Sport conference taps opportunities from National Games for Greater Bay Area

A sport industry innovation conference focusing on the 15th National Games and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was held on Tuesday in Guangzhou providing a platform for stakeholders involved in the Games to exchange ideas.

Tuesday's meeting, the fourth version of conference, was held consecutively in Yuexiu District of Guangdong, the administrative and CBD area of the city. The 15th National Games is the largest, highest-level, and most influential comprehensive sports event jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao. It also marks the first time that Hong Kong and Macao to host a national-level sports event.

Attended by sports administrative officials, sports industry experts, and sports enterprise representatives, the conference analyzed new opportunities of urban changes, market development and economic growth to the Greater Bay Area under the background of hosting the National Games.

Zhang Zhengbiao, deputy head of the district, said the conference has become a crucial window for various sectors of society to understand the sports industry and an important platform for communication and cooperation within the sports community. Thanks to its geographical advantages, Yuexiu has been at the forefront of innovation and development in the sports industry. The district has planned and promoted the aggregation of sports industry resources, improved the industry environment, and further perfected the industry system. In the future, Yuexiu will tap new opportunities for sports industry after hosting the National Games to create new sport consumption and growth.

Wang Ping, deputy director of the sport equipment and gear center of the General Administration of Sport of China, said as the year of 2025 marks the conclusion of the 14th Five-Year Plan and the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan coinciding with the National Games, he expressed confidence that hosting the Games will strengthen ties for sports exchanges and cooperation in the Greater Bay Area, injecting new vitality into innovation and development in the regional sports industry.

Yu Weijian, deputy head of the marketing development department of the Games' executive committee for the Guangdong competition area, introduced the market development plan for the Games to the conference and pledged to create a favorable sports business environment. The Games will enable companies to showcase their image, enhance brand value, further drive development and exchanges among the three regions through sports, and promote the cultural, sports, and economic development of the Greater Bay Area.

Chen Xuhui, who is in charge of the working group for the Games' market development entities, briefed the conference the market development and operation of the Games. As the Games will be the first in history to be jointly hosted by multiple regions, it will be under the circumstances of "one country, two systems", three customs zones and three currencies. Chen emphasized the need for implementing standardized yet flexible measures to develop the markets in the respective regions.

Bao Mingxiao, researcher of China's sport policy from Beijing Sport University, shared his recent research on strategic development opportunities in areas including global sports equipment manufacturing and trade centers, innovative hubs for digital sports industries, comprehensive integration and mutual development of the sports industry with related industries, digital sport, scenarios upgrading, innovative IP, sport event-driven economy, and "silver-haired" sports economy and professional sports.