BIE Completes Enquiry Mission to Buenos Aires for Expo 2022/23
Joe Kleiman
Representatives of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) assessing Argentina’s bid for Specialised Expo 2022/23 have completed the Enquiry Mission after visiting Buenos Aires, the candidate city.
Members of the Enquiry Mission arrived in Buenos Aires on Monday, April 17 for a four-day visit during which they met with political leaders, learnt more about the Expo project, and exchanged with key figures involved in the proposed theme of the Expo, “Science, Innovation, Art and Creativity for Human Development. Creative industries in Digital Convergence.”Reiterating national support for the Expo bid, the President of Argentina, Mauricio Macri, met with members of the Enquiry Mission. The delegation also held meetings with other with senior political figures including the Minister of Foreign Relations and Worship, Susana Malcorra, the Minister of Tourism, Gustavo Santos, and the Minister of Public Media and Contents System, Hernán Lombardi. On Wednesday, 19 April, members of the Enquiry Mission visited the Argentine National Congress, where they exchanged on the bid project with Vice President Gabriela Michetti and the Provisional President of the Chamber of Senators, Federico Pinedo.The BIE delegation also met with local politicians to discuss the bid project, including the Mayor of Buenos Aires Autonomous City, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, and the Mayor of Vicente López, Jorge Macri. The delegation carried out a visit to Tecnópolis Park, on the proposed site of the Expo in the district of Vicente López. This visit was an opportunity for the Enquiry Mission to learn more about the Master Plan and plans for the post-Expo period, as outlined in the bid project.
As Buenos Aires forecasts 9.4 million visits to the Expo, Andy Freire, the Minister of Modernisation and the President of the Bureau for Buenos Aires Tourism City, gave details of the host city’s capacity to organise an Expo. The BIE delegation also exchanged with representatives of the tourism sector regarding the potential for development in the region should Argentina’s bid be successful.
Members of the Enquiry Mission also met with the National Secretary of Content, Gabriela Ricardes, who developed on the proposed theme of the Expo. The relevance of the theme to Argentina and to the international community at large was further discussed in a meeting with representatives of the media, technology and digital industries, and during a Round Table discussion with the participation of several National Ministries.
Commenting on the visit to Buenos Aires, the Secretary General of the BIE, Vicente G. Loscertales, stated that “the Enquiry Mission has been able to gain a deeper understanding of Argentina’s Expo plans and appreciate the broad support for the project which, if successful, would be the first Expo to be organised in Latin America.”
