In Brief
-   Expo coordinators discuss exhibiting the changed landscape of Haiti’s quake-devastated capital
-    President Hu calls on the Chinese people to pool their strength and resources to ensure the Expo’s success
-    China Mobile says its 4G network at the Expo site will be the first time such technology is put to practical use on a large scale in China
-    A precious terracotta army centerpiece is discussed for display at the China Pavilion’s secret “national treasure” exhibit

Participants
Expo to Show Haitian Capital Pre and Post Quake
1/17/10 – Expo coordinators are considering a plan to exhibit the changed landscape of Haitian capital Port-au-Prince before and after the earthquake, to give the country a stronger presence on the Expo’s world stage. “We plan to present the views of the quake-devastated capital before and after the earthquake in the Haitian Hall to call for more attention and support from the international community for its reconstruction,” said He Lihua, an exhibition official. “We have made an initial agreement with Courtney Rattray, deputy representative of the Caribbean countries to the Expo, and we are soliciting opinions from the Haiti authorities,” He said. “No answer has come yet,” He added. Member states of the Caribbean Community have a joint Expo pavilion, in which the Haitian Hall covers about 250 square meters. “We will guarantee the participation of Haiti at the Expo as originally planned,” said Zhou Jun, head of the exhibition department under the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination.
[en.expo2010.cn]

Chinese Provinces Reveal Plans
1/16/10 – More than one-third of China’s provinces have unveiled their pavilion’s Expo plans. Each of the 31 mainland provinces and municipalities has a 600 square meter exhibition area in the China Pavilion, where visitors can learn about Chinese history, culture and traditions, said Chen Xianjin, deputy director general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination. The Anhui and Hubei pavilions launched their exhibition plans on Friday. The Anhui Pavilion will display its Hui culture, and visitors will be able to control a virtual writing brush to practice calligraphy on a touch screen fitted to a stone drum. The Hubei Pavilion will use the theme “水” (water), as Hubei is known for its rich water resources. Fujian Province, whose virtual pavilion at Expo Shanghai Online will go live before April, will exhibit the mainland’s largest jade sculpture of the sea goddess Mazu, at 3.23-meters high. Hebei Province also unveiled its provincial pavilion design on Friday.  Displaying its theme, “Charming Hebei,” the pavilion is a semi-transparent space full of varying colors.
[en.expo2010.cn]

Nordic Countries Join Hands in Expo Promotion
1/15/10 – Five Nordic countries on Wednesday extended their solidarity to the Expo by jointly holding a promotional fair in Beijing. There, the Nordic Council of Ministers, commissioners general of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, and their ambassadors in China, promoted the splendor and charm of their countries. A Nordic-Chinese Energy and Climate Day will be launched on June 25 during the Expo, bringing together ministers, business leaders, researchers and others from China and the Nordic region. A children’s film festival is also on the agenda. Trond Giske, Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry, said Nordic countries would continue their close cooperation during the Expo and share their visions and interpretations of “Better City, Better Life” with other countries. He invited the Chinese people to Nordic countries’ pavilions and welcomed more Chinese enterprises and institutions to conduct trade and cultural exchanges.
[Hu Min / en.expo2010.cn]

Shanghai Unveils Host Pavilion
1/14/10 – Shanghai will showcase its “tolerance, energy, and innovation” in a shikumen-style building at China’s joint-provincial pavilion, the Expo organizer revealed on Thursday. The exhibition theme is “New Horizons Forever” and it will help visitors understand the city through objects and pictures, the organizer said, however added, “The whole city will be the real Shanghai Pavilion.” The 600 square meter pavilion features an entrance resembling a shikumen, a traditional stone-gated house initially built by European colonists, where up to 80 percent of the city’s population lived in the past. The seven-meter tall building’s outside walls will be covered by hundreds of city photos taken by residents and visitors. The organizer has received more than 40,000 entries since it began to collect designs for the city’s exhibition at the beginning of last year.
[en.expo2010.cn]

Sponsors
Telco Launches 4G Network at Expo Site
1/15/10 – China Mobile’s Shanghai branch launched a 4G network at the Expo site, which is 20 times faster than 3G networks, the telco said on Thurdsay. During the Expo, the 4G network will support features such as high-definition video broadcasts, remote monitoring and high-speed Internet access services, Shanghai Mobile said, adding, “It will be the first time that the next generation technology is put to practical use on a large scale in China.” Shanghai Mobile will complete building the indoor LTE (long term evolution) signal coverage by the end of this month and it plans to later launch LTE data cards.
[Zhu Shenshen / Shanghai Daily]

General Info
Rally Raises Millions for the Needy
1/17/10 – At the Expo site on Saturday, Shanghai helped raise 340 million yuan (US$49.80 million) in both money and goods to help care for the needy during Chinese New Year. The one-day charity event was Shanghai’s 10th “True Love Under the Blue Sky,” a fund-raiser organized by the Shanghai Charity Foundation, which took place in front of the China Pavilion. The event has become the foundation’s largest, best-known and strongest supported event in Shanghai. More than 15,840 student volunteers hit the streets to collect donations, and companies donated money and weather-proof items. The foundation also helped restore the eyesight of two people by funding their corrective surgeries. The beneficiaries included a man devoted to construction of the Expo site and a man from Yunnan Province who was injured in a work accident. Also on Saturday, 400 social workers devoted to charity became Expo volunteers. They are expected to expand the influence of charity in the name of the Expo, said the foundation.
[en.expo2010.cn]

Hu: Go All-Out for the Expo
1/16/10 – While visiting the Expo site during an inspection tour on Friday, President Hu Jintao called on the Chinese people to pool their strength and resources to ensure the Expo is a success. “Hosting the World Expo is not only a significant event for Shanghai, but also for the whole nation,” he said. He asked central and local government departments to take initiative and make concerted efforts in supporting the event. Hu put forward six requirements for the preparatory work: ensure the Expo’s infrastructure building and exhibition arrangements are completed on time; ensure sound service and logistics; fully guarantee security; do a good job of foreign affairs work, including receptions of international guests; ensure efficient and effective publicity work; and create a civilized, happy and peaceful atmosphere. Hu said that though the Expo was a big challenge, he believed it would be a “successful, brilliant and memorable” event with the support of the Chinese people, especially the contributions of Shanghai officials and residents.
[en.expo2010.cn]

Terracotta Army Centerpiece Expo-Bound?
1/14/10 – A senior official of Shaanxi Province said Wednesday that the China Pavilion’s secret “national treasure” exhibit might feature the Qin era “Bronze Chariot and Horse”, the most precious centerpiece of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) terracotta soldiers. The province is ready to send the sculpture to the Expo, but is waiting for the final approval of the State Council, the country’s Cabinet, which will oversee China Pavilion exhibitions, Liu Ajin, director of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shaanxi Sub-council, told Shanghai Daily. The well-preserved sculpture, among China’s top national treasures, is believed to be a copy of the personal carriage of the First Emperor of Qin, who in 221 BC first unified China. The 1,200 kilogram sculpture is half the size of what the emperor used. To build suspense, the organizer has said it won’t reveal anything before the opening of the China Pavilion on May 1.
[Yang Jian / Shanghai Daily]

Suntech to Power Expo with 3MW Solar Systems
1/14/10 – Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd., a large international silicon solar module manufacturer, announced the completion and grid connection of two solar systems on the China Pavilion and the Theme Pavilion on Thursday. The two pavilions feature two building-integrated solar systems with a combined power output of 3.12MW. The Shenergy Group, one of Shanghai’s leading energy companies, engaged Suntech’s system integration team to design, manufacture, and install the two solar systems, which are expected to generate 2.8 million kilowatt hours of electricity and displace 1,000 tons of coal consumption and 2,500 tons of carbon emissions per year. “The use of solar energy systems to power the China and Theme pavilions clearly reflects the spirit of this year’s Shanghai World Expo, and its theme, Better City Better Life,” said Dr. Zhengrong Shi, Chairman and CEO of Suntech. “These promising capabilities will help to reduce the urban carbon footprint and facilitate sustainable development.”
[prnewswire.com]
Construction 90% Done
1/12/10 – The Expo organizer has finished 90 percent of construction and “time is still urgent,” said a senior official last Monday. Management is encouraging the Expo’s 30,000 construction workers to postpone plans to go home for the Spring Festival, which lies on February 14, and head back to the construction site earlier after the festival, said Xi Qunfeng, director of the Construction Department of the Expo coordination bureau. The goal is to be ready for a trial operation ahead of the Expo opening on May 1, but there is still plenty to build before that can happen – including roads, parking lots, public squares, green lands, shuttle bus stations and other support facilities – Xi said. The organizer is urging all participants to finish construction by the end of February and complete outfitting by the end of March. The Expo will have three trial operations in April; the site will open to 100,000, 200,000 and 400,000 visitors on a preview basis.
[Yang Jian / Shanghai Daily]

In Brief

- An Expo float dazzles crowds along with star Jackie Chan at California’s Rose Parade

- A single card will replace cash for food, traffic and souvenirs at the Expo, as the organizer jointly issues a commercial card with a Shanghai bank

- Contingency plans are drafted to limit the use of cars on certain days during the Expo

- The English version of Expo Online goes live, allowing global visitors to explore pavilions with a simple mouse click

Participants

Clinton’s USA Pavilion Funding Odyssey

1/2/01 – The New York Times released a feature story on Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s funding odyssey to support the USA Pavilion’s $61 million budget. As a federal official, unable to solicit financial donations herself, and after negotiating with State Department lawyers on what could be done, she turned to her well-established network of Clinton fund-raisers and has since undertook an ambitious fund-raising campaign that has netted close to $54 million in barely nine months. And “With multimillion-dollar pledges from PepsiCo, General Electric, Chevron and other American corporations, the United States is on track to open a sleek, 60,000-square-foot pavilion at the Shanghai Expo 2010,” the article writes. “I was dumbfounded that so little attention had been paid to it,” Clinton said of the Expo. “Everyone knows China is going to be an enormously powerful player in the 21st century. They have an expo, which is a kind of rite of passage that countries like to do to show they have arrived. We’re not there? What does that say?” In terms of getting the message across to sponsors: “In the beginning, we had to use a patriotism argument,” said Kris M. Balderston, the deputy of a major fund-raiser. “The second wave of argument was commercial diplomacy. All of a sudden the companies understood it would be good for them.”

