# World Winter Sports Expo 2026 Opens, Charting a New Decade for Ice and Snow and Outdoor Industries

- Link: https://www.thailand-business-news.com/pr-news/world-winter-sports-expo-2026-opens-charting-a-new-decade-for-ice-and-snow-and-outdoor-industries
- Published: 2026-10-17T10:43:00+07:00
- Author: PR Newswire

BEIJING, Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The grand event of the global ice and snow
industry, the World Winter Sports Expo 2026 (WWSE 2026), was held in Beijing on 
October 15. As an important legacy of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, this
Expo aligns with China’s "15^(th) Five‑Year Plan" directives for the ice and snow
industry. Its core mission is to expand the ice and snow economy, cultivate new 
productive forces in the sector, and promote deep integration of culture, sports,
and tourism. It brought together representatives from government authorities, industry
leaders, cultural‑tourism‑sports experts, outdoor film and media creators, and institutions
across the entire value chain. Focusing on three strategic directions, upgrading
the ice and snow industry, deepening culture‑sports‑tourism integration, and empowering
the outdoor economy through technology, this WWSE features an opening ceremony, 
a main conference, multiple parallel sessions, and special thematic events. Together,
these form a high‑end platform for achievement showcase, intellectual exchange, 
business matchmaking, and resource aggregation, aimed at driving higher‑quality 
growth for China’s ice and snow and outdoor sectors.

Positioned at the pivotal starting point of a new decade of development, this Expo
delivers a comprehensive upgrade: internationalization continues to reach new heights,
the entire ice and snow value chain is presented in a coordinated way, scientific
and technological innovation empowers the sector, ice and snow destinations pursue
diversified growth, youth engagement in ice and snow sports advances through systematic
promotion, forum agendas focus on niche tracks, the Ice and Snow Carnival offers
a whole-scenario experience, industry-academia-research collaboration and industry
services assume a stronger leading role, and a range of measures inject fresh vitality
into the ice and snow economy.

At the Opening Ceremony of the WWSE 2026 and Global Ice and Snow Industry Summit,
more than 200 domestic and international dignitaries gathered to witness the Expo’s
launch. Among them were: Yu Zaiqing, Honorary Member of the International Olympic
Committee and Vice President of the Chinese Olympic Committee; Yue Li, Acting District
Mayor of Shijingshan and Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shijingshan District Committee
of Beijing Municipality; Tong Zhao, Deputy Secretary-General and Office Director
of the Liaoning Provincial Organizing Committee of the 15^(th) National Winter Games;
Zhu Dongfang, President of Asia Data Group; Franz Roessler, Commercial Counsellor
at the Austrian Embassy in Beijing, and Head of the ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Beijing; Hong
Ping, Vice President of Beijing Sport University; Wang Dong, Deputy Director of 
the Liaoning Provincial Bureau of Sports, and Full-Time Deputy Director of the Competition
Department of the Liaoning Provincial Organizing Committee for the 15^(th) National
Winter Games; Gao Zhaoyi, Member of the Leading Party Members Group and Director
of the Sports Bureau of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; Zhan Wei, Vice Mayor
of the Fushun Municipal People’s Government of Liaoning Province; Zhang Li, Co-President
of Asia Data Group; Li Jianrou, Olympic Short Track Speed Skating Champion; Wang
Bingyu, World Curling Champion; Zhao Nannan, World Short Track Speed Skating Champion;
and Jiang Yiyi, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Dean, School of Leisure
Sports and Tourism, Beijing Sport University.

**Opening Ceremony Held in Grand Style, Uniting All Partners to Chart the Industry’s
Blueprint Together‌**

On the morning of October 15, the Opening Ceremony of the WWSE 2026 and Global Ice
and Snow Industry Summit was held. Closely following the development direction for
the ice and snow industry set out in China’s 15^(th) Five-Year Plan, the Opening
Ceremony took on the important missions of policy promotion, industry gathering,
international dialogue and achievement release, and built a bridge for high-level
dialogue among government agencies, international sports organizations, industry
companies and research, cultural and tourism institutions. Serving both as a concentrated
showcase of China’s achievements in the ice and snow industry and as a key platform
for the industry to assess trends, connect with resources and build consensus, it
injected strong momentum into the innovative development of the ice and snow and
outdoor industries throughout the year.

