The 2021 Winter Expo Concludes Successfully: Embracing the Winter Olympics and Sharing a New Future of the Ice and Snow Economy

The 2019 Winter Expo Concludes Successfully in Beijing with All Metrics Hitting Record Highs

      On October 20, the 2019 International Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo (hereinafter referred to as the Winter Expo), jointly organized by the Beijing Olympic City Development Promotion Association and International Data Group, and hosted by the Beijing Olympic City Development Promotion Center and Aoti Exhibition Co., Ltd., with support and participation from the International Olympic Committee, the seven international winter sports federations, the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the Chinese Olympic Committee, and the All-China Sports Federation, concluded at the China National Convention Center in Beijing.

      Continuing the theme of "Power of Ice and Snow," the 2019 Winter Expo made innovative breakthroughs in internationalization, industrialization, and mass participation, and received enthusiastic responses from all sectors. Data shows that the expo set record highs in terms of participating brands, experts and scholars, and attendees. In terms of exhibitors, this edition of the Winter Expo featured over 600 domestic and international brands from nearly 20 global winter sports powerhouses including Finland, Austria, and Norway. Regarding expert participation, more than 240 authoritative experts and scholars in the field of winter sports attended. Additionally, the expo facilitated over a hundred industry collaborations, effectively promoting the alignment and integration of international ice and snow industry resources.

      During the exhibition period, over 550 domestic and international media outlets, including central and regional key media, reported extensively on the Winter Expo. CCTV’s "Xinwen Lianbo" (News Broadcast) covered the event on the opening day, while the "Study Xi, Strengthen China" platform under the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee described the Winter Expo as an important initiative to promote the Olympic spirit and support the preparation for the Beijing Winter Olympics. These efforts not only significantly boosted visitor enthusiasm, attracting 160,000 attendees, but also created a favorable environment for the development of China's ice and snow industry.

      The expo received high attention from leaders across various sectors. At the exhibition site, Cai Qi, Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee and Chairman of the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee, Xu Qin, Deputy Secretary of the Hebei Provincial Committee, Governor of Hebei Province, and Executive Chairman of the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee, Zhang Jiandong, Vice Mayor of Beijing and Executive Vice Chairman of the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee, Han Zirong, Executive Vice Chairwoman and Secretary-General of the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee, Liu Jingmin, Executive Vice President of the Beijing Olympic City Development Promotion Association, Jiang Xiaoyu, Vice President of the Association, Fu Xiaohui, Secretary-General of the Association, Xu Zhou, President of IDG Asia, and Zhu Dongfang, Vice President of IDG Asia, visited booths including those of the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee, the Chinese Olympic Committee, the Beijing Winter Olympics Documentary Channel, Shougang Group, Zhangjiakou, Jilin City, Yanqing, Changbai Mountain, the Ice Experience Zone (Ouye Real Ice Show), Burton, Mingxing Ice and Snow, Shijingshan, Cabrinha Ski, the Finnish National Pavilion, the Norwegian Innovation Agency, the French Alps Pavilion, Destination Canada, YNIQ, and others, and spoke highly of the work done at the Winter Expo.

      Domestic and international guests offer insights, exploring comprehensive achievements in the international industry

      As the 2022 Winter Olympics approach, all sectors of society have expressed strong confidence in China's development of winter sports. At the opening ceremony and main forum of the Winter Expo, guests and leaders from China and abroad shared their perspectives on the development of winter sports in China and extended their best wishes.

      In a congratulatory video, Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, said that on the occasion of the 2019 International Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo, he extends congratulations to the organizers and wishes the conference great success. As the guest country of honor, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö also sent a congratulatory video, stating that the International Winter Sports Expo is a milestone in Sino-Finnish winter sports cooperation this year, and that close collaboration between China and Finland will continue through the Beijing 2022 Winter and Paralympic Winter Games and into the post-Olympic era.