[Mark Landler and David Barboza / NYT]

Participants Announce Expo Cultural Events

12/30/09 – Numerous nations have recently revealed the cultural events for their pavilions. At the Spain Pavilion, visitors can enjoy authentic flamenco dancing, Latin and Spanish music, and taste Spanish delicacies. Hong Kong has planned visual art exhibitions by young artists and many cultural performances including opera, dance and multi-media shows, while Macau is scheduled to complete the construction of its rabbit lantern-shaped pavilion in January, officials told an Expo consultative conference on December 22nd. South Africa will display how the country has improved people’s living conditions, eliminated racial and sexual discrimination, progressed in economic and social developments, and achieved a brand-new image as a harmonious society at the Expo. Peru will build a restaurant in its pavilion to showcase Peruvian cuisine, said Harold Forsyth, ambassador of Peru in China, as the Expo Shanghai organizer handed over a 1,000-square-meter rented pavilion to the country on Tuesday. Czechs decided in a public vote that the Czech regalia, the Prague astronomical clock and Vamberk laces will be among the exhibits at the Expo, public broadcaster Czech Television (CT) said on the “Wonders of the Czech Republic” program on Friday, December 25th . The Committee of 100, an organization composed of American citizens of Chinese descent, will build an exhibit entitled “The Chinese in America — We are Family” at the USA Pavilion, which  will feature Chinese Americans who have contributed to important aspects of American life such as technology, the environment, the arts, sports, business, community service and government.

[Hu Min, Bob Yang / en.expo2010.cn, Isabel Guerra / livinginperu.com, praguemonitor.com, Shanghai Daily]

Pavilions Celebrate Construction Completion

12/28/09 – The Japan Pavilion was illuminated for the first time on the night of December 25th to get the celebration of its completion underway. The pavilion, called “Kaikojima” or “silkworm island,” held a ceremony for its construction completion on December 26th. Like a living cell, the pavilion can absorb energy from the sun with its solar energy system, cool itself with a rain water recycle system and its ventilation system keeps “breathing” fresh air. More than 1.75 million Japanese are expected to the Expo site during the event, accounting for 2.5 percent of the total number of Expo visitors, said Hiroshi Tsukamoto, commissioner general of the Japanese section of the Expo. Similarly, the United Arab Emirates pavilion completed construction on December 16th. It is in the shape of a huge golden sand dune inspired by the country’s desert. The shape of the pavilion is also designed in response to Shanghai’s weather. It will protect against the direct glare of the city’s summer sun but allow indirect light to enter the pavilion via louvers. As of December 28th, corporate pavilions and Urban Best Practices Area pavilions have also been constructed.

[Yang Jian, Hu Min / en.expo2010.cn, Japan Times]

Santa Claus Visits Shanghai

12/24/09 – Santa Claus visited the Expo site on Tuesday, December 22nd, to celebrate Christmas. He conveyed his best wishes for the Expo, and said, “I hope all parents can spend more time with their kids, and take them to the Expo site, where they can learn about the culture of other countries.” He also visited the Superbrand Mall in Pudong, where an exhibition is being staged about Finland’s economy and culture, traditional Finnish Christmas celebrations, and the Finland Pavilion, called “Kirnu.” Santa visited a Finnish charity school, Fenfangchunlei primary school, on Monday, December 21st, in the quake-hit region of Sichuan Province, which was rebuilt by the Finnish community in China. He also celebrated Christmas with children at the Soong Ching Ling Kindergarten in Shanghai and gave them copies of Moomin, an illustrated storybook written by Tove Jansson, a much-loved Finnish writer. Santa will also come to the Finland Pavilion during the Expo.

[Hu Min / en.expo2010.cn]

Sponsors

Expo Organizer Signs Vehicle Sponsor

12/30/09 – The Expo organizer signed a sponsorship contract on Tuesday with Jiangsu Xinri E-Vehicle Company. The company will provide 120 electric four-wheel vehicles and 300 motorcycles for security and logistics. Some electric cars, like golf carts, will take visitors to tour around the Expo site. The vehicles use batteries and were also used for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

[en.expo2010.cn]

General Info

US Family’s Lifestyle Featured in Expo Project

1/6/10 – The Reids from Arizona, USA, are among six families in cities across the world whose lifestyle will be featured in an urban-diversity multimedia film project at the Expo. The other families featured come from Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; Zhengzhou, China; and Melbourne, Australia. The experiences of each will be compared, focusing on five themes: home, health, learning, work and being connected, said Don’Shea Brown, Phoenix correspondent for the “Urbanian Pavilion” project. A Chinese crew spent eight days in November and December filming the Reids’ daily life. “We didn’t try to change anything about what we do,” said Rich Reid, 49, a senior sports producer. Reid said the project crew took an interest in showing their day-to-day quality-of-life issues, focusing on work hours, water consumption and the electricity bill. “They’re showing their pursuit of happiness; the goal is to show that, despite your condition, we all share the same hopes,” said Brown. The film will be shown as a documentary and will also be featured at an exhibit where the families’ activities will be displayed in three-dimensional images in different settings, Brown said.

[Valeria Fernandez / azcentral.com]

Expo Float Joins Rose Parade

1/4/09 – Hundreds of thousands of spectators burst into cheers when the Shanghai World Expo float debuted at California’s 121-year-old Pasadena Rose Parade. World-famous movie star Jackie Chan, also a Shanghai Expo image ambassador, joined US Commissioner General Jose Villarreal and Jim Lefebvre, the Chinese baseball team coach during the Olympics, to wave to the watching crowd along the street throughout the 2-hour, 5.5 mile float trip. Yao Ming, Shanghai’s NBA star and another Expo ambassador, at the last minute cancelled his plan to get onto the vehicle to protect his left foot recovering from an operation in July. Consisting of 80 Shanghai pupils, roller-skaters dressed in blue Shanghai Haibao costumes with colorful gauzy wings taxied in front of the 16.80-meter-long and 11-meter-high float, dancing and performing. Other performers could be seen donned in costumes of different Chinese nationalities. An air-inflated “haibao” with a real person acting inside also joined the parade by marching and amusing the audience around the float. The float was sponsored by the Roundtable Southern California Chinese-American Organization, who managed to raise $350,000 for the Expo-themed vehicle to join the parade.

[Xinhua]

Haibao to Travel the World

12/31/09 – Haibao traveled on Wednesday from his birthplace in Shanghai to Madrid, Spain, embarking on his journey to kindle Expo excitement all over the world. The Expo mascot will visit more than 100 countries and regions and experience the FIFA World Cup in South Africa and Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver next year, delivering Chinese people’s regards and invitations to the world. His tour includes Portugal, France, Venezuela, Colombia, Australia and Somalia, to name a few. The organizer selected Spain as the first stop given the 2008 Saragoza Expo in the country. Three ambassadors selected online will accompany Haibao on the tour, which will conclude in Atlanta, USA. The group includes an American kindergarten teacher, a Belgian university student and a Mexican university student.

[Hu Min /en.expo2010.cn]

Expo Online’s English Version Ready

12/30/09 – The English version of Expo Shanghai Online will go live on January 1st, allowing global visitors to explore the pavilions with a simple mouse click. Meanwhile, the outfitting of 48 pavilions will also be uploaded to the Chinese version of the website (www.expo.cn) in January, bringing the total number of online pavilions to 92. The newly added list of pavilions will include international organizations, corporations and the Urban Best Practices Area. Expo Online visitors can take virtual tours and have a close look at pavilions from different angles from the comfort of their own homes.

