Walking the aisles at the Mega Show Part 1 in Hong Kong, which was held from 20 to 23 October, a trend that kept popping up was multifunctional products, such as the Tree Of Light from Chinese company Hometree Technology.
Tree Of Light, which was launched at the gift fair, is a light, charging pad and speaker all in one. The lamp features a thin, cherry wood shade, and the brightness can be adjusted via touch controls on the base.
The base also features an integrated wireless charging pad, to reenergise Qi-enabled phones, and a built-in wireless neodymium speaker. You simply pair your device through Bluetooth to play your favourite music wirelessly, while using the controls on the base to adjust the volume and switch songs. There’s also a sleep mode that programs the light to turn off automatically after 30 minutes.
“Our designer and co-founder, Wang Yi Cheng, wanted to create a user-friendly, functional experience, something for the home that would make things simple,” says Hometree’s Simon Shao.
“The inspiration for the Tree Of Light came to him when he went away on a family trip where they stayed in a house [that was] built like a tree house and surrounded by old, ancient trees in a small village. It was a beautiful, natural and almost healing experience, something Yi Cheng wanted to bring back to China and introduce to people’s homes.
“Hence the Tree Of Light is shaped as an actual tree. It can serve as a reading light before you go to sleep and you can play music, while charging your phone at the same time, as a way to relax and reconnect,” Shao explains. “Wireless charging is the future.”
Europe is the company’s biggest market, but Shao says they have had interest from Australian buyers at the show and are eager to launch into the Australian market; however, they are still trying to figure out if the Tree Of Light is more suited for gift or electronics retailers.
“We participate in two shows, one electronics and one gift fair, to see which market fits better with our products.”
Hometree Technology’s sensor bird light, the Maglamp, was another popular product at the fair showcasing its multifunctional qualities. “The light comes on when it detects a motion, and it stays on for 20 seconds until it automatically turns off until it senses another motion.
“It can also be used to hang your jewellery or even your keys. The bird lights can be taken off individually and used as a light, for example, in a kid’s bedroom,” Shao adds.
By Marion Gerritsen
