— International Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo: The Ice and Snow Industry Poised for a New Upgrade
September 2016, Beijing — The 2016 International Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo (WWSE), organized by the Beijing Olympic City Development Association and the International Data Group (IDG) of the United States, and aimed at promoting the development of domestic winter sports and deepening public understanding of ice and snow sports culture, will be held from October 19 to 22, 2016, at the China National Convention Center in Beijing. Centered around the goal of “engaging 300 million people in ice and snow sports,” the Expo will focus on popularizing winter sports and enhancing the ice and snow sports industry as key priorities, striving to advance innovation and development in China’s ice and snow sports sector.
The 2016 International Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo features an exhibition area exceeding 20,000 square meters, covering four core sections: ice and snow sports, outdoor and leisure, events and culture, and interactive experiences. The ice and snow sports section includes national pavilions, ski resorts and tourist destinations, ice and snow sports equipment, venue facilities, and construction zones; the outdoor and leisure section features sports and leisure, outdoor activities, and fitness equipment zones; the events and culture section showcases Olympic-themed displays, international sports organizations, winter tourism culture and event promotion, and international brand collaboration areas; the interactive experience section offers internet+ sports and VR experiences, sports talent zones, real ice shows, and youth ice and snow experience areas. These four sections comprehensively present the latest developments in the global ice and snow industry from multiple perspectives. Concurrently, the 2016 International Winter Sports (Beijing) Summit Forum will be held on October 19–20, themed “Opening the Future,” bringing together industry elites to deeply analyze the current state of China’s ice and snow market.
The Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will also showcase the latest progress of the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics at this Expo, including updates on the preparation work, a one-year review, images from professional meetings and major events, regional planning for the three competition zones and all venues, introductions to venue exteriors and interior designs, descriptions of the Olympic and Paralympic events, and images of the seven major events. The Organizing Committee will also offer the public opportunities for up-close experiences with winter sports, such as taking a hot air balloon ride for an aerial view of the Yanqing competition zone, as well as trying out ski jumping, bobsleigh and luge, and smart photography systems. The participation of the Winter Olympics Organizing Committee will help the public gain a deeper understanding of the Winter Olympics and Paralympics, attracting more people to personally experience and actively engage in ice and snow sports.
Ms. Xu Zhou, Vice President of IDG Asia, said: “Currently, China’s ice and snow sports industry is booming at an unprecedented pace, with various new types of sports being actively introduced to the Chinese market. We believe that this year’s first-ever 2016 International Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo (WWSE) will serve as an important platform for connecting domestic and international winter sports resources and driving the development of China’s ice and snow industry.”
Ice and Snow Industry Upgrade, “Ice Technology” Becomes Exhibition Highlight
This Winter Expo will fully showcase cutting-edge achievements in the field of winter sports and provide interactive and fun experiences, expected to attract over 100,000 professional and general visitors. The ice and snow sports exhibition area introduces national pavilions, where major ice and snow nations such as Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, Germany, the United States, and Austria will showcase the charm of their snowy countries; the Swiss delegation includes over 25 companies, South Korea has 15, the United States will bring a rescue aircraft, Italy will feature TechnoAlpin and other companies, and Austria will showcase heavyweight companies like Doppelmayr. The 2022 Winter Olympics host cities of Beijing’s Yanqing and Zhangjiakou will make on-site presentations, while strong ice and snow provinces and the ancient skiing birthplace of Altay will also participate in group exhibitions. Additionally, top ski resorts such as Japan’s Nagano, Thaiwoo, Genting Ski Resort, and Dolomiti will display their unique appeal. Well-known international fashion and family outdoor brands such as ALPINE PRO will also unveil their latest products at the Expo. Moreover, numerous top-tier brands including Shandong Century Star (simulated ice manufacturers), service providers for ski resorts like Cabrinha, Yahao, and IMG will also attend the Expo.
The integration with high-tech and the internet will also be a highlight of this Winter Expo, offering visitors an “interactive blend of virtual and real” experience. The Expo exhibition area will feature a special “internet+ sports” zone, including a virtual reality (VR) experience that uses the most advanced VR technology to provide attendees with an immersive virtual skiing experience, allowing them to “personally experience” the speed and excitement of speeding down ski slopes even before winter arrives. In addition, a 500-square-meter real ice rink will be set up at the Expo site, featuring unexpected ice performances and providing young people with opportunities to experience and learn skating techniques, deeply immersing them in the joy of winter sports.
Ice and Snow Forum: High-Level Discussions on Industrial Upgrades
The 2016 “International Winter Sports (Beijing) Summit Forum,” running concurrently with the Expo, will be themed “Opening the Future,” and will include six parallel forums: the Winter Sports Equipment and Technology Forum, Ski Resort Operations Management Forum, Internet+ Sports Marketing Forum, Winter Sports Tourism Industry Forum, Winter Sports Talent Development Forum, and Ice and Snow Industry Investment and Financing Seminar. The forums will take a global view of the development trends in the ice and snow industry, focusing on the progress of China’s ice and snow industry, and will invite over 100 industry leaders, including officials from the International Olympic Committee and the seven major winter sports organizations, to engage in face-to-face exchanges, deeply analyzing the current state of China’s ice and snow market and identifying suitable development paths for Chinese ice and snow enterprises.
