EXPO Express

In Brief 

Hillary Clinton appeals for more sponsorships of the USA Pavilion, while in China on President Barack Obama’s Asia tour

Chile celebrates its pavilion’s topping off ceremony with President Michelle Bachelet

Representatives of participating countries discuss further cooperation and development at the concluding 7^th World Expo International Forum in Beijing

Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan officially launches Expo Online, www.expo.cn

Participants

Hillary Clinton Appeals for USA Pavilion Sponsorships

11/16/09 – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton paid a visit to the Expo site on Monday, and appealed for sponsorships for the USA pavilion. “I know there are some audience members still contemplating sponsorship and may be in negotiation with the USA pavilion team,” she said. “Now it’s the time to join this effort. We want to assemble the strongest team of partners possible.” Clinton addressed sponsors in front of the USA Pavilion, which finished topping-off last month. She extended her appreciation to sponsors including P&G, Honeywell, Intel and Boeing who agreed to double contributions to US$ 2 million. Jose H. Villarreal, US Commissioner General the US Exhibition to the Expo, said in September that the U.S had raised about two thirds of its budget of US$61 million. Clinton said she was looking forward to returning to Shanghai next summer to see what the pavilion would look like and tour the Expo park. [en.expo2010.cn]

Chilean President Celebrates Pavilion’s Topping Off

11/13/09 – Chile celebrated its pavilion’s topping off ceremony on Thursday with the presence of Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, the first head of a foreign state to visit the still-under-construction Expo site. With its theme, “City of Relations,” the Chile Pavilion will devote each week of the Expo to different issues – such as mining, fruit, architecture, wine, painting, music and financial institutions – in order to further various economic and cultural sectors, said Bachelet. “The Chile Pavilion at the Expo is meant to establish a closer relationship between Chile and China, despite the long geographic distance,” she added. During her visit, the president also joined in the “Tijerales,” a traditional Chilean end of construction celebration. Chile has become the first Latin American country to complete construction of its national pavilion.  [Jose Alvarez Diaz / Latin American Herald Tribune, en.expo2010.cn]

USA Pavilion Offers 200 Jobs

11/13/09 – The USA Pavilion is offering 200 jobs ranging from staff managers to part-time volunteers. The pavilion has teamed up with the International Venue Group (IVG), the pavilion’s operator for the VIP, food and beverages, and retail services, for the search. Potential applicants should have an understanding of US culture, history, geography and current affairs, as well as be available to work full time in Shanghai from April to October, 2010. Most positions require a reasonable level of Chinese and English. The jobs and application forms can be reached at the pavilion’s Website, http://www.usapavilion2010.com/jobs.htm. [Hu Min / expo2010.cn]

Enterprise Becomes Liverpool Pavilion Sponsor

11/13/09 – Infrastructure maintenance group Enterprise has signed up to be a main sponsor of the Liverpool Pavilion. The company has worked with the Liverpool City Council delivering street maintenance and other front-line contracts for many years. Dominic de Prochnow, head of international business at Enterprise, said: “It is a great privilege to attend the World Expo. Enterprise has a commitment to continuous improvement and proactively sources ‘greener’ technologies to minimize environmental impact and benefit the areas in which it works.” Liverpool is the only UK city to have a dedicated presence at the Expo. Its participation is being led by Liverpool Vision in partnership with Liverpool City Council, the Liverpool-Shanghai Partnership and the North West Development Agency. So far, Peel Holdings and EA Technology have also signed up from the private sector to support Liverpool at the event.

[placenorthwest.co.uk]

General Info

Final Shanghai World Expo International Forum Meets in Beijing

11/13/09 – At the seventh and final World Expo International Forum, which opened on Thursday in Beijing, representatives from participating countries discussed opportunities for further cooperation and development through the Expo. For some representatives at the forum, the Expo was a chance to find solutions to several of the world’s problems, whereas others viewed the event more as a series of dialogues between different cultures and civilizations. The forum was co-hosted by the Shanghai Municipal Government and Bureau of International Expositions (BIE), under the theme “Shaping Urban Future with Global Wisdom.” More than 300 representatives from Chinese provinces and Expo participants, in addition to Expo officials and organizers took part, including Premier Wen Jiabao, who adressed the opening ceremony. [Xinhua]