At the Opening Ceremony, Honorary Member of the International Olympic Committee 
and Vice President of the Chinese Olympic Committee, Yu Zaiqing, delivered the opening
address. 11 years ago, he said, the Expo was launched alongside Beijing’s successful
bid to host the Olympic Winter Games. Today, it has grown into one of the world’s
leading platforms in the ice and snow industry. It has driven China’s shift from
being a major consumer market to becoming a powerful industry leader, and the Winter
Olympics legacy continues to provide momentum. On this basis, he called for upholding
the Olympic spirit of "Together", deepening international cooperation on ice and
snow, and advancing the intelligent, green and international development of the 
industry.

Yue Li, Acting District Mayor of Shijingshan and Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shijingshan
District Committee of Beijing Municipality, then delivered an address. The Expo 
has grown into an influential international ice and snow event and serves as an 
important link for Shijingshan to connect with global ice and snow resources. As
a host district of the Beijing Olympic Winter Games, Shijingshan has continued to
revitalize the Winter Olympic legacy, build a four-season events matrix, and promote
the integrated development of ice and snow and the events economy. He expressed 
the hope to share the Winter Olympic legacy and jointly explore the blue ocean of
the ice and snow industry with all parties, so as to help advance the global ice
and snow economy.

As the representative of this year’s Guest Province of Honor, Tong Zhao, Deputy 
Secretary-General and Office Director of the Liaoning Provincial Organizing Committee
of the 15^(th) National Winter Games, delivered an address at the Opening Ceremony.
She noted that Liaoning has deep ties with WWSE, and this year it is drawing on 
its status as Guest Province of Honor to present the province’s ice and snow resources,
industrial achievements and cooperation opportunities. With the 15^(th) National
Winter Games set to be held in Liaoning in 2028, it is expected to become the first
in China to have hosted both the National Games and the National Winter Games. Liaoning
looks forward to learning from international experience through the Expo and extended
a warm invitation to all parties to join it for the 15^(th) National Winter Games.

Christophe Dubi, Olympic Games Executive Director of the International Olympic Committee,
then delivered an address by video. He reviewed Beijing 2022’s experience of hosting
the Games across multiple competition zones and contrasted it with Milano Cortina
2026’s approach of tailoring the Games to local conditions, proposing that the Games
should adapt to the host rather than the host adapting to the venues. He also affirmed
the value of forward-looking planning for Olympic venues and their post-Games reuse,
and noted that climate change is confronting the industry with challenges ranging
from snow resources to energy consumption, making the transformation of the ice 
and snow industry all the more urgent. He expressed the hope that those engaged 
in the industry would work together to explore a sustainable development path for
ice and snow sports.

In the keynote speech session, Hong Ping, Vice President of Beijing Sport University,
and Former Deputy Director of the Winter Sports Management Center, General Administration
of Sport of China, shared his insights under the theme of "Reflections and Explorations
on the High-Quality Development of the Ice and Snow Industry — Trend Transformation,
Intelligent Manufacturing, and Safety Governance". He noted that China’s sports 
market is huge in scale and that new indoor ice and snow formats are rising rapidly,
with ice and snow consumption becoming an important lever for boosting domestic 
demand, yet the industry’s development still falls short in several respects. He
therefore called for a people-centered approach, building a coupled "human–machine–
environment" mega-system and developing fifth-generation ski products that are science-
based, smart, green, healthy and safe. This will drive the high-quality development
of the ice and snow industry through demand pull and scientific and technological
innovation.

