The Macau International Marathon has been successfully hosted for thirty three years with the aim of developing local sports, strengthening friendship between people from different parts of the world and promoting sport tourism in Macau.

“With a long history rooted in the community of the city, the Macau Galaxy Entertainment International Marathon has become one of the most popular sport events,” said Jose Tavares, President of Macau Sport Development Board of the Macau SAR Government.

“Through continuous enhancement, the event has been attracting long distance runners around the world, which raises the event profile and successfully attracts attention, locally and abroad.”

The 2015 Macau Galaxy Entertainment International Marathon took place on the Sunday 6th December 2015, organised by the Macao Sport Development Board and the General Association of Athletics of Macau.

“As the host of the event, we are dedicated to conduct welI-rounded preparation to welcome each and every participant with warm hospitality, as we believe that ideal conditions will optimise opportunities of better results,” said Tavares.

2015 marked the tenth anniversary of the inscription of the historic centre of Macau on the World Heritage List. The Macau International Marathon once again traversed the UNESCO world heritage site, passing through the A-Ma Temple. 

The race started at the Olympic Sports Centre Stadium in Taipa and, for the first time, ran through the Hengqin campus of the University of Macau. 

The event coincided with the “Parade through Macau, Latin City”, creating synergistic effects between the marathon, local tourism and culture. 

“We are offering diversified programs and festive galas to sincerely welcome marathon lovers from different parts of the world,” said Alexis Tam Chon Weng, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government. 

“This year's international marathon will integrate more cultural and tourism elements and provide a diversity of choices and wonderful experiences to participants and tourists. 

“This not only demonstrates our friendliness and hospitality, but it also reflects the government's determination to establish Macau as a ‘World Centre of Tourism and Leisure’.”

Global popularity 

The Macau International Marathon continues to grow in size, with participants from 50 countries from around the world participating.  

“The number of this year's marathon runners has reached its new heights and this historical sport of long-distance running has been gaining more and more popularity around the world,” said Alexis Tam Chon Weng, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government.

“Marathon, which signifies limits, difficulties and challenges, also stands for endeavour, perseverance and triumph. And all because of the difficulties, people can fully experience the spirits of sportsmanship like righteousness, courage, honour and happiness.”

In 2015, 8,000 athletes from 50 countries and regions participated, up from a quota of 6000 the previous year. The quota for the half marathon was full on the first day of registration while the general marathon was full on the second day of registration. Managing this growth is no small task.

“In order to cater to the needs of the rising number of running lovers, the organising committee has dedicated to create better conditions and overcome difficulties in increasing the registration quota,” said Ma Lao Hang, President of General Association of Athletics of Macau.

“All members from the General Association of Athletics of Macau, race judges and staff are committed to get every aspect of the event well prepared and provide the best conditions for all participants to create remarkable records.”

The Macau Galaxy Entertainment International Marathon is a truly global event, with former winners from Belarus, China, North Korea, Ethiopia, Hong Kong, Italy, Kenya, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, United Kingdom and Zimbabwe. 

2015 was a good year for the Ukraine in Macau, with Vitaly Shafar and Olena Shurkhno winning the men’s and women’s general marathon respectively. The total prize money, awarded for the first ten finishing athletes in the different categories, amounts to US$187,000. 

“With the number of participants being increased annually, better and better results have been made,” said Ma Lao Hang. 

“The Macau International Marathon has always been an annual major event, we will move forward with all the participants to continue the long history of the Macau International Marathon and create legends for the sport development of Macau.”

China’s economic growth may have cooled down from its double digit rates of recent years but the country’s sports sector is powering ahead, both at home and abroad, with sports identified as a key area of economic development for the coming ten years. 

Investing at home

Beijing is set to invest USB 1.5bn in hosting the Olympic Games in 2022, but this is a tiny fraction of the total domestic investments into sport China is set to make over the next decade. 

China’s national plans for investing in sport are unprecedented.  According to the General Administration of Sports (GAS), the sector in China is set to expand to US$1tr by 2025 – more than the value of the entire global sports industry at present.

