Cities around the world are expressing their interest in hosting World Expos, with the hosts of the International Exposition in 2023 and Universal Exposition in 2025 expected to be determined over the next two to three years.
The geographical location of the city and the sustainability of the project will be among the decisive factors, according to Vincente Loscertales, secretary general of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).
Speaking to HOST CITY about why Dubai was awarded the right to host World Expo 2020, Loscertales said “The policy of the organisation is to move Expos to new regions and particular regions which are the link between continents, between other regions.”
Traditionally, World Expos have either taken place in Western Europe, North America or Japan. However, in recent years, as with many major global events, the trend has been towards moving Expos to pastures new such as the Far East – in the case of Shanghai 2010 – and most recently, the Middle East.
Expo 2017 was awarded to the Kazak capital Astana whilst Expo 2020 will take place in the emirate of Dubai. “Moving the Expo to the Middle East is to take the Expo to a hub; to a place that is a link in trade, transport and financial systems between continents. From this point of view, Dubai is an excellent showcase,” said Loscertales.
“In the case of Dubai, it’s to bring it to a region which is sometimes better known because of conflict, and to show how an Expo in this area will contribute to a better knowledge of the whole region. It is the first time an Expo will take place in an Arabic, Muslim country.”
A whole range of cities from both East and West, are lining up to be considered for the 2025 World Expo. Whilst there are possible bids from Chinese, Russian and Iranian cities, the Expo’s founding fathers London and Paris are also in the mix.
“We are also in talks with some American cities – Houston and San Francisco. We have also received news from Azerbaijan that they would like to host an Expo in Baku in 2025.”
With the cost of bidding for a World Expo running to as much as US$ 100m, the BIE is keen to make sure that interested cities proceed with their eyes open. Before a city formally bids to host a World Expo, the requirements of hosting the event are explained in a preliminary conversation with the BIE – what Loscertales describes as a “pre-dialogue”.
The result should be a handful of strong candidates. “I anticipate that we will consolidate three to five bids from all the applications,” says Loscertales.
Sustainability must be at the core of both the theme and the planned delivery of an Expo bid. “The duty of our organisation when we evaluate an Expo project is first of all to see how this Expo project is integrated with the environment.”
Loscertales also discussed the progress of Expo 2015 in Milan, which has been hit by construction delays and police investigations into alleged corruption in the awarding of contracts.
“The political environment is complicated,” said Loscertales. “We have to be optimistic and I am convinced that in May we are going to open the gates of a very beautiful exhibition in Milan.”
To read the full interview with Vincente Loscertales, register to receive HOST CITY magazine
Tag: World Expos
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World Expo bids should link to new regions
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HOK and Arup secure key roles in Dubai Expo 2020
The companies, which were involved in the UAE’s bid to host the historic exhibition, are currently undertaking site readiness activities, and will advise the Dubai Expo 2020 Higher Preparatory Committee in a number of areas.
The Committee said that the two companies had been appointed due to their “successful involvement” with the original masterplan, their detailed knowledge of the project and experience of working on other major events.
The host location will be a 438-hectare site that stretches from Dubai Trade Centre to Jebel Ali and comprises a 150-hectare Expo area plus hospitality, logistics and accommodation facilities.
HOK and Arup will work on the Expo masterplan comprising the urban design and engineering, landscaping, signage, overlay, sustainability, transportation, logistics, facility management and event operations.
Construction work will begin when the Bureau of International Expositions, the governing body of the World Expo, approves the plan, with a decision expected by November 2015.
The plans will correlate with Dubai’s ‘Smart City’ agenda, with the Expo site being designed to serve as a prototype for information and communications technology innovations, particularly in education and entertainment.
The exhibition site is designed to accommodate up to 300,000 visitors, with average week-day attendance expected at 153,000.
“Expos have been home to some of the world’s most landmark structures, from the Crystal Palace in London to the Eiffel Tower in Paris,” the Committee’s Managing Director, Reem Al Hashimy, said, according to Gulf Business.