In their addresses, Alexander Ospelt, President of International Ski and Snowboard
Federation (FIS); Olle Dahlin, Honorary President of the International Biathlon 
Union (IBU); and Einars Fogelis, President of the International Luge Federation (
FIL), conveyed a shared message from the global ice and snow industry: staying open
and collaborative, and working together for the industry’s development. They affirmed
that the Expo has built a platform for global ice and snow exchange and cooperation,
recognized the rapid growth of ice and snow sports in Asia, shared the outcomes 
of Milano Cortina 2026, and highlighted the importance of sustainable development
in ice and snow sports. Looking ahead, they expressed the hope of using the Expo
to deepen cross-regional and cross-generational exchanges and to jointly advance
the continued prosperity of winter sports.

In the report release session, Co-President of Asia Data Group Zhang Li launched
the "Report on China’s Winter Sports Industry Development (2026)". Drawing on a 
comparison of global ice and snow industry trends, she pointed out that the scale
of China’s ice and snow industry had topped the one-trillion-yuan mark, the industry’s
growth had shifted from scale expansion to value enhancement, and that participation
and the number of related enterprises were continuing to grow. The industry’s spatial
layout has moved beyond the old "strong in the north, weak in the south" pattern,
and China’s distinctive indoor ice and snow model is gradually being introduced 
to markets abroad. She also presented data and the current state of each segment,
including ice and snow sports, equipment, tourism, culture and technology, while
flagging the existing challenges in talent, technology, ecological protection and
IP development. She proposed that the industry should focus on three main lines,
the integration of multiple ice and snow business formats, digital and smart upgrading,
and green, low-carbon and sustainable development, so as to keep advancing China’s
transition from a major ice and snow consumer market to a strong ice and snow industry
power.

Following that, Jiang Yiyi, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Dean, School
of Leisure Sports and Tourism, Beijing Sport University, presented the report of"
Innovative Practices of Huawei Smart Wearables in Skiing Scenarios". She noted that
ski consumption is becoming more local and frequent, yet the industry still struggles
with fragmented devices, data and services. Taking Huawei smart wearables as an 
example, she illustrated the value of technology in empowering the ice and snow 
industry. The devices can integrate data from skiing equipment and build an end-
to-end safety assurance system for skiing by drawing on high-precision positioning,
physiological sensing and multi-channel communication. They can also collect full-
scenario skiing data, use AI-powered review to improve technique, and enable visualized
data sharing that sparks ice and snow social interaction. She proposed that such
digital technologies could improve ski profiles, optimize ski resort operations,
and open up data across the industry chain. This would move the ice and snow industry
from digital empowerment toward intelligence-driven development and convert cold
resources into a hot economy.

The Opening Ceremony also featured the launch ceremony of the Ice and Snow Industry
Investment and Development Platform. The platform was jointly initiated by Sunac
China and BONSKI together with Victory Star Design, Eternal Star Ice & Snow, and
Bin Jarallah Group. Focusing on the investment, construction and operation of indoor
ice and snow venues in China, it will bring together resources spanning design, 
equipment and capital, resolve the difficulties and pain points in the construction
and operation of indoor ice and snow venues, help China’s ice and snow venues improve
quality and expand capacity, and promote the high-quality popularization of ice 
and snow sports.

The "Ice and Snow Seeds in Thousands of Schools of Hundreds of Cities" — National
Youth Ice and Snow Sports Promotion Public Welfare Program was also launched on 
site, with an opening ceremony in which an AIGC digital human exchanges a cross-
spatiotemporal high-five with "Ice and Snow Teens". This innovative digital format
broadens the reach of youth ice and snow education. Representatives of enterprises
from the ice and snow industry platform, ski resort operations, ice and snow sports
training and sports services sectors, together with representatives from the education
sector, witnessed the official launch of the program. At the ceremony, Li Jianrou,
Olympic Short Track Speed Skating Champion, Wang Bingyu, World Curling Champion,
and Zhao Nannan, World Short Track Speed Skating Champion, issued an appeal to young
people nationwide to be engaged in ice and snow sports, encouraging them to build
strong bodies, temper their willpower and experience the unique spiritual power 
of winter sports. The program is jointly initiated by Asia Data Group and the Youth
Ice and Snow Sports Education Committee of the Global Ice and Snow Industry Alliance.
It will deliver ice and snow popularization courses and experiential activities 
in thousands of schools of hundreds of cities across China, further lowering the
threshold for young people to participate in ice and snow sports.