[Hu Min/ en.expo2010.cn]

Expo Card to Replace Cash

12/30/09 – People will be able to use a single card to pay for all their expenses, such as food, traffic and souvenirs, at the Expo. The Expo organizer jointly issued a commercial card with Shanghai Commercial Investment Co Ltd. on Tuesday. A gold card will cost 500 yuan and a silver one will be 200 yuan. People can add money on to the cards at a total of 7,000 locations across the city, and they will be on sale at China Post and China Telecom outlets. The cards are refundable. They will be another means of payment apart from cash and credit cards, said Chen Xianjin, deputy director general of the Shanghai World Expo Coordination. The company will promote the cards to other Yangtze Delta cities after the Expo and hopes to issue 3.5 billion yuan worth of the cards, Miao said.

[Yang Jian / en.expo2010.cn]

Policy Report

City Unveils Expo Traffic Plans

1/09/10 – Shanghai is drafting contingency plans that would limit the use of cars on certain days to ease congestion during the Expo period. City traffic authorities unveiled a detailed traffic plan for the Expo on Thursday. One plan, meant to cut weekday traffic by 20 percent, would ban cars according to the last number of a license plate for one day; while another may limit driving on alternate days to cars with odd-numbered plates and those with even-numbered ones, like in Beijing during the Olympics. “The basic idea of the plan is to provide a fast route to the event as well as keeping daily regular traffic in order,” said an official with a research team organized by the city government. The plan aims to ensure that 90 percent of Expo visitors – estimated to be 600,000 a day – reach the site by public transportation. A three-level alert system (Yellow, Orange, Red) will show the visitor volume inside the Expo site. The Expo organizer will bar entry to the site if the volume surpasses the capacity.

[Zha Minjie/ Shanghai Daily]

Shanghai Increases Food Safety Efforts

1/6/10 – Shanghai is renewing its food safety efforts in preparation for the Expo. “A better control of overall food safety and proper preparation for next year’s World Expo are our current top tasks,” said Xie Minqiang, deputy director of Shanghai Food and Drug Administration, at a December press conference. Chinese officials estimate that 85 percent of the 70 million expected visitors are expected to eat inside the Expo zone during the event. The Expo zone will feature over 130 restaurants as well as traditional Chinese street food. Xinhua reported in late December that the city’s government was ramping up supervision activities – a move that may have led to a dairy closure in Shanghai in previous week. “We will start trial operations in April and all the food supervision procedures including drills will be tested repeatedly before the World Expo officially kicks off,” said Gu Zhenhua, director of Shanghai FDA’s food supervision department.

[Helena Bottemiller / foodsafetynews.com]

In Brief
- ZTE demonstrates its TD-LTE network technology, achieving the highest level downlink speed in the industry
- Stretching nearly 2,000 kilometers from western China, the world’s longest power-transmitting project is completed
- Over 50 media form an Expo reporting alliance in the name of good Expo coverage
- A carbon calculator will soon be available online to help visitors check their transport emissions

Participants
European Pavilions Present Expo Plans
12/12/09 – The Italy Pavilion unveiled its Expo exhibition plan on Thursday, which will feature crafts, luxury cars, music, fashion and famous paintings, said Dario Rota, director of the pavilion. It will recreate Italy’s narrow streets, courtyards and lanes, and will use air purification, antibacterial ceramic tiles, and glass walls that absorb solar radiation to save energy. The joint pavilion for the Swiss cities of Basel, Geneva and Zurich also revealed its Expo plan on Friday. It will present guests with virtual visits to the three cities via a water curtain movie. The exhibition theme of “Better Water — Best Urban Life” stands for the Swiss water remediation. Switzerland is also building a separate 4,000-square-meter national pavilion, and the country’s president is to visit on August 12. Hamburg, Germany’s biggest port, also presented its plans for the eco-friendly “Hamburg House” on Thursday. Hamburg is one of 12 cities invited to build a permanent mansion in the Expo area. After the Expo, the house will become property of the municipality and a symbol marking the friendship between Hamburg and Shanghai, said Carsten-Ludwig Ludemann, state secretary of Hamburg.
[Echo Hu / en.expo2010.cn, Yang Jian / Shanghai Daily, Xinhua]

Taiwan Celebrates Topping-Off
12/11/09 – The Taiwan Pavilion hit another milestone as the steel structure of its pavilion was finished on Thursday. The final beam was hung on the top of the pavilion after officials of Taiwan and the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination as well as sponsors signed their names on a red ribbon attached to it. It took less than four months for workers to finish the pavilion’s steel structure since construction started in August. The 1,000-square-meter pavilion will be a transparent cube housing a giant ball at its center. Its exhibition theme is “Mountain, Water, Heart and Lantern.” Hong Hao, director of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, said he hoped the Expo would serve as an important platform in promoting Cross-Strait exchange and cooperation.
[Echo Hu / en.expo2010.cn]

Cummins Sponsors USA Pavilion
12/11/09 – An announcement was made Friday that Cummins has become an official sponsor of the USA National Pavilion. Cummins Inc. is a global power leader that designs, manufactures, and distributes service engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions and electrical power generation systems. Under the sponsorship agreement, Cummins will work with the organizers to promote the Pavilion theme, as well as host guests and customers at the pavilion site. “Cummins is honored to be part of the team at the USA Pavilion,” said Steve Chapman, Group Vice President of Cummins and head of Cummins China and Russia. “The Shanghai World Expo and the USA Pavilion promote environmentally sustainable development and the use of technology to improve people’s lives, which is well aligned with Cummins’ vision in, and commitment to, making people’s lives better by unleashing our clean power.”
[www.benzinga.com]

General Info
Media Form Expo Reporting Alliance
12/12/09 – More than 50 media formed an Expo reporting alliance on Friday to better cover the Expo. The alliance includes Chinese-language media such as the Shanghai Evening Post, Xinhua news agency’s Yangtze River Delta centre, China Youth Daily, and Southern Metropolis Daily (Nanfang Dushi Bao). During the Expo media summit, it was emphasized that media are key participants of the Expo and have obligations to help run the Expo well. Gathered together to press the ceremonial key for the start of the media alliance were Yang Zhenwu, head of the Publicity Department of CPC Shanghai, Huwei, deputy director of the local legislation body the Shanghai People’s Congress’ standing committee, Qian Jinglin, vice chairman of the local political advisory body of the Shanghai People’s Political Consultative Congress, and Song Chao, head of the Information Office of the Shanghai Government.
[Echo Hu / en.expo2010.cn]

Commission Clarifies its Green Transportation Initiatives
12/11/09 – This week, Shanghai’s economic planning body denied earlier media reports that the city was trying to boost sales of cleaner energy cars by offering free license plates to go with the vehicles, CCTV.com reported. The Shanghai Municipal Economic and Information Commission said the plan is a good idea but would be difficult to implement. The commission said the municipality is still working on other related programs to help buyers offset the higher purchase costs of new energy vehicles such as extra subsidies to buyers of eco-friendly vehicles. The city will also help its public transportation sector offset some battery costs for running electric buses. Additionally, in order to achieve its goal of “zero emissions” in the Expo Park and “low emissions” around it, the Shanghai municipal government and the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation signed the “World Expo New Energy Vehicles Promotion Project Agreement.” According to the plan, Shanghai will replace over 4,000 public buses, and 50 percent of them will be environmentally friendly vehicles and vehicles that meet the National III Emissions Standard.
[George Gao / gasgoo.com, People's Daily Online]

Carbon Calculator to be Available Online
12/11/09 – Expo organizers will run an online carbon calculator to help visitors check carbon dioxide emissions from their choice of transport. The calculator, part of efforts to ensure a green event, will be available starting mid-January on Expo-themed sections of Websites such as qq.com, said Expo environment official Zhang Jianyu in Friday’s Oriental Morning Post. Visitors can calculate their emissions by typing in their departure points and transport taken to the site, Zhang revealed. To help cut emissions, residents living close to Expo Park are advised to cycle or walk to the venue, while those on buses or driving cars should travel in groups, the organizer suggested. Overseas visitors can donate to professional carbon-offsetting agents who will plant trees or take part in other ecology programs to offset their flights to Shanghai.
[Jane Chen / Shanghai Daily]

Longest Power Project in China Completed
12/11/09 – A project sending power from western China to the eastern city of Shanghai has been completed. The project is expected to provide power including renewable energy to a third of Shanghai residents. Stretching nearly 2,000 kilometers, the power-transmitting project covers the longest distance in the world. The project starts in Sichuan province, where rich water resources will be used to generate electricity. The power will then be transmitted eastwards to cities with large demands. It is expected to send more than 32-billion kilowatts of power each year. The project is seen as a win-win, as it can bring economic benefit to western regions and reduce coal pollution in eastern cities. It will also guarantee the power supply for the Expo.
[Zhang Ning / CCTV.com]

ZTE Achieves Downlink Speed of 130Mbps with Its TD-LTE Network
12/10/09 – ZTE Corporation, a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, announced on Thursday that it has successfully demonstrated its TD-LTE network technology and achieved a downlink speed of 130Mbps, the highest level in the industry. ZTE is the first company to reach the theoretical limit of TD-LTE throughput in downlink. In May 2010, ZTE and China Mobile will jointly deploy a TD-LTE network at the Expo News Centre. The TD-LTE network will provide high-speed wireless network services, enabling staff and reporters around the world to experience the excellent voice, video and data services of LTE technology during the World Expo. There are currently more than 200,000 sets of ZTE SDR products running throughout the world, including in Mainland China, Hong Kong, India and Chile.
[Tmcnet.com]

