Thursday, March 28, 2024

BIE completes final Enquiry Missions for Specialized Expo 2027/28

Representatives of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) have completed their Enquiry Missions as part of the examination of Spain’s and the United States’ candidature to organize a Specialized Expo. Spain’s has proposed an expo in Malaga in 2027 under the theme “The Urban Era: towards the Sustainable City” while the United States has proposed an expo in Minnesota in 2027 under the theme “Healthy People, Healthy Planet: Wellness and Well-Being for All.”

Members of the Enquiry Mission received detailed presentations of Spain’s candidature project. Photo courtesy of the Bureau International des Expositions.
Enquiry Mission at Malaga, Spain

Members of the Enquiry Mission, led by the President of the BIE Executive Committee, Alain Berger, looked into all aspects of the Expo project submitted by Spain and laid out in its candidature dossier. The delegation was composed of Delegates of three BIE Member States, and the Secretary General of the BIE, Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, and was accompanied by BIE officials.

Over the course of five days, Members of the Enquiry Mission received detailed presentations of the candidature project, surveyed the proposed Expo site, and exchanged with national and local officials, as well as representatives of the business community and members of civil society.

Having arrived in Madrid on September 25, Members of the Enquiry Mission met with King Felipe VI of Spain and discussed the Expo project with the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez. Meetings were also held with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, the First Vice President of the Congress of Deputies, Alfonso Rodríguez Gómez de Celis, and members of parliamentary groups. Accompanied by the Mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre, the delegation traveled to Malaga on September 27, where they were received by the President of the Province of Malaga, Francisco Salado, and the President of the Regional Government of Andalusia, Juan Manuel Moreno.

The candidature dossier submitted by Spain outlines a vision for a Specialized Expo addressing the realization of the sustainable city by managing the urbanization process in a responsible, fair and inclusive manner. The Expo would be held between June 5 and September 5, 2027, on a site located in the western part of Malaga connected to the university and industrial parks. The candidature committee forecasts that 120 countries, international organizations and NGOs would participate in the Expo and that it would receive 7.5 million visits during its three-month opening period.

Images courtesy of Minnesota USA Expo.

Enquiry Mission to Minnesota

Over the course of five days, Members of the Enquiry Mission received detailed presentations of the candidature project, visited the proposed Expo site in Bloomington, and exchanged with national and local officials, as well as representatives of the business community and members of civil society.

Having arrived in Minnesota on October 9, Members of the Enquiry Mission were welcomed by Minnesota USA Expo 2027 officials including Chairman Bob Clark and President and CEO John Stanoch. Meetings were held with the Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz; Lt. Governor Penny Flanagan; Senator Amy Klobuchar; and Representative Dean Phillips, as well as the Mayor of Bloomington, Tim Busse. The delegation travelled to Washington, D.C., on October 12, where they were received by Federal Government officials including Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy.

InPark World’s Fair Editor Jim Ogul chats with the organizers for Minnesota’s Expo 2027 candidature bid: President and CEO John M. Stanoch, and Board Co-chairs Bob Clark and Marc Lore.

The candidature dossier submitted by the United States outlines a vision for a Specialized Expo addressing health and well-being as a hopeful, unifying topic that binds global citizens together. The Expo would be held between May 15 and August 15, 2027, on a site located roughly in the geographical center of the Twin Cities region, in Bloomington’s South Loop development district. The candidature committee forecasts that over 100 countries and 30 international organizations and NGOs would participate in the Expo, and that it would receive 14.3 million visits during its three-month opening period.

The Enquiry Mission to the United States is the fifth and final to be carried out as part of the project evaluation phase for Specialized Expo 2027/28, with Enquiry Missions to Thailand, Argentina, Serbia and Spain having already taken place. The findings of the Enquiry Missions will be discussed by the BIE’s Executive Committee on October 21, 2022, which will decide to retain the candidatures it considers to be feasible and viable. In June 2023, during the 172nd General Assembly of the BIE, the host country of Specialized Expo 2027/28 will be elected via secret ballot by BIE Member States, on the principle of one country one vote.

Expos are global events that explore a chosen theme through engaging and immersive discoveries. Among the different categories of Expos, Specialized Expos are designed to respond to a precise challenge facing humanity and may take place in the interval between two World Expos. Specialized Expos are limited in terms of duration — lasting up to three months — and space — with the exhibition area not exceeding 25 hectares (61 acres). The site is entirely built by the Organizer, Participants being provided with pavilion space.

The most recent Specialized Expo, Expo 2017 Astana, took place in the capital of Kazakhstan under the theme “Future Energy,” and received almost 4 million visits.

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