The Opening Ceremony concluded with a round-table discussion themed "A New Ice and
Snow Landscape Empowered by Science and Technology", moderated by Li Li, Deputy 
General Manager of Asia Data Group Beijing Branch. It brought together Franz Roessler,
Commercial Counsellor at the Austrian Embassy in Beijing, and Head of the ADVANTAGE
AUSTRIA Beijing; Li Jianrou, Olympic Short Track Speed Skating Champion; Florian
Hajzeri, General Manager of TechnoAlpin Ice and Snow Equipment Zhangjiakou Co., 
Ltd.; and Yi Li, Vice President of BONSKI. The guests engaged in in-depth exchanges
on topics including international cooperation in the ice and snow industry, technology-
enabled ice and snow instruction, innovation in ice-making and snowmaking technology,
and green operations of indoor ski resorts. Together, they explored a path for the
industry’s green, smart, and year-round sustainable development. They agreed that
transforming and upgrading the ice and snow industry requires collaborative innovation
across the entire industry chain, not just any single technological breakthrough.
This innovation is necessary to make ice and snow sports greener, smarter, available
year-round, and more inclusive.

**Main Conference Convened for In-Depth Discussion, Empowering New Development with
a Global Perspective‌**

The Main Conference of the WWSE 2026 and Global Ice and Snow Industry Summit followed
on the afternoon of October 15. Focusing on the industry’s pain points and frontier
directions, it brought together domestic local government representatives, university
researchers and experts, and representatives of global ice and snow equipment companies.
It provided industry insights from local practices, academic research, technological
innovation, and overseas experience, offering a practical reference for the high-
quality development of the ice and snow industry.

Zhang Li, Co-President of Asia Data Group, host of the WWSE 2026, was the first 
to address the Main Conference. In reviewing the Expo’s ten-year journey, she noted
that it has witnessed China’s ice and snow industry’s leapfrog growth over the past
decade. The industry’s scale surpassed one trillion yuan in 2025, and cold resources
were successfully converted into a booming economy. The Expo has also seen the vision
of engaging 300 million people in winter sports become a reality. It has continued
to build a platform for industry matchmaking, promoting exchanges among governments
and enterprises, between industry and finance, and between Chinese and international
players, and helping to formulate industry standards. She proposed that scientific
and technological innovation, consumption upgrading, and green and low-carbon development
are the three major trends shaping the industry’s future, and expressed the hope
of deepening global collaboration through this platform to jointly advance the sustained
development of the ice and snow industry in the world.

Dai Bin, President of China Tourism Academy (Data Center of the Ministry of Culture
and Tourism of China), delivered a keynote speech titled "A Better Life on Ice and
Snow". Ice and snow tourism has become an important part of people’s pursuit of 
a better life. The industry’s landscape has shifted from the "three-north snow arc",
that is, a single east-west arc linking Northeast, Northwest and North China, toward
three parallel development lines running from north to south. Two-way exchanges 
in ice and snow culture and tourism between China and the rest of the world continue
to gain momentum. With policy and the market acting as twin drivers, the ice and
snow industry chain keeps extending and digital technology is spawning new business
formats. It is therefore all the more necessary to implement an ice and snow tourism
doubling plan, step up efforts to build China into a strong ice and snow tourism
nation, and advance the year-round sustainable development of ice and snow destinations.

