BEIJING, July 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The British Motorsport Initiative in China has been launched to bring together brands to showcase the best of British cars, culture and competition. The British Motorsport Initiative includes the British Motorsport Festival, Pavilions and Motorsport Conference. These events respond to the growing opportunities in China for the British automotive and motorsport industry to participate in the largest automotive market in the world which is now undergoing the development of an automotive culture.
The British Motorsport Initiative aims to provide a platform for British companies to promote their goods and services both to potential partners and consumers in China via a series of events at motorsport venues. These include Pavilions to sell merchandise, the British Motorsport Festival (Beijing 1st and 2nd Oct) and the British Motorsport Conference (Shanghai 2nd Nov). Full support has been given by the UKTI, China Britain Business Council, British Chamber of Commerce, Confederation of British Industry and the British Council. On the China side support is forthcoming from the China Auto Industry Culture and Sports Association. Media partners include SINA Sports, the largest and most established sports digital media platform in China, and motorsport.com, the largest provider of motorsport content online worldwide.,
The China car market is the largest in the world, with some 22 million vehicles sold in 2015, and the motorsport industry is enjoying a similar surge in interest, which provides a major opportunity for British industry. According the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the UK is home to over 30 car manufacturers, producing some 1,587,677 vehicles in 2015, exporting 1,227,881, of which 10% are sold in China including Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin, Bentley, Rolls Royce, and Mini. Consumers in China have a growing appetite for events which combine cars, events and conversations about how to build cars into their lifestyle. The UK is the home of many of the world's most famous car festivals, and these are the model for the British Motorsport Festival.
Dr Mark Wareing, Minister Counsellor for Advanced Manufacturing and Transport at the British Embassy said, "The British Motorsport Initiative will demonstrate that Britain is GREAT in the automotive industry across the entire value chain, from design to build, and across the entire industry, from leisure to logistics to competitive racing."
The British Motorsport Festival (BMF), to be held at the Goldenport track Beijing over the 1st & 2nd October, is for the entire family offering the full range of activities from Hot Laps, Ladies Competition, One Marque Races Greenpower children's e-Karting, go-karts, Vintage Car display, the fastest 7.5 Ton e-Truck Laps, and a British music gig. Leading British brands will be on display and be driven by professionals and amateurs alike, including: Jaguar Land Rover, Lotus, McLaren, Morgan Motor Company, Radical, Noble and TEVVA, the innovative 7.5-tonne electric range extender truck. Owner clubs are also taking part, forming a social element to the 2 day spectacle.
Announcing the launch of the BMF, British entrepreneur and Founder Jim James said, "The British Motorsport Festival is a unique blend of cars, fans and fun for the entire family. Our hope is that the British Motorsport Festival can help brands connect with fans to build lasting relationships. The Conference will be to develop the commercial aspects of motorsport, and to get British companies into pole position to help accelerate the pace of China race development."
The British Motorsport Conference will be held in Shanghai on Nov 2nd with the theme "Building a Professional and Profitable Motorsport Industry in China." Organised in partnerships with the China team of motorsport.com, a leading portal with over 64 million page views per month, the conference aims to bring together track developers, race team owners, drivers, service companies and leading industry players, such as Prodrive, to explore the opportunities arising from the growth of motorsport in China. Panel sessions and business matching 'Pit Stops' will form the basis of a one day event bringing together British and Chinese trade representatives.
Managing Director of Motorsport China, Steven Lu said, "Motorsport in China is developing rapidly, and the goal of the Conference is to bring experts from the UK and China together to discuss best practices, build deeper relationships and ultimately to develop the industry to a world class level."
The UK has the world's largest motorsport cluster, is home to 8 of 11 F1 teams, provides a base for over 4,500 motorsport engineering companies, and some 32 race circuits. In China there are already 6 race tracks, namely the F1 track in Shanghai and Tier 2 tracks in Zhuhai, Beijing, Guangdong, Nanjing and Chengdu and a reported 5 more under construction. These support international races such as F1, WTCC, WEC, Blancpain Endurance, Asian Series including Asia Le Mans, TCR, and GT Asia, as well as domestic professional and semi pro races including China GT, CTCC, ASR cup, China Grand Rally, Formula E, and one marque races.
The Organiser
The British Motorsport Initiative is organised by Invicta Holdings, a privately registered company. The British Motorsport Festival was originally held in Goldenport, Beijing in 2015. The series of 2016 events is organised by Invicta Holdings in strategic partnership with Goldenport Hurun Automobile Culture Development Co., Ltd, a joint venture between Goldenport Automotive Enterprise Holdings and Hurun, publishers of the China Wealth Report.
http://www.britishmotorsportfestival.com
http://www.goldenport.com.cn
http://www.hurun.net
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