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LOOKING FORWARD TO ISPO CHINA NOW...
Ahead of the Olympics, ispo china has relocated to Beijing
Located in Beijing for the first time, ispo China winter 07 takes place from the 14th - 17th March 2007. The reason for the move is the stronger orientation of the fair towards winter sports said organisers.With the new venue, ispo China brings itself closer to the big skiing areas and main tourist centres, as well as the home of key Chinese retailers.A plethora of international brands are headquartered in and around Beijing, creating excellent opportunities for buyers.
At present, over 3,000 square meters of exhibition space has already been leased and a total of 13,500 square meters is reserved at the National Agricultural Exhibition Centre. Three-year contracts have already been concluded with brands such as W.L.Gore,Haiti, Lowe Alpine, Quicksilver, Sympatex and Toray, thus securing long term participation with ispo China.
In addition, some of the firms exhibiting at ispo China for the second or third time are booking substantially bigger stand areas. This indicates that this popular industry show is fast establishing itself as a platform for the market and, most especially, that companies are attributing greater importance to the Asian-Pacific market.After all, the rapidly growing Chinese market with its many quality conscious consumers, recorded an increase of 102 billion US$ in business turnover in the year 2005, according to the Xinhua news agency. This corresponds to three times the figure for the year 2004.
In response to the move to Beijing, the ski and outdoor industry in particular will be presenting more intensively at ispo China. Atomic, Fisher, Nordic, Rossignol,Volant and Wintersteiger have already confirmed participation. Altogether, organisers expect around 300 national and international brands and thus an increase in participation once again.
New to the range offered by ispo China, is the segment of ski resort equipment. Exhibitors with products and services in the subject area of railways and lifts, vehicles and machinery maintenance, artificial snow systems, air and water supply, service, tourist facilities, safety and rescue, piste building and upkeep of cash, and operation management will therefore be presenting at ispo China for the first time. In connection with this, its organisers are also publishing the "Ski Resort Guide" for the first time, which compiles full information on China's 250 ski resorts. They will also be giving awards during the course of the fair to the best of these ski resorts according to various aspects of their business.
During the fair, the Asia Pacific Snow Conference - a great success at this year's March event - will be continued here with increased international participation. The Outdoor Retail conference will likewise be held again in March 2007 in cooperation with W.L.Gore.
Trend forecasts will again be provided by the WSGN Worth Global Style Network seminar and the barometer of trends by Promostl Paris.
Frank Cannelloni, VF Corp,Outdoor Asia said of the new location: "It is a good strategic move to have ispo China winter in Beijing. For our brand, the North Face, we have key focuses on snow sports and outerwear and the winter season calls for a significant sales contribution. Therefore, having the winter show in Beijing is indeed a well-matched strategic fit.Northern China is the major market for The North Face now."
Craig Smith of Burton added: "For 2007 we expect more retailers to attend the show who are looking to increase the product offering at their stores. The number of snow sports retailers increased significantly over the past couple of years and we look to see even more retailers getting into the industry this year."