While this goal may sound unrealistic, recent figures support such a projection. The GAS says China's sports sector grew by US$55bn in 2012 to reach US$170bn in 2013. Official estimates suggest that China's sports sector will expand by US$62bn in 2015. And by 2020, the sports sector is expected to reach US$456bn.

To achieve this sustained growth in sports, the government has recently issued 50 documents setting out a series of measures, focusing on tax incentives, land security, specialized funds, technology and research and development. 

China outbound

It’s not just on home turf where China’s ambitions lie. With international reserves far outweighing any other nation, China is investing far and wide – and focusing on sports properties.

In a process dubbed “stadium diplomacy”, China has built and financed the construction of 37 venues in Africa, five in Asia (including Syria), eight in the Caribbean, six in the South Pacific and one in Central America (Costa Rica).

And over the last two years, Chinese investors and firms have bought into football clubs in England, France, the Netherlands, Spain and the Czech Republic. 

In December 2015 it was announced that a consortium of Chinese investors – CMC (China Media Capital) Holdings and CITIC Capital – was to acquire a 13 per cent stake in City Football Group (CFG)

CFG, the holding company of Manchester City, Melbourne City and New York City football clubs that is wholly owned by Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), is valued at approximately US$3bn. 

CMC Holdings and CITIC Capital’s investment of US$400m in City Football Group demonstrates just how highly China values the power of investing in football overseas. 

For football clubs, the opportunity of Chinese investment brings access into China’s rapidly growing sports sector. The Chinese market is a crucial target for global football brands to grow their fan base, not only because of the sheer size of the market but because of the growing interest in football there.

"The deal will create an unprecedented platform for the growth of CFG clubs and companies in China and internationally, borne out of CFG's ability to provide a wealth of industry expertise and resources to the rapidly developing Chinese football industry,” Manchester City said in a statement.

"The capital from the share acquisition will be used by City Football Group to fund its China growth, further CFG international business expansion opportunities and further develop CFG infrastructure assets."

China Media Capital, a public equity and venture capital firm investing in sectors including culture, technology, media and entertainment, also secured the US$1.3bn broadcast rights for the Chinese football league in 2014.

World Cup hosting hopes

It’s not just state-owned investors that are capitalising on the global football industry – Chinese private enterprises are also getting in on the act. 

Since 2012, Huawei has signed sponsorship agreements with Spain’s Professional Football League (LFP) and club side Atlético Madrid, the Russian national soccer team, German clubs Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04, Premier League side Arsenal FC, French champions Paris Saint-Germain and Dutch Eredivisie giants Ajax, among others.

And in December 2015, FIFA announced China’s Alibaba E-Auto as sponsor of the FIFA Club World Cup – the first new sponsor signed by FIFA in two years. 

"We are delighted to welcome Alibaba E-Auto as Presenting Partner of the FIFA Club World Cup and are excited to be working closely with them to embark on a journey to reach fans across the world,” said FIFA Marketing Director Thierry Weil. 

“We also hope to benefit from their innovation, and are looking forward to seeing what they can bring to the FIFA Club World Cup over the next eight years.”

The “internet car” brand is owned by Alibaba Group and operated with Shanghai Automotive Industry Cooperation (SAIC).

Daniel Zhang, Alibaba Group CEO said: “Sports is at the intersection of Alibaba Group’s strategic themes of health and happiness, and we look forward to adding new value for participants and consumers in the sports sector through data-driven Internet technology. 

“Partnering with a major sporting event with a global audience such as FIFA Club World Cup is also an important part of Alibaba Group’s globalisation strategy for connecting China to the world.”

The partnership is also seen as a means of increase China’s stature within FIFA. 

China is not yet a major force when it comes to playing football. The country has only qualified for the FIFA World Cup once, in 2002, and it currently sits at 84th position in the world ranking. 

