As part of the initiative, Alibaba intends to support the ISPO network by digitising its services, particularly those aimed at the Chinese market.ISPO China will be working closely with the Alibaba teams in China to strengthen its presence in China’s sports and outdoor sector. The ISPO brand incorporates an integrated offering, which offers both analogue and digital services including the world’s largest multi-segment trade fairs ISPO Munich, ISPO Beijing and ISPO Shanghai.

Tobias Gröber, executive director Business Unit Consumer Goods Messe München and Director ISPO Group says: “With Alibaba’s Tmall B2C platform, the ISPO Group will gain a new, powerful and forward-looking partner. The cooperation will be a great opportunity for our customers to participate in one of the fastest-growing markets in the sports industry.”Tmall enables international brands who want to enter the Chinese consumer market access to the over 488 million annual active consumers on Alibaba’s platforms, which is especially attractive for brands without a physical presence in China. ISPO members will benefit from a faster enrolment process for opening a Tmall store.“We see a huge potential for international sports brands in China, as the growing Chinese middle class wants to spend their disposable income not just on products but also increasingly for experiences. Demand for high-quality sports equipment and fashion is massively growing in China. This is why the planned cooperation with ISPO is a fantastic opportunity for sports brands who want to reach a new consumer market,” commented Karl Wehner, managing director, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Turkey and Eastern Europe, Alibaba Group.In 2019, ISPO and Tmall also aim to explore potential new retail cooperations to upgrade the traditional exhibition with innovative technologies to provide a digitalised experience for both retailers and consumers.