EXPO Express

In Brief

The Portugal Pavilion discusses hosting football stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo

Liverpool makes a promotional 3D video with an LA-based special effects guru

Various licensed Expo products go on sale at Wal-Mart China’s Nanpu Bridge site

The need for online volunteers is addressed as officials consider cyber safety

Participants

Michelin Sponsors France Pavilion

1/30/10 – French tire maker Michelin became one of the France Pavilion’s major sponsors last Friday. Michelin’s corporate signature is “A Better Way Forward,” which echos with the Expo theme “Better City, Better Life,” the article writes, expressing the group’s commitment to making road mobility safer, and more respectful of people and the environment. The corporate mascot, Bibendum, or the Michelin man, will appear hand in hand with the pavilion’s mascot, Léon, at the pavilion throughout the Expo. The corporation will also be distributing Shanghai travel guides in English. The France Pavilion covers an area of 6,000 square meters and will greet visitors with six “senses”; Michelin, which is researching noise reduction technology for tire noise, will take charge of the hearing sense.

[Shen Li / en.expo2010.cn]

Rhône-Alpes to Stage Light Show in UBPA

1/29/10 – France’s Rhône-Alpes region plans to stage a spectacular 20-minute light show at its pavilion throughout the Expo, to exhibit its energy-efficient illumination system. There will be seminars and performances centered on the region’s lighting technology and art, and its human-oriented approach to light pollution reduction and eyestrain relief. The system will also light up some areas of the Urban Best Practices Area, covering 15 hectares. An area entitled “Lighting Cities” will highlight an architecturally eco-friendly concept by using ecological materials. There will also be a rose garden covering 670 square meters in the pavilion’s open square, showcasing blossoming roses. At the pavilion’s restaurant, which can accommodate 150 to 200 people, visitors will be able to taste authentic French delicacies and learn French-style cooking.

[Hu Min / en.expo2010.cn]

Expo Goods Now on Wal-Mart Shelves

1/28/10 – A range of licensed Expo products went on sale at Wal-Mart China’s Nanpu Bridge branch last Tuesday. The 150 types of products include textiles, bags, ceramics and accessories. Wal-Mart, as a sponsor of the USA Pavilion, was granted authorization as a retailer of Expo licensed products this month. It selected its store near the Nanpu Bridge as the first branch to sell Expo products due to its location adjacent to the site. Rob Cissell, chief operating officer of Wal-Mart China, said the company felt honored to be part of the upcoming Expo.

[Hu Min / en.expo2010.cn]

Smog Clearing Paint & Other Italian Inventions to be Highlighted

1/29/10 – The Italy Pavilion will feature the country’s latest innovations – including a paint that cleans the air by eating smog – for two weeks at the Expo. The Commission of Italy for the Expo made the announcement last Thursday and said 300 winning inventions will be exhibited in its pavilion from late July to early August. The inventions were submitted by small businesses, groups of companies, universities, research centers, and science and technology parks in Italy. A jury of experts chose the winners based on criteria such as urban development and people’s quality of life, complementing the Expo’s “Better City, Better Life” Theme.

[Yang Jian / en.expo2010.cn]

Survey Shows USA Pavilion Most Anticipated

1/28/10 – The United States’ pavilion is the Expo’s most anticipated foreign country exhibition center, a new survey reveals. The U.S. is followed by France, the UK, Japan and South Korea respectively. Despite the country being one of the last to confirm its participation, as many as 48% of the correspondents intend to visit the USA Pavilion, notably due to its theme. Pavilions need to promote a powerful theme that reflects both the contents of the pavilion and the country’s brand, to create greater familiarity and bring in more traffic, suggested Debby Cheung, group managing director of Ogilvy Public Relations China. Other factors that may affect visitors’ choices include art and culture exhibitions, high-tech experiences and interactive activities.

[Bao Daozu / China Daily]

Liverpool Makes 3D Promo with Special Effects Expert

1/27/10 – A leading special effects guru is in Liverpool shooting a 3D film to promote the city at the Expo. Max Penner, of Los Angeles-based Paradise FX, is working with Liverpool agency River Media this week to produce the 10-minute film, which will feature places like Albert Dock, and be shown at the main entrance of the Liverpool Pavilion. Penner has previously worked with the director of the 3D blockbuster “Avatar,” James Cameron. Mike Taylor, creative director for Liverpool at the Shanghai Expo, said, “Liverpool is a world class city, exhibiting on a world stage and we want a world-class production to sell our offer, and Paradise FX are world leaders in their field and in demand all over the world.”