“Dubai is committed to building on this tradition and making the entire site an experiential environment that fully embodies the essence of our theme ‘connecting minds, creating the future’.”
Committee Member Helal Almarri added: “The masterplan design and execution is driven by a clear vision for its legacy, integrating sustainable urban development with opportunities to foster economic and social development for the emirate, for the country and for our region.”
Dubai overcame Ekaterinburg (Russia), Izmir (Turkey) and Sao Paulo (Brazil) to secure the hosting rights in November last year.
The exhibition site will be designed to accommodate up to 300,000 visitors, with average weekday attendance at the six-month event, which will run from October 2020 to April 2021, likely to be about 150,000.
Cities around the world are currently expressing their interest in hosting future World Expos, with the hosts of the International Exposition in 2023 and Universal Exposition in 2025 expected to be determined over the next two to three years. -
Asian Tour takes to Middle East with new Dubai tournament
The Asian Tour has agreed a three-year deal to host the ‘Dubai Open’ with Golf in Dubai, which has run the European Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic since 1989 and also organises the Dubai Ladies Masters tournament and the MENA Golf Tour.
Golf has become a key component of Dubai’s ambitious drive to host 20 million visitors annually by 2020 – the year in which the city will host the World Expo.
The Asian Tour said talks with prospective sponsors and different Dubai golf clubs are at an advanced stage, adding that Golf in Dubai will soon announce the official title, venue and dates of the newest tournament in the city.
Hailing the new event as an “important stop” on the calendar, Asian Tour chairman Kyi Hla Han said: “With so many prestigious tournaments, in particular the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, happening out there, the city is ideally placed to capitalise on its unique position as a diverse and high quality golfing destination.
“The Asian Tour is delighted to be coming to Dubai and I am sure our players will be very excited to compete in this new and exciting event in December. As a players’ organisation, the Asian Tour is represented by an eclectic mix of the finest players from across the region and internationally and we look forward to entertaining golf fans in Dubai.”
Mohamed Juma Buamaim, vice-chairman and chief executive of Golf in Dubai, added: “Events like this will continue to strengthen our strong historical ties with Asia. Dubai’s economy benefits both directly and indirectly from golf tourism, and there is a positive synergy between golf and the key tourism sectors. Golf is just one of the many reasons that people visit Dubai to savour the experience of playing on courses of international standard.”
Today’s news comes after it was announced last month that a new tournament in Mauritius will become the first tri-sanctioned event to be endorsed by the sport’s European, Asian and Sunshine Tours.
The three Tours, which are all founding members of the International Federation of PGA Tours, confirmed that the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open will take place at the Heritage Golf Club on the island from May 7-10, 2015. -
What will London bid for next?
HOST CITY: Having hosted the biggest and best event in the world in 2012, what type and scale of events is London aiming to host over the next 10 years?
Iain Edmondson: We have secured a calendar of championships for Olympic sports, such as European Hockey 2015, World Track Cycling 2016 and the World Athletics 2017 in the permanent Olympic venues.
And there’s the Rugby World Cup next year, which takes place in existing venues and the new assets we have, including the Olympic stadium. Complementing that are events where London provides the opportunity to globalise, like the NFL.
What was once termed a decade of sport has now been rounded off with the announcement that the 2020 European football championships will be finishing here, with the semi-finals and finals.
What we are doing now is to see how we can bring our reputation from sport and major events into the cultural content that we have. People visit London largely because it is a diverse city with great attractions in a number of different ways – not just museums and galleries but the performing arts that appeal to people throughout the year.
You see some great examples of light festivals in cities around the world in the winter. The idea of a London Light Festival is something that we are looking at seriously.
HOST CITY: How seriously are you considering a bid for the 2025 World Expo?
Iain Edmondson: Very seriously. Our experience of delivering major international events over the past decade means we now have the capability to evaluate the practicalities as well as potential benefits of hosting the biggest and the best, like a World Expo.