But it is hoped that all this investment into sports will help raise the standard of the game in China. And while the country isn’t yet among the best at playing the game, it certainly has a strong track record of hosting major events and a bid to host the World Cup would be welcomed by FIFA.

The host of the 2026 World Cup is due to be elected at the FIFA Congress in Kuala Lumpur in May 2017. For the first time, all FIFA’s 209 member associations will have a vote, instead of just the Executive Committee members. 

The bidding process has not officially begun and bids are unlikely to be announced until the dust begins to settle on FIFA’s process of transition. 

FIFA dropped its policy of continental rotation in the bidding phase for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and the organisation decided not to vote on reintroducing the policy at its Congress in 2015. 

If the policy were to be reintroduced, China would be out of the picture until 2030 – assuming Qatar retains its right to host the 2022 World Cup. 

But as things stand, a bid from China for the 2026 World Cup is possible and would be strong competition to a bid from the USA. With the coming years set to be a time of renewal for FIFA, taking its flagship event into the world’s largest growth area would no doubt be an appealing prospect for the world’s football leaders. 

This article first appeared in the Winter issue of Host City magazine. Register here.

FINA’s growing partnership with Chinese domestic appliance company Midea will run to 2017 and boost aquatics events in China, the international sports federation said on Thursday.

For Midea, the partnership brings access to the Russian market through FINA’s flagship event.

“We are very excited by the increased involvement of Midea and the sponsorship activation deployed for the World Championships in Kazan,” FINA Executive Director Cornel Marculescu said at a press conference in Russia.

“FINA is overall very satisfied with this agreement with Midea, a strong partner for the two biggest events in the aquatic calendar, the FINA World Championships and the FINA World Swimming Championships.

“Being a Chinese partner, this association will also enhance the popularity of these two events in a key market for FINA, where our six disciplines have a long standing tradition."

FINA and Midea’s partnership for the FINA World Championships, the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) and the World Record Programme was launched in 2010 and renewed in 2014.

The 16th FINA World Championships take place in Kazan, Russia, from July 24 - August 9, 2015.

Midea is using the event to launch their brand in Russia.

General Manager of Midea Russia, Mr. Alexey Obukhov, said: “Midea is certainly one of the biggest producers in the world, and while our launching product range here today appears modest in comparison to what we sell in other markets, today’s conference is also to give everyone a clear idea about the future for Midea in the Russian market.”

Midea, a Forbes 500 company headquartered in China, is a leader in developing and manufacturing domestic appliances. As well as Russia, the company has its sights on Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Canada, the US, Egypt, India, Russia, Belarus and Southeast Asian countries for future development.

The world governing body for basketball announced on its YouTube channel on Friday that China will host the 2019 FIBA World Cup, after the country’s bid leader said basketball could become the world’s most popular sport. 

China’s bid was selected ahead of a rival proposal from The Philippines. 

The 2019 FIBA World Cup will incorporate more host cities than ever, FIBA said, with Beijing, Dongguan, Foshan, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Suzhou and Wuhan all set to host games. 

Beijing will host all games from the quarter finals to the final, in addition to some group games.

New venues will be built in Foshan and Suzhou to accommodate the tournament. 

The decision will enable FIBA to build on a strong presence for the sport in China. 

"At least 300 million people play basketball in China and if we host the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, we can increase that participation,” said Zhang Jiandong, Vice Mayor of Beijing and Chairman of the China 2019 bid committee.

“China is the most populous country in the world and we can make basketball the most popular sport in the world. We believe that we can make the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup a complete success because of China's economic stability, strong financial guarantee and the government's complete support. We can make it a safe, most reliable and risk-free event."

Basketball is already the most popular sport in The Philippines, according to Manuel V Pangilinan, President of the Philippines Basketball Association.

"Ninety percent of the population play, watch or follow the sport in one way or another,” he said. “It's not just Filipinos in the Philippines that are passionate about the sport. It's Filipinos all over the world. Football may be number one in many places around the world, but basketball is number one in the Philippines."