      Zhang Jiandong, Vice Mayor of Beijing, Executive Vice Chairman of the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee, and Vice President of the Beijing Olympic City Development Promotion Association; Liu Jingmin, Executive Vice President of the Association; Hanna Kosonen, Finnish Minister of Science and Culture; Jan Dijkema, President of the International Skating Union; Kate Caithness, President of the World Curling Federation; Sarah Lewis, Secretary-General of the International Ski Federation and member of the Beijing 2022 Coordination Commission; Tong Lixin, Head of the Sports Department of the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee; Else Berit Eikeland, Norwegian Ambassador to China; Demare, Minister-Counselor of the Italian Embassy in China; Sisu Yao, Commercial Counselor of the Finnish Embassy in China and Head of the East Asia Division of Business Finland; Yu Bo, Deputy Secretary of the Yanqing District Committee and District Chief of Beijing; Wang Tingkai, Party Secretary of Jilin City in Jilin Province; Li Chunlin, Mayor of Yulin City in Shaanxi Province; Li Hong, Vice Mayor of Zhangjiakou Municipal Government in Hebei Province; Chen Zhe, Director of the Heilongjiang Provincial Sports Bureau; Michael Mayr, Asia Sales Director of TechnoAlpin; Zuo Xiaobing, Deputy District Chief of Shijingshan District in Beijing; Zhang Li, Vice President of International Data Group China; Cao Wenzhong, Vice President of Xinhua News Agency China Economic Information Service; Wei Sulong, Senior Researcher for Culture and Tourism at the Xinhua Index Division of China Economic Information Service; Zhao Yinggang, Vice Chairman of the Beijing 2022 Sustainability Committee and President of the Chinese Luge Association; Antoine Dénériaz, 2006 Turin Winter Olympics men’s downhill champion and CEO of SAS DÉNÉRIAZ; Tanja Poutiainen, 2006 Turin Winter Olympics women’s giant slalom silver medalist and member of the Finnish Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission; Tong Jian, world figure skating champion and CEO of Wings of Ice; Wang Bingyu, world curling champion, and other guests were present to offer insights for the development of China’s ice and snow industry.

      Zhang Jiandong, Vice Mayor of Beijing and Executive Vice Chairman of the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee, also spoke highly of the 2019 Winter Expo: "I hope everyone can fully leverage your expertise, experience, and resources, make full use of the Winter Expo platform, engage in in-depth discussions and exchanges, carry out extensive corporate matchmaking, project cooperation, personnel training, winter tourism, and other practical collaborations, and achieve even more fruitful results."

      At the same time, Zhang Jiandong hopes that the Winter Expo organizing committee will further innovate its operational methods, work together with relevant parties domestically and internationally, continuously improve the professionalism, internationalization, and mass participation of the expo, and make the Winter Expo better and better, contributing anew to promoting the high-quality development of winter sports and the winter sports industry, and hosting an extraordinary, spectacular, and excellent Olympic Games.

      Beyond the opening ceremony and main forum, the 2019 Winter Expo also organized multiple parallel forums based on the principle of covering the entire ice and snow industry chain, including the Olympic City Development Forum, Finland Day themed events, the Ice and Snow Culture Development Forum, the Ice and Snow Entrepreneurship Competition, the China Hockey Development Forum, the Ski Resort Operations Management Forum, the China Ice and Snow Talent Development Forum, the Ice and Snow Tourism Development Forum, and the Venue Design and Construction Forum, helping practitioners in the ice and snow industry seek successful experiences and learn from authoritative solutions.

      At the Olympic City Development Forum, Han Zirong, Executive Vice Chairwoman and Secretary-General of the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee; Liu Jingmin, Executive Vice President of the Beijing Olympic City Development Promotion Association; Fu Xiaohui, Secretary-General of the Association; Xu Zhou, President of IDG Asia; Sarah Lewis, Secretary-General of the International Ski Federation and member of the Beijing 2022 Coordination Commission; Stefan Froberg, Deputy Director of the Helsinki Sports Department; and Johan Olav Koss, Vice President of the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports, shared experiences on topics such as Olympic preparation, utilization of Olympic venues, and the inheritance of Olympic legacy, gathering strong momentum for China’s Winter Olympics legacy strategy and urban sustainable development.

      Rich and Diverse Exhibition Areas: Building a Comprehensive Showcase Platform for the Ice and Snow Industry

      Finland was the guest country of honor at this year’s Winter Expo. "Winter Begins in Finland" was Finland’s theme for participating in the expo, and the most authentic Santa Claus from Rovaniemi, Finland, also made a surprise appearance and interacted joyfully with attendees. Meanwhile, over 40 Finnish companies and institutions presented in the exhibition area, showcasing their strengths in ice and snow equipment, training, education, and tourism around three major themes: education and training, intelligent design, and culture and tourism. During the Finland Day themed events, Finland and China signed multiple cooperation agreements in the fields of ice and snow culture, sports, and education. Taking the Winter Expo as an opportunity, both sides are fostering diversified cooperation across various verticals of the ice and snow industry.