Numerous domestic and international industry leaders will attend the opening ceremony and summit forum of the Winter Expo, including leaders from national ministries, the International Olympic Committee, the seven major international winter sports organizations, the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee, relevant leaders from the Beijing Municipal Government, leaders from the governments of Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces, relevant leaders from Beijing’s Yanqing District and Zhangjiakou, as well as international figures and industry leaders such as Ivo Ferriani, President of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, Anders Besseberg, President of the International Biathlon Union, Juerg Schmid, Director General of the Swiss Tourism Board, Hiroaki Kono, Vice President of the Nagano Prefecture Ski Federation in Japan, and Nick Sargent, President of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Industry Association (SIA). In addition, Liu Jingmin, Executive Vice President of the Beijing Olympic City Development Association, Jiang Xiaoyu, Vice President of the Association, and Xiong Xiaoge, Global Managing Director of IDG and Founding Partner of IDG Capital, will appear at the summit forum to deliver keynote speeches and engage in high-level dialogues with representatives of top industry enterprises.
Mr. Zhu Dongfang, Vice President of IDG China, said: “The International Winter Sports (Beijing) Summit Forum is a grand gathering in the international winter sports industry and a rare opportunity for summarization, exchange, and self-development. We hope the Winter Expo exhibition and the several forums will complement each other, deepening the Chinese public’s understanding of ice and snow sports culture in both breadth and depth, and promoting the popularization of winter sports and the development of the winter sports industry.”
Enriched Supporting Activities to Boost Ice and Snow Consumption Upgrades
With the successful bid for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the enthusiasm for winter sports continues to rise, and public participation has reached unprecedented levels, while winter sports consumption is entering a phase of upgrade and transformation: in 2015, China’s per capita GDP reached $7,482, and demand for enjoyment and developmental consumption has gradually increased. Winter sports are transitioning from niche professional activities to mass-participation consumer events. Currently, the annual growth rate of participants in winter ice and snow sports in China has reached 20%–30%, with winter sports such as skiing, skating, and ice hockey gradually becoming trendy. The hosting of the first Winter Expo will play an important role in accelerating the upgrade of ice and snow industry consumption and promoting sustained growth in the ice and snow industry.
The upgrade in ice and snow consumption will be a crucial part of the ice and snow industry upgrade, and the first Winter Expo will also be closely linked to the participation of the general consumer. During the 4-day Expo, 2 days will be open to the public. In addition to gaining a comprehensive understanding of the most popular ski resorts and tourist destinations, visitors can also get up close to fashionable winter sports equipment and cool ice and snow technologies. Furthermore, the exhibition will feature over ten supporting activities during the same period, including the release of the “China Ice and Snow Industry Development Report,” the selection of the “Top 30 Chinese Ski Resorts,” and the “Top 50 Winter Sports Clubs,” aiming to allow every visitor to experience the unique charm of winter sports.
Multi-Pronged Approach to Industrial Development, Bright Prospects for Ice and Snow Sports
This Winter Expo will serve as a leading project in the upgrade of China’s ice and snow industry, accelerating the “multi-pronged” process of popularizing and developing winter sports. First, by collaborating with relevant government departments and enterprise institutions, it will strengthen the foundation of public participation in ice and snow sports, striving to achieve a significant leap in the level of winter sports; second, it will promote the optimization and upgrade of the industrial development environment, jointly creating new highlights in the ice and snow sports industry; third, it will provide a platform for technical innovation and reform, boldly exploring new pathways for the ice and snow sports industry.
The successful hosting of the 2016 International Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo holds milestone significance in the history of national ice and snow sports development. In response to the call of the General Administration of Sport of China’s “13th Five-Year Plan for Competitive Sports,” it will greatly support the development of China’s ice and snow sports. In addition to creating favorable conditions for the preparatory work of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, the Expo is expected to spark a nationwide wave of winter culture, sports, and tourism. The Expo will collaborate with more partners and industry institutions to explore and rationally transform ice and snow resources, promoting the comprehensive upgrade of ice and snow sports, tourism, and industrial economics.
The Winter Expo’s investment attraction and media cooperation are now in full swing.
About the International Winter Sports Beijing Expo (WWSE)
The International Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo (World Winter Sports Expo) is a global, professional, and authoritative winter sports exhibition jointly organized by the Beijing Olympic City Development Association and the International Data Group (IDG) of the United States. Aiming to promote the popularization of winter sports knowledge in China and “engage 300 million people in ice and snow sports,” the Expo has been held annually in Beijing, China since 2016, and has become the world’s largest and most authoritative ice and snow sports exhibition. Positioned at a professional and national level, the Winter Expo has received support and participation from the International Olympic Committee and the seven major winter sports federations, helping to prepare for the Winter Olympics and promoting the overall advancement of sports in China, forming and leading the vigorous development of the winter sports industry in China.
About the International Data Group (IDG)
The International Data Group (IDG) is the world’s largest information technology publishing, research, exhibition, and venture capital company. Founded in 1964 with headquarters in Boston, USA, IDG currently operates subsidiaries and branches in 90 countries and regions worldwide, employing 13,270 senior research experts and editorial staff. Utilizing modern information processing and transmission methods such as email, databases, telex, and online services, IDG has established a fast and comprehensive global information network. IDG entered the Chinese market as early as 1979, establishing the first Sino-American joint venture in China, International Data China Investment Company, with main business areas covering media partnerships, market research, venture capital, and exhibition conferences. Over the past 33 years, IDG’s business in China has grown at a rate of approximately 50% per year, the highest among all global regions.
For more information, please visit the official website: www.idg.com.cn