The fourth edition of Alpitec China ran from February 22 to 25, 2012 along with ISPO Beijing, the tradeshow organized by Messe München regarding sports, fashion, and lifestyle brands for winter sports. They were held at the exhibition center of the China National Convention Center (CNCC) in Beijing and have been evaluated by exhibitors and organizers as a complete success.  Some 24,500 visitors were recorded at the fourth edition of the double tradeshow, representing an increase of 38% over the previous year.

A total of 353 exhibitors distributed over 34,000 square meters (366,000 square feet) participated in ISPO Beijing and Alpitec China.  The double tradeshow has gone on to become the most important platform for the winter sports sector in Asia.
Pavilion 1 of the convention center in Beijing was reserved for Alpitec China, where sixty-five exhibitors from nine countries presented new releases and the latest achievements in the area of mountain and winter technologies.  Companies from Austria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, and the United States were all represented.  Around a quarter of them were companies from China, but companies from South Tyrol also had a strong presence at the group stand organized by the EOS, Export Organisation South Tyrol of the Bolzano Chamber of Commerce.  The products that were presented ranged from cable cars and chair lifts to snowmaking systems, equipment for the grooming of ski slopes and for the care of skiers, accessories and safety systems for the ski runs, and consulting and services for investments. 

In speaking of the tradeshow, Norbert Meier of Wintersteiger says, “Our company has been there since the first edition of Alpitec China, because this event gives us the unique opportunity to get in contact with the greats of the winter technology sector.” 

Joseph Yu of MWI, M Waily International Canada, is satisfied with the contacts established at Alpitec.  “For a company like ours that is active internationally, Alpitec offers the possibility of entering the Chinese market.  China’s winter sports sector is growing explosively, and Alpitec is the right platform for establishing contact with the right people.”

Mirco Demetz of demacLenko says, “We have been represented on the Chinese market since as early as 2005, and we see a great potential for the future.  Alpitec China represents the ideal platform for the technology sector in winter sports and for our own products.  The winter sports sector in China is growing.  Different projects for accelerating this have already begun.” 

Thomas Oswald of Skidata confirms that Alpitec China represents the right platform for entering the Chinese market.  “We are also represented at Alpitec China this year, since we were very satisfied with the results from last year.  We were able to position ourselves on the Chinese market, and we have the right preconditions for a good sales year.” 

Yanh Li of the Doppelmayr company emphasizes, “Alpitec China is ‘the’ platform for winter technology and sports, and for that reason Doppelmayr, as the leading company in this sector, of course cannot be missing.”

Jean Bijuet of Johnsons Controls Neige confirmed, “The Chinese market is growing, and we are sure that it is going to stay that way.  As experts in snowmaking systems, we of course have to be here, in order to also have the possibility of counteracting the natural lack of snow in China with our systems.  Within a few years, many of the projects that we have launched will certainly bear fruit, and additional ski areas and resorts will be developed.”

The tradeshow was accompanied by the international “Asia Pacific Snow Conference”.  Over a hundred participants in the sector registered.  One topic that was presented at the conference and gone into detail was the talk by Young Ho Seo from Korea, who examined the risks, but above all the new opportunities, that will result from the Winter Olympic games that will be held in Pyeong Chang in 2018.  Marco Ryhner of Switzerland spoke about the management of tourism destinations using the example of the ecovillage “Sino Swiss” in the Wangping area, around 50 km. (30 miles) from Beijing.  In addition, Jennifer Rowan of the trade journal SAM spoke about the top ten activities that also make money for mountain sports resorts in the summer.  And Ping He picked up this topic and spoke about the potential of ski resorts beyond the winter and the snow.

In order to also bring South Tyrol know-how and European experience to Asia, the forum “Ski Service Professional Courses” was also held in Pavilion 1 of Alpitec China.  This was a discussion and information platform for those active in the winter sports sector.  In 2010 and 2011, these were dedicated to the topic of the care and maintenance of sports equipment.  This year, within the framework of “South Tyrol – Alpine Rescue Performance”, the Cluster Alpine Safety of TIS innovation park and South Tyrols mountain rescue service (BRD), in cooperation with the EOS Export Organisation South Tyrol of the Bolzano Chamber of Commerce, gave several demonstrations throughout the day of the evacuation of a chairlift, which was made available by the Doppelmayr company. 