Ten years or so ago we wouldn’t have had the same degree of understanding and intelligence to look at its potential to deliver our strategy and aims for London. We are better placed to consider whether or not the World Expo is right for the city and whether we want to enter the race.
If you are going to host something of that scale you need certain infrastructure, so we have looked into that as well. We are looking at the assets in the city that we have now, like Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, what the situation might be for London in ten years’ time and how this might align with an Expo.
The good thing is that the Mayor understands the power of major events and wants to hear recommendations as to whether we should bid or not.
HOST CITY: What do you think the owners of major events are most looking for in a host city?
Iain Edmondson: There are basic factors that you’ve got to be able to demonstrate, such as transport and security, but one the biggest is the ability to reach an audience. Rights holders are interested in the markets where the events are hosted. If you’ve got partners that are proactively investing in engaging with and marketing events, then that is appealing to rights owners.
HOST CITY: How can London compete with emerging markets in this space?
Iain Edmondson: We are one of the best in the world in terms of an event-going public, so there is an appetite to attend and physically spectate. We are also one of the best from a media perspective, to be able reach people who aren’t seeing an event in person, but through media channels and the press.
Our challenge compared to some competitors is the ability to justify large sums of investment up front from public funds, because the business case for investing multi-millions in destination marketing for a city that is already established is different to a new city that needs to make a mark.
But we are working with the Mayor and all the difference agencies in the city to demonstrate that you don’t necessarily need that. We can still work to provide a commercially successful event, without having a large cash downpayment where there isn’t necessarily an audience behind it. However, there are often other grounds for justifying public investment, such as the long term business benefits where London has proven to have invested wisely over the past decade.
HOST CITY: What do rights holders need to do make bidding more attractive to cities?
Iain Edmondson: Transparency is a must-have for public democratic processes where big money is open to scrutiny. We work in an environment where we expect to be asked awkward questions and justify the answers.
If a bid process is open and transparent, you can choose to engage or not. It’s just a minimum requirement that everyone can see up front the basis on which they are making decisions.
Another thing that is important is recognising the ability for rights holders to work in partnership with hosts. The city staffs the event and puts together commercial deals – they often become the people with the most invested in the success of it, so if the rights owner can work closely with the city and understand its aspirations for hosting it, it’s more often going to be a win-win on both sides.
For example, the ASO are very well resourced; they have looked after the Tour de France for a hundred years. We’ve had some good experience of working with them in 2007 and 2014 and they understand what the host brings.
But some smaller federations often don’t have the capacity to do a lot of detailed planning. The more they can work together and align the events with the expectations of host cities, the better.
For more information about London’s event plans visit www.londonandpartners.com/events -
Milan to host MTV EMA during 2015 World Expo
The MTV Europe Music Awards (EMA) is to return to Milan next year, to coincide with the Expo 2015.
The news was announced by event host and rap sensation Nicki Minaj at the 2014 EMA at SSE Hydro in Glasgow on 9th November.
The 2015 edition of MTV’s star-studded awards show will be held at the Mediolanum Forum in Milan on October 25.
Sunday night’s extravaganza was the first time Glasgow had hosted the event, culminating an extraordinary year of events in Glasgow and Scotland that included the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup.
This will be the second time that the major international music awards event will be held in Milan, which played host in 1998, and the third time Italy has hosted the show.
“The 2004 show in Rome was a huge success. Now, we’re looking forward to delivering an even bigger and better experience with the 2015 MTV EMA in partnership with EXPO, bringing thousands of people from around the world to Milan.” said Raffaele Annecchino, Executive Vice President and Managing Director VIMN South Europe, Middle East & Africa.
“We’re thrilled to bring the 2015 MTV EMA to Milan – an iconic city where art, fashion and music collide, and home to the World Expo,” said Bruce Gillmer, Executive Producer of the MTV EMA and Executive Vice President of Music / Talent Programming and Events for event owner Viacom International Media Networks.
