"Leading the Way" -- World Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo 2017 Press Conference Successfully Held in Beijing

BEIJING, April 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The World Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo 2017 (WWSE 2017) will be held in China National Convention Center from September 7 to September 10, 2017. The organizers, Beijing Olympic City Development Association (BODA) and International Data Group (IDG), has held a press conference on March 29 to introduce the background, the significance, the preparatory work progress and the highlights.

The press conference was attended by honourable guests, including Li Yingchuan, Assistant Director of General Administration of Sport of China; Han Zirong, Secretary General of Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games; Wu Jingmi, Secretary General of BODA; Guo Huaigang, Piao Xuedong and Tong Lixin, Directors of Secretariat and Administrative Department, Finance Market Development Department, Sports Department of Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games respectively; Zhao Yinggang, Chairman of Chinese Ice Hockey Association; Gao Yunchao, Deputy Secretary General of BODA; Alain Gaschen, Minister & Deputy Head of Mission, Swiss Embassy in the PRC; Xu Zhou, Vice President of IDG Asia; representatives of embassies of Austria, Switzerland, Canada, Finland, France, Norway, United Kingdom and Czech Republic, etc.; as well as enterprise representatives and more than 100 journalists.

Li Yingchuan, Assistant Director of General Administration of Sport of China stated that Bejing's successful bidding for the 2022 Winter Olympics on July 31, 2015 has brought about significant opportunities for the prosperous development of winter sports and its related industries. With extensive implementation on the strategy of expanding to the South and stretching to the West, winter sports have gradually been extended to the North, Northwest and Southeast regions. The number of Chinese people engaged in winter sports has seen significant growth, with their enthusiasm rising. The formation of various collaborative projects has become the winter sports industry's initial development model. Li Yingchuan appreciates the significance and achievements of holding WWSE, which is a win-win communication platform for Chinese and international winter sports industry players. He looks forward to the continuous growth and development of WWSE, so as to help improve quality and efficiency of the industry.

Gao Yunchao, Deputy Secretary General of BODA, showed his affirmation to the success of WWSE 2016 at the press conference. While the 2022 Olympic Winter Games preparatory work is in full swing and with "making more than 300 million Chinese people participate in winter sports" as the goal, the public winter sports fitness and winter sports industry brings an unprecedented development opportunity. As part of the preparatory work of the Winter Olympics, holding the WWSE helps to arouse public attention, support and participation in winter sports. WWSE 2017 will comprehensively introduce first class winter sports products, creating an integrated winter sports industry platform of professional manufacturing, industrial services, winter tourism and winter sports culture. WWSE will fully display and explore the great potential of China's winter sports market, and also promote the interaction and cooperation between domestic and international winter sports industry players.

Xu Zhou, Vice President of IDG Asia, introduced the development of China's winter sports industry and the highlights of WWSE 2017. Themed "Leading the Way", WWSE 2017 integrates multiple fields including winter sports, winter sports industry, tourism and leisure, and teenager training through exhibition, forums, supporting activities and trade communication. Eight highlights of the WWSE 2017 include:

• Strengthening cooperation among government and relevant organizations (including sports, tourism and education industry players, various international professional organizations, etc.).
• With the aid of the "Winter Sports Pilot Schools" activity promoted by the Education Administration, introducing winter sports to schools will extend the WWSE into a 365-day event.
• Promoting winter sports games and IP services.
• Inviting international brands by holding promotional events in Europe and America.
• Setting up a real snow slope on site at the WWSE 2017 so that visitors could enjoy the skiing experience and get a closer access to the charm of winter sports.
• Partnering with an elite winter sports Country, who will be the Major Guest of Honor of the event.
• The Olympic City Development Forum will be held, inviting delegates of cities that have held Winter Olympics previously and experts in Beijing to jointly discuss the opportunity of Winter Olympics and city development.
• Winter Sports Entrepreneurship Competition will be held to encourage innovative projects, so as to provide "fresh blood" for the winter sports industry and cultivate a group of vigorous start-ups.

During the press conference, the panel with the theme "Bonding with Winter Olympics, Explore the New Pulse of Winter Sports" featured Zhao Yinggang, Chairman of Chinese Ice Hockey Association, introduced the present situation of the development of Chinese Ice Hockey. Alain Gaschen, Minister & Deputy Head of Mission, Swiss Embassy in the PRC, analyzed the popularization, education and talents training of winter sports. Michael Tancsits, Commercial Attche at the Austrian Embassy in Beijing, demonstrated the comprehensive development of winter sports. Zhong Shuai, CEO of AST (China) and Nie Ningning, General Manager of Marketing Center of Chongli Thaiwoo Lifestyle Properties Co., Ltd., analyzed over the development and innovation of ice and snow making technology, intellectual research and the management and operation of ski resorts.

Gather Winter Sports Resources; Light the Spark of Winter Sports

WWSE 2017 is expected to attract more than 400 brands, 9000 distributors, 500+ media and 120,000+ visitors. The exhibition will be divided into six display sections. Discussion panels will be comprised of one main conference and ten parallel forums. A number of relevant supporting activities will also be held. By then, worldwide professionals in winter sports will gather together at WWSE, helping winter sports to develop.

The six display sections, respectively, are "national and regional pavilions", "winter travel destinations", "venue construction and facilities", "garment and accessories", "Internet+", "winter sports games and culture", and "interactive zone". The show is expected to undermine the opportunities in winter sports culture and the industry within the winter sports supply chain, educational resources, tourism culture, facilities and equipment, art culture, intelligent experience, competition and performance, security interaction, pan-entertainment and other fields. Simultaneously, WWSE will conduct activities of introducing winter sports into schools and promote the course of "making more than 300 million people participate in winter sports", revealing the charm of winter sports to more teenagers. They will also be provided with personalized winter sports interactive learning environment through the utilization of intelligent interactive teaching course ware and intelligent winter sports equipment.

The ten parallel forums, held simultaneously with the main conference, are:

• Olympic City Development Forum
• Promotion of Winter Sports in Teenagers Forum
• Winter Sports Technology Innovation Forum
• Ski Resort Operation and Management Forum
• Internet+
• Winter Sports Forum
• Winter Sports Tourism Forum
• Winter Sports Training and Professional Development Forum
• Winter Sports Entertainment Forum
• Winter Sports Entrepreneurship Competition and Winter Sports Marketing Forum

These forums will jointly explore the new trend of China's winter sports industry and winter sports. Thereafter, over 100 outstanding industry experts from around the world, including International Olympic Committee members, seven Winter Olympic international sports organizations, representatives of government leaders and the General Administration of Sport of China, delegates of winter sports associations in the world and experts in winter sports, will be invited for discussions, looking into the experience and development trend of winter sports industry both at home and abroad, analyzing the current situation of China's winter sports market and finding a suitable way for the development of Chinese winter sports enterprises.

Industry Analysis on China Winter Sports, Accreditation of Top 30 Ski Resorts in China, Top 50 Winter Sports Clubs, and Top 10 Winter Travel Destinations will be released during WWSE 2017, providing insights of the winter sports industry.

While international sports in Asia is in the limelight, winter sports games and its industry development within the region is expected to gain more attention worldwide. The upcoming 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games is no exception, bringing Chinese people "Gospel" for winter sports. WWSE 2017, the preface, will not only drive winter sports' development, but also bring "new power" to the industry.

Follow WWSE:

Official website: http://www.wwse2022.com/en/ 
Facebook: World Winter Sports Expo
Twitter: @WWSE2022

SOURCE IDG China