Chinese Artists Sought Out
12/10/09 – The China Artists Association is seeking art works to be exhibited at the Expo. The search is open to all Chinese people on the mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, as well as overseas Chinese. It encourages outstanding works which represent the image of China: its culture, aesthetic value, and national spirit. Themed “Living, ecology – harmony, piece – civilization, culture,” the exhibition will be centered around “beautiful life, harmonious society – charming China,” and will include advanced multi-media technologies. The event is co-hosted by the Shanghai Ciyuan Kids Foundation.
[Hu Min / en.expo2010.cn]

3-Day, 7-Day Tickets Set to Go On Sale
12/9/09 – Starting in January, people will be able to buy three and seven-day Expo tickets that will allow them to visit the Expo several times at a cheaper price. Organizers said on Tuesday that the multi-day tickets will be good for any three or seven days during the Expo, apart from holidays and other peak periods. A three-day ticket will cost 400 yuan (US$58) and a seven-day ticket, 900 yuan. Regular tickets will cost 160 yuan, and on holidays and other peak periods, they’ll be 200 yuan. Discounted tickets will be available for seniors, the physically challenged, students, children and military personnel. People in China can buy tickets at the more than 5,300 outlets of four major ticket agents: China Mobile, China Telecom, China Post and Bank of Communications. A total of 11.8 million Expo tickets have been sold, the organizers announced.
[Yang Jian / en.expo2010.cn]

In Brief

PM Stephen Harper attends Canada’s pavilion unveiling, and welcomes his country’s special approved status for increased Chinese tourists

Expo ticket sales begin in the U.S., with a promotion campaign in San Francisco and a letter from Arnold Schwarzenegger

Sweden selects Pippi Longstocking to be a tour guide; Denmark plans for a million liters of Copenhagen Harbor seawater to house the Little Mermaid

Shanghai continues its call for 1.2 million residents to become volunteers and maintain order in the city and Expo site

Participants

Canadian PM Unveils Pavilion

12/6/09 – Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper attended the unveiling of his country’s pavilion on Saturday. After inspecting it, Harper placed the pavilion’s nameplate and unfurled the national flag; once the interior design and decoration is complete, the pavilion will be ready for a test-run in March. On Friday, Harper welcomed a decision by Beijing to grant Canada special approved status, making it easier for Chinese tourists to visit the country. This could prove a boon ahead of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in February. The Chinese measure “could generate up to a 50 percent boost in tourism and that is especially timely,” Harper said. “As Canada prepares to welcome the world to Vancouver for the Winter Olympic Games, this new designation will encourage more Chinese tourists to discover all Canada has to offer.” [English.cctv.com/ and AFP]

Scandinavian Nations Announce Expo Developments

12/3/09 – Denmark will bring a million liters of seawater from the Copenhagen Harbor to a pool in its pavilion at the Expo, the pavilion’s chief architect said on Monday, November 30^th, as its steel structure was completed. The water – an apt setting for the iconic statue “Little Mermaid,” which will similarly make the trip from Denmark – will demonstrate Copenhagen’s success in cleaning up a polluted harbor that is currently safe for swimming. Meanwhile, Sweden announced that Pippi Longstocking, a literary character know for her curiosity and ideas, has been selected as one of its Pavilion’s guides to help visitors discover the country’s “Spirit of Innovation.” Norway also celebrated the completion of its pavilion’s steel structure on Wednesday afternoon by hoisting a pine tree onto the top of the pavilion and unveiling a upper beam which bore the completion date and best wishes. With the theme “Norway, powered by nature,” the pavilion will be constructed around 15 model trees made from Norway’s pine trees and Chinese bamboo. Words from Chinese poems will be carved on each tree. [ Hu Min and Echo Hu / en.expo2010.cn]

Bahrain Joins the Expo, Bringing Total Participants to 226

12/1/09 – Bahrain has signed its official participation contract with the Expo organizer, and will exhibit at a 324-square-meter area in the joint pavilion for Asian countries. A total of 226 participants have signed the agreements to date. Bahrain confirmed its participation in February, 2006, one of the first countries that decided to participate in response to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s invitation.  Bahrain will also participate in Expo Shanghai Online.

Huge Response to SAIC-GM Pavilion’s Competitions

12/1/09 – Nearly 1,000 submissions have been sent to the SAIC-GM Pavilion since it launched two competitions in late October, one for primary and middle school pupils and the other for university students. About 100,000 visitors have clicked on the official Website for “Our 2030″ essay competition for students, asking them to envision what cities will look like in 2030. University students have also overwhelmed the www.our2030.com website, inviting them to imagine the future of urban transportation through an essay or video. Students have presented their proposals for easing traffic congestion, developing energy-efficient vehicles and improving traffic safety.  The winning entries of primary and middle school students will be published in a book, while the winner of the creativity competition for university students will be awarded a 2010 Chevrolet vehicle.  Jin Qi, director of the pavilion, said students’ rich imagination and creativity have made the organizers more confident about a wonderful future in 2030.

[Hu Min / expo2010.cn]

Deloitte Sponsors USA Pavilion

12/4/09 – Deloitte China announced on Friday that it became an official sponsor of the USA National Pavilion at the Expo. Under the sponsorship agreement, Deloitte will be the official accounting and tax advisor of the Pavilion. “China and the U.S. are two major forces in the global economic order, and are two of the important markets for Deloitte, so it is fitting and we are delighted to participate in the Shanghai World Expo by contributing our professional services to the USA Pavilion,” said Chris Lu, CEO, Deloitte China. Deloitte will also establish a team of accounting and tax professionals to support the development and management of the pavilion. “Deloitte fully supports the Shanghai World Expo and the USA Pavilion as we share similar values and principles, such as our appreciation of cultural diversity and dedication to social responsibility,” added Paul Siu, Managing Partner of Eastern Region, Deloitte China. [USA Pavilion Press Release]

General Info

Residents Sign Up As Expo Volunteers

12/4/09 – Shanghai is calling on 1.2 million people to patrol the streets and oversee the manufacturing sectors for the Expo. The Shanghai Ping’an Volunteers will serve a range of roles including apprehending queue-jumpers, giving directions and generally maintaining law, order and “face” on behalf of the hosts. Ping’an is mandarin Chinese for security. Another group, the Industry Ping’an Volunteers, will stand on the frontline of the manufacturing sector to prevent food safety transgressions and other accidents from arising during the production process. Many of the volunteers will be retirees. In addition to the 1 million volunteers earmarked to serve everywhere from local neighborhoods to airports, scenic spots and bus stops, organizers need a further 170,000 helpers in and around the Expo garden. So far the city has enlisted 800,000 Ping’an volunteers. The first batch will take to the streets next month. Local residents and people aged 18-65 who have lived in the city longer than one year are encouraged to apply through various neighborhood committees throughout the city. [Wang Zhenghua/ China Daily]

Expo Ticket Sales Start in the US

12/3/09 – A total of 11.8 million tickets for the Expo have been sold by the end of November, the organizers announced during a ticket promotion campaign in San Francisco, California, Tuesday night Shanghai time.  The Expo organizer granted a plaque to US-based Ticketmaster and the Peregrine Travel Group to handle ticket sales in the country, announcing that American residents can start booking tickets or Expo tour packages ranging from seven to 13 days. In his letter for the occasion, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger expressed his support for the event. He said the Expo would gather various achievements in global outstanding architectural, scientific and technological innovations, which would promote cultural understanding and exchange around the world.  About 200 U.S. guests attended the ceremony at the St. Francis Yacht Club. [Hu Min / en.expo2010.cn]

Expo Exhibitions May Go On Tour

12/3/09 – Officials from the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference’s Shanghai Committee suggested on Wednesday that Shanghai’s government should take some exhibitions on tour to other provinces and municipalities after the Expo. That would be a way to further promote the green technologies and materials shown and used during the Expo. The meeting was the Shanghai committee’s annual briefing for consulates and companies that have a presence in the city. “We have suggested the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination to carry out regular tests and appraisal on carbon emission reduction at the Expo site and announce the results and set special awards for low-carbon technology and its application in the Expo,” said Wu Jinlan from the CPPCC Shanghai Committee. [Cai Wenjun / Shanghai Daily]

Sequans Selected by China Mobile to Supply TD-LTE Chips

12/3/09 – 4G chipmaker Sequans Communications has been selected by China Mobile to provide chips and USB dongles for China Mobile’s TD-LTE (Long Term Evolution for TDD spectrum) network at the Expo, which China Mobile will operate as a demonstration network during the event. Sequans’ TD-LTE chip technology is powering the world’s first TD-LTE USB dongles that China Mobile will distribute to Expo visitors to experience the power of LTE first hand. “It is a great honor for Sequans to be selected by China Mobile and to be part of this exciting project,” said Georges Karam, Sequans CEO. “China Mobile’s network at the Shanghai Expo will attract the attention of the world and will demonstrate the power, speed, and ease-of-use provided to users by TD-LTE networks.” [Business Wire]