Wang Dong, Deputy Director of the Liaoning Provincial Bureau of Sports, and Full-
Time Deputy Director of the Competition Department of the Liaoning Provincial Organizing
Committee for the 15^(th) National Winter Games, delivered a speech with the theme
of "Warm Winter Snow in Liaoning, Dual Events Spark New Momentum". The 15^(th) National
Winter Games will be held in Liaoning in 2028, making it the first province in China
to host both the National Games and the National Winter Games. With four converging
strengths, its event IP, ultra-low-energy venues, an equipment manufacturing base
and warm winters with warm snow, Liaoning will focus its efforts on technology standards,
green operations and the industrial market, open up the entire ice and snow industry
chain and strive for sustained growth of the ice and snow industry. He also expressed
the hope of working with all parties to establish a Liaoning landmark in the ice
and snow economy.

Zheng Fang, Professor at Beijing Jiaotong University, and Chief Architect of the
Beijing Jiaotong University Architectural Design & Research Institute, delivered
a keynote speech titled "A Scientific Blueprint for Carbon Neutrality in Ice and
Snow Venues". Drawing on a global skating rink database, he analyzed the status 
quo of energy consumption and carbon emissions at indoor skating rinks worldwide,
noting that electricity is the main source of carbon emissions and that China’s 
skating rinks hold notable potential for carbon reduction. He further proposed three
core pathways to carbon neutrality for ice and snow venues, that is, expanding the
use of green electricity, improving venue energy efficiency, and replacing refrigerants
with environmentally friendly alternatives. Such measures, taken together, can substantially
cut the industry’s carbon emissions. He called on the entire industry to join forces
in advancing the low-carbon and sustainable development of ice and snow venues.

From an international perspective, Vasiliy Afanasyev, Deputy General Director for
International Projects at Rosa Khutor LLC., delivered a speech circling around "
How Rosa Khutor Builds Customer Loyalty Through Operations in Winter and Summer".
Drawing on its Winter Olympic venues, the resort has achieved year-round operation
and built customer stickiness through well-groomed ski slopes, an unspoiled natural
environment, rich activities and digital operations. To reach the Chinese market,
the resort has opened accounts on WeChat and Xiaohongshu. It looks forward to deepening
cooperation in ice and snow culture and tourism, as well as expanding two-way visitor
flows, with the China-Russia mutual visa-free arrangement in place.

Michael Mayr, Sales Director of Italian TechnoAlpin Asia, delivered a keynote speech
titled "Empowering the Ice and Snow Industry with Intelligent Manufacturing: TechnoAlpin’s
China Strategy and Global Vision". As a global leader in snowmaking and ice-making
equipment that has served multiple Olympic Winter Games, TechnoAlpin has also built
a deep presence in the Chinese market, with its equipment widely deployed at major
ice and snow venues across the country. The company will set up a new base in Liaoning
to provide snowmaking and ice-resurfacing equipment and technical support for several
venues of the 15^(th) National Winter Games, and looks forward to broader cooperation
with industry partners.

Tertan Lorenzo, Head of Sales Export at Wintersteiger Sports GmbH, shared his insights
under the theme of "How to Keep the Fun on the Slopes", focusing on how to cultivate
the skiing community and retain ski enthusiasts. He likened the complete skiing 
experience to a jigsaw puzzle, in which infrastructure, ski lessons and ski equipment
are all indispensable pieces. Only by getting every link right, and improving both
the experience and the safety of skiing can ski resorts strengthen visitors’ intention
to return and keep expanding the skiing population.

**Exhibition Displayed in Multiple Dimensions, Building a Trade Matchmaking Platform
for the Ice and Snow Industry Chain‌**

The exhibition segment of this Expo was held in Hall 2 of the Shougang Convention
and Exhibition Center, with an exhibition area of nearly 15,000 square meters and
eight specialized exhibition zones. Nearly 300 brands participated, and the exhibits
spanned the entire ice and snow industry chain, from large-scale equipment upstream
and venue solutions midstream to travel and tourism destinations and consumer equipment
downstream, along with supporting services such as talent, IP and finance. Leading
ice and snow nations from more than 20 countries and regions worldwide, including
Austria, Italy, Norway, Russia, Japan, Slovenia and Canada, brought delegations 
to the exhibition, and internationally renowned brands such as TechnoAlpin, Doppelmayr,
PRINOTH, FISCHER and Wintersteiger were featured in a concentrated display, setting
a new high for its level of internationalization.