An interview with Young Ho Seo


The Olympic Games represent a significant opportunity for the hosting cities because of the results and the return on investment. By presenting major sports events, a city has the possibility to promote local identity as well as to stimulate economic growth.
    The Asia Pacific Snow Conference, taking place on Thursday, February 23 at Alpitec China/ISPO Beijing, will dedicate one area of focus to the 2018 Olympic Winter Games which will be hosted by the city of PyeongChang, South Korea, The lecture will be presented by Young Ho Seo, president of Eastern Partners, a company playing an important role in mediating between the city government and the Olympic Committee. “The PyeongChang Games will definitely represent a good opportunity to upgrade the area and all of Korea, just as the 1988 Olympics did,” he explains. “I believe that Korea can expect another leap forward. By participating in Alpitec China with a focus on the 2018 Winter Games, I expect to explore China’s interest in winter sports and the Winter Olympics, as well as the business opportunities for winter technology and winter sports in Asia.” Alpitec China is the best place to meet experts on the most up-to-date topics on Asia regarding know-how on investment, tourism strategies, and snow .

The Press Office of the Exhibition Center of Bolzano/Bozen has provided a preview to the event by interviewing Young Ho Seo:

Young Ho Seo (YHS) graduated from Chosun University in South Korea with a degree in English Literature and Language.  His education continued at the International School of Accountancy and Samil Accounting Corporation (the Korean member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers) with studies in financial accounting, business law, auditing, and taxation. He has lived in and studied in the USA.
    Mr. Seo was in charge of the promotion and management of Korean investment projects in cooperation with UK government agencies, and he has collaborated with Korean government bodies and private companies since 1997. He has been working with the British embassy, British government officials, Korean government officials, and executives of private companies in Korea. In addition, he has been working with the Bolzano (Italy) Chamber of Commerce and Industry and OSEC, the Swiss business hub, since 2011.
1997 ~ present : Representative of London and Partners
2007 ~ 2011 : Representative of South East England Development Agency
2003 ~ present : President of Eastern Partners




During your speech at the Asian Pacific Snow Congress at Alpitec China, your focus on PyeongChang 2018 will center on the general background of tourism management, especially winter tourism. How are you going to approach this theme?

I am going to make a presentation about The 2018 Winter Olympic Game and the Korean ski resort industry at the congress. With regard to winter tourism, I would like to focus on the effect that the 2018 Games will have on the industry and the trends from foreign skiers from Russia, South Asia, China etc.

The master plan for the Winter Games centers around the Alpensia Cluster in PyeongChang, the Coastal Cluster in the coastal city of Gangneung, and two independent stadiums at the Bogwang and Jungbong ski resorts. What will be the investment of the Korean government in the interested areas? And are investments planned by private players?

    PyeongChang will have a total of sports venues . PyeongChang’s plan is based upon two clusters, the Alpensia cluster and the Coastal cluster.
    The Alpensia Cluster is the focal point of the Winter Games plan and includes sliding events and most of the venues for snow events, as well as the Olympic Stadium, the Main Olympic Village and Media Village, and the MMC and the IOC hotels.
    The Coastal Cluster, in the Eastern coastal area, will be the site for all ice events and house the secondary Olympic Village and Media Village. Jungbong, a stand-alone venue, will hold the alpine speed events. Bokwang Phoenix Park, also a stand-alone venue, will host the snowboard and freestyle skiing events.
Seven of the existing venues were newly built or upgraded from the 1999 Gangwon Asian Winter Games. The seven existing venues have already hosted various international winter sports events and have been certified by each international federation and outfitted to meet or exceed Olympic standards. The remaining six venues will be designed to ensure that they remain sustainable Olympic legacies, each having specific plans in place for post-Games use. All venues will comply with the IOC’s “Technical Manual on Design Standards for Competition Venues” and FIS requirements. Capacity was determined based on the population of PyeongChang and vicinity. All of the venues will be linked to a three-pronged transport network that includes expressways, national highways, and railways.
    The Jungbong alpine skiing venue (downhill – length 3,360 meters / Super G – length 3,120 meters) was designed to ensure world-class conditions, based upon the expert opinion of FIS officials, although there have been some protests by environmentalists against the plan to set up the skiing venue in the Jundbong.
    The preliminary design for the venue has been completed. After the 2018 Winter Games, the venue will be developed into a leisure facility with private funding, and it will remain as an alpine skiing (speed) venue.
    The figure skating/short track speed skating venue will be built in the existing sports complex in the Coastal Cluster and will feature separate ice floors for competition and for training.  Slides of venues and procurement process are attached separately.