Manny Pacquiao, Philippines Congressman and eight-time world boxing champion said "I am a boxer but I am here because I love basketball so that tells you the passion that Filipinos have for basketball. If we host the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, we can show that passion to the world."

Asked to compare enthusiasm for the sport between the two countries, Chinese basketball star Yao Ming said "You can't say that one type of love is better than the other. Both are great. Both countries have a great passion for basketball, particularly for FIBA basketball."

Gao Zhidan, Vice-President of the Chinese Olympic Committee said: "Basketball is very popular in China and if we host the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, we can foresee a great rise in that popularity. This will have a great impact on the professional league (CBA) as well as the university league which is developing very fast. It will help with our aim to train more athletes and get a bigger pool of talented players."

The Chinese Olympic Committee on Sunday confirmed the passing of IOC Honorary Member He Zhenliang.

An astute politician and diplomat, He played a pivotal role in returning China to the Olympic movement and also attracting the Olympic Games to Beijing. His great achievements earned him the moniker “Mr. Olympics” in China.

“The Olympic Movement has lost one of its most fervent ambassadors,” said IOC president Bach.

Before serving as IOC honorary member, He was IOC member from 1981 until 2010. He also served on the IOC executive board for three four-year periods and as IOC vice president from 1989 to 1993.

"China's current major-member status in the IOC is inseparable from He's hard work for decades,” Wei Jizhong, former secretary-general of the Chinese Olympic Committee told China Daily on Sunday. 

He played a vital part in helping Beijing win the right to host the Summer Olympic Games as an executive on the Beijing 2000 and 2008 bid committees.

Jizhong recalled He’s disappointment when Beijing missed out on 2000 by just two votes, telling China Daily "He said he felt he had let his country and people down, while in fact he'd done what he could to the utmost.”

The highlight of He’s career came at the 112th IOC session when Beijing’s bid committee won the host city election for 2008 under his leadership. 

In an interview with HOST CITY magazine published on the eve of the Olympic Games in 2008, He said: “The Olympic Games will help the world better understand China and vice versa. 

“If we can achieve such a goal through the Olympic Games, then the Games will not only leave its mark in the development history of China, in particular it will shine as a significant milestone in our diplomatic history. It will also be a symbolic major event in the history of international relations.”

These goals were certainly achieved, with the Beijing Games showcasing China to the world at a time of unprecedented economic growth.

IOC president Thomas Bach said “He was a man of culture and art. He was a true advocate of the social values of sport and of our Movement and I would like to pay tribute to the passion and energy he deployed over the years to fulfil his mission as an IOC Member in China. 

“He also helped our Movement better understand his country, its people and outstanding culture.”

Speaking to HOST CITY in 2008 about the impact of hosting the Games, He acknowledged the improvements to infrastructure and material wealth in Beijing, but said that more valuable benefit was the cultural impact of the humanistic values of Olympism in China. 

“The Olympic Games bestows hope and enlightenment to the world,” he told HOST CITY. “We need to make concerted efforts to build a bridge of tolerance, understanding, respect and friendly coexistence across different places, races, religions and ideologies.”

A keen sportsman, Mr He enjoyed swimming, playing table tennis, tennis, football, basketball and golf. A champion of sport and Olympic values in school curricula, He told HOST CITY his long term aspiration was for a greater role for sports within education in China. 

He’s other roles within the IOC included Chairman of the Cultural Commission (1995-1999), Chairman (2000-2009) and then Honorary Member  (2009-2015) of the Commission for Culture and Olympic Education, Vice-Chairman of the Sport for All Commission (1985-1987), and member of a number of other Commissions including the IOC 2000 reforms. 

He served as deputy secretary general of the Chinese Gymnastics Association, secretary general of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, deputy secretary general of the All-China Sports Federation and president of Chinese Olympic Committee.

The Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee also mourned He’s passing, praising his contributions to the Olympic Movement in China. The bid committee said it will endeavour to win the right to host the 2022 Games as a tribute to He.

