May 5, 2016, Beijing — GORE-TEXTMThe Business Schools Outdoor Activities Alliance was officially established today in Beijing. The alliance was jointly initiated by the outdoor sports associations/clubs of seven top domestic business schools — Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management, Peking University’s National School of Development BiMBA, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management, Renmin University of China’s School of Business, Xiamen University’s School of Management, and CEIBS (China Europe International Business School) — along with the GORE-TEX® brand.
As a leader in outdoor fabrics, the GORE-TEX® brand has long been committed to promoting the outdoor dream and belief through diverse initiatives, driving the development of outdoor sports. For the launch of this alliance, carefully planned outdoor experiences such as skiing and rock climbing were arranged, with guidance provided throughout by Guo Dandan, China’s first world champion in skiing, and Sun Bin, former coach of the national mountaineering team. These activities allowed council members to experience professional outdoor activities firsthand, thereby conveying the spirit of courage to challenge and strengthening the cohesion among council members.
As a leader in outdoor fabrics, the GORE-TEX® brand has long been committed to promoting the outdoor dream and belief through diverse initiatives, driving the development of outdoor sports. For the launch of this alliance, carefully planned outdoor experiences such as skiing and rock climbing were arranged, with guidance provided throughout by Guo Dandan, China’s first world champion in skiing, and Sun Bin, former coach of the national mountaineering team. These activities allowed council members to experience professional outdoor activities firsthand, thereby conveying the spirit of courage to challenge and strengthening the cohesion among council members.
Speaking about the reasons for establishing the alliance, Ms. Hou Yunhui, Greater China Marketing Director of the GORE-TEX® brand, said: “Since March 2015, we have been promoting the GORE-TEX™ Business Schools Outdoor Experience Camp across various institutions, hoping to leverage the power of the brand to help more people from business schools engage with the outdoors. In this process, we found that each school has its own unique strengths and experiences. If there were a platform that could seamlessly connect the networks and resources of these institutions, it would undoubtedly accelerate the healthy growth of outdoor sports among business school communities. Once this idea was proposed, it was immediately embraced by the major business schools — a perfect match. Therefore, the unification of outdoor activity organizations across schools was inevitable. It’s fair to say the GORE-TEX® brand’s call helped build this bridge and accelerated the process.”TMBusiness Schools Outdoor Experience Camp activities, hoping to leverage the power of the brand to help more people from business schools engage with the outdoors. In this process, we found that each school has its own unique strengths and experiences. If there were a platform that could seamlessly connect the networks and resources of these institutions, it would undoubtedly accelerate the healthy growth of outdoor sports among business school communities. Once this idea was proposed, it was immediately embraced by the major business schools — a perfect match. Therefore, the unification of outdoor activity organizations across schools was inevitable. It’s fair to say the GORE-TEX® brand’s call helped build this bridge and accelerated the process.”
Inheriting the efficient style of the business school community, this concept quickly materialized within just one month. The Business Schools Outdoor Activities Alliance was swiftly formed with the active participation of the eight outdoor associations/clubs from the seven top business schools. Each of the eight founding member units appointed two association leaders to serve as founding council members, forming the first council of the alliance. The inaugural council meeting was held in March this year at Beijing’s Bonrun Extreme Park. The council set the direction for the alliance’s development and introduced its first-phase slogan: “Go big — play wild,” reflecting how elite individuals can take charge in their careers and also embrace unconventional fun when playing, encouraging more people to break free from routine life and take their first step into the outdoors.
GORE-TEXTMFirst Council of the Business Schools Outdoor Activities Alliance
Considering the limited outdoor experience of many business school members — most have only participated in hiking events such as the Gobi Challenge and the Desert Challenge, often with competitive goals in mind, leading to a relatively narrow understanding of outdoor sports, limited circle of outdoor enthusiasts, and frequent abandonment of desired routes or projects due to lack of companions — the GORE-TEX™ Business Schools Outdoor Activities Alliance proposed the “1+3” plan, encouraging business school members to achieve both vertical and horizontal expansion through alliance activities.TMThe GORE-TEX™ Business Schools Outdoor Activities Alliance proposed the “1+3” plan, encouraging business school members to achieve both vertical and horizontal expansion through alliance activities.
• Expand from one outdoor skill to three outdoor experiences.
It is hoped that through professional guidance, alliance members can enjoy a wide range of activities, expanding from a single skill such as hiking or long-distance running to include mountaineering, skiing, rock climbing, outdoor photography, and more, opening up new fields while having fun and acquiring new skills along the way.