Expo Online Goes Live

11/12/09 – Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan launched the Expo Online Website – www.expo.cn – at the Seventh World Expo International Forum on Thursday in Beijing. The website is currently only in Chinese, though an English-language version will be launched at the beginning of next year. Visitors can presently take a virtual tour of about 50 pavilions. More pavilions will be opened on the website, which will be updated every two weeks. A highlight of Expo Online is its “Future City” section, to be opened in January, which will simulate online role-playing games. Visitors will be able to create a cartoon character and take it for a tour of the Expo site. During the Expo, online visitors will also be able to watch videos of performances. As an online community, visitors can share their experiences and provide tips for other Expo Online users, as well as publish their photos and videos. The website will also be available after the event, as the organizer aims to make it an “Expo that never dies.” [Yang Jian / en.expo2010.cn]

Sun Valleys to LIght Up, Night and Day

11/11/09 – The Sun Valley is one of six giant funnel-shaped canopies that are currently springing up in Shanghai in preparation for the  Expo. The Sun Valleys will serve as hubs for the event and will cover the Expo Boulevard, a multilevel 1 km walkway that is the largest piece of real estate for the festival. Each of the six cone-shaped valleys stands 40 meters tall, and is constructed from steel and plastic. The structures will funnel daylight to the levels below, and will also be used to collect rainwater, which will then be filtered and used throughout the grounds for irrigation purposes. The giant membranes will also shade the walkway below to help moderate the temperature for visitors. Construction on these eye-catching Sun Valleys is expected to be completed by the end of this year, and the main cone has already been lit up at night. [Bridgette Meinhold / www.inhabitat.com]

Cosmos Prize Available for Sustainable, Social Projects

11/11/09 – Outstanding non-profit projects that reflect a “Better City, Better Life” and meet the criteria of social value, feasibility, best practices and sustainability will have the chance to win the Cosmos Prize – an initiative of the Bureau of International Expositions and the Expo’ 90 Foundation to encourage the public’s participation in Expos and promote social progress. BIE will screen applications globally and the Expo’ 90 Foundation will fund the award money of 20,000 euros (US$29,950) to support the program’s implementation and future progress. The nominated projects can fall under one of the following three groups: research and evaluation; implementation, experimentation and community activities; and advocacy and awareness-raising. Hong Hao, director of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, said the organizer places high expectations on the prize for its role in giving the public a say and a more active role in the Expo. The awards will be presented at the Expo’s closing ceremony. [Echo Hu / en.expo2010.cn]

New Cruises to Add Extra Russian Visitors

11/10/09 – New cruises will be launched next year to bring more visitors from Russia to the Expo. Cruises by “Legend of the Seas” between Shanghai and Japan will add a stopover in the Russian coastal city of Vladivostok, according to a deal signed last Monday by Shanghai International Port (Group) Co Ltd and the liner’s operator, Royal Caribbean International Ltd. The liner is expected to bring more than 10,000 Russian visitors to the Expo, Oriental Morning Post reported last Tuesday, citing RCI officials. Shanghai has seen a sharp rise of inbound cruise visitors, tourism officials told the newspaper. Passenger volume at the Shanghai International Cruise Passenger Terminal skyrocketed by 258 percent from February to October compared with the same period last year. About 600,000 people are expected to visit while cruising next year. [Jane Chen / Shanghai Daily]

Policy

Health Experts Urge Law to Ban Indoor Smoking

11/13/09 – Officials from the World Health Organization’s China representative office and the state health authorities are urging Shanghai to issue a strict law banning indoor smoking throughout the city and to launch a tobacco-free Expo. Shanghai, which is currently drafting anti-smoking legislation, should turn the Expo into a model for tobacco-free big events, experts told the Shanghai International Seminar in Tobacco Control on Thursday. The city should also use the event to promote an anti-smoking mind-set, and make sure that its impending anti-smoking law bans tobacco in all indoor public venues, working places and public transportation, the experts said. Xu Jianguang, director of the Shanghai Health Bureau, said Shanghai’s first smoking-control law, expected to take effect before the Expo starts in May, will expand on previous efforts that have been largely ineffective. [Cai Wenjun / Shanghai Daily]