Beijing’s municipal bureau of culture and tourism today announced the cancelation of “large-scale activities”, in a bid to hold back the spread of the potentially deadly coronavirus.

Events being cancelled include the city’s temple fairs, winter sports events and exhibitions that traditionally take place as part of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations.

Big public gatherings in the city’s parks are a major part of New Year celebrations, due to take place on 25 January.

Last year, more than 2 million visitors gathered in Beijing's 11 municipal parks and the Museum of Chinese Gardens and Landscape Architecture, according to state media.

The move follows the shutdown of Wuhan and two neighbouring cities, where the first human outbreaks of the coronavirus originated, 715 miles from Beijing.

The State Railway Group is also offering full reimbursements on tickets in order to minimise the impact of the world’s largest annual movement of people, known as “chunyun”.

Reported cases of the disease now exceed 500, including one near Tokyo and one in Washington State, USA. 17 people have died so far, in China.

[Source: Yutang Sports] The Chinese sports marketing online media Yutang Sports and Host City, the largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events, have signed a media partnership for the 2019 Host City event to be held in Glasgow, Scotland on Nov. 26-27.

The partnership is the latest development after two years of friendly collaboration between the two parties on the Chinese market. Under the partnership, Yutang Sports will help promote the Host City 2019 to its Chinese and global audiences. Chinese citizens or companies who register for Host City 2019 through Yutang Sports may also get a discount.

Host City focuses on sharing knowledge, insights and best-practice around the organization of sports, business and cultural events globally. It welcomes leaders of International Federations, organising committees, businesses and government authorities to share opportunities and socialize with each other.

This year’s event features high-profile speakers from IOC, International Triathlon Union, Rugby World Cup France 2023, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Expo 2020 Dubai, UEFA EURO Germany 2024, English Football League, Riot Games, Aggreko Event Services, just to name a few.

About Yutang Sports

Yutang Sports delivers editorial and interviews on sports marketing and general sports business news. It is a leading vertical sports business media in China published in both Chinese and English, with influence in both China and around the world. In the meanwhile, Yutang Sports also provide sponsorship sales services to sports rights holders and brands. http://en.ytsports.cn/

About Host City

Host City Expo & Conference brings together cities and sports, business and cultural events for two full days of unrivalled insight, networking, workshops and business on 26-27 November at the Technology & Innovation Centre in Glasgow.

This is where representatives of host destinations, federations and other rights holders, organisers, event suppliers and services from all over the world meet to discover opportunities and discuss the challenges of major event hosting. Participants are encouraged to use Host City as a platform to develop, workshop and announce new events, partnerships and formats.

www.hostcity.com

Host City Asia 2018 successfully concluded on May 31 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beijing under the theme of “Attracting new audiences through sports and entertainment events”.

More than 120 representatives of cities and destinations, the Olympic Games, the Chinese government, international sports federations, organising committees and experts shared their strategies and explored the opportunities around hosting major events in Asia.

In his welcome address, Host City’s Editorial and Conference Director Ben Avison said “Although this is the first Host City Asia, it does feel very much like a homecoming.

“We launched Host City in Beijing in 2003, as a magazine bringing foreign expertise to the organisers of the 2008 Olympic Games – for which our CEO, Matthew Astill, received the Great Wall Friendship award from the Deputy Mayor of Beijing.

“And now, with Beijing being the first city to host not only the Summer but also the Winter Olympic Games, Host City returns to China with this valuable conference for Asia.

“As the IOC President Thomas Bach pointed out in his opening speech at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games, we are now in an ‘Asian Olympic Era’.

“I would like to add that this is also an ‘Asian Era of Event Hosting’, more generally. Mega events are clearly the biggest way to attract new visitors or fans – but cities are interested in hosting a whole range of sports, business and cultural events, both large and small. Many Asian cities are developing extremely rapidly and using sports and culture to support their economic and social development.”

Chang Yu, Director General of Media and Communication Department of the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Games, delivered an opening keynote address on the theme of “past, present and future”.

