When ISPO Beijing opens its doors on January 24th， 2018， it will mark the 14th meeting of the Chinese sporting goods industry. As the most important trade fair for the sporting goods industry in the Asia-Pacific region， ISPO Beijing has an optimistic outlook for the new year： More than 400 exhibitors and more than 600 brands will be on location until January 27， the venue of the China National Convention Center （CNCC） is fully booked. An extensive conference and supporting program will top off the trade fair events.

Winter sports euphoria thanks to the Winter Olympics in 2022

Winter sports is the focal point of ISPO Beijing. The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and a state-sponsored winter sports program are the driving forces behind the growth in the sports industry. China is investing heavily in the expansion of its ski resorts and infrastructure. More and more Chinese are also embracing the wide range of winter sports disciplines. In the coming years， the number of winter sports enthusiasts in China is expected to rise from around ten million at present to 300 million.

Inspired by ski euphoria and the booming market， ISPO Beijing is expanding its range of offerings beyond the current winter sports topics. 2018 will include ice sports and services related to tourism， the Winter Olympics and training options. Well-known brands from the fashion and sporting goods segment， as well as ski resort operators and service providers have confirmed their participation in the winter sports area， including Halti， Head， Nordica， Rossignol， Thaiwoo and V？lkl.

The Chinese are discovering outdoor and health & fitness

The upswing is apparent in many areas besides winter sports. It has arrived in all sectors of the Chinese sports market： More and more Chinese are becoming interested in outdoor topics， health and fitness， thus presenting greater growth potential. The market for functional clothing and wearables is still in its infancy； not wanting to be left behind， brands and suppliers will be present in Beijing – these include Fj？llr？ven， Kailas， Lorna Jane， Petzl， Scarpa and Thule. Together with other market leaders such as Garmin and Marmot， who are repeat exhibitors， newcomers such as Trespass are presenting the future of the outdoor segment.

The global interest in the Asian market is also obvious here： The international trade fair hall will feature innovations from companies from France， Austria， Canada， Korea， Switzerland， Taiwan and Czech Republic. The significance of ISPO Beijing is underscored by another trade fair being held simultaneously， Alpitec China， the most important fair for mountain and winter sports technologies in the Asia-Pacific region. This year， it will cover 50 percent more space than last year.endprint

Extensive conference program tops off the trade fair ISPO Beijing will be accompanied by a diverse supporting program. Visitors can learn the latest industry news in lectures， podium talks， forums and presentations on trends and innovations. The Asia Pacific Snow Conference is dedicated to winter sports. Experts will discuss the development of ski resorts and tourism in particular. The current 2017 China Ski Industry White Book will also be introduced here.

More than 200 experts will meet at the Sports Industry Forum and exchange ideas and experiences in case studies. This is taking place in the scope of this years “Sports Towns“ topic. It is part of Chinas fiveyear plan aimed at the advancement of sports. According to estimates， the market volume of the Chinese sports industry should reach three trillion Yuan （405 billion euro） by the end of 2020. To that end， the Chinese government is investing in infrastructure to promote sports even outside of its megacities.

Due to the great potential for outdoor sporting goods， the China Outdoor Goods Market Survey Report will also be presented at the Sports Industry Forum. Visitors to the Sports Fashion Trend Forum and the ISPO Textrends can find out which new designs， technologies and colors will define the upcoming season.endprint