Freddie Bacon Part 2 | Snowboard Academy Growth & Why Technology Could Be The Key To Increasing Ski Resort Revenues

The Negotiation

Topics Discussed and Key Points:

● How Freddie is working with Burton Snowboards to create a network of snowboard academies in China

● How technology is being used to improve and scale snowboarding in China

● Will snow sports in China see more international instructors becoming involved in the future?

● The rise of four seasons resorts in China, and considerations around operations and logistics

● How the lead-up to the 2022 Winter Olympics is shaping the snow sports world in China

Episode Summary:

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

Freddie talks about the long-term goals for the Burton Snowboard Academy’s growth in China, focusing on retention of first-time ski or snowboarders, and creating the instructor certification program that is in line with the international standards so that it is a world-class certification program. They plan to have 20 locations in China in the next 5 years.

Freddie believes that technology will pave the way for the business of snowboarding in China to become the gold standard for service quality and customer experience. He sees rapid technological developments as one factor toward the rise of four seasons resorts that will contribute to the overall growth of the snow sports industry.

Finally, Freddie talks about the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and how the lead-up to this historic event has caused an explosion of interest in skiing and snowboarding, and what all of this means with regard to the future of Chinese snow sports.

Key Quotes:

“The way things are developing in China, I honestly think that in a few years’ time, the resorts here will be leading the charge in terms of service quality and customer experience levels, through the use of technology.”

“What’s different between China and perhaps other markets in North America and Europe is that the traditional retail store seems to be on the decline in many places; whereas, in China, the retail store is doing very, very well with these lifestyle brands looking at expanding their retail footprint.”