“I am very excited to be invited to participate in Host City Asia and have the opportunity to share the development of sports in China and Asia with fellow experts and industry peers,” he said.

“The Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Games looks forward to working together with everyone to create a wonderful and extraordinary Winter Olympics for the world in 2022. I wish Host City Asia a complete success.”

In his presentation on “Stimulating the Vitality of Olympic Legacy; Building a Model for Summer and Winter Olympics Legacy,” Fu Xiaohui, Secretary General of Beijing Olympic City Development Association (BODA) outlined China’s goal of encouraging 300 million people to participate in winter sports.

He also explained how BODA is building links with the cultural sector through the Beijing International Sports Film Week and Beijing Olympic Music Festival, while strengthening cooperation with the Belt and Road cities, Olympic cities, and international sports organizations to share China’s story with the world.

Stephen Ellison, Minister-Counsellor, British Embassy Beijing said: “Having this event here greatly reflects China and Asia`s rapid growth in the sports economy. Asian cities are currently dominating the global sports events calendar.

“UK sports are extremely popular in China; the Premier League, Wimbledon, World Snooker and Formula One are watched by hundreds of millions of people on TV and digital platforms here. UK sports are also physically here; World Snooker has events in five cities across China, Formula One in Shanghai, Clipper Race in Qingdao and Sanya and we believe there is still more potential.

“The UK has been proactively working with China on Beijing 2022 Winter Sports. In December 2016, UK and China singed an MOU on Winter Sports cooperation. The British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association were the first national teams to visit Beijing 2022’s three competition zones. Additionally, British architects Populous UK won the bid for the China new national high-speed skating Oval.

“The legacy of Beijing 2008 on sports, infrastructure and society has been huge and this will dovetail into Beijing 2022 with the establishment of growing winter sports economy. International expertise can continue to develop sports infrastructure in Asia.”

Hiromi Kawamura, Public Relations Secretary of Tokyo 2020 gave insightful update on how Tokyo is using the Games to fulfil Tokyo and Japan’s wider development goals.

Laszlo Vajda, Senior Operations Manager, Minsk 2019 European Games and Senior Expert, Beijing 2022 also shared his great experience of staging the world’s biggest and most complex events.

Other event hosts represented at Host City included Zong Zhenhua, Executive Vice Director, Gaoxin district of Zhangjiakou; Bai Jianhai, Director of Winter Sports Promotion Office, Zhangjiakou Government; Tony Nagamaiah, General Manager, Malaysia Major Events; Michael Baird, Strategic Advisor to the Commissioner for Greater China, State Government of Victoria, Australia; Vusi Mazibuko, General Manager, Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban and Li Yidong, Director, Tanggangzi New Town Conference and Exhibition Centre, Anshan.

Sports federations were well represented by IF leaders including Beng Choo Low, Secretary General, World Baseball Softball Confederation and Kobinata Toru, Vice President Sport/ Events, International Federation of Sport Climbing and many more.

Kelvin Fang, Senior Media and Marketing Manager at FIBA ​​China said: “Basketball is very popular in China, but FIBA ​​hopes to host the World Cup in China to bring a richer heritage to the host city. FIBA's goal is to allow basketball enthusiasts of all ages to participate in sports. Like 3×3 basketball, they will enter cities such as Beijing, Xi’an, and Chengdu. China is an important basketball market and more events will come in.

Luis Alexandre Pontes Rodrigues, Director of Asia and Oceania at FIVB said: “China is a market with great potential, and the FIVB can bring a lot of extra resources here. The FIVB is constantly looking to develop and to bring a wider audience participation. Nanjing will hold the finals of the World Women's Volleyball League for many years. The FIVB hopes to make it a flagship event. Volleyball has a very good future in China and the FIVB must understand this market in depth.”

Jason Ferguson, President of the World Professional Snooker Association said: “The Chinese market plays a pivotal role in promoting the development of the snooker movement. The potential of the Chinese market lies in the development of small cities, which can increase their international visibility.”