      In addition to Finland, more than 20 other winter sports powerhouses, including Austria, Norway, France, Italy, New Zealand, Japan, Georgia, the United States, Canada, and the Czech Republic, appeared in the national group area, presenting detailed displays of their rich ice and snow resources and the development status of their ice and snow industries.

      In the Olympic-themed exhibition area, the Chinese Olympic Committee and the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee showcased the progress of preparations for the 2022 Winter Olympics, venue distribution and planning, Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games events, and the goal of getting 300 million people involved in ice and snow sports, offering the public a fascinating display. In the Chinese Olympic Committee exhibition area, Asian short track speed skating powerhouse Li Jiajun and gymnastics Olympic champion He Kexin interacted with attendees on-site; in the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee exhibition area, the mascots of the 2022 Winter Olympics, "Bing Dwen Dwen" and "Shuey Rhon Rhon," attracted large crowds for photos. In addition, exhibition areas such as Zhangjiakou, Yanqing, Shijingshan, Shougang, and the Beijing TV Winter Olympics Documentary Channel showcased their respective achievements in Winter Olympics preparations from various angles through different forms.

      Ice and snow destinations from around the world brought their distinctive tourism products to this year’s Winter Tourism Destinations Exhibition. Provinces and cities in China such as Jilin, Heilongjiang, Changbai Mountain, and Altay participated, showcasing a wealth of ice and snow tourism resources including scenic spots, travel routes, and resort hotels. Yulin City in Shaanxi Province displayed locally characteristic woolen clothing and achievements in the fusion of fashion and winter sports, attracting many visitors.

      Well-known Chinese ice and snow industry enterprises such as Cabrinha, Mingxing, Ouye, and Secret Garden Cloudtop, among others, showcased their most advanced equipment, gear, and tourism products in exhibition areas for winter and alpine technology, indoor ice and snow technology, and outdoor and personal equipment. In addition, over 600 well-known domestic and international brands, including Zhong’ao Group, Bomax, Wandee, Doppelmayr, Xuerxian Ski, Xueyilan, Notek, TechnoAlpin, Alpina, Decathlon, Kono, Yisipu, Yingjie, Hongliang Sports, Tuocheng Sports Technology, and Luckin Coffee, delivered impressive displays at the expo.

      Turning the Expo into an Engine for Industry: Over 100 Signings Drive Industrial Collaboration

      "Turning the Expo into an Engine for Industry" is a core principle of the Winter Expo. Leveraging the event as an opportunity, the expo set up public stages and business negotiation areas, organized a series of industrial activities such as resource promotion, corporate matchmaking, and city exchange meetings, facilitating in-depth industry exchanges and driving the implementation of industrial collaborations. It is reported that the event resulted in over 100 collaborations, including partnerships between Shijingshan and IDG Asia, TusStar (Yanqing) and Huati Events (Beijing) Sports Management Co., Ltd., the Yanqing Park Management Committee of Zhongguancun and three ice and snow sports enterprises—Huaxing Yunrui, Jingji Times, and Qingteng Sports; the Finnish Kesäkallio Sports Institute and Shanghai University of Sport, Xi’an Physical Education University, Capital University of Physical Education and Sports, Harbin Sport University, Beijing Kunlun Red Star Ice Hockey Club, and Beijing World Youth Study Education Technology Co., Ltd.; the Finnish Suomo Ski Center and Zhangjiakou Wanlong Ski Resort, the International Ice Dragon Boat Federation, and Huati Dongshi; the Finnish Leather Industry Park with Finland’s Mikaya Ltd. and KSF Sports Ltd.; the China-Russia Analysis Club and the Ice and Snow Culture Development Special Fund of the Beijing Cultural Development Foundation; the Zhangjiakou Ice and Snow Industry Promotion Conference, the Hebei Ice and Snow Industry Technology Research Institute, and Hebei Normal University; the Red Soil Ice and Snow Fund and Xuezhu Technology Company; a tripartite collaboration between the Yanqing High-Tech Zone Management Committee, Xiwang New Material Technology Company, and Zhishan Sports Company; the Yulin Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology with Jiewei Consulting Co., Ltd., Shaanxi Yanglaoda Garment Co., Ltd. with Beijing Wanghaoshengda Trading Co., Ltd., Yulin Qizhiyang Garment Co., Ltd. as the exclusive sales agent for the Heilongjiang Qizhiyang brand, Yulin Monsell Garment Co., Ltd. with Qinhuangdao Maoye Department Store Co., Ltd., and Yulin Jiuzhou Saishangyang Garment Co., Ltd. with the Hebei exclusive agent.

