Present and future of winter sports at Alpitec China 2018

Bolzano, 20 November 2017 – To celebrate its tenth edition, Alpitec China 2018 presents itself bigger than ever. France, Austria and also Switzerland will have their very own Village. So far, ten new exhibitors have already confirmed their booth, among them not only international companies but also a number of Chinese brands.

The Olympic Winter Games - taking place in Asia twice in a row - are already on the horizon. With the XXIII Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang (South Korea) just around the corner, the focus is already moving on to the next major sports event in Beijing in four years’ time. The infrastructure planning for the Olympics in China’s capital is about to start and international companies are in competition to gain major contracts. This development is obviously having a positive impact on the international trade show for mountain and winter technologies: well-known exhibitors step up their presence as more and more Chinese companies present themselves at Alpitec China. 

The enthusiasm and the interest for winter sports is clearly growing among the population as well as on a political level. Considering the increasing number in winter tourists, safety standards are becoming a key factor for Chinese ski resorts. It is also one of the up-to-date topics that will be discussed at the annual Asia Pacific Snow Conference, taking place on Thursday, 25 January 2018.

“As the ski and snowboard industry develops in China, their safety standards need to keep pace. Although best practices know no geographical boundaries, what is acceptable in one resort in Europe or Canada may be different from the USA or New Zealand.  Because of the long history of mountain recreation in Europe and less litigation than in North America, the experience is noticeably different for the recreating public”, explains Richard Wyne of Polar Solutions (Canada), one of the many highly qualified speakers at the APSC 2018, “It is great for the industry to have cultural differences throughout the world but skiers and snowboarders must have confidence in the resort's safety and rescue capabilities. Three of the most important areas for Chinese development are: Risk Management, Patrol Competence and Standard Operating Guidelines.”

The Asia Pacific Snow Conference is an absolute highlight, not least thanks to the presentation of the new "White Book 2017": Wu Bin, Vice president of Vanke Lake Songhua Resort and Chief Strategy Officer of Vanke Ski Division, presents the latest data and the status quo of ski resorts in China. Immediately following, Laurent Vanat, Founder of Laurent Vanat Consulting SARL (Canada) gives an overview of the key industry figures worldwide. Mat Woods, Head of Sales at Cardrona Alpine Resort in New Zealand, explains how to structure the offer of a ski resort. The APSC registered an attendance record already in 2017 with over 400 participants and will once again be the meeting point for operators of ski resorts that want to get ready for the future.

Overall, Alpitec China 2017 was a success, with 68 exhibitors coming from 11 countries and over 40,000 visitors (together with ISPO Beijing). The trades show’s 10^th edition will be held from the 24^th to the 27^th of January 2018 in the China National Convention Center of Beijing, together with ISPO Beijing, the leading multi-segment sports exhibition in Asia.

For more information please visit: www.alpitec.cn