ISPO Beijing has opened its gates with a record number of exhibitors, welcoming 502 companies at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, which is a 7% more than last year's exhibition.

Visitors attending the multi-segment B2B event can gather information about the innovations and portfolios of 728 brands. Besides the latest developments in the Outdoor, Action Sports, Ski, Sportstyle and Textrends segments, visitors can look forward to an extensive supporting programme with sector-specific solutions and strategies, organisers report.

The exhibition halls that are available have been booked to capacity for months, with 83% of exhibitors coming from China. They include companies such as Kailas, Toread and the Thaiwoo Ski Resort, which will host Olympic events in 2022. The other 17% of exhibitors come from Europe, the US and the Asian-Pacific region and include industry giants such as Fjällräven, GoPro, Thule and GORE-TEX. They also include leading brands in the ski and snowboard sector such as 32, 686, CAPITA, Colmar, DEMON, Dynafit, Dynastar, Elan, Fischer, Halti, Head, Lib Tech, Nordica, Oakley, One Way, RIDE, Rome, Rossignol, SP, UNION and UVEX. There are also national pavilions from Austria, Korea, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.

Booming market

ISPO Beijing takes place against the backdrop of a booming market. Skiing is more popular than ever in China. Right now, only ten million Chinese people ski, but according to the German Ski Association (DSV), that is still more than Germany's approximately 7.4 alpine skiers.

However, the number of ski tourists in China has increased by 40% in just one year. The Chinese government's goal is to have as many as 300 million Chinese people on skis in the next ten years. There are also plans to develop new ski resorts. This development is being driven by the winter games in China in 2022.

Startup Village and the ISPO Award

The appeal of winter sports in China is also reflected by the growing number of new companies being founded. So, for the first time ever, ISPO Beijing will also feature a Startup Village where new Chinese companies can present themselves. There are also plans to continue promoting ISPO Business Solutions, which is already well known in Europe, in Asia.

Participation in the ISPO Award clearly demonstrates the innovative strength of the Asian sports industry, according to organisers. 100 of the more than 500 participants from around the world were from Asia, and 73 of them were from China alone.

Extensive supporting programme

Besides exhibitors' innovations, visitors attending ISPO Beijing can expect an extensive and informative supporting programme with more than 50 lectures, panel discussions and events. Because interest is so high, the current whitepaper titled China Ski Resort White Book 2016, which introduces Chinese ski resorts and describes the status quo in China, is being released at the Asia Pacific Snow Conference (APSC). After the fair, there will be a tour of various ski resorts such as Huaibei and Nanshan that will allow participants to familiarize themselves with the facilities in person.

As always, the ISPO Sports Industry Forum revolves around the latest trends and developments in the Chinese sports industry. Among other things, the China Outdoor Product Market Survey Report 2016 will be released this year. The Sports Fashion Trend Forum focuses on the latest international trends in sports fashion for the 2018 spring/summer season for designers and product managers.

www.beijing.ispo.com