As the Guest Province of Honor this year, Liaoning set up three exhibition zones:
Preparatory Achievements of the 15^(th) National Winter Games, Liaoning Ice and 
Snow Industry’s Cooperation and Exchange, and Liaoning Ice and Snow Tourism. Under
the theme of "Charming 15^(th) National Winter Games • Meet in Liaoning", these 
zones present the preparatory progress of the three competition zones in Shenyang,
Dalian and Fushun, and showcase Liaoning’s ski industry resources and opportunities
for cooperation.

The National Pavilion Zone brought together advanced equipment, training systems
and tourism resources from leading overseas ice and snow nations, creating a window
for matching international ice and snow resources. The Austrian pavilion featured
a number of well-known companies. For example, Axess presented smart ticketing systems
and integrated access-control gate solutions; Sunkid exhibited family snow amusement
facilities suitable for all ages; Wintersteiger rolled out professional race-grade
ski waxing machines; PRINOTH showcased high-performance snow groomers; and Fischer
brought a range of professional ski equipment. Taiga Motors from Canada unveiled
its all-electric snowmobile as a highlight of the zone, offering green and smart
mobility solutions for ski resort operations and polar research expeditions.

The Domestic Ice and Snow Economy Cluster Zone focused on segments including ice
and snow destination operations, four-season culture and tourism development, smart
ski resort operations and maintenance, and ice and snow IP development, presenting
practices and innovative solutions from China’s ice and snow industry. Changbai 
Mountain Wanda International Resort made a strong showing, sharing its proven experience
in mountain ice and snow tourism development, year-round operations and visitor 
base cultivation. REXICE, a representative domestic ice resurfacer brand, exhibited
its RX4020EV all-electric ice resurfacer, which has already been exported to overseas
markets including Russia and Kazakhstan, demonstrating the global reach of Chinese-
made ice and snow equipment.

The Winter Tourism Destinations Zone brought together sports, culture and tourism
authorities from Beijing’s Shijingshan District, Xinjiang and Liaoning to present
ice and snow culture and tourism resources, investment promotion policies and year-
round operating projects. With the theme of "Surprises in Shijingshan, Home of Major
Events", the booth of Shijingshan District featured an ice-sculpture-style installation
modeled on Big Air Shougang, a snowmaking experience zone and VR ski simulators.
Italy’s TechnoAlpin, under the theme of "Ice and Snow Equipment, Partners Joining
Forces", focused on its TE10 snowmaker and ENGO ice resurfacer. The TE10 delivers
powerful snowmaking even at extreme and marginal temperatures, while the ENGO ice
resurfacer has served the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, vividly embodying an
efficient and eco-friendly approach to ice products. Beijing Snowelan Sports Development,
China general agent for Elan skis, SUFAG snowmakers, SPM safety nets and ALPINA 
and ROXA ski boots, appeared with ski equipment and on-site ski slope experience.

The Winter and Alpine Technology Zone presented large-scale snow machines including
snowmakers, snow groomers, cableway and magic carpets, alongside indoor ice and 
snow construction technology, dry skiing and roller skating equipment, and a digital
smart ski resort management and control platform. It showcases the latest advances
in the localization and internationalization of ice and snow engineering and large-
scale equipment.

The Ice and Snow Colleges and Industry Services Zone gathered domestic ice and snow
colleges and industry service providers. They presented talent development systems,
vocational skills training programs, event operations, and industry consulting services.
This opened a channel between talent supply and industry development.

The Personal Winter Sports Equipment Zone brought together consumer-grade ice and
snow gear such as smart ski goggles, carbon-fiber helmets, high-performance skis,
ski protective equipment, and ski apparel, footwear and socks, with a number of 
new ice and snow products designed for Chinese teenagers and families making their
debut.

The Outdoor Lifestyle Zone extended the reach of the ice and snow industry, displaying
general outdoor products including recreational vehicles, camping gear, climbing
and hiking equipment, and trendy sports apparel to promote the integrated development
of the "ice and snow + outdoor" business format.