In Brief
Online English learning community Speak2Me Inc. offers its spoken test to help select volunteers and provide trainings

A large-scale gaming tournament will take place at the Sweden Pavilion, hosted by DreamHack and the Cyberathlete Professional League

France reveals its agenda, including a musical composed by Expo ambassador and actor Alain Delon, and a visit by President Sarkozy

A large Public Participation Space will be set up at the Expo for increased audience involvement and brainstorming sessions with leading experts

Participants
Sweden to Host Large-Scale Gaming Tournament
11/27/09 – E-sports organization Cyberathlete Professional League will join Sweden’s DreamHack next spring in hosting a large-scale gaming tournament and several programs at the Swedish Pavilion. The gaming events will take place throughout the course of the Expo, culminating in a championship at the Ice Hotel in Sweden in the winter. CPL CEO Scott Valencia calls DreamHack a “digital Woodstock [that] represents modern digital youth culture.” He added: “This project has the official governmental support of Sweden and China. We are already in talks with other governments and associations around the world. This project has taken us to all corners of the globe and it’s growing on a daily basis.” The games that will be presented at the Expo include the “official international title” Heroes of Newerth, as well as “culture games” from different regions, such as China’s Three Kingdoms Online and Croatia’s Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter. Expo tournament participants will be competing for the new Digital Youth Award, funded by the governments and communications companies.
[Kris Graft / gamasutra.com]

Two Pavilions Celebrate Topping Out Ceremony
11/26/09 – The 3,000-square-meter Singapore Pavilion celebrated its topping out ceremony on Thursday, along with the official launch of its logo and mascot. Alfred Poon, assistant director, World Expo, Singapore Tourism Board, said “[This] means we can now start looking at the interior and incorporating all the fine and nice programmes for the audience.” The logo was inspired by the structure’s exterior and by musical instruments, while the mascot, called Liu Lian Xiao Xing (榴 莲 小 星), is a 5-year-old Singaporean boy who loves durians and likes to draw the Esplanade. “We’ve actually conceived this idea from two most lovable icons of Singapore – the durian and the Merlion,” said Poon. The island city-state hopes to showcase the nation’s achievements in urban planning, water technology and environmental services, using recyclable materials such as aluminium and steel, as well as its relations with China. Additionally, the 4,000-square-meter Aviation Pavilion, built by the China Aviation Industry Corporation and China Eastern Airlines, completed its topping out on Friday. The pavilion, which will look like a huge white cloud in the Puxi section of the Expo site, will give visitors the feeling of “flying in the sky.”
[Glenda Chong Channel / News Asia, Echo Hu / en.expo2010.cn]

French Pavilion Reveals Expo Agenda
11/26/09 – France’s Expo commissioner general, José Freches, handed the country’s Expo period activity plan to Hu Jinjun, deputy director general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, at the bureau on Monday, November 23rd. France will stage a series of cultural programs, including a musical called “Douce France,” composed by its Expo ambassador, actor Alain Delon. French President Nicolas Sarkozy is also set to visit the Expo to attend the pavilion’s cultural programs, French Ambassador to China Herve Ladsous disclosed on Wednesday. France also became the first country to unveil a demo of its online interactive 3D virtual pavilion on Wednesday, in which visitors will be able to “walk” through the virtual pavilion and get free entrance to the “Gallery” to view masterpieces and play games using the latest 3D technology. Additionally, L’Oreal China will provide free cosmetics for couples who get married at the France Pavilion after having signed a cooperation deal with the pavilion operator in Shanghai on Wednesday. L’Oreal China, as a project sponsor, is also offering makeup and training courses at universities nationwide to promote the Expo.
[Hu Min and Shen Li / Shanghai Daily]

Macedonia Signs On
11/24/09 – The Republic of Macedonia’s government and the Expo’s coordination bureau inked the country’s Expo participation deal on Monday, November 23rd. Huang Jianzhi, deputy director general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, and Dr Metodij Hadzi-Vaskov, Macedonia’s deputy minister of economy and commissioner general, signed the contract on behalf of the two parties. Now, all European countries who confirmed they would take part in the Expo have signed the participation contract. Macedonia confirmed participation on February 9, 2007 and has declared its theme of “Urban Continuity.” It will stage its exhibition in the Joint-European Pavilion.
[en.expo2010.cn]

General Info
Forum Focuses on Urban Innovation
11/29/09 – More than 200 experts and scholars gathered on Saturday to discuss the topic of “Building Innovative Urban District” at an Expo-themed forum in Shanghai’s Yangpu District. From both China and abroad, participants at the forum urged governments to make full use of their human, technological and educational resources to develop their cities and districts. Governments were also urged to do a good job in protecting old local buildings and culture while pursuing social and economic development. Yangpu is one of the largest districts in Shanghai and in 2003, the district government turned the traditional industrial area into a district now known for its famous universities and creative industries.
[en.expo2010.cn]

Hospital Ready to Help Ailing Expats Go Home
11/27/09 – Punan Hospital, Shanghai’s only hospital equipped with special teams to escort sick expatriates back to their home countries, is offering language training and perfecting service procedures in preparation for the Expo. Five hospitals – Ruijin, Renji, Shuguang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shanghai No. 9 People’s Hospital and Shanghai East Hospital – have also been designated to provide Expo medical services for patients from China and abroad who need to be treated in Shanghai. Hospital official Yin Zhifa said Thursday that an escort group, which usually consists of a doctor and a nurse experienced in the patient’s disease and condition, can be organized in three to four hours. “Though we are not a designated hospital, we will also remain on standby as the nearest hospital to the Expo site in Pudong New Area. We have received and treated 18 expatriate patients who came to Shanghai for Expo pavilion construction,” he said.
[Cai Wenjun / Shanghai Daily]

Home-Stay Rule Book in Works
11/26/09 – Local tourism authorities published a draft on Wednesday specifying service standards, such as room facilities, food safety and security, for home-stays during the Expo. Drafted by the Shanghai Tourism Administration and Shanghai University, the final version is to be published by the end of the year. The standard includes stipulations that hosts should provide a bedroom occupying no less than 10 square meters with furniture and Internet access, and that residents should learn simple English to communicate with the guests. Linfen Community in Zhabei District, the pilot for the home-stay project, said it has established an Expo service center where tourists will pay, which will then reimburse the hosts. The Shanghai Tourism Administration said the project is expected to be promoted in the downtown area, covering about 500 to 600 families. The administration also designated five suburban families as the pilots for the “suburban life experience” project during the Expo. Visitors will get to cook authentic countryside cuisine, enjoy farmers’ paintings, and play ancient games with the families. Expo-designated tour agencies, such as Jinjiang International Travel Service Co. Ltd and Shanghai China International Travel Service Co Ltd, will promote countryside packages to Expo visitors.
[Lu Feiran / Shanghai Daily]

Speak2Me to Test and Teach English to Expo Guides
11/25/09 – Speak2Me Inc., an online English language learning community, announced on Wednesday that it has concluded an agreement to provide an automated online spoken English test to help the Expo Executive Committee select the best English speaking volunteers and then offer training to them beginning in May. The committee is recruiting 80,000 volunteers to greet and guide visitors from an estimated applicant pool of over two million people in China. Xu Jianping, director of the Expo’s Bilingual Activity Committee, said, “This platform will be very helpful in quickly raising the spoken English level of the people of Shanghai.” Speak2Me is also producing a premium content suite of CD-ROMs that will be available for sale and accessible online, with lessons to improve spoken English and to train the Expo volunteers, in addition to Shanghai’s civil servants, police, hospitality workers and transport workers, in order for them to communicate easily and effectively in spoken English.
[money.cnn.com]

Financial Crisis Has Little Impact on Shanghai Expo
11/24/09 – The global financial crisis has had little impact on the Expo, senior Shanghai officials said Tuesday. “The participation of 242 countries and international organizations has made the Expo unprecedented in scale,” said Yang Xiong, deputy director of the Executive Committee for the Shanghai Expo, in a report to the Paris-based International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE). Many participants have confirmed that they would play a more active role in face of the crisis, Yang said.?”Iceland, for example, though facing threat of governmental bankruptcy early this year, didn’t withdraw. Instead, it decided to participate in the Expo more vigorously to show its unique style of culture and economy,” Yang noted. To tackle the financial crisis, Expo organizers have offered assistance to developing countries, the report said. Vicente Loscertales, secretary general of the BIE, had few concerns, stating that: “With the Expo and China’s experience, the world can learn many things, such as environment friendly technologies, the quality of life and human relations in the city. I think these are very important for the future.” [Zhang Xiang / Xinhua]

Expo Tickets Prove Hot Items
11/21/09 – Expo ticket sales have surpassed expectations, having exceeded 9.6 million by last week, organizers said on Friday, November 20th. Since tickets went on sale on July 1st, sales have accounted for about a seventh of the estimated volume of 70 million visitors expected during the entire Expo period. “People’s enthusiasm turned out to be higher than expected,” said Chen Xianjin, deputy director of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination. A standard ticket to the Expo costs 160 yuan (US$23.43), but people can enjoy a 20-yuan discount until the end of this year. So far, not a single fake ticket had been discovered among the 9.6 million sold, Expo officials said. However, the “Shanghai Expo” trademark has been infringed by some local companies, according to Chen Xuejun, deputy director of the Shanghai Administration of Industry and Commerce. The administration has handled 84 trademark violations involving the Expo from the beginning of 2008 to the end of September. [Zha Minjie and Xu Chi / Shanghai Daily]

