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

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.”