September 7, 2017, Beijing — The second International Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo (WWSE) (hereinafter referred to as the “Winter Expo”) opened today at the China National Convention Center in Beijing. Jointly organized by the Beijing Olympic City Development Promotion Association (BODA) and the International Data Group (IDG), and hosted by the Beijing Olympic City Development Promotion Center and IEC Group Exhibition Co., Ltd., it received strong support from the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the Chinese Olympic Committee, the All-China Sports Federation, and co-organization from numerous international and domestic entities including the Association of International Winter Sports Federations, the International Luge Federation, the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation, the International Ski Federation, the International Skating Union, the World Curling Federation, the International Biathlon Union, as well as the Equipment Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, the Publicity Department of the China Disabled Persons’ Federation, and the Publicity Department of the Beijing Municipal Committee. The event aims to support the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, lead the development of China’s ice and snow industry, promote the goal of “getting 300 million people involved in ice and snow sports,” and establish China as an “ice and snow powerhouse.”
The Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will also showcase the latest progress of the 2022 Winter Olympics at this edition of the Winter Expo, offering the public the chance to experience winter sports up close, helping to deepen public understanding of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and attracting more people to participate in ice and snow activities. Yanqing District will also present its progress in planning and preparing for the Winter Olympics events, advantages in policies for introducing ice and snow projects, and unique resources for winter tourism. In the national theme exhibition area for ice and snow countries [], countries and international organizations such as Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Austria, South Korea, Japan, Russia, and the International Ski Federation have confirmed their participation, showcasing top winter sports manufacturers, ski resorts, organizations, training systems, and more. The winter tourism destinations exhibition area will feature world-renowned ski resorts such as the Swiss Schilthorn, St. Moritz Tourism Board, Zermatt, South Korea’s Gangwon Province, Japan’s Nagano Prefecture, Hokkaido, Tohoku Prefecture Tourism Organization, Sapporo Global Sports Committee, as well as domestic destinations like Fulong, Magic Cloud Summit, Changbai Mountain, and the Silk Road, along with large ice rinks, resorts, specialty towns, and eco-friendly parks.
The venue construction and facilities exhibition area [] will display the latest concepts in venue planning and design, operational management models, and cutting-edge mountain technology as well as dry skiing and dry ice technologies. Brands providing services for mountain and ice & snow venues and dry skiing/ice areas such as AST, Doppelmayr, TechnoAlpin, DemacLenko, Pomagalski, Melchers, Leitner, MND, Axis, CTC, Kassbohrer, Huajimingxing, Dalian Bingshan Group, Zhong’ao, Xing’ao, Ya Hao, Senlinxue, North Vehicles Cableway, BMF, Jinyi Group, Snowman Shares, Shandong Century Star, Zhongti Shanjian, Shuode Sports, Aerospace Aisenuo, Snow Dream City, Dalian Qianlong, Chongqing Wandi, and Longjiang Motor Vehicle Mall will be present, along with internationally renowned equipment brands such as Bombardier, Zero UAV, SMIC, Club Med, Abit, Liri Tents, Reidel Tents, Axess, Mesa, Yamaha, Dema Electric, Santa Cruz, Innovation Cooling, Belimed, Jieanjie, and Magical Ice.
The winter apparel and equipment exhibition area [] will feature top international and domestic brands of winter sports clothing, gear, and accessories, including JACK WOLFSKIN, Mammut, Reima, Alpinestars, Elan, X-Bionic, BENBO, LIVALL, Gaoyuan Sports, and LY100. The ice and snow sports and culture exhibition area will showcase comprehensive records of ice and snow IP events, renowned sports universities and training institutions from home and abroad, and collections of Olympic Winter Games art.
