With the positive development of China-Switzerland relations, the ice and snow industry and winter sports have become one of the key topics of discussion between the two countries. The 2017 International Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo (hereinafter referred to as the Winter Expo) will follow this trend by inviting Switzerland as the Guest of Honor to collaborate on related initiatives, promote the development of the ice and snow sector, and bring a new look and enhanced experience to the Winter Expo.
Since Beijing’s successful bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics, China’s ice and snow sports have entered a golden period. To promote the comprehensive development of ice and snow sports and the industry, the state has successively issued a series of documents including the “Healthy China 2030” Outline, the “Several Opinions on Accelerating the Development of the Sports Industry and Promoting Sports Consumption,” the “National Fitness Program (2016–2020),” the “13th Five-Year Plan for Sports Development,” the “Ice and Snow Sports Development Plan (2016–2025),” and the “National Ice and Snow Facilities Construction Plan (2016–2022).” These policies address strategic goals, pathways, industrial support, implementation measures, and responsible entities, all aimed at achieving the goal of “300 million people participating in ice and snow activities.”
As the birthplace of winter tourism, Switzerland boasts superior and reliable snow conditions, a long-standing tradition of snow sports, and has hosted numerous snow-related sporting events. With the highest-altitude ski areas in the Alps, it offers the world’s longest, most challenging, and most enjoyable slopes. Its dense network of ski resorts can be easily connected via convenient transportation, creating ideal winter destination journeys. Additionally, Switzerland’s cozy and comfortable ski villages guarantee the renowned Swiss quality. Its continuous innovation in technology, equipment, and learning experiences has earned it the reputation as the “Home of Ice and Snow,” catering to diverse traveler needs for both activity and relaxation. According to estimates by Oxford Economics and the Swiss National Tourism Office, by 2022, the number of hotel nights spent by Chinese tourists in Switzerland is expected to reach 2 million. The Chinese market has become Switzerland’s fourth-largest overseas source of visitors. Since the end of 2012, the Swiss National Tourism Office has actively promoted Swiss winter tourism in China, achieving remarkable results over four years: during the 2015/16 winter season, Chinese tourists spent 189,148 nights in Swiss mountain regions, accounting for 44.7% of all nights. As a key international exhibitor at the first Winter Expo, the Swiss National Tourism Office is confident in the positive growth of China’s winter tourism market. During the 2017 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Switzerland and signed a cooperation agreement with Swiss Federal Council President Doris Leuthard, jointly launching the “China-Switzerland Year of Tourism” to strengthen collaboration in ice and snow sports. The Swiss National Tourism Office will also organize a series of online and offline activities across China, bringing the best of Swiss winter lifestyle—“Switzerland: Home of Ice and Snow”—to Chinese travelers.
As one of the world’s largest and most authoritative ice and snow sports expos, the Winter Expo has received active participation and strong support from Switzerland since its inaugural edition in 2016. In 2016, over 40 exhibitors from 20 Swiss regions and institutions participated in the first Winter Expo, showcasing the Swiss winter image to ice and snow enthusiasts and industry professionals while supporting the development of ice and snow sports and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The 2017 Winter Expo will invite Switzerland as the Guest of Honor partner, strategically introducing international ice and snow institutions and brand enterprises to drive the integrated development of ice and snow tourism, business, sports, and education, and enrich the expo’s content.
Themed “The Road to Leadership,” the 2017 Winter Expo, organized by the Beijing Olympic City Development Association and International Data Group (IDG), will leverage the strengths of the global ice and snow industry and sports. Through exhibitions, forums, supporting activities, and business matchmaking, it will integrate various aspects including winter sports, the ice and snow industry, tourism and leisure, and youth training. The 2017 Winter Expo features eight highlights: strengthening government and organizational cooperation, promoting ice and snow in schools, showcasing ice and snow events and IPs, inviting international brands for promotion, slope experiences, Guest of Honor collaboration, adding an Olympic City Development Forum, and hosting an Ice and Snow Entrepreneurship Competition.
The Winter Expo exhibition area will be divided into seven sections: winter clothing and equipment, winter tourism destinations, national and regional group displays, mountain and winter technology, Olympic-themed exhibits, dry ski slopes, venue construction and facilities, internet + sports, real ice shows, ice and snow events and culture, and ice and snow in schools. It will explore opportunities in the ice and snow culture and industry through the winter sports industry chain, educational resources, tourism and culture, facilities and equipment, artistic culture, intelligent experiences, competitions and performances, safety interactions, and broader entertainment.
