Showcasing China's soft power in sports culture, the 2018 China Sports Culture Expo and China Sports Tourism Expo concluded successfully ... ...

      The 2018 China Sports Culture Expo and China Sports Tourism Expo were successfully held from December 11 to December 13 at the Poly World Trade Center Expo in Guangzhou.

       Themed "New Era, New Sports, New Life," the expos covered an exhibition area of 40,000 square meters. Over 400 entities participated, including departments and directly affiliated units of the General Administration of Sport of China, more than 30 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities across the country, as well as renowned domestic and international companies. The event was divided into six major exhibition zones: Sports Culture, Sports Tourism, International Sports Organizations, Regional Sports and Cultural Tourism, Sports Technology and Wellness, and Sports Brands. It also featured a main forum—the China International Sports Culture and Sports Tourism Summit Forum—alongside forums for sports officials and a series of parallel forums. Supporting activities included the Mind Sports Games, traditional sports performances, freestyle football shows, and hands-on experiences with traditional Chinese archery. The scale and excitement were unprecedented.

History and Achievements: Rich Content Showcases the Appeal of Sports Culture

      The Sports Culture Theme Zone, one of the six major zones at the expo, was meticulously curated by the Sports Culture Development Center of the General Administration of Sport of China (China Sports Museum). Covering 3,000 square meters, the zone included four sections: Cultural Heritage of China, Glory of China, Healthy China, and Beautiful China. It integrated history, culture, stories, art, and technology. The exhibits showcased the historical development of China’s relationship with the Olympic Movement, the inspiring stories of Chinese athletes striving for glory, and the evolution of mass sports. These elements promoted the spirit of Chinese sports and reflected the cultural confidence of China in the new era.

       The Sports and Cultural Tourism Zone, characterized by strong ethnic, regional, and contemporary vitality, saw participation from entities across nearly the entire nation. It displayed regional folk sports culture and resources, while also fostering the display, exchange, and innovative transformation of sports culture in various areas.

      During the expo, over ten supporting activities were held, including performances of traditional ethnic sports such as Tianshui Whirling Drum, Linzi Cuju, Shanxi Roliball, Xinjiang Dance, and Yunnan Ethnic Fitness Exercises. Other activities included the Mind Sports Games, sports memorabilia auctions, and hands-on experiences with traditional Chinese archery, basketball, RVs, football, and real ice curling. These events combined competitiveness, fun, and interactivity, conveying the charm, cohesion, and unique appeal of sports culture. They became a unique expression of the inheritance and development of China’s sports culture.

Sports+ Concept: Cross-Industry Integration Unleashes Innovation in Sports Culture

      The expo also served as a new platform for cross-industry integration. With the acceleration of reform and opening up and the growing economic strength of China, people's lifestyles and values continue to evolve. The deep integration of Sports+Culture, Sports+Tourism, Sports+Internet, and Sports+Education will generate a synergistic effect, creating unexpected new products, industries, and models that will transform everyday life.

      From beneficiaries to driving forces, companies in domestic sports technology and smart venue design and operation played significant roles at the expo, even taking center stage. They introduced cutting-edge and exciting technologies and products to China, spurring updates and iterations within related industries and accelerating the shift between old and new growth drivers.

      A series of parallel forums—including the Sports Business Summit, Olympic Culture Development Forum, Sports and Cultural Tourism Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition & Venture Capital Forum, Cultural Tourism Industry Development Forum, Sports Marketing and Event IP Forum, Museum Directors Forum, Youth Sports Development Forum, and Ice and Snow Industry Forum—all discussed practical applications, strategies, pathways, and relevant expertise in multi-industry integrated development. These high-level and substantive exchanges are practical measures to promote the integrated development of China’s sports culture and sports tourism, achieve complementary advantages and resource sharing, and refine the "Sports+" concept. They also effectively demonstrate the innovation power of sports culture.

International Figures: Resource Exploration Enhances the Global Reach of Sports Culture

      To build a comprehensive platform for the international, professional, market-oriented, and high-end display, exchange, and integrated development of sports culture and the sports industry, it is essential to gather core outstanding elements and enable their circulation and integration, thus creating more possibilities. The China International Sports Culture and Sports Tourism Summit Forum—Main Forum, the Sports Officials Forum, and a series of parallel forums were attended by a distinguished gathering of guests.

      Among the internationally renowned industry leaders invited were World Badminton Federation President Poul-Erik Høyer, International Basketball Central Board Member and President of the Oceania Basketball Confederation Burton Shipley (also Chair of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup Coordination Committee), President of the International Sports Media Association Gianni Merlo, and Founding President of the International Mind Sports Association José Damiani. Domestically, corporate guests and representatives from universities and museums across various fields such as sports, tourism, culture, investment, marketing, and media attended en masse. Special guests included Hong Kong Olympic Committee Chairman Timothy Fok, IDG Capital Founding Chairman Xiong Xiaoge, and Olympic champions Xu Haifeng and Gao Min.

      Discussing core values, interpreting development policies, showcasing investment opportunities, establishing cooperation models, and jointly discussing strategies for the development of sports culture and sports tourism, the expo facilitated the connection and transaction of capital and projects. It actively empowered China’s new sports development, strengthened cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries, expanded industrial cooperation, and effectively demonstrated the global influence of sports culture.

      The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China outlined three major historical tasks for sports in the new era, and President Xi Jinping emphasized that sports carry the dream of national prosperity and rejuvenation. As an important part of the spirit of the times, sports culture is a powerful driving force that inspires everyone to strive for excellence, as well as the foundation for leapfrog development in the sports industry.
      The 2018 China Sports Culture Expo and China Sports Tourism Expo brought together the glorious achievements in the inheritance and development of China’s sports culture. Numerous industry brands and emerging enterprises contributed forward-looking Sports+ models and advanced experiences in industrial development, fully showcasing China’s soft power in sports culture. Looking ahead, the expos will seize the opportunity of the high priority placed on sports development by the Party Central Committee and the State Council. Riding the wave of momentum, they will continue to surpass expectations, maintain vitality, provide strong spiritual power for the new era and new journeys, and gain the upper hand in the next phase of sports industry development.