas interactive systems engage visitors more intimately. These designs also create social media-friendly environments, enticing new audiences through shareable experiences.

Hotel Lab
The Hotel Lab demonstrates how lighting can transform hospitality areas into customised, opulent, and health-conscious surroundings. It emphasises biophilic designs, adaptive smart lighting customised to visitor demands, and features such as therapeutic and acoustic lighting, all while supporting sustainability through environmentally conscious practices.

Health Lab
This lab focuses on well-being and offers lighting designs that promote circadian cycles for improved sleep and vitality. Dynamic lighting systems mimic natural sunshine, while therapeutic red light aids recuperation and rehabilitation. Elderly-friendly designs prioritise safety, visual comfort, and circadian support for older people.

Home Lab
The Home Lab emphasises lighting for self-expression, sustainability, and well-being. It features biophilic fixtures, solar-powered LEDs, and smart home technologies that enable personalised lighting experiences. Mood-responsive systems adjust brightness and colour to match emotions, resulting in a calming and relaxing environment.

Retail Lab
This lab revolutionises shopping with immersive, customised, and environmentally friendly lighting. AI-powered adaptive systems create interesting surroundings for customers, whilst interactive lighting promotes products and improves the shopping experience. Sustainable methods, such as energy-efficient fixtures and smart dimming systems, cut energy consumption and adhere to green building regulations, promoting ecologically responsible design.

Alighting Award
The award recognises excellence in lighting goods and supplies, encouraging innovation and improving customer happiness through competitive evaluation in key locations including Guangzhou, Chongqing, and Hangzhou.

“Yang’s Selection”
This is a selected exhibition of modern lighting ideas that are in line with current home design trends. Visitors can get inspiration for integrating lighting into contemporary spaces by exploring six thematic zones, including “Light Luxury and Elegance” and “Creative Light and Shadow”.

Light for Life Showcase 
The Light for Life Showcase focuses on how lighting improves daily life in commercial, residential, hospitality, and healthcare settings. It brings together industry specialists to talk about lighting quality, ambience, and personalisation. Post-exhibition activities around China will demonstrate how new designs may be implemented in real-world situations, with industry feedback used to fine-tune solutions and accelerate advancement in the lighting sector.

A vision for the future
Lucia Wong, General Manager of Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd, shared: “The launch of the ‘illuminnovation lab’ marks an exciting milestone for the lighting industry. By fostering collaboration and innovation, GILE aims to shape a brighter future for lighting and redefine what’s possible for the industry. We look forward to working with our partners to drive progress and create new opportunities for all.”

The Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology (GEBT) and Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition (GILE) are held simultaneously. Both are part of Messe Frankfurt’s global “Light + Building” series, which includes similar events in Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

The Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition and Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology will take place simultaneously. Both exhibits are part of Messe Frankfurt’s Light + Building Technology fairs, which include the biennial ‘Light + Building’ event. The next edition will be placed in Frankfurt, Germany, on March 8-13, 2026.

Messe Frankfurt hosts many Asian trade events for the light and building technology industries, including Shanghai Intelligent Building Technology, Shanghai Smart Home Technology, and China Parking. The company’s lighting and building technology trade exhibitions also serve the markets of Argentina, India, Turkey, the UAE, and the United States.

For more details, visit: http://www.light.cn.messefrankfurt.com