      Diverse Supporting Activities Boost Industry Development and Spread Ice and Snow Culture

      A variety of colorful thematic exhibition areas brought visitors into a captivating ice and snow world. Meanwhile, a range of engaging supporting activities—including the International Ice and Snow Think Tank, the China-Finland Winter Sports Year Series, the Ice and Snow Industry Research Report, the WS TOPS Ice and Snow Industry Conference, the Ice and Snow Entrepreneurship Competition, the Ice and Snow Sports Personal Equipment Show, the 2019 Ice and Snow Sports Industry Awards, "Voices of Ice and Snow Experts," youth ice and snow experiences, and the Mass Ice and Snow Carnival—were launched one after another, showcasing the vibrant energy of the ice and snow market.

      The supporting activities of the Winter Expo focused on industrial resource integration and innovation, building a higher-quality exchange and cooperation platform for global practitioners, facilitating connections between capital and resources, and empowering the development of the ice and snow industry. The China-Finland Winter Sports Year Series provided a platform for high-quality business matchmaking and key project signings through activities such as Finland Day, the China-Finland Hockey Forum, and ice and snow resource promotion. The Ice and Snow Entrepreneurship Competition selected a number of high-quality ice and snow startup projects, injecting more industry and think tank resources into promising startups, promoting capital-project connections, further advancing project incubation and industrial innovation, and enhancing the vitality of the ice and snow economy. The WSTOPS Winter Top Award, as a national award covering the entire ice and snow industry, serves as a barometer for observing the latest developments in the domestic and international ice and snow sectors, reinforcing the strength of exemplary brands in the industry, promoting mutual assistance and exchange, and leading industrial integration and collaboration.

      To better serve the exchange and cooperation between China’s ice and snow industry and the international industry, the Winter Expo also released the "China Ice and Snow Industry Development Research Report," which outlines the full picture and future trends of China’s ice and snow industry development, pointing out valuable directions for its growth. Additionally, the expo established an "International Ice and Snow Think Tank," bringing together high-level talent in the field to provide professional strategic research and consulting services for the development of China’s ice and snow industry, and to create a better stage for international exchange.

      In addition to deepening industrial collaboration, promoting the "mass participation" of winter sports was also a key theme of the Winter Expo. The event introduced numerous activities beloved by ice and snow enthusiasts, such as youth ice and snow experiences, the Mass Ice and Snow Carnival, and the Ice and Snow Sports Personal Equipment Show. Many visitors brought their children to ride snow tubes down slopes and then try skiing simulators, with screams and joyful laughter filling the air; in the curling experience area, many youths eagerly lined up to try the novelty of curling; some citizens bravely took to the ice to enjoy the fun of skiing; and at the "Ice and Snow Sports Personal Equipment Show," cutting-edge wearable tech and the latest trendy brands drew crowds, leaving many exhibitors lingering. These diverse supporting activities achieved full coverage of the ice and snow industry chain, successfully igniting public enthusiasm for participating in winter sports, promoting the advancement of winter sports, and spreading ice and snow culture.

      The four-day 2019 International Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo played a strong catalytic role in integrating ice and snow industry resources, popularizing ice and snow sports culture, and empowering the development of the ice and snow economy. The Winter Expo built an international stage for ice and snow exchange, gathering top global institutions, industry resources, and professionals, enabling in-depth exchanges and collaborative development. The expo strengthened its industrial attributes, emphasized "turning the expo into an engine for industry," and built a high-quality platform for global practitioners to showcase, exchange, and collaborate, effectively driving the development of the ice and snow industry and boosting the vitality of the ice and snow economy. The Winter Expo also created a mass-oriented ice and snow extravaganza, bringing more ordinary visitors closer to ice and snow, understanding it, and promoting further popularization of winter sports and ice and snow culture, striving tirelessly toward the goal of getting 300 million people on the ice and snow.