“One of the world’s biggest cultural capitals, Milan will undoubtedly set the stage one of the biggest global music events of the year,” he added.
The World Expo is the world’s largest city-based event, after the Olympic Games. The theme of the Milan 2015 Expo is “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”.
According to Bob Bakish, president and chief executive of Viacom International Media Networks, the EMAs bring “a noticeable economic boost for the host city every year”.
It has been estimated that Glasgow will have benefited by as much as £10m from hosting the MTV EMA. -
A London Expo must benefit all UK, says Tessa Jowell
As London’s City Hall weighs up whether to go head to head with Paris and bid for the 2025 World Expo, Tessa Jowell told HOST CITY that the benefit to the nation as a whole should be a key consideration of a bid.
The former Olympics minister Jowell was a major driving force behind London’s successful Games bid and is a popular contender to become the next mayor of London.
Asked whether she thought London should bid for the World Expo in 2025, Jowell told HOST CITY “It’s not a simple yes or no, but yes, we should certainly undertake the feasibility and be very clear about what the benefits are for London and the UK, beyond the duration of the Expo as an event in its own right.
“You look at every aspect of the development and you say ‘how can we spread the benefit; how can we make sure that businesses outside London know about the possibility of tendering for the contracts?’
London 2012 could set the template here, Jowell indicated. “We avoided displacement from the regions to London’s benefit by ensuring that nearly 50 per cent of the contracts were let to businesses around the country, and the whole country derived benefit.
“Before bidding for the Expo, London needs to ask ‘What’s the possibility of diffusing, dispersing events outside the host city?’
“The Olympics is very strict about that; you have to have a host city, but we were able to have training camps around the country, which gave a bit of Olympic excitement and Olympic magic right across the UK.
“It was a Games that was so true to the city that London is – the greatest city in the world, open, diverse, tolerant – that’s what the Games captured so beautifully, and I think that’s why not just Londoners but people from all around the UK took the Games to their hearts.”
Jowell played a crucial role in evaluating the feasibility of London’s Olympic bid and driving the bid forward.
“My role was to turn my personal belief that this would be great for the country into a proposition that had credibility and could be sold to the whole cabinet, every department of government, all the key supporting organisation and then the chancellor of the exchequer and the prime minister,” she told HOST CITY.
“I set a number of tests against which the proposition could be judged. Was it affordable? Could we deliver it? Would there be a legacy? And could we win the bid against Paris, who was the other key contender at the time?”
President Francois Hollande announced Paris’s candidacy for the 2025 World Expo on 4th November, saying “France is capable of great events, major projects,” with French Prime minister Manuel Valls in October describing the World Expo as a “magnificent opportunity for the image of Paris and of France in the world.”
Mayoral race to follow general election
Dame Tessa Jowell confirmed to HOST CITY that she is seriously considering standing for the nomination as Labour’s candidate to be mayor of London after stepping down as MP at general election on 7 May.
“Now is not the moment for a formal declaration because we have a general election to fight and I hope to win, and that’s what I am focussed on,” she told HOST CITY.
“I think you’ve got to take these things in their natural sequence. The general election is the biggest challenge facing us at the moment.”
A recent YouGov poll showed that Tessa Jowell would not only be the most popular candidate among Labour supporters, but also enjoy the strongest cross-party support. -
Dubai Expo 2020 appoints local heritage partner
The Higher Organising Committee for Expo 2020 signed an agreement on Tuesday that positions Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Centre as its Heritage Strategic Partner.
Under the partnership, the Centre will organise a wide range of events and activities to promote the UAE’s heritage and culture during Expo 2020, which will be held in Dubai over nearly six months.
“The appointment constitutes an important step in our efforts to promote this international exhibition, add a cultural and heritage dimension to the event and enrich the experience for visitors and exhibitors,” said Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, Managing Director of Expo 2020 Higher Committee.