The investment for most of the new venues comes from the local government.

Name of local government : Gangwon province
Name of new company : Gangwondo Development Corporation
Total investment amount: around 1.1 billion Euros
Current total debt: around 500 million Euros
The debt problem is a big burden to the local government.


What is the current situation of the winter tourism industry in South Korea? Is it possible to expect a positive trend, like the one in China, with regard to the affinity of people to winter sports resorts in the next ten to twenty years?

Season    Number of skiers     Rate of increase
2000/2001    4,005,000   
2001/2002    4,557,000    14%
2002/2003    4,754,000    4%
2004/2005    5,408,000    14%
2005/2006    5,692,000    5%
2006/2007    6,033,000    6%
2007/2008    6,563,000    -1%
2008/2009    6,563,000    -1%
2009/2010    6,636,000    1%
2010/2011    6,479,000    -2%

    The trend of the South Korean ski industry is stable, although somewhat static in the past few years.
    This year is the first year after the winning the chance to host the 2018 Games. We need to evaluate the skiing industry trends very carefully this season, because we expect a boom in winter tourism as a result of hosting the 2018 Games.
    In the last year there has been a substantial increase in foreign skiers in Korean ski resorts, and most of them are from Southeast Asia, China, Russia, Japan etc. We expect that the 2018 Games will provide another good opportunity to host foreign skiers.

How will PyeongChang’s city identity be affected? What are going to be the main changes? Which will be the economic value created by the event? What are the challenges and risks?
At this time, the upcoming organizing committee for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games is working on every detail in order to better prepare for the Winter Olympics.
PyeongChang’s organizing team needs to be concerned with effective and strong security measures. Since construction of the venues and main facilities are not yet complete, the PyeongChang organizing team should consider all of the details carefully.
According to the Hyundai Economic Research Institute, nearly 230,000 jobs will be created and approximately 390,000 winter sports fans will visit PyeongChang during the event. Direct and indirect economic benefits combined will be worth approximately 65 trillion Won (around 40 billion Euros).  According to the report, investments in venues, roads and other transport infrastructure, and hotels will are planned.

The official forecasts indicate that international and domestic tourists will spend approximately 1.2 trillion won (around 800 million Euros) on dining, hotels, and other amenities during their stay in PyeongChang .

The report also stated that the media exposure of the city during the period of the event will help the city promote tourism after the Olympic Games, an opening to the Korean economy that also occurred because of other major international sporting events, such as the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games and the 2002 World Cup. In 1985, Korea’s annual exports reached approximately $30 billion, but they more than doubled after the Summer Olympics in 1988. The PyeongChang Games will definitely be a good chance to upgrade the local area and all of Korea, just as the 1988 Olympics did. I believe that the Korean people can expect another leap forward.

Despite the positive prospects for the Winter Games economic effect, there is the danger such prospects being too rosy to have a real economic effect. Realistic problems remain which warrant serious consideration. We will face pressure to continue to make proper use of the facilities, amenities, and accommodations after the Olympics. Otherwise, these will become a headache to the local economy.


What do you expect from visiting Alpitec China 2012?
I expect to explore how the Chinese are interested in winter sports and the Winter Olympics games. Also, I would like to explore the business opportunities between Chinese and foreign companies with regard to winter technology and winter sports.

