The Wonderful World of World EXPOS.
Within the world of great events the world of World Expositions occupies a prominent place.
For more than one and a half century, ever since the Great Exhibition took place in London in 1851, have these great events marked their own times.
The impact on the world stage of the World Expositions has been significant with each and every of these events. Each exposition has been the product of its time in history and each has contributed to pointing towards the future, each in its particular field and geographic location.
Thus the trajectory of the World Exposition as an international and cultural event marks a unique history of one event’s relevance in the world and its ever-present power to attract and fascinate millions of people all over the world. A true test of longevity.
However, not everybody is familiar with the importance and history of this great event, though most have heard about one or another of these expositions.
An overview of the history of these great expositions and a study of their character are therefore in place.
EXPO History at a glance.
The Great Exhibition of 1851 in London was held inside a palace of glass, the Crystal Palace, which in itself was quite an event at the time. The exhibition became immensely popular as the showpiece for the industrial revolution that was taking place at the time both in England and the other big powers of the time. The exhibition received 6 millions visitors.
This EXPO was all about showing the public the advancement of England’s industrialisation, and with time also that of other countries. This is what characterized the contents of the EXPOS of the 19th century: they showed industrial progress.
London was the host to two great exhibitions: 1851 and 1862, but Paris followed quickly hosting not less than 5 great EXPOS in the 19th century; the Great 1900 Paris exhibition received some 50 million visitors.
The Paris 1889 exhibition, however, is particularly memorable with its emblematic Eiffel Tower
The BIE is born.
Up till 1928 each organizing country only had to declare its intention to host an EXPO and then invite participating countries and establish its own rules. Neither international rules nor preconditions existed. This state of affairs had brought a chaotic situation about, and the need for a regulation of the hosting and organizing of World Expositions was acutely felt. Upon this background the convention for the creation of an international organization for the regulation of World Expositions of 1928 was drawn up and signed in Paris in 1931 by 31 countries. With the passing of the convention the basis for the BIE, Bureau International des Expositions was laid. Though the convention has been modified in the course of time it still basically adheres to the original principles.
In the BIE the member states constitute the General Assembly where all important decisions and votes are taken. The President of the BIE, who is elected for a period of two years, heads the General Assembly, and the Secretary General is in charge of all day-to-day business and thus heads the whole of the administration. In order to attend the specific needs of the institution four commissions are created: the Executive, the Information, the Rules and the Administration Commission. All the members of the Commissions are BIE delegates.
Since its creation the BIE has been at the centre of the World Expositions regulating all aspects of the international expositions and setting down rules necessary for the holding of successful expositions, protecting the interests both of the organizers and the host country and the participating nations.
Amongst the BIE rules can be mentioned the span of five years between the Registered (big) EXPOS, their duration of 6 months and the rule that the theme must be of a general nature. The holding of a Recognized EXPOS is set to take place between two major ones and must not exceed a duration of 3 months and not occupy a space larger than 25 ha.
Each member country appoints one or more delegates to the BIE who participate in the General Assembly and the work of the organization.
The selection of a candidate for a World Exposition, whether for a “big” or “small” one is done on the basis of “one country one vote”, the voting being by secret ballot.
The EXPO is defined in the BIE convention as a cultural and non-commercial event that contributes to the education of the public.
The cultural and non-commercial nature of an EXPO is absolutely basic for the understanding of the nature and longevity of this event.
One word of explanation is needed here. Being a cultural and non-commercial event does not mean that neither economic nor commercial interests or ties are involved. Not at all.
Any EXPO will have sponsors, corporate participants and commercial backing from many sides. Only the contents of the EXPO itself must remain non-commercial. This distinction between financing and contents is basic for the understanding of the inner workings of an EXPO.
Thanks to the BIE Convention the World Expositions took a new and more regulated turn after 1931. With an absence of EXPOS during the Second World War the interest in the event started to grow again after the war, first slowly but then accelerated and we are now experiencing a true and continued interest in the hosting of an EXPO resulting in more and more countries joining the BIE and more and more candidates for an EXPO.
At the start of 2011 the BIE had 157 member countries making the organisation not only one of the oldest international organisations but also one with the most member countries.
The birth of an EXPO candidacy.
The reasons for a country to wish to host an EXPO can be many, but in most cases there will be the desire to attract the world’s attention and show the world the country’s profile, to improve the urban environment of a city and - to unite the people round a major challenge.
Yet another factor is increasingly playing a significant role:
The Globalization.
With the arrival of globalization the perception of the identity of any country has logically become more blurred in the minds of the world’s public. Therefore a growing need within many countries has arisen to show the rest of the world its identity, what kind of country it really is, what it stands for and what it is capable of.
For this purpose many countries choose to go for the hosting of a great event that can bring attention to the country, show the world what the country stands for. This new situation increases the interest in hosting a mega event in order to – so to speak – get your own country on the world map. The hosting of a World EXPO has become a prime choice for this goal.