Visitors Voice Support in Public Space
11/19/09 – A 1,000-square-meter Public Participation Space at the Expo will be set up to enhance audience involvement during the event. People can submit their pictures to become part of the display and can send a short message that will be instantly displayed. About 100 leading experts will be invited for brainstorming sessions at the space and will interact with the audience. The audience can also take part in an activity to design their ideal city. All results will be shown on a paper scroll, symbolizing the recording of the past, present and future of mankind in propelling urban development. All recordings during the 184-day Expo will be combined to fit the theme “Our Home.” [en.expo2010.cn]

Policy Report
Organizer Emphasizes IPR Protection of Expo Emblems
11/21/09 – The Expo organizer stressed the protection of the intellectual property rights of the Expo emblems during a press conference in Shanghai on Friday, November 20th. Since October 2004, when regulating Expo emblem IPR protection went into effect, all levels of the Administration for Industry & Commerce have spared no efforts to protect Expo emblems’ IPR, said Zhao Gang, deputy director of the Trademark Office, which is in charge of trademark and IPR protection in China. 61 Expo emblems have been registered, Zhao added. The Bureau has set up an Expo emblems management office to deal with public applications for emblem usage. It has received 257 applications and registrations to use the emblems, and cracked 163 IPR violations with the help of industry & commerce authorities at various levels, said Chen Xianjin, deputy director general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination. He added that most violations took place in advertisements, online activities, fake Expo licensed products and unauthorized sales of Expo tickets. [en.expo2010.cn]

Participants
More Countries Sign On
11/6/09 – Antigua and Barbuda will join other CARICOM States in representing the Caribbean region at the Expo. The other participating states are the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. The Chinese government is funding the participation of the official delegations from CARICOM and the design and construction of their individual booths. Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Tourism, the Hon. John Maginley, joined his CARICOM colleagues in recognizing that China is quickly becoming a major tourism target market and as such supports the regional effort to promote the Caribbean as a premier tourist destination to China and the rest of the world. Additional countries that recently confirmed their participation in the Expo include Tunisia and the Solomon Islands.
[caribbeanpressreleases.com, africanmanager.com, solomonstarnews.com]

Construction Ends on 48 Pavilions
11/2/09 – The Expo organizer finished construction on Monday, November 2nd, on the 11 joint and 37 rented pavilions that will house more than 180 participant countries and international organizations. The organizer said that construction on the remaining five pavilions will finish by the end of the year, when all the pavilions will be handed over to the participants. The organizer will soon begin the interior decoration and will plant trees around the pavilions, said Li Yinfa, a project manager for construction on the joint and rented pavilions. Fifty-four of the 192 countries and 50 international organizations participating will build stand-alone pavilions, while others will rent a pavilion from the organizer or hold exhibitions in joint pavilions.
[Yang Jian/ en.expo2010.cn]

Dow Chemical Becomes USA Pavilion Sponsor
10/28/09 – Dow Chemical Co. has become an official and exclusive sponsor in chemical and material sciences for the USA Pavilion. The company will offer sustainable products and solutions, as well as showcase its technologies and products such as insulation products, heat transfer fluid, and water purification systems. Dow is an exclusive supplier of insulation boards to the Eco-House, a unique zero energy consumption building at the Expo’s Urban Best Practices Area. According to Dow’s website, it was the first company to sign a contract with the Chinese government to be a volunteer base for the Expo Exhibition Center. More than 150 Dow employees will volunteer as information guides, among other positions. Jim McIlvenny, Dow Senior Vice President, said that the Expo promotes “environmentally sustainable communities and the use of technology to improve people’s lives which align with Dow’s vision in, and commitment to, sustainable development in China and the world.”
[plasticsnews.com, fibre2fashion.com]

Sponsors
Coke, Tesco Vow to Go Green
11/5/09 – Coca-Cola and Tesco jointly launched a campaign in Shanghai on Wednesday to reduce packaging and energy use and present more reusable shopping bags to customers for the Expo. The companies will also promote healthy, green lifestyles with their products around the world. James Padovan, Tesco China’s commercial director, was named an “Expo Star” by the Expo organizer, to award his energy-saving efforts. Coca-Cola also organized a national Expo campus campaign earlier this year and has named 400 university student Expo stars as a result. “As a global partner for the World Expo in Shanghai 2010, the Coca-Cola company is committed to turn the ‘Better City, Better Life’ vision into reality, and unite the Expo theme of sustainability and Coke’s own mission of ‘Live Positively,’” said David Brooks, chief operating officer of Coca-Cola Bottler Investment Group. Coca-Cola was the first US company to become a global partner of the Expo, and will have a corporate pavilion at the event.
[Yang Jian / Shanghai Daily]

Tencent to Build Largest Online Expo Community
10/31/09 – Expo senior sponsor Tencent unveiled its strategic “iCity iExpo” project along with a series of Internet products for the Expo on Thursday, October 29th, in Shanghai. The “iCity iExpo” online community project will interact with Shenzhen-based Tencent’s existing products and services, such as QQ.com, the instant messenger QQ, QQ space and QQ game. Tencent, a Hong Kong-listed company, is expected to organize up to 170,000 Expo volunteers to invite other QQ users to join a volunteer team to promote the Expo on the Internet. The online community will also encourage 448 million Tencent service users and all Expo visitors to the real Expo site to contribute content to the online Expo travel encyclopedia. Tencent’s Expo section (2010.qq.com) is expected to have more than 100 million page views by the opening of the Expo next May. Tencent operates and maintains the official Expo website, Expo Online, the Expo virtual community and other Expo-related projects.
[en.expo2010.cn]

General Info
Green Cars May Get Free Plates
11/7/09 – Shanghai motorists may be able to get a free liscence plate starting next year if they buy an environmentally friendly new-energy vehicle, a government official said Friday. The plan would support both the city’s effort to speed the development of green vehicles and also create cleaner skies for the millions of Expo visitors. The standards have not been defined, and a final decision on the whole plan will have to come from the city government. Although the new green cars cost less to operate, they don’t appeal to many consumers at present because of their comparatively higher purchase costs, lack of charging stations, and concerns about the cars’ safety. Industry analysts said the city government hopes free car plates would partly offset the higher purchase costs and help make these energy-saving, less-polluting vehicles more attractive to buyers. The cheapest car plate in Shanghai sold for 33,900 yuan (US$4,970) last month, and analysts expect the price to rise amid robust auto sales.
[Jin Jing / Shanghai Daily]

Expo Souvenir Contest Begins
11/6/09 – The Expo organizer is offering a top prize of US$20,000 in a design competition for Expo-themed souvenirs. Entries can include artwork, teapots, sculptures and jewelry and can be made out of paper, wood, cloth, red porcelain, silk, metal and stone. The entries must involve the Expo emblem, logos, the mascot Haibao or the “Better City, Better Life” theme. Winners will be selected with two first prizes, three second prizes, 10 third prizes and 50 other prizes. The awards will total US$80,000. All the winning entries will be manufactured and sold to the public before and during the Expo. The Expo has more than 4,000 official souvenirs so far. Participants can send models or design drawings to Room M22, No. 2299 Yan’an Road W., on the sixth floor of ShanghaiMart. The hotline is 6236-5109. The deadline: 6pm, February 28.
[Yang Jian / Shanghai Daily]

Giant Pandas to Head to Shanghai
11/6/09 – Expo visitors will get a chance to admire a young group of China’s most adored animal, the Giant Panda. Ten panda bears from Sichuan’s Wolong Nature Reserve will migrate to the Shanghai Zoo early next year, where they will stay until the end of the Expo. One of the world’s most rare and endangered species found only in China, roughly 1,600 wild pandas currently live in nature reserves in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. Sometimes presented as an extension of Chinese goodwill, pandas have been historically gifted by China as a symbol of friendship. The pandas will share the spotlight with other recent arrivals, including a couple of Aldabra tortoises from the African Republic of Seychelles and a pair of male and female Felidae mountain lions that are native to the Americas.
[www.china.org.cn]

Smart Tech to Aid Traffic Flow
11/6/09 – Before traveling to the Expo site, visitors will be able to get up-to-date traffic information on the web. While on the go, they will be able to find out about parking lots, Metro-station congestion and crowds at entrances and major pavilions through real-time cell phone short messages. The local government will develop a smart transportation system to manage traffic during the half-year event opening in May, Xue Meigen, deputy director of Shanghai City Transportation Planning Institute, said on Thursday. “How to properly manage transportation of the huge flow of people while not harming city traffic is a big challenge,” Xue said. People will be encouraged to used certain parking lots and take Expo buses. “Metro and Expo shuttle buses will be the main transport in downtown areas to ease pressure on traffic,” Xue added.
[Cai Wenjun / Shanghai Daily]