“As a credible and trusted source on UAE national heritage and cultural traditions, the Centre has played a salutary role in preserving the country’s heritage and passing it on from one generation to the next. We are fully confident that the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Centre will be able to achieve our goals for the Expo 2020, promote this international event effectively and highlight the heritage of our beloved nation in a befitting and honourable way.”
His Excellency Abdullah Hamdan Bin Dalmouk, CEO of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Centre, said “We look forward to working together with the Higher Organising Committee for Expo 2020 and establish the heritage concepts of the UAE to create a unique experience for all visitors.
Up to 25 million people are expected to visit the Expo, of which 70 per cent are expected to be from overseas.
“The exhibition provides our country an opportunity to show the world its capability for innovation by staging a world-class event that combines state-of-the-art technology with a proud display of our cultural heritage and traditions.”
Expo 2020 will be held in Dubai from 20 October to 10 April 2021 under the slogan “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”. With three thematic concepts of “Mobility, Sustainability and Opportunity”, the exhibition seeks to nurture new partnerships for future growth and sustainability.
The event coincides with the UAE’s 50th National Day and as Dubai is taking the opportunity to celebrate and promote the host nation.
“We have been able to make huge progress in several areas, foremost among which is building a pool of globally competitive Emirati individuals, consolidating citizens’ sense of belonging to their homeland and strengthening the national identity among the youth, and generally deepening patriotic fervour among people all around the UAE,” said Bin Dalmouk.
Expo 2020 will be the first to be held in the MENASA (Middle East, North Africa and South Asia) region. -
CH2M HILL and Mace to build 2020 Expo Dubai site
Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) has appointed a consortium of CH2M HILL and Mace to deliver the Dubai Trade Centre Jebel Ali development, the site that will host Expo 2020 Dubai and act as focus for events beyond 2021.
In a rigorous procurement process, the joint venture of US firm CH2M HILL and UK-based Mace had to compete with other leading global firms with mega-event experience.
In winning the tender, CH2M HILL-Mace is now responsible for providing full-service consultancy, real estate programme management, design, construction and operations management for the end-to-end development and delivery of Dubai Trade Centre Jebel Ali and the Expo 2020 Dubai site.
Dubai Trade Centre Jebel Ali development is the master district that will host Expo 2020 Dubai within a secure gated area from October 2020 until April 2021.
“In CH2M HILL and Mace we have a proven partner that we feel confident will enable the delivery of a state-of-the-art home for Expo 2020 Dubai,” said Ahmed Al Khatib, Director – Real Estate, DWTC.
The site, designed by architectural firm HOK and engineering company Arup, contains precincts that are being programmed specifically for long term use beyond the Expo.
The Dubai Trade Centre Jebel Ali development is being planned as a new focal point of global business tourism for the region, reinforcing the UAE’s established position as an international destination fostering thought leadership across key sectors for economic development and a business networking hub through trade fairs, mega-events and conferences.
The site is also being planned as an inclusive environment that inspires the region’s young people while fostering cultural learning, cooperation, creativity and business.
The vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai is to create a smart destination for ‘purposeful innovation’, with a core focus on youth and culture to establish Dubai as a global city of the future.
“The success of the development is critically linked to its timely and efficient evolution to the planned legacy of Dubai Trade Centre Jebel Ali, and we look forward to seeing this partnership with CH2M HILL-Mace support DWTC and Dubai in fulfilling this long-term commitment,” said Al Khatib.
CH2M HILL-Mace have previously joined forces on several occasions in the sports and events industries, most recently for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
CH2M HILL has also played a strategic consulting role on Rio 2016. Mace is programme manager for the Qatar Public Works programmes and has provided strategic advice to the organising committee of Astana Expo 2017.
Both companies have a strong presence in the Middle East. In the UAE they have independently delivered major private sector and government projects including Jumeirah Beach Residences, Mall of the Emirates, Business Bay Development, Media City, Silicon Oasis, the Abu Dhabi STEP Programme, ENEC Nuclear Programme and Masdar City.