Oleg Matytsin, President of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) said: “The sports world often thinks of new audiences as only being those in new places, perhaps where a rights holder has not yet hosted competitions. But new audiences must also be thought of as those young people who, each year, are arriving at the age where they will make decisions for themselves, where they will develop affinities and loyalties independently. These people are not just the future of one sport, or two sports, but the future of every sport.”

Exciting presentations were also delivered by Erich Wolf, Managing Director of Red Bull Air Race; Victor Cui, Director and International CEO, ONE Championships; and Benedikt Brandmeier, Head of Locations & Strategy, Drone Champions.

Yutang Sports played a central role in Host City Asia with their Co-Founder and Executive Director Li Jiang and International Business Development Director Zhang Tingting moderating VIP panel discussions.

The contribution of the private sector to the hosting of major events was well recognised with valuable contributions from: David de Behr, Head of Global Events, Aggreko; Patrick Vajda, Senior Risk Advisor, Sports & Events Practice, Marsh; Wu Lei, CEO, Kingdomway Sports; Karl Hawkins, CEO/President, Kehua Sports; Hailiang Chen, Director of Sport and Recreation, Wanda Cultural Tourism Planning & Research Institute; Anne Kelly, Chief Operating Officer, Shankai Sports; Shoto Xiaodong Zhu, Founder & Chairman, OCEANS Sports & Entertainment Marketing; and Nikki Wang, Head of Sports Business China, Deloitte; Mark Dreyer, Founder, China Sports Insider and Yang Binyuan, Head of Communications Greater China, Google.

Yutang Sports is partnered with Host City to support Asia’s largest meeting of sports, business and cultural events.

Under the theme of “Attracting New Audiences through Sports and Entertainment”, Host City Asia will bring together international event owners with Asian host cities, brands and investors at the five-star Four Seasons Hotel in Beijing on 31 May.

High level speakers include senior representatives (presidents, CEOs, secretary generals, directors and experts) of organising committees, sports federations, entertainment events, cities and corporates.

As Media Partner, Yutang Sports will be providing editorial coverage, in addition to wider marketing and sales support.

About Host City

Host City was first launched as a magazine in Beijing in 2003 for the organisers of the Olympic 2008 Games. Since then it has hosted four rapidly growing international conferences in the UK serving the international community of event owners, hosts, organisers and suppliers.

Host City is delighted to return to Beijing for Host City Asia with the participation of the Beijing Olympic City Development and the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Phone +44 7876 682072 or visit www.hostcity.com

About Yutang Sports

Yutang Sports is a sports market intelligence and sports marketing company consisting of a sports industry media outlet and sports sponsorship agency. It provides editorial content, market analysis and sports marketing business services such as consultancy and sponsorship sales.

The media outlet provides the most up-to-date sports business news, media analysis and exclusive data reports on the Chinese sports industry in both Chinese and English languages. With millions of views in China per year, the company is considered one of the most important sports industry media outlets in China, one that provides regular services to corporate clients.

Yutang's sports sponsorship agency helps international and domestic sports rights holders/events to partner with Chinese brands. The company has successfully facilitated partnerships between many sports events and Chinese brands such as Stankovic Continental Cup and Sunshine Insurance Group, Snooker players & K-boxing, Beijing Half Marathon and Rarone, driving development for both sports and sponsors.

Phone: +86 10 6715 0501 ext. 808 or visit http://en.ytsports.cn

The Boao Forum for Asia takes place annually on the Chinese island of Hainan. This year’s event included a panel discussion on “Potential of the Sports Industry” with VIP speakers including Olympic champions, national sports association leaders, leading Chinese brands and media owners.

The panel opened with reflections on the leadership of the President Xi Jinping, under which sports has played an important part of the drive for healthier living and the development of China's “soft power”.

Fang Gang, Director of CCTV's sports channels said “Sport is part of national strategy for fitness and healthy living – sports has critical role in society.”