For four days, from February 22 to 25, 2012 “Alpitec China” will cover everything surrounding mountain and winter technologies, while "ISPO Beijing" will once again focus on sports, fashion, and lifestyle brands. 

Bolzano, November 2011 – The double tradeshow “Alpitec China/ISPO Beijing” will once again be at the service of the winter sports sector in Asia, this time for one more day than last year.  The new dates are from Wednesday, February 22 to Saturday, February 25, 2012, in order to adequately do justice to the demand by ISPO exhibitors.
 And the date for the Asia Pacific Snow Conference (APSC) has also been set: the conference will take place on Thursday, February 23, 2012.  The focus will include the 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Yongpyong ski area in Pyeongchang South Korea and the challenges and opportunities associated with it for the winter sports industry and tourism. The featured speaker will be the president of the South Korean investment company Eastern Partners, Mr. Young Ho Seo.  Also on the agenda will be the topic of safety on the ski slopes and the trends in the snowboard area in Asia.
 In 2011, on a total exhibition space of 30,000 square meters (323,000 square feet), some 276 exhibitors presented themselves at “ISPO” and sixty exhibitors at “Alpitec China”, hailing from Germany, Italy, China, France, Austria, the USA, Canada, and Korea.  The double tradeshow is Asia’s leading business-to-business winter sports platform.  This year, it was enjoyed by an extraordinary crowd of no fewer than 17,700 visitors over the course of three days.  The exhibitors were wildly enthusiastic and are convinced that China is the market of the future.  This is also reflected by the pace at which the exhibitor confirmations which have been arriving to the Bolzano/Bozen Exhibition Center since July 2011.
 “Alpitec China” smoothes the way for companies in the areas of winter technology, snowmaking, cable cars and chair lifts, and ski area equipment for penetrating the Asian market. Preparations are already running along at full speed. 

Complete information may be found at www.alpitec.cn

The 2012 edition of Alpitec China, the International Trade Show for Mountain and Winter Technology, is able to attract the industry’s most important players to China, in order to exhibit the newest products. Alpitec China will take place together with ISPO Beijing, from 22nd to 25th of February 2012 at the China National Convention Centre (CNCC) in the Chinese capital city. For further and up to date information visit our new website
The Asia Pacific Snow Congress, on February 23rd, 2012, is divided into two main thematic focuses: one part is dedicated to the “hardware” in winter tourism and the ski industry, where topics as investment, tourism strategies, infrastructure design and resort management are addressed. In the second part of the conference, the discussion centres on the “software”, with topics regarding quality management in ski areas. Among others, Alpitec China is proud to announce Mr Young Ho Seo, President of the Eastern Partners from South Korea, as speaker on the hot topic of the Pyeongchang Olympic Games of 2018 and its challenges.
Alpitec China will be also accompanied by the Ski Service Professionals Courses, a program of workshops targeted towards the winter sector in China. The practice-related Ski Service Professional course, hosts in 2012 not only the informational event on preparation and maintenance of skis and snowboards for operators of ski centers and rentals, but also live shows of rescue teams during all four tradeshow days. For further information please contact: ruaz@fierabolzano.it

Alpitec China 2012, the 4th international trade show for mountain and winter technologies takes place together with ISPO Beijing from February 22 to 25 at the China National Convention Centre (CNCC), in Beijing. Together the two shows cover the full spectrum of winter sports equipment and technologies offered in 2011. For further information about the exhibition or to exhibit please contact ruaz@fierabolzano.it or visit our website
The ASIA PACIFIC SNOW CONGRESS (APSC) organized together by Alpitec China and ISPO Beijing will take place on Thursday, the 23rd of February 2012. The Conference is only one of many accompanying events of the Alpitec China 2012 trade show and will play host to numerous international and national speakers on the most up-to-date topics regarding know-how on investment, tourism strategies and snow in Asia. Meet the experts: find more information under http://www.fairbz.it/alpitecchina/Apsc.htm