“As a world leader in programme management, we will bring our track record of delivery excellence, sustainability and innovation to this programme, a benchmark for major events,” said Joseph Danko, senior vice president and operations director, urban programmes at CH2M HILL.
“We are excited to take on this amazing opportunity and contribute to the ever increasing global role of Dubai, its leadership and people.”
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Dubai Expo 2020 reports progress at committee meeting
At its first meeting of the year, the Expo 2022 Dubai Higher Committee heard on Wednesday that preparations are well underway for hosting one of the world’s biggest events.
The meeting was chaired by Sheikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the chairman of Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, president of Dubai of civil aviation and chairman and chief executive of Emirates airline and group.
The committee discussed the development and final preparation of the Expo 2020 Dubai Registration Dossier, which it is due to present to the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE), the governing body of World Expos, later this year.
The committee also heard a progress report on the Expo site and marketing and communications strategies.
“There has been substantive progress on many fronts this year, both in the UAE and across the world,” said Reem Al Hashemi, UAE Minister of State, board representative of the Dubai Expo 2020 Higher Committee and director general, Bureau Dubai Expo 2020.
“We also plan to continue to build strong momentum throughout 2015 with a number of robust awareness engagements and collaborative initiatives that will collectively ensure we deliver an event worthy of the history of World Expos and that does justice to the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the UAE.”
Expo 2020 Dubai launched a nationwide community engagement campaign earlier this month under the banner of ‘For Everyone’.
The ‘For Everyone’ campaign, an awareness building and engaging series of public activities, will support the UAE and Expo 2020’s participation in the Expo Milano 2015, which takes place from 1 May to the end of October.
The UAE’s country pavilion at Expo 2015 will focussing on the UAE’s efforts to address food and hunger issues while also promoting the theme of Expo 2020 Dubai, which is “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”.
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UK city to bid for World Expo 2025
As anticipated by HOST CITY last year, a bid from Britain for the World Expo 2025 has been confirmed.
The UK culture secretary Sajid Javid said the need to boost the business events sector is a major driver for bidding for the World Expo.
The government is currently speaking with tourism bodies and the business events sector to decide on a location to put forward as a candidate for the World Expo 2025.
“Britain is renowned for putting on some of the biggest events in world sport, following the success of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Javid said.
Since 2012, London has twice been voted the world’s “Ultimate Sports City”.
However, London stands only tenth in the International Congress and Convention Association’s global ranking of numbers of business events hosted.
Paris, Madrid, Vienna, Barcelona and Berlin make up the top five cities for hosting business events.
America, Germany, Spain and France all host more business conferences and events than the UK, despite the fact that hosting business conferences and events brings GB£39.1bn to the country.
The UK’s intention to bid was announced as the government published its “Business Visits and Events Strategy” that seeks to attract some of the biggest global fairs and conferences to the UK’s cities.
“I want us to increase our standing in the business events world and host more major conferences that can help generate growth for our economy and create jobs,” said Javid.
“Bringing the World Expo to the UK in 2025 would be a major coup and give us another great opportunity to champion the best of Britain to the world.”
The UK’s candidate city will be competing for the Expo against world cities such as Paris, which announced its intention to bid last year.
After selecting a candidate city, the UK will need to produce a candidature file that demonstrates its technical capability to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).
Speaking at HOST CITY Bid to Win in October 2014, Dimitri Kerkentes, chief of staff at the BIE said: “We need to be able to be accountable, to say that when this project was approved to go forward to the voting stage we saw that you have the capacity to pull it off – whether it’s in four years’ time or nine months’ time – we saw that you have everything that’s technically required to host an Expo.”
The World Expo 2015 takes place in Milan from 1 May to 31 October. In 2020, Dubai will be hosting the World Expo.
Bidding for and hosting a World Expo will again be a key topic of HOST CITY 2015, the largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events.