Representatives from top international enterprises gather at the Winter Expo to discuss cutting-edge concepts in ski resort operations and management

      On the morning of October 19, 2019, the Snow Resort Operations and Management Forum of the International Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo was officially held at the China National Convention Center. The forum gathered managers from world-leading ice and snow nations such as Finland, Austria, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, as well as from top domestic ice and snow enterprises. Several representatives delivered keynote speeches on the development of the skiing industry and the operation and management of ski resorts, contributing industry insights to explore a development path suitable for China’s ski resorts.

      At the beginning of the forum, Mr. Marko Saarelainen, Chairman and CEO of Finland’s Honka Company, delivered the first keynote speech of the conference. Mr. Saarelainen introduced the application of log cabin projects in ski resorts and ice and snow tourism, and how to effectively leverage the characteristics of log cabins to promote environmentally friendly, ecological, and sustainable high-quality service delivery in skiing and winter tourism venues.

Marko Saarelainen, Chairman and CEO of Finland’s Honka Company, Delivers Keynote Speech

      In recent years, the number of people participating in skiing in China has grown exponentially year by year, with mass skiing on the rise and the skiing industry emerging as a result. At the forum, Ms. Yu Yang, President of Beijing Cabrin Ski Sports Development Group Co., Ltd., also attended and delivered a keynote speech. Ms. Yu provided an in-depth analysis of the profit models of domestic ski resorts and the current development status and challenges of small, medium, and large ski resorts. She also proposed development suggestions to broaden profit channels for ski resorts, such as tapping into surrounding resources, making full use of land and mountains, developing ice and snow cultural and creative products, and creating snow play theme parks.

Yu Yang, President of Beijing Cabrin Ski Sports Development Group Co., Ltd., Delivers Keynote Speech

      Next, Mr. Hermann Winkler, Founder of SnowHow China and Co-founder of Snow51, delivered a keynote speech. Mr. Winkler provided an in-depth analysis of the current realities and development prospects of China’s ice and snow industry. Drawing on the practices of winter sports development in various countries, he shared suggestions for industry development. He also pointed out, based on consumer analysis data, that ski resort construction and operations should contribute to a high-quality, healthy lifestyle and interactivity. A representative from Pomagalski (Beijing) Cableways Co., Ltd., Yu Xiaofeng, emphasized in his speech the core role of automated and digital management in ski resort operations. He cited the latest cutting-edge technologies such as 3D simulation training, snow grooming systems, snow vision systems, and management systems, and shared some advanced concepts in ski resort operations and management based on his company’s development practices.

Hermann Winkler, Founder of SnowHow China and Co-founder of Snow51, Delivers Keynote Speech

      Wei Gaihua, Deputy General Manager of Snow Travel World Ski Resort Planning and Design Co., Ltd., interpreted the current state of the domestic and international ice and snow industry from the perspective of customer segmentation. She introduced the group’s powerful exploration in creating a new snow play theme IP by integrating immersive scene experiences, comprehensive study tour courses, and engaging activity segments to address the characteristics of extensive, single-season, non-replicable, and IP-lacking snow play projects. Wolfgang Heinzl, Department Manager of the Austrian Snowsports Academy, delivered a keynote speech on the significant impact of ski school management on the long-term success of ski resorts. Mr. Heinzl emphasized the important role of winter tourism and ski training in popularizing winter sports, and shared the significance of ski instructors and sports training for ski resort operations and management, focusing on key objectives such as human resource management, education, service improvement, and partner development.

Wolfgang Heinzl, Department Manager of the Austrian Snowsports Academy, Delivers Keynote Speech

      As an industry expert with extensive experience in ski resort renovation, Simon Robinson, Founder and President of Hokkaido Tracks Resort Properties, introduced the HT business model in his speech. From multiple professional perspectives including facilities, ownership, resort services, and strata title management, he shared his operational management philosophy and experience. Li Weiyang, Business Development Manager for China at New Zealand’s Cardrona Alpine Resort, focused his speech on the feasible development of ski resorts after major winter sports events. He offered practical suggestions for the sustainable development of ski resorts, covering aspects such as leveraging star power, continuous utilization of equipment and resources, revitalization of winter sports towns, and seizing external collaboration opportunities.

 

Simon Robinson, Founder and President of Hokkaido Tracks Resort Properties, Delivers Keynote Speech

      At the forum, representatives including Li Yanqiu, General Manager of Doppelmayr China, Matthieu Robert, Head of Decathlon Skiing in China, Yamamoto Naoyuki, President of Japan’s century-old company Yamamoto Optical Co., Ltd., and Pingyu Adele Gu, CEO of Norway’s Athena Ski Company, also delivered keynote speeches. Each guest elaborated in depth on the application of cable car systems, winter sports supporting products, ski goggles, training and entertainment services related to winter activities in ski resort operations, and their support for ice and snow promotion. They analyzed the challenges faced by ski resort operations and considerations for managers from different angles, and shared their teams’ explorations, attempts, and practical experiences in ski resort operations and management.

      With the accelerated promotion of winter sports in China, how to make rational use of natural resources and legacy assets from major events like the Winter Olympics, and how to achieve high-quality operations of ski resorts and more winter tourism venues, are among the major challenges currently facing the ice and snow industry. The 2019 International Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo Snow Resort Operations and Management Forum brought together senior representatives from leading domestic and international ice and snow enterprises and institutions, sparking a professional, authoritative, and international exchange of ideas. It incorporated a wide range of advanced concepts into China’s ski resort operations and management and will also provide strong and extraordinary momentum for the development of China’s ice and snow industry.