On October 26, 2017, Deputy Secretary of State, John Sullivan hosted a reception in support of the Expo 2023 USA-Minnesota Bid. Members of the U.S. Department of State, the Minnesota Congressional Delegation and Expo 2023 USA-Minnesota addressed the diplomatic corps in Washington, D.C. Key speakers included U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Representative Tom Emmer and Mark Ritchie, the President and CEO of the Minnesota World’s Fair Bid Committee.
“There is a hunger throughout the planet for things that bring us together. We believe this Expo is one of those opportunities” said Ritchie.
The speakers shared their support for Expo 2023 to be in Minnesota and thanked ambassadors across the world for showing their support in helping the USA bid reach the final round.
“Many have moved mountains to get us here to this point” said Deputy Secretary of State Sullivan. “I look forward personally to traveling to Paris next month to cast the U.S. vote in support of this expo, the first in more than 15 years.”
Coordinated by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), large, six-month expos are organized every five years with one smaller, three-month “Specialized Exposition” held in-between. The United States seeks to host the 2023 Specialized Expo in Minnesota focused on health and wellness. The U.S. bid enjoys strong bipartisan support at the national, state, and local level. In May, President Trump signed legislation authorizing the United States to rejoin the BIE in support of the Expo 2023 USA-Minnesota bid. Citizen groups from across the state and from all corners of the nation have supported this effort to host the first Expo in the United States in nearly 40 years. The United States is competing with Poland and Argentina to host the Specialized Expo. The BIE General Assembly will select the 2023 host city at its November 15th meeting in Paris, France.