Before settling on a world EXPO the country has probably also considered one of the other two alternatives for a mega event: The Olympics and the World Cup of Football - and then settled on a world EXPO.
The three events are fundamentally different in contents and legacy. Whereas the two sports events are shorter in duration and have very specific contents, an EXPO lasts longer and has broad cultural contents – whether it is the big or the small category. Therefore an EXPO usually leaves a larger imprint on the host city both in the area of urban renewal and mentally on the population. The legacy of an EXPO is palpable.
From the very start of an EXPO project it becomes obvious that part of the key to victory in the vote at the BIE lies in the message you choose for the EXPO, the theme of the exposition.
Another factor of vital importance is the ability of the candidate country to muster votes. In short the international weight of the candidate country.
The theme itself has not always had the importance it has now. In the past the event in itself was often enough to attract votes - and later visitors. However, with the growing awareness of values like sustainability the world at large is more conscious of the message, the contents of an EXPO, and the theme has therefore had a growing role in the choosing of an EXPO. Also the visitors have come to expect a meaningful content of the EXPO.
Any candidate country today is therefore acutely aware of the importance of the theme and a great deal of preparation is done in order to pinpoint the best possible thematic contents.
When a member country of the BIE decides to be a candidate a long and difficult process begins in order to convince a majority of the member countries to vote for the candidacy.
A successful campaign.
Once the candidate country has placed its bid with the BIE the campaign begins. Depending on the field of competitors this campaign can be most demanding and complex. A majority of the 150 member countries of the BIE have to be convinced that the bid is the best.
The effect of the campaign will – as explained above -in part depend on the candidate country’s international weight and importance. Therefore we often see other factors than the strictly objective qualities of a bid take preference over the quality of the bid itself, but these are the conditions of all the bidding situations in the world of the great events - be they in the realm of sports or culture.
The successful country, the winner, will immediately start organizing the event and create the administrative apparatus to carry through the challenge that an EXPO is.
The organizing of an EXPO.
The BIE schedule for the voting on an EXPO and for its actual happening allows for the organizer to start preparations for the EXPO many years ahead of holding the event. The organizer will therefore dispose of ample time to prepare both the physical aspects like infrastructure and building and the mental expectations inside and outside the country.
One of the first tasks will be to attract participating countries. This not an easy process as you find quite a few “EXPO sceptic” countries within the BIE, countries that question the value of the EXPO. However, experience shows that almost all of these sceptic countries in the end – and often at the last minute –join the EXPO anyway!
The task of creating an air of expectation both in the home country and abroad is another big challenge, where the participation of all sectors in the country is needed. Also at this stage a careful weighting of the commercial and non-commercial interests will take place thus deciding much of the character of the future EXPO – all within the framework of the BIE rules of course.
All in all the stage of organizing the EXPO is a major challenge to the whole of the host country’s society and is dealt with according to each country’s own tradition and capacity.
The EXPO itself.
The running of an EXPO is a complex operation. First of all the rules and regulations of the BIE concerning the rights and duties of the host organization and the participating nations must be approved by the BIE within the fixed time frame.
Then it is the goal of every organizing entity to create that feeling of expectation that will permeate the whole event. Each and every prospective visitor – local or foreign – must feel that she/he will be visiting a very special event, making this a unique trip to all the world’s countries without actually travelling.
Experience from past EXPOS indicates that a high quality and packed cultural programme is essential to the success.
Without going in to details the success of the EXPO will of course also to a large extent depend upon the smooth running and the mood the visitors encounter.
Interestingly enough, almost all EXPOS have been successes. The mere concept of this century old event almost guarantees success.
The host city and its citizens’ attitude is also important. Most host cities and their inhabitants have been happy to “receive the world” but there are examples of the contrary, where the citizens were against the EXPO, an attitude that of course damaged the event.
Also the media play understandably a most important role as to how the EXPO is perceived both at home and abroad. However, a good and well-organized EXPO will inevitably be well, or very well received by both the local and the world press.
The benefits of an EXPO.
EXPO-sceptics have, and will always question the value of an EXPO.
This is of course very legitimate and should be easy to answer – but it isn’t.
First it is important to note that the benefits from any EXPO first of all will depend on the expectations of the host country. The results will be measured against the expectations.
Common for most host countries as to their expectations is that they expect to gain exposure from the EXPO as to the country’s profile nationally and internationally. In short they expect their country and the host city to be more recognizable after the EXPO, better known and known for the better. This alone is such an important result that it is often enough to consider the EXPO as a success.
The problem here is that this effect difficult to measure and that it happens overtime. This of course is where the sceptic will raise his voice.
Usually there is an important urban renewal plan associated with the building of the EXPO. The results are striking and easily perceived in the form of a new infrastructure, new living areas, new parks etc.
Another benefit, but very difficult to measure, is a certain pride felt among the population after a successful EXPO. The inhabitants of the host city are proud of the success they have had a part in.
