I wonder if anybody out there still doubts the capability of China to stage a world-class event, with the highest levels of infrastructure, venues, creativity, logistics, security and production values.
The first of May 2010 will be the opening of the Shanghai World Expo, which will be staged for six months. It is set to be the largest to date with a confirmed participation of 177 countries, 44 organisations, 18 corporations and 55 cities displaying their solutions in the Urban Best Practices Area. This area will include real scenes of cities in all areas of city management: landscaping, energy, education, resource management, architecture, housing, etc.
Over 70 million people are predicted to attend including more than 4.5 million international visitors. Though World Expositions are non-commercial in nature, its very nature translates into cultural and economic exchange.
Each one of the Expo Pavilions will be an experiential political, educational, cultural, marketing and business event space in its own right. Imagine numerous delegations visiting their respective pavilions led by heads of state, then corporate CEOs and local or state governments, each bringing along a sizeable cultural, academic and commercial contingent.
These visitors will not limit their activity to one or two days at the Expo site, but spread out into events and forums throughout Shanghai, the Yangtze River Delta cities of Hangzhou, Ningbo, Nanjing, Suzhou and out across Greater China.
The Shanghai 2010 World Expo theme is “Better City, Better Life”, focusing on the latest ideas, technologies and practices in environmentally sustainable urban design and construction that will improve the quality of life.
After the success of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, the Shanghai 2010 World Expo will provide many opportunities for China’s business events market, and the event communications activity of governments and corporations involved will not only be focused on reaching out to China, but also to the rest of the world.