Licensed Expo Products Go On Sale Online
11/5/09 – The first franchised online shop for official products promoting the Expo has opened to both meet the growing demand and fight against piracy of the goods. As of Thursday, nearly 2,000 licensed Expo products became available for Chinese consumers on www.eshop-expo2010.com. The English version of the shopping website will also soon be available to worldwide buyers. Though the Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau authorized 320 stores to sell Expo licensed products in 47 cities around China (with a total of 5,000 shops to open when the Expo starts), not all consumers interested in Expo souvenirs can have easy access to proper retail shops, especially those who are living in small towns and rural areas. The situation has encouraged the spread of pirated Expo goods. Expo organizers hope the launch of the official Expo shopping website will help crack down on piracy and offer more convenient services to consumers from both China and abroad.
[Xu Leiying / crienglish.com]

Kung Fu Masters Set for Expo Action
10/30/09 – The Shaolin and Wudang temples announced on Friday, October 30th, that they will send martial monks and Taoists to the Expo. Shi Yongxin, the 30th abbot of Shaolin, and Li Guangfu, the chief master of Wudang, signed contracts at the Expo Bureau in Shanghai. More than 50 Shaolin monks will perform Shaolin boxing and hard qigong (deep breathing exercises that can make the belly or the top of head invulnerable to knife and sword) each day of the event at outdoor squares around the Expo site. Masters from the China’s centuries-old and most famous martial arts groups will also teach visitors some basic kung fu in both Chinese and English, as well as treat them to qinggong, the Wudang Taoist Temple’s “light body skill” that can help people vault over walls. Many martial art skills that have never been performed publicly, including some of the Shaolin 72 Skills, the magic-like martial arts that can destroy wood and stone by fists and palm, will be on display, Shi said.
[Yang Jian / en.expo2010.cn]

National Participants’ Meeting Held
10/28/09 – A conference for all the Chinese national Expo participants took place in Shanghai on Tuesday, October 27th, with representatives from 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in attendance. Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng said a successful, splendid and unforgettable Expo cannot be achieved without the support and active participation of domestic participants. Shanghai would share the opportunities and economic growth brought about from the Expo with other provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, he added. Their pavilions will combine traditional elements with modern technology, including robots made to resemble Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty at the Shaanxi exhibit and an artificial elephant that will greet visitors by saying “hello” at the Yunnan pavilion. Jianxi Province will present its pavilion as a huge blue-and-white porcelain bowl and Hunan Province will recreate Taohuayuan (The Land of Peach Blossoms), a utopian village dreamed of by Chinese scholars 1,000 years ago.
[Echo Hu / en.expo2010.cn, Yang Jian / Shanghai Daily]

Digital Interactive Map to Launch in More than 10,000 Taxis
10/27/09 – Touchmedia, an in-taxi interactive media company, partnering with the Shanghai Municipal Institute of Surveying & Mapping, recently unveiled an electronic map developed for the Expo. The multi-function map program will be launched in November in more than 10,000 Shanghai taxis and a special map of the Expo area will launch on January 1st. After touching the map’s icon button, taxi passengers will see a map of Shanghai appear on the screen from which they can locate their destination. Once passengers have found their destination in either English or Chinese, they can press a button and the unit will immediately tell the driver in Mandarin where to go. “Unlike a mobile GPS, it can actually talk to the driver,” said Micky Fung, Touchmedia CEO. “We hope this service will make [visitors’] stay more convenient and enjoyable, not just whilst they visit the Expo, but wherever they travel, to restaurants, shopping areas and attractions all over the city.”
[digitalsignageexpo.net]

In Brief  

l  Ticket information will be encrypted into China Mobile SIM cards, allowing visitors easy Expo access

l  Gaining speed, the USA Pavilion becomes one in the first dozen to complete its steel structure

l  Green commuting guidelines are issued, encouraging Expo visitors to buy carbon credits and use eco-friendly transportation

l  In his first blog entry, GM’s Kevin Wale says “buckle your seatbelt and get ready to ‘drive to 2030′ with us”

Participants

Landfill Site Goes ‘Green’ in Montreal

10/17/09 – Montreal will show how the city turned a quarry and landfill site into its largest park at its urban best practice area (UBPA) showcase, the Canadian city said Friday as it unveiled its exhibition plan in Shanghai. The 20,000 square meter Saint Michel Environmental Complex used to be a 70-meter-deep landfill that was built in the 1960s. The operation was stopped early this year to make way for planting grass and trees, and the landfill’s rubbish was made into fertilizer that was given to nearby residents for their gardens. The area now houses a sorting center for recyclable materials and Cirque du Soleil’s headquarters, and will become the city’s largest green space by 2012. At Montreal’s 500 square meter Expo pavilion, the city will use a multimedia movie to show the transformation of the landfill site. The movie screen will be set at about a 45 degree angle from the ground and divided into 720 blocks, which will move up and down to create different effects during the five-minute movie. Montreal said its pavilion will cost C$3.5 million (US$3.3 million).

 [Yang Jian / en.expo2010.cn]

Pacific Pavilion Update Given at SPTO

10/17/09 – The Council of Ministers during last week’s South Pacific Tourism Organization (SPTO) meeting in Honiara received an Expo progress report and expressed appreciation to the host nation, China. They were briefed that the Pacific Pavilion has been received and work has commenced on the interior displays. The pavilion will be the third largest at the Expo and all 14 Pacific Island countries have confirmed their participation. The ministers acknowledged the financial and technical support given by the Chinese government to the Pacific region as well as the support given to the establishment of the Pacific Pavilion and its technical assistance. The article also expressed that the Expo will present “an excellent promotional opportunity for Pacific Tourism, trade and investment.” A number of Chinese tourism officials were present at the meeting.

[Moffat Mamu / Solomon Star]

USA Pavilion Hits Milestone

10/15/09 – The USA Pavilion’s steel structure, one of the largest at the Expo, was completed on Wednesday after an 89-day building effort. It is now among the first of a dozen national pavilions to have finished major structural work. US Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman and Hong Hao, director of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, signed their names in Chinese characters on the last beam put in place. Huntsman said the rapid progress was due to the “outstanding and patient” collaboration between the Shanghai government, the Expo Bureau and the non-profit US Pavilion team, as well as support from the US government and sponsor companies. The overall theme of the pavilion is “Rise to the Challenge.” Huntsman also mentioned that US President Barack Obama is “very excited” about his upcoming trip to China and his discussions with President Hu Jintao on issues including energy, climate change and security. “The US-China relationship is experiencing a very good, prosperous and positive period and has reached a high point in 30 years,” he added.

[en.expo2010.cn] 

Sweden’s “Spirit of Innovation” Discussed

10/13/09 – In a profile of Sweden’s participation, Shanghai Daily quoted Annika Rembe, commissioner general of Sweden for the Expo, on her thoughts about her country’s Expo 2010 theme. “In the coming year, before, during and after the World Expo 2010, we wish to introduce Chinese visitors to Swedish innovations and innovators in a variety of guises – from the Swedish cartoon Pippi Longstocking to Alfred Nobel.” She said that by harnessing the “Spirit of Innovation”, “Sweden has built a country to reckon with, a nation that offers exciting solutions, and with people who are trusted partners in business and other relationships.” Rembe expressed pride in the fact that “all of Sweden is supporting the Swedish pavilion,” adding that the government, businesses, regions, organizations, universities and the arts want to be involved and contribute to deepening the relations between China and Sweden. “Everyone’s contribution is important when creating something new,” she said. “As innovators we are at our best when working together.”

[Shanghai Daily Online]

Sponsors

GM Invites People on a “Drive to 2030”

10/15/09 – Kevin Wale, General Motors China Group president and managing director, invited people to “experience the future of transportation” with GM at the 2010 Expo in his first blog article on GM’s new website, www.gmexpo2010.com. “Now as we get really close to the start of Expo 2010, I want you to buckle your seatbelt and get ready to ‘drive to 2030′ with us. We welcome you to visit our Website often to experience the future of transportation at our pavilion next year.” The joint pavilion by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation and GM will showcase the two auto makers’ advanced technology as well as their vision for urban transport in the year 2030, which will be “without emissions, accidents and congestion.” “To GM, these events have always been a great venue for demonstrating our most exciting advanced technology solutions,” Wale said.

[Hu Min / en.expo2010.cn]

General Info

Rare Animals to Highlight Shanghai Zoo

10/18/09 – Rare animals will be shipped from all around the world to the Shanghai Wild Animal Zoo for the Expo. The zoo is already hosting the nearly extinct Scarlet Ibises from Holland, along with a few tamanoirs, Guyana’s largest living ant-eaters. Other rare species, such as chattering lorries, Magellanic Penguins, and water hogs will arrive in Shanghai before the end of December.