[David Bartlett / Liverpool Daily Post]

Ronaldo, Figo in Talks over Expo Appearance

1/27/10 – Portuguese football stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo may appear at the Portugal Pavilion, an official said last Tuesday. The Portugal Expo team is in talks with both players about coming to the Expo, said Rolando Borges Martins, Portugal’s commissioner general for the Expo. Portugal’s Expo theme is “Portugal, A Plaza to the World, Portugal, A Whole World of Energies,” which refers to the country’s experience as a force in cultural and commercial exchanges, as well as its new energy uses.

[Yang Jian and Benjamin-Darrow Goodman / Shanghai Daily]

New Zealand to Recount Maori Creation Story

1/26/10 – New Zealand’s team unveiled the country’s pavilion exhibition design concept – a dream-like journey involving the Maori creation story. The pavilion’s theme, “Cities of Nature: Living between Land and Sky,” was inspired by the Maori creation story of Tane. Architecturally, the wedge-shaped pavilion extends the story into a three act play – the welcoming space (plaza), the interior, and the rooftop garden, said Dean Cato, director of Story Inc and creator of the international touring exhibition for “The Lord of the Rings”. Besides Story Inc, the dream team of New Zealand’s award-winning designers includes Plan 9, the music composer for “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and Kim Jarrett, the greens master for King Kong.

[Hu Min / en.expo2010.cn]

General Info

CRI to Put Out English-language E-mag

2/1/10 – China Radio International (CRI), as an Expo media partner, is launching an official multi-language e-magazine for the Expo. “Charm of A City,” designed and produced by CRI, will present a panoramic view of the Expo for global readers through a combination of high-resolution pictures, official video clips and refined writing. The e-magazine, capturing the Expo theme of “Better City, Better Life,” aims to highlight how Shanghai’s development can elevate the happiness of its residents through a variety of columns. It will be issued monthly during the Expo’s preparatory stage and updated every two weeks throughout the event.

[Jiang Aitao / English.cri.cn]

Overseas Chinese Stage Gala in Australia

2/1/10 – Overseas Chinese in Australia staged a gala in late January to celebrate the 100-day countdown to the Expo. The gala at Hurstville City Council in southern Sydney gathered about 1,000 viewers on January 24, and was hosted by the promotional organizing committee of Australia for Expo 2010. The organizer sent promotional materials and souvenirs for the event, which will fuel a two-month campaign in five cities: Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth and Cairns.

[en.expo2010.cn]

Need for Online Volunteers Discussed

1/28/10 – The city should recruit volunteers to protect official World Expo 2010 Websites from hackers, said top political advisory body member You Minjian on Wednesday at the annual session of the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. You said that although the city was recruiting about 170,000 volunteers to serve the event at pavilions and on the Expo site, there were no volunteers assigned to serve online. “The security of the Web sites has been a great challenge facing us, as the Expo Online is expecting Web traffic exceeding 100 million,” he explained. “Measures should be taken immediately to ensure safe Internet browsing during the event.” Besides maintenance of online security, the volunteers could also be involved in online Expo promotion, he added. Expo Online will be an extension of the real World Expo, combining 3D exhibitions, events and interactive activities. The organizer said it has set up more than 100 servers for the Web site to ensure that more than 300,000 people can browse at the same time.

[english.eastday.com, Shanghai Daily]

Huangpu to Offer 7 ‘Water Gates’

1/27/10 – An Expo passenger ferry was pilot tested in Shanghai last Tuesday, following the recent release of a plan for waterborne traffic to the Expo. In addition to land-based entrances, the Expo is building seven “water gates,” where visitors can enter via the Expo Garden from passenger ferries, according to a Wednesday report from Xinhua News Agency. The gates are now being completed in turn, with ferries beginning their pilot runs.

[www.huanqiu.com, Xinhua News Agency]