• Shift from solo enjoyment to group adventures.
By setting up activities of varying difficulty levels, it is hoped that members can invite family or a few close friends to join, spend more quality time together, use outdoor sports as a new form of interaction, influence more people to participate, and embrace a healthier lifestyle.
GORE-TEXTMThe Business Schools Outdoor Activities Alliance promises: for alliance members, outdoor lecturer training will be professional; outdoor activity guidance and equipment advice will be comprehensive; and on-site outdoor experiences will be diverse and fun. Outdoor sports are not about blind competition and challenges, but rather a delightful, high-quality way of life.
At the inaugural council meeting, the GORE-TEX™ Business Schools Outdoor Activities Alliance confirmed that it would hold one public-oriented Business Schools Outdoor Experience Activity and one annual challenge event each year, with participants recruited by alliance members. Inter-school events will also be organized periodically among alliance schools, aiming to truly build a platform for the business school community, leveraging the resources and strengths of each institution to provide more cross-school outdoor experiences and opportunities for exchange.TMInter-school events will also be organized periodically among alliance schools, aiming to truly build a platform for the business school community, leveraging the resources and strengths of each institution to provide more cross-school outdoor experiences and opportunities for exchange.
To enhance communication among schools and members, an alliance WeChat account will also be launched in June of the same year, used for membership registration, management, and event sign-up. Regular updates will also be shared regarding the outdoor alliance, school activities, outstanding business school alumni, professional outdoor knowledge and skills, and related promotions.
Since 2015, the GORE-TEX® brand’s “Business Schools Outdoor Gentleman” selection has featured five candidates from Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management, Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management, Tongji University’s UTA, and CEIBS, sharing their outstanding professional performance and their spirit of continuously exploring the outdoors and striving for progress, generating strong resonance among the business school community. The alliance will continue this selection initiative, aiming to encourage more hardworking professionals to step outdoors and discover new sides of themselves.
GORE-TEXTMThe establishment of the Business Schools Outdoor Activities Alliance connects the interfaces between several major business schools, creating an interconnected platform among institutions. This milestone development holds significant importance for the future growth of outdoor sports among business school communities. In addition to supporting business schools’ outdoor activities, the GORE-TEX® brand will continue to promote and popularize outdoor sports to a broader audience and launch more creative brand campaigns. For details, follow the GORE-TEX® brand on WeChat (GT-20121205) or Weibo.
GORE-TEXTMThe founding council member units of the Business Schools Outdoor Activities Alliance each have deep influence and strong grassroots support in the business school outdoor community. The alliance will leverage their respective strengths to jointly foster a better outdoor activity atmosphere and environment. (The following list is in no particular order and sorted alphabetically by first character.)
About Gore
Founded in 1958, Gore is a technology-driven enterprise focused on research, exploration, and product innovation. Its products include high-performance textiles, medical implant devices, industrial production components, and aerospace electronics. The company is globally renowned for its waterproof and breathable GORE-TEX® products. Headquartered in the United States, Gore employs approximately 10,000 associates worldwide and operates production facilities in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, and China, with a global sales network. In Asia, Gore has offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Taipei, Seoul, Singapore, Mumbai, Sydney, Tokyo, and Okayama. Since the inception of the “100 Best Companies to Work For in America” list in 1984, Gore is one of the few companies that have been listed every year. Additionally, Gore has been recognized as a “Best Place to Work” in South Korea, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Visit gore.com.cn for more information.
About the GORE-TEX® (Gore-Tex®) Brand
The GORE-TEX® (Gore-Tex®) brand is a multifunctional fabric brand under W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. in the United States. In the mid-1970s, Gore innovatively bonded its lightweight, thin, durable, and strong GORE-TEX® membrane to traditional textile materials, producing a unique fabric with superior waterproof, windproof, and breathable properties. It overcame the limitation of conventional waterproof fabrics that were not breathable, earning the title “Fabric of the Century.” The birth of this fabric revolutionized outdoor sports, giving people their first true taste of all-weather protection. Fortune magazine listed it as one of the “100 Best American Products.” Subsequently, the GORE-TEX® brand launched functional, protective, and stylish apparel, accessories, and footwear, becoming a leader in outdoor sports products. Today, the brand’s innovative technologies are widely applied in outdoor sports, aerospace, military, medical fields, as well as urban casual wear and footwear, perfectly combining fashion, comfort, and protection. Visit gore-tex.com.cn for more information.