Meanwhile, institutions such as the Heilongjiang Provincial Sports Bureau, the Jilin Provincial Sports Bureau, and Shougang will also exhibit, while winter sports service brands such as Wen tou Sports, Club Med, Shengxiang Ski, and Xueyu Zongheng will fully participate in this Winter Expo. Additionally, there will be an ice and snow show and interactive experience zone [], offering live ice shows and slope experiences, curling trials, and close-up encounters with the charm of ice and snow sports. The “Internet + Sports” zone will introduce simulation systems for winter sports, smart sports equipment, and app experience zones. Companies such as Sharp and BOE will display their latest 8K display technologies and products, allowing visitors to experience firsthand the limitless energy that technology injects into sports. Moreover, during the press conference of this Winter Expo, Beijing Shougang Construction Investment Co., Ltd. signed the “Framework Agreement on the Cooperation Project of the North Seven Silos of the Shougang West Ten Olympic Plaza” with IDG and IEC Sports Co., Ltd.
The development of the ice and snow industry cannot be separated from the broad participation of the general public. Through a variety of exciting exhibitions and activities, the Winter Expo allows ordinary audiences to experience the boundless passion of ice and snow sports and share in the excitement of the Winter Expo and the Winter Olympics. One highlight of this Winter Expo is the newly added “Ice and Snow into Campus” [] section, which showcases teaching methods, courseware, training venues, and related equipment and facilities for winter sports, and provides hands-on experiences with hockey, curling, and skiing training, thereby increasing youth interest in ice and snow sports. This complements the Beijing Municipal Education Commission’s “Winter Sports Model Schools” campaign, creating a Winter Expo that “never closes for 365 days.” In addition, the event also displays a full record of ice and snow IP events [], winter sports and culture [], including renowned sports universities and training institutions from home and abroad, Olympic Winter Games art collections, and introduces elements of “Internet+” [], such as simulation systems for winter sports, smart sports gear, and app experiences. There are also real ice shows, slope experiences, and a series of supporting activities launched via public stages.
Industry Leaders Gather at the Ice and Snow Forum to Focus on Industrial Development
In addition to the main forum, this Winter Expo will also host over 20 parallel forums and special events, focusing on the development process of China’s ice and snow industry, deeply analyzing the current market situation and trends, and offering insights for the industry’s rapid future growth.
As a precursor to the 2022 Winter Olympics, this Winter Expo has specially added an Olympic City Development Forum, inviting mayors of successfully hosted Olympic cities to discuss global experiences in Olympic city construction and Beijing’s innovative path to sustainable development as a dual-Olympic city. In addition, to identify and nurture the rising stars of China’s future ice and snow industry, IDG Sports, in collaboration with multiple investment institutions, is launching the Ice and Snow Entrepreneurship Competition [], injecting vitality into the innovative development of the ice and snow industry. The “Ice and Snow into Campus” (youth ice and snow popularization) forum draws on the experiences of ice and snow sports education and training from powerful ice and snow nations such as the United States, Austria, Norway, and Sweden, aiming to solve challenges in the popularization of ice and snow sports among Chinese youth, making youth ice and snow education a reserve force for advancing the grand goal of “300 million people on ice and snow.”
Furthermore, forums on ice rink operation and management, ski resort operation and management, the pan-entertainment of the ice and snow industry, innovation in winter sports technology, talent development in winter sports, marketing in winter sports, and the tourism industry of winter sports also gather elites from various fields to jointly build a blueprint for China’s ice and snow industry on the international stage and unlock the vast potential of China’s ice and snow sports market.
Meanwhile, Switzerland will hold a four-day thematic activity week from September 7 to 10, Finland will bring two forums on national tourism industry and national education development, as well as the Finland 100 Natural Architecture Summit exploring the harmonious relationship between human living spaces and nature. Norway, another Nordic country, will also present a China-Norway Economic Development Forum. Other events include ice and snow sports and camp education, the China Ski Racing Forum, the China Ice and Snow Industry Capital Summit, the CCTV “Channel 5” Inspire Forum co-hosted by Yanqing and CCTV5, and the “COOL Ice and Snow, Cool Industry” special sessions. These events comprehensively outline the development trajectory of China’s ice and snow industry from the perspectives of tourism, education, and commercial development, analyzing the current state of the industry.
Leveraging the grand platform of the 2022 Winter Olympics, the Winter Expo extensively draws on advanced international development experiences, integrates industrial resources in an all-round way, and promotes the popularization and cultural advancement of mass ice and snow sports. It will become a key driving force for industrial innovation and development in China’s golden age of ice and snow sports, helping China become a true sports and ice and snow powerhouse.