The rising popularity of winter sports in China is driving the industry forward. ISPO BEIJING 2017 is a clear manifestation of this trend， with the B2B multi-segment trade fair seeing the number of exhibitors increase by seven per cent compared to last year. Set to take place alongside Alpitec China at the China National Convention Center in Beijing between February 15 and 18， visitors to the event can expect innovations within the Outdoor， Action Sports， Ski， Sportstyle， and Textrends segments as well as an impressive events program packed full of solutions and strategies tailored specifically to the industry.

According to the Chinese governments Five-Year sport development plan， the market value of the sports industry will be in excess of CNY three trillion （the equivalent of EUR 405 billion） by the end of 2020. This figure equates to one per cent of the gross domestic product. The market is forecast to rise by CNY 2.6 trillion （EUR 268 billion） between 2016 and 2020， with an annual growth rate of around 50 percent. The industry is already booming and， with just a few months to go until ISPO BEIJING opens its doors， 439 exhibitors have already registered， equating to an increase of seven per cent compared to the same time last year. Between them， they will be showcasing products from 592 brands， as GoPro， Gore-Tex， Kailas， Oakley， Rossignol， and Thule. This， too， is a big increase from 2016， when the figure was 540. Along with Alpitec China， ISPO BEIJING will be offering 360-degree coverage of the sports market. Visitors can expect to find out everything they need to know about product innovations， from ski resort infrastructure to clothing and equipment， and all the latest trends - all under one roof.

Conference and events program

The building of infrastructure and the development of winter sports are hot topics in China. How are ski resorts designed？ How can people get to ski resorts and what is the correct way to train ski instructors？ These are the questions that the speakers at this year's Asia Pacific Snow Conference（APSC） will be addressing. Additionally， ISPO BEIJING is also putting on a ski resort tour following on from the trade fair， giving participants the chance to visit a number of different locations， including Huaibei and Nanshan.

Among the other highlights are the China Sports Fashion Trend Forum， which will be shedding some light on design and production trends， and the ISPO TEXTRENDS Forum， which will be putting the spotlight on textile trends， innovations， and colors for fall/winter 2018/19. Plus， the best products from within the sports industry in 2017/2018 will be on display in the ISPO AWARD area， while the Start-up Village - a new addition to the event this year–will be offering newcomers from China the chance to reveal their innovations.

Breaking into the Chinese market with success

There are huge opportunities for growth on the Chinese market right now and investors are more than welcome. But what can a company do to guarantee that they enter the market successfully？ The answer to this question is all set to be revealed by the speakers at the Market Introduction Program， which is made up of a range of presentations， seminars， and guided excursions to Chinese retailers. The Networking Dinner will then provide the perfect opportunity to make new business contacts with representatives from the Chinese sporting goods industry and to connect with potential business partners.