“Everybody is behind the national plan – it is substantial”, said Qian Jiannong, Senior Vice President, Fosun International.

The 2016-2020 National Fitness plan set ambitious targets for improving fitness and increasing sports participation by raising awareness of health and integrating exercise into everyday life.

Opening sports facilities for free to local people is an important aspect of the plan.

Alisports is using the Alibaba online retail platform to help achieve the 19th NPC goals by giving Ali credits as online incentive for users to exercise more.

“Sport is independent, something special and different,” said Zhang Dazhong, CEO of Alisports, whose project is laying foundations “to empower industries and provide services to national fitness.”

Alisports is also working with badminton, table tennis and tennis teams to improve performance.

He emphasised Alisports’ commitment to the empowerment process of sports, while also focussing on the enjoyment of sports.

Zhang Dazhong, CEO, Alisports said: “China must accumulate its own sports and not just buy international assets.”

Zeng Gang, Vice President of Suning Sports emphasised the importance of investment into education while also making it fun. “Sports is one part of entertainment… we try to promote enthusiasm and a positive feeling for sport”.

The ability to develop a sport is also linked to the availability of venues and equipment, which is one reason for the rapid growth of snooker in China. “Anyone can play in snooker halls,” pointed out Ju Cunguo, general manager of Daqing city's Cultural Media Co., Ltd.

According to Rupert Hoogewerf, Chairman of the Hurun Report, motor sports, fitness and horse racing are increasing and leading demands in China for sport.

Digital boost for winter sports

China has its eyes on great success at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, hosted in Beijing.

"Whilst there is pressure on for Beijing2022, all sportspeople can do is their best for their country," said Li Yan, Chairwoman of the Chinese Skating Association.

Fang Gang said CCTV wants to showcase sport stars who can lead and inspire Chinese people and play sports. “The advantage of CCTV is that it is a national channel working for national good,” he said.

One such star is Wu Dajing, who has been incredibly busy ambassador for winter sports since PyeongChang 2018, where he became the first Chinese man to win Olympic short track gold.

According to Fang Gang, 20 million per minute watched Wu Dajing win his gold medal.

“I could not believe how many people were at the airport on my return. But my coach said it will only last for 40 days!” said Wu.

He said he wants to “make a contribution to Winter Games and promote speed skating and skiing.”

“Three years ago, nobody in South of China knew short track speed skating – they do now!”

Wu Dajing is asking for help from digital platforms to help promote Beijing2022.

While Alibaba is the biggest online retailer in China, the biggest communication platform is WeChat, owned by Tencent.

“Sports is so substantial” said Chen Juhong, Vice President of Tencent. “Wu Dajing made a huge impact.”

Tencent is also working with tennis, soccer, and baseball organisations to find out how data can be used in China.

“Tencent owners are very forward looking – there is no need to monetise data today,” he said.  “We are looking for a win-win of Tencent working with people.”

Li Yan, Chairwoman of Chinese Skating Association was interested to find out how digital platforms can help their 60 national events. “Work with us… Do not let the sport get lost in data and size of market,” she asked.

Zhang Dazhong said Alibaba expects a doubling of winter sports sales and higher value per sale for winter sports, but stressed that more investment is needed in winter sports infrastructure.

Zeng Gang, Vice President of Suning Sports invited skaters to work more closely with Suning to promote stories about athletes, generate more content and get more engagement.

He also said that football in China needs to fulfil its potential. The Chinese Super League must find a home for football fans and “create a tie from fan to club”.

The Chinese Super League is working with English Premier League to learn how to customise and commercialise football in China, said Zeng.

Suning is considering offering new membership events for Chinese Super League.

It’s not just online where sales are growing; Suning has recently opened a sport store in Nanjing as it promotes a “hybrid offline-online model for sport.”

This article was based on a panel discussion at Boao Forum For Asia on 9 April 2018. For more detailed discussion on Sports development in China please attend Host City Asia in Beijing on 31 May 2018