Freddie Bacon Part 1 | The Culture & Growth Tactics Of Snow Sports In China

As we start counting down to the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, we are going to start mixing in some guests who are playing a pivotal role in what is becoming a national movement to grow the culture of sport in China at a rapid pace. This episode is part 1 of our 2 part series talking with Freddie Bacon, Director of Sport Development at Axis Leisure Management. We talk with Freddie about his experiences running snow sports school in China and how far the ski hills themselves have come in such a short period of time. We discuss the various methods snow sports is growing in China and factors driving that growth. We talk about what it’s like to learn to ski or snowboard in China, diving into everything from costs of lessons, parental involvement, the economics of lessons and how they differ in China, and where China can possibly find enough instructors to meet the huge demand. Enjoy!

Show Notes

Topics Discussed and Key Points:

●      Running snowsports schools in China compared to the West

●      Chinese parent-child dynamics at snow sports schools and how instructors can manage expectations

●      The economics of lift passes, equipment, logistics, and instruction in the world of snow sport in China

●      Removing the cost barrier that continues to prevent many Chinese from accessing snow sports schools

 

Episode Summary:

 

Today on The Negotiation, we speak with Freddie Bacon, an expert in the snows sports space with over 14 years of global experience. He is currently the Director of Sports Development at Axis Leisure Management.

Headquartered in Beijing, Axis provides a wide suite of services to establishments in the hospitality industry. These include business planning and positioning, resort and facility management, operational consulting, brand management and representation, architecture and design, and construction supervision.

Freddie is also leading an initiative by Burton Snowboards to create a network of snowboard academies in China, with the goal of establishing over 20 locations by year five.

In today’s conversation, Freddie discusses the cultural differences when it comes to running snows sports schools in China versus those in the West. He touches on the uniquely Chinese attitudes held by instructors, young students, and their parents, and also why private lessons are far and away preferred over group lessons in China (97% of lessons booked are, in fact, one-on-one).

He speaks on the changing economics of the snow sports world in China. For a long time, attending these schools has largely been a privilege for the elite. But there has been a push in recent times to provide mass-market solutions that make snow sports schools more accessible to a middle-class Chinese family. This is thanks to initiatives by the government and certain businesses and academic institutions.

 

Key Quotes:

“I personally believe that many snow sports schools are grossly undervaluing their instructors—particularly their professional skiing and snowboarding instructors—that are trying to make this a career. There are a growing number of people trying to do just that.”

 

“It is a hugely expensive process to go skiing, particularly if you have a family. [...] Whilst there are millions of people that can afford that, there are also millions that can’t. [...] We do think that there is an element of community responsibility. If it’s done right and the experience is good, skiing and snowboarding are fantastic things to be a part of. We would love to get less-affluent individuals involved in the sport and to work on sustainable ways to ensure that we can have mass participation.”

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