[Liu Anqi / CCTV.com]

SH Airports Set for Expo Upgrades

10/15/09 – Shanghai’s airport officials said on Wednesday that they would step up check-in procedures and improve information flow on flight delays ahead of the Expo. ”We will try our best to ensure that passengers have a more efficient and pleasant service,” said Wang Guangdi, vice president of the Shanghai Airport Authority. During the Expo, both Pudong International and Hongqiao International Airports are expected to receive between 11.55 million and 16.80 million more passengers. Average daily turnover will increase to nearly 250,000 from the current 158,000 travelers. Most passengers with nothing to declare should pass custom checks within five minutes and 95 percent will wait about 25 minutes for exit and entry, according to the officials. However, security checks will be beefed up, which may add extra time for passengers at both airports. By next March, the city is expected to have four terminals and five runways for a combined annual capacity of 90 million passenger trips.

[Shanghai Daily]

Ctrip.com to Distribute 250,000 Tickets

10/15/09 – Mainland China-based online travel service provider Ctrip.com International, Ltd. has been authorized to sell 250,000 entrance tickets for the Expo. 30,000 of the tickets will be sub-distributed by ezTravel.com.tw, said the Taiwanese travel site’s general manager. Ctrip.com acquired part of ezTravel.com.tw’s shares as early as 2005, and recently increased its stake in the Taiwan website to nearly 20%, according to insiders.

[news.ccidnet.com]

Authorities Promoting Green Travel

10/14/09 – The Expo organizer on Tuesday issued green commuting guidelines in conjunction with the city’s environment authority and the Environmental Defense Fund, a non-profit organization. The guidelines encourage people in Shanghai to take public transport or walk to the Expo site to reduce carbon emissions. Chinese people should take trains and coaches rather than planes, the guidelines also said, and suggested that foreign visitors buy carbon credits to compensate for their flights’ emissions. The Fund will open a website for Expo visitors to buy carbon credits, which will be spent on planting trees in China; carbon emissions can be calculated through the organization’s online calculator. A team of traffic reporters from radio stations in all of the 16 Yangtze Delta cities began a promotional tour of the green guidelines on Tuesday, and will buy carbon credits to compensate for their emissions during their 18-day journey. The organizer has also invited people to design icons for the city’s public transport cards, to help reinforce the idea of environmentally friendly travel.

[Shanghai Daily]

Healthy, Green Expo Stars Acknowledged

10/14/09 – The first group of 12 “Expo Stars,” chosen for their outstanding environmental awareness and healthy green lifestyles, were awarded certificates signed by Vicente Loscertales, secretary general of the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE), on Tuesday. The list includes Lv Zhi, a Peking University professor of conservation biology; Netizen Yuan Xingwei, who promotes eco-friendly practices for the Expo; two students who were part of China’s Antarctic expedition; Guan Zhiquan, a child who won an Expo-themed painting competition; and Ditmar Gorgesm, a German investor whose environmentally friendly urinals can help a household save nearly 150,000 liters of water a year. Numerous domestic and international celebrities appeared at the ceremony at Shanghai’s Yihai Theater to direct the public’s attention to environmental protection. Zhong Yanqun, fulltime deputy director of the Shanghai World Expo Executive Committee, said she hoped the stars would stir the public’s awareness for eco-protection.

[Echo Hu / en.expo2010.cn] 

Progress Observed for 200-Day Countdown

10/13/09 – The itinerant exhibition on the history of World Expos came back to Shanghai on Tuesday with new updates to mark the Expo’s 200-day countdown. “The Path to World Expo,” which made its debut 26 months ago in Shanghai, has been held in 26 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities across China, attracting over 2.3 million visitors. The exhibition’s updates feature ongoing progress, including infrastructure build-up and Expo services that will be offered during the six-month event. Concerning the Expo site, it said 242 countries and international organizations have now confirmed participation; construction work has begun on 40 out of the 42 pavilions to be built by participants themselves, and half of the 42 rented pavilions have been handed over to participants; construction on three of the 11 joint pavilions has finished; and all the construction work will be completed by the end of this year. Among the various citywide updates, it said that bilingual hotlines have been launched for 47,000 taxi cabs.

[Xinhua]

Shanghai Women’s Federation Promotes in Cairo

10/13/09 – Delegates from the Shanghai Women’s Federation promoted the Expo to their African colleagues at a lunch reception Tuesday on the sidelines of the China-Africa Women’s Forum in Cairo. Zhang Lili, head of the Shanghai Women’s Federation, said the Expo not only provides the gathering and integration of diversified civilizations but also offers an opportunity to show women’s tremendous development and active participation in the process. She said an international forum on women and city development will also be held during the Expo’s Summit Forum in late October next year. “We sincerely invite friends from African countries to come and get involved in this international forum,” she added. 

[Xinhua]

In Brief  

l  The Swedish Pavilion gets a sponsorship boost from the world’s largest computer festival, DreamHack

l  With China as Guest of Honor, 73 Expo-related books will go on display at the 2009 Frankfurt Book Fair

l  The USA Pavilion seeks volunteers to serve as tour guides and national reps through its “Student Ambassadors Internship Program”

l  As brands are increasingly keen to get on board, communications professionals discuss the Expo’s branding power

Participants

Hong Kong Completes Pavilion Structure

10/12/09- The Hong Kong Pavilion’s structure was completed on Monday, the eve of the event’s 200-day countdown. Chief Secretary for Administration Henry Tang and Shanghai Executive Vice Mayor Yang Xiong marked the occasion with a tree-planting ceremony at the site. Tang said that the installation of its interior fittings and exhibits will start soon and be completed by the end of March, in time for a trial run. “We attach great importance to this invaluable opportunity to showcase the unique positioning of Hong Kong as Asia’s world city,” Tang added. The pavilion has three exhibition levels highlighting a different aspect of Hong Kong’s connectivity and creativity. The top level will showcase the city’s rich natural heritage and the way in which the compact urban cityscape co-exists sustainably with extensive swathes of greenbelt, wetland and woodland areas, which cover almost 70% of Hong Kong. The SAR will also take part in the Expo Shanghai Online project and organize a Hong Kong Week in October 2010.

[news.gov.hk]

USA Pavilion Seeks Student Volunteers

10/9/09 – The USA Pavilion is inviting undergraduate and graduate students to serve as guides and national representatives for the United States at the Expo, according to the nation’s official Expo website. US citizens or permanent residents who are able to “speak Chinese fluently” are eligible to apply through the “Student Ambassadors Internship Program”, a partnership between the USA Pavilion and the University of Southern California’s US-China Institute. Applicants should have “experience in public relations, well developed interpersonal skills, and a positive outlook on social and cultural diversity.” Students will serve as guides for about three months. Roundtrip airfare to Shanghai, as well as housing, meals and local transport to and from the Expo site, will be covered by the pavilion. Details and online applications are available at http://china.usc.edu. The deadline is October 30.

[Echo Hu / en.expo2010.cn]

Final UK Pavilion Design Boasts Seeds of Future

10/8/09- The United Kingdom released the final design details of its futuristic Expo pavilion structure late last month. Thomas Heatherwick, the pavilion designer, arrived in Shanghai on Wednesday to unveil the design and talk about his inspiration for the Seed Cathedral, the UK Pavilion’s centerpiece. It will be a 20-meter-high cube-like structure pierced by 60,000 slim, transparent acrylic rods, extending outward and quivering in the breeze. All rods will contain seeds from around the world, which were collected by the UK Millennium Seed Bank Project. “Seeds in the rods are just like dinosaurs trapped in amber,” Heatherwick said. “We can protect the future of mankind and the environment by harnessing the power of nature through seeds.” The area around the cathedral is designed to look like wrapping paper, signifying a gift of friendship to China. “The UK at Expo is about showcasing the strength of the UK-China partnership,” said UK Deputy Commissioner General Carma Elliot. “It’s important to continue our collaboration on vital global topics such as biodiversity and climate change.”

[Shanghai Daily]

UAE Stakeholders Discuss Participation Progress

10/7/09 – The UAE National Media Council (NMC), the organization supervising and planning the UAE’s Expo participation, along with other ministries and national corporations, held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss its latest Expo preparations. Labour Minister and NMC Chairman HE Saqr Ghobash said the UAE will highlight the huge achievements it has attained under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He added that the UAE’s Expo involvement will be the biggest it has ever organized at an expo fair, and that the event is poised to further enhance ties between the UAE and China. Ghobash further hailed the efforts of the UAE pavilion supervisory committee and urged authorities to ensure participation of the largest number of national corporations in the areas of trade, economy and tourism to make the presence of the UAE felt at the international event. “We are looking forward to register the strongest presence through sending a clear message about our heritage, history and progress, as well as drawing attention of the Chinese people to consolidate our relations with them,” he said.

[wam.org.ae]

DreamHack to Sponsor Sweden Pavilion

9/29/09 – The world’s largest computer festival, DreamHack, has become an official sponsor of the Sweden Pavilion. The company will be on site with activities for the digital youth culture with a focus on Chinese and Swedish youths, including e-sports, music, creativity, and knowledge. In early summer 2010, DreamHack will also hold the finals for the Chinese e-sports Qualifiers at the Swedish pavilion. “To be part of World Expo 2010 is a great opportunity for us at DreamHack to further develop our already good relations with businesses and young people in Asia. We have a unique opportunity to showcase