There was also a dedicated Robotics Application Zone within the exhibition area.
Donghou Robotics and Yuto Intelligent Robotics presented a range of robotic products
there, staging physical displays and offering immersive experience.

A number of product launches and debut events were held on site, drawing trade visitors
of all kinds, such as buyers from home and abroad, sports, culture and tourism authorities
from various localities, ski resort and resort operators, ski clubs, colleges and
research institutions, and investment institutions. Parallel matchmaking sessions
for ice and snow resources procurement and for scenic area resources, along with
one-on-one B2B business negotiations, were also arranged to build targeted and efficient
channels between supply and demand. Together they fully unlocked the Expo’s platform
value of promoting trade through exhibitions and advancing industry through conferences
to open up the entire chain from product display and technical exchange to business
negotiations and project implementation.

**Diverse Side Events Staged Throughout the Expo, Creating a Platform for Industry-
Public Exchange**

Beyond the Opening Ceremony and the Main Conference, a number of important activities
for the ice and snow industry were held. On the afternoon of October 15, the Annual
Closed-Door Meeting of the Global Ice and Snow Industry Alliance took place as scheduled,
at which member organizations reviewed the secretariat’s work over the past year
and held discussions on industry development for 2026, and the inauguration ceremony
of the Ski Instructor Committee was held. The meeting also included in-depth internal
discussions on issues of common concern to the industry, with a view to building
an industry platform for industrial collaboration, self-regulation and the joint
development of standards.

That evening, the Award Ceremony of the Aurora Award for International Winter Sports
Leading Brands was held, honoring the year’s outstanding brands and exemplary projects
in the ice and snow industry. It set industry benchmarks, encouraged innovation 
among ice and snow companies, and steered the industry toward higher-quality development.

This Expo also set up a rich program of Ice and Snow Carnival activities, which 
served multiple purposes, including industry matchmaking, public outreach and cultural
communication, opening up a channel between professional industry discussions and
popular ice and snow participation.

On the morning of October 15, the "Meet the Champions" Salon met the audience on
the public stage, where Olympic Short Track Speed Skating Champion Li Jianrou, World
Short Track Speed Skating Champion Zhao Nannan, and World Curling Champion Wang 
Bingyu shared their competition experiences and reflections on ice and snow sports.
This event brought the champions closer to ordinary spectators.

In the afternoon, the Promotion Conference of Famous International Ice and Snow 
Destinations was held, with leading international ice and snow destinations, British
Columbia in Canada, Sochi in Russia and LAAX in Switzerland, taking the stage in
turn to present their local ice and snow tourism resources and cooperation opportunities.
Held in parallel was the IP Briefing themed as "Revitalizing Sports Venues: IP Empowerment
for Sports Industry Operations", at which industry practitioners shared experience
in sports venue IP development and commercial operations.

Meanwhile, the WWSE • Ice and Snow Carnival Stamp-Collection Tour was initiated 
to connect Winter Olympic legacy landmarks, winter sports venues, sports brand stores,
and industrial-style dining spots. Visitors can collect stamps at each stop for 
a chance to win great prizes and experience the unique charm of Shougang Park, where
industrial heritage meets winter sports.

A series of side events covered international cooperation, champion culture, venue
IP, outdoor culture and tourism, startup incubation, and ice and snow films. These
events complemented the Main Conference and parallel forums, bringing together professional
industry discussions, commercial resource matchmaking, and public ice and snow outreach.
This integrated approach fully unleashed the innovative vitality of the ice and 
snow industry.

Standing at the start of the 15^(th) Five-Year Plan and a new decade, the World 
Winter Sports Expo 2026 will continue to unlock the Winter Olympics legacy and harness
the collective strength of the global ice and snow industry. This will drive an 
upgrade to China’s ice and snow economy, encourage deeper practical cooperation 
at home and abroad, and increase public access to ice and snow sports.

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