The forum at this Winter Expo will also draw on Switzerland’s ice and snow expertise and data to discuss topics such as Olympic city development, ice and snow in schools, technological innovation in winter sports, ski resort operations, ice rink management, the winter sports tourism industry, talent development in winter sports, the entertainment aspect of the ice and snow industry, the Ice and Snow Entrepreneurship Competition, and winter sports marketing. Meanwhile, supporting activities such as the China Ice and Snow Industry Research Report, the Top 30 Chinese Ski Resorts, the Top 50 Winter Sports Clubs, and the Top 10 Winter Tourism Destinations are progressing steadily.
The 2017 Winter Expo will be held from September 7 to 10 at the China National Convention Center. With the joint efforts of Guest of Honor Switzerland, it will drive the development of the ice and snow industry and market, bringing a new dimension to this year’s expo.
Appendix:
The preparations for the 2017 Winter Expo are proceeding smoothly, with Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Canada, Japan, and Norway having confirmed or preliminarily confirmed their participation in group delegations. Positive feedback has been received from multiple well-known brands, including AST, TechnoAlpin, Doppelmayr, MND, SMI, Carving, YAHOO, CTC, Elan, Jack Wolfskin, Alpine Pro, and others. The Winter Expo team has traveled to cities such as Las Vegas, Salt Lake City (USA), Twins Cities and Munich (Germany), Stockholm (Sweden), Helsinki and Tampere (Finland), Aarhus (Denmark), Innsbruck (Austria), Prague (Czech Republic), and Lahti (Finland) to hold promotional events or participate in local activities to boost the Winter Expo brand.
Introduction to the Beijing Olympic City Development Promotion Association:
The successful hosting of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Paralympics left China and Beijing with a rich legacy of Olympic spirit and material assets, becoming a valuable treasure for Beijing as an Olympic host city. To mobilize social forces, further promote the Olympic spirit, consolidate and expand the achievements of the Olympics, and advance the construction of a “Humanistic Beijing, Technological Beijing, and Green Beijing,” the Beijing Olympic City Development Promotion Association was established in August 2009, on the first anniversary of the Beijing Olympics, under the active advocacy of the Beijing Municipal People’s Government and the Chinese Olympic Committee.
Registered as a non-profit social organization with the Beijing Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau, the Beijing Olympic City Development Promotion Association aims to promote the Olympic spirit, expand the legacy of the Olympics, support the sustainable development of the Olympic and Paralympic movements in urban settings, contribute to building a “Humanistic Beijing, Technological Beijing, and Green Beijing,” and advance Beijing’s development as a global city and international center for sports and culture.
Introduction to International Data Group:
Founded in Boston, USA in 1964, International Data Group (IDG) is now the world’s largest integrated platform for venture capital, market research, conferences and exhibitions, and media. IDG entered the Chinese market in 1980, and over the past 35 years, it has contributed to China’s rapid economic and technological growth, accumulating extensive experience in bridging Eastern and Western cultures for mutual benefit. It maintains broad and deep government partnerships and a stable, proactive local team.
IDG’s professional exhibition subsidiary, IDG World Expo, hosts over 300 international professional exhibitions and conferences globally each year. Leveraging the group’s integrated strengths in market research, media, and venture capital, it holds unique expertise and experience in the international exhibition industry. Since 1999, IDG World Expo has partnered with the Shenzhen Municipal Government on the China Hi-Tech Fair, which has grown into the world’s largest tech exhibition, significantly contributing to Shenzhen’s industrial upgrading and tech branding. The “Olympic Expo,” co-hosted with the International Olympic Committee and the Beijing Municipal Government, opened on August 8, 2008—the same day as the Beijing Olympics—and was inaugurated by IOC President Jacques Rogge, receiving widespread international and public acclaim. In 2010, IDG World Expo managed the design, construction, and operation of multiple pavilions at the Shanghai Expo and organized over 900 “Joyful Costume Parade Performances” in the Expo Park, earning the title of “Excellent Partner” from the Shanghai Expo Bureau. In 2016, it co-founded the International Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo with the Olympic Promotion Association and other organizations, receiving strong support from the IOC, seven international winter sports federations, the Beijing Municipal Government, and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee. The first edition attracted nearly 100,000 visitors and received high recognition and praise from the global winter sports industry.
In recent years, IDG has actively invested in the sports industry, backing domestic and international companies such as New Sports, Infront Sports, Kunlun Fight, Olympique Lyonnais (France), 700 Bike, Keep, and Skiin. In 2017, it established IDG Sports to comprehensively invest in and develop China’s sports industry, identifying and nurturing unicorns in the sector.