The 2019 International Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo press conference was held in Beijing.
The curtain rises on the world’s premier ice and snow industry event.
On the morning of June 12, the press conference for the 2019 International Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo (hereinafter referred to as the “Winter Expo”) was held in Beijing. Attendees included Liu Jingmin, Executive Vice President of the Beijing Olympic City Development Association; Chang Yu, Deputy Minister of the Publicity Department of the Beijing Municipal Committee and Director of the News and Media Department of the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games; Fu Xiaohui, Secretary-General of the Beijing Olympic City Development Association and Director of the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre; Gao Yunchao, Deputy Secretary-General of the Beijing Olympic City Development Association and Deputy Director of the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre; Zhao Yinggang, Vice Chairman of the Sustainability Commission of the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee and Chairman of the China Luge Association; Susanna Saarinen, Finnish Ambassador to China; Dr. Georg Grafl, Commercial Counsellor of the Austrian Embassy in China, as well as representatives from other embassies and tourism bureaus; Xu Zhou, President of International Data Group Asia; Zhu Dongfang, Vice President of International Data Group Asia; Zhang Li, Vice President of International Data Group China; representatives from well-known ice and snow enterprises; and over a hundred journalists from news media outlets.
With the Beijing Winter Olympics entering full preparation mode, the Winter Expo helps boost China’s ice and snow sports.
With less than two years to go until the opening of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, preparations for the Games have entered an unprecedentedly fast-paced phase, and China’s ice and snow industry is thriving under the opportunities brought by the Olympics. Recently, the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the “Guidelines on Vigorously Developing Ice and Snow Sports by Leveraging the Opportunity of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics,” which stated the need to “popularize ice and snow sports, develop the ice and snow industry, ensure necessary conditions, and strive to achieve leapfrog development in China’s ice and snow sports.” As a professional platform for exchange and development in China’s ice and snow industry, the Winter Expo integrates multiple resources to support Olympic preparations.
Co-hosted by the Beijing Olympic City Development Association and International Data Group, the Winter Expo aims to promote the development of China’s ice and snow industry, “engage 300 million people in ice and snow sports,” and raise awareness of winter sports in China. Since its inception in 2016, the Winter Expo has been held annually in Beijing, China, with the support and participation of the International Olympic Committee and the seven major international winter sports federations. It connects international ice and snow industry channels, stimulates the growth of the ice and snow industry in China and globally, and has become one of the world’s largest and most authoritative ice and snow sports expos.
Liu Jingmin, Executive Vice President of the Beijing Olympic City Development Association, said in his speech that hosting the Winter Expo is not only a fulfillment of the bid commitment for the Winter Olympics but also an important measure to promote the Olympic spirit and support the preparation of the Beijing Winter Olympics. As a key initiative to assist in the preparation of the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the Winter Expo has seen continuous expansion in scale and improvement in quality since its launch in 2016. It has successfully built a platform to promote the development of the ice and snow industry and the popularization of winter sports. By engaging the public through participation and experience, it has raised awareness and interest in winter sports and fostered an increasingly vibrant Olympic atmosphere.
Four major sectors highlight the “Power of Ice and Snow,” with an international platform boosting industry growth.
At the press conference, Zhang Li, Vice President of International Data Group China, shared the achievements of the past three Winter Expos. According to the presentation, the 2019 Winter Expo will be held from October 17 to 20 in Beijing, continuing the theme of “Power of Ice and Snow.” It will comprehensively cover the entire ice and snow industry chain through four sectors: exhibitions, thematic forums, industry exchanges, and supporting activities. This year’s expo will feature over 30,000 square meters of exhibition space, host more than 20 parallel forums and supporting events, and is expected to attract over 240 domestic and international speakers, more than 600 domestic and international brands, coverage from 600 media outlets, and an audience of 160,000 visitors, including 24,000 professional attendees.
Zhang Li, Vice President of International Data Group China, noted that this year’s Winter Expo boasts several highlights: First, it deepens international exchanges and cooperation. The 2019 Winter Expo will invite key guests from the International Olympic Committee, international winter sports federations, and leading winter sports nations. A dedicated national exhibition area will feature a winter sports powerhouse as the guest country partner. In response to the national “Belt and Road” initiative, invitations have been extended to countries such as France, Italy, Russia, and New Zealand. Global outreach activities, including government, association, chamber of commerce, and enterprise engagements, will take place year-round in diverse formats. Second, it supports innovation in the ice and snow industry. The expo will include an incubation zone for ice and snow startups, showcase emerging domestic and international companies, host an ice and snow entrepreneurship competition, facilitate the implementation of high-quality projects, promote the integration of sports and technology, and drive industry innovation. Third, it offers a wealth of public ice and snow activities. A public ice and snow carnival will provide visitors with experiences such as live ice shows, sledding slopes, curling trials, mobile polar ice experiences, mini ice worlds, and virtual videos. This late-summer entertainment extravaganza will promote Olympic knowledge, enhance public engagement in winter sports, and contribute to the goal of “engaging 300 million people in ice and snow sports.”
Finland becomes the Guest Country of Honor, supporting the China-Finland Winter Sports Year.
At the press conference, Fu Xiaohui, Secretary-General of the Beijing Olympic City Development Association and Director of the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre, announced Finland as the Guest Country of Honor for the 2019 Winter Expo. Liu Jingmin, Chang Yu, and Susanna Saarinen witnessed the signing ceremony. Finland has a long-established winter sports industry and has long dominated in events such as skiing. Its abundant ice and snow resources provide ideal conditions for the development of winter sports and the cultivation of winter sports culture. 2019 is the “China-Finland Winter Sports Year,” during which China and Finland are engaging in comprehensive cooperation on winter sports and Olympic preparations. Additionally, the 2019 Winter Expo will feature a “Finland Day” theme event for the Guest Country of Honor, providing a platform for premium business matchmaking and key project signings, promoting collaboration on ice and snow resources and premium winter tourism projects, and opening new opportunities for ice and snow sports exchanges between China and Finland.
Susanna Saarinen, Finnish Ambassador to China, spoke highly of the Winter Expo and expressed hope that the “China-Finland Winter Sports Year” would help more people learn about and appreciate the charm of winter sports.
Ice and snow experts gather to focus on “Joining the Winter Expo, Experiencing the Power of Ice and Snow.”
Zhao Yinggang, Vice Chairman of the Sustainability Commission of the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee and Chairman of the China Luge Association; Dr. Georg Grafl, Commercial Counsellor of the Austrian Embassy in China; Mikko Saarinen, Senior Partner at Business Finland; Simone Pompilio, General Manager of ROSSIGNOL (LUCIGNOLO) Group Greater China; Tong Jian, Head Coach of the Pang Qing-Tong Jian National Training Team, Deputy Director of the Figure Skating Project of the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee, and CEO of Wings of Ice; and Liang Liping, Chairwoman of Beijing Xueyilan Sports Development Co., Ltd., engaged in a dialogue on the theme “Joining the Winter Expo, Experiencing the Power of Ice and Snow.” The discussion was moderated by Zhang Li, Vice President of International Data Group China.
After three years of accumulation and development, the Winter Expo has integrated resources, deeply explored the Chinese ice and snow industry market, introduced cutting-edge global products and service chains, continuously deepened international exchanges and cooperation, promoted comprehensive industry progress, and encouraged widespread public participation. The 2019 Winter Expo will continue to support Beijing Winter Olympics preparations and promote the comprehensive development of winter sports in China.
For more information about the Winter Expo, please visit: http://www.wwse2022.com/, or follow the official WeChat account “International Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo.”