Finally the economic aspect cannot be ignored, and therefore the EXPO sceptic should be happy to see that most expenses really have been investments, and very sound investments indeed, in the future of the city and country. Again the benefits only show after a number of years giving the sceptic food for his criticism – but only for a limited time
With the passing of the years it becomes more and more obvious, that the EXPO has been an important factor in the development of the city and of the country. This has been the case in almost all host countries and cities; many former host cities actually talk of a “rebirth” of the city thanks to the EXPO.
Another and important aspect of the benefits of an EXPO is the benefits the participating countries derive from having participated in the EXPO. Of course the investment is on a very different level, but is anyway an important investment that contributes decisively to the success of the event.
The aim of most participating countries with their participation is a wish to strengthen their image in the host country, give the visitors and idea of their country’s profile and eventually make some commercial contacts. The National Days on the EXPO is an ideal opportunity for the strengthening of relations with visits of heads of state being the norm.
It must be stressed that without participation of the world’s countries there would be no EXPO. Therefore it is important to make sure that these countries are satisfied with the results of their participation, which usually also has been the case.
Post-EXPO.
The BIE has very strict rules concerning the plans for the post-EXPO. Detailed plans for the site after the EXPO is finished must be approved by the BIE before the bid is accepted thus guaranteeing the situation after the EXPO.
These rules have greatly contributed to the popularity of the EXPO as an urban event, as the people know that the site will be a better place after the EXPO.
A few examples of post-EXPO results can illustrate the importance of this aspect.
The first successful example is that of the Seville EXPO1992. Here an empty lot of land next to the city was chosen for the EXPO, and plans were made for the creation of a scientific centre. Today it is one of the most important scientific centres in Spain.
Art EXPO1993 in Taejon the site was turned into a Science park, now famous all over Korea.
At the Lisbon EXPO1998 the site became the home to a beautiful park and new living areas and a new rail line connects the area to the city.
The Zaragoza EXPO2008 has greatly improved the city as a modern and attractive place to live.
The great Shanghai EXPO2010 is in the middle of transforming its EXPO site into an important and completely new part of the city.
The recent history of World EXPOS is full of examples of urban renewal taking place as a result of an EXPO.
The longevity of the EXPO.
Many times in the past have the EXPOS been declared dead, a thing of the past. Many times has an EXPO been declared to be the very last. A famous example is the 1900 EXPO in Paris. Because of its exorbitant costs the leading countries of the time said “never again”. But history has shown this prediction to be wrong over and over again. Somehow the time-honoured recipe for a great event contained in the BIE convention has survived and is still going strong, stronger than ever as a matter of fact with many countries waiting for their chance to host an EXPO.
There are several opinions as to the reasons for this extraordinary longevity.
*Most people agree that the format is ideal to mirror the time of the event. Each organizer has to reinvent the EXPO. An EXPO cannot be a copy of a past EXPO. The EXPO will always mirror its own times, which is one of its greatest assets.
*Another reason is that people all over the world are attracted by an exhibition where the inhabitants of almost all of the world’s countries are present “live”, and where the cultural values – and not the commercial product – of each country are shown. The typical visitors – parents with children – have always flocked to such an event. They always will. It is a unique world marketplace where the merchandise is not goods but knowledge and culture!
In this age of cyberspace the “real thing”, the “hands on experience”, the “live” people from the whole world exerts a powerful attraction on all of us who spend so much time in front of a screen and no people around us.
The future of EXPO.
It seems likely that the EXPO as an event will stay with us for a very long time. Countries that rise in the economic hierarchy of the world will wish to show their newly acquired position by hosting an EXPO and older established countries will also wish to have their image updated in the eyes of the world.
Consequently there are candidates for the foreseeable future, a situation that seems likely to continue as long as the world wants to know more about the world and its values – country by country.
EXPO2012 YEOSU.
Finally a word about the next EXPO in the long line of EXPOS: the YEOSU EXPO2012.
The Republic of Korea has already hosted an EXPO. The 1993EXPO in Taejon with the theme “The Challenge of a new road of Development” received some 14 million visitors. This EXPO had a great effect not only on the Korean visitors to the event, but also on the whole country. During the EXPO many heads of state visited the EXPO and Korea and the EXPO was a great success – acclaimed from all sides at home and abroad.
The theme of EXPO2012 is “The Living Ocean and Coast” and great expectations are put in this EXPO. Not only Korea’s leading position in the world of technology but its pioneering effort in the realm of sustainability make the expectations for this EXPO very high in the world of the BIE. The theme is indeed most attractive and relevant to the world’s problems today. Therefore this EXPO is expected to draw great international interest and focus from all over the world.
There is a general consensus that EXPO2012 will be a very important milestone in the long history of EXPOS. Its important theme and its location in the middle of a coastal are full of natural beauty makes it a most attractive and exciting event.
Everyone in the wonderful world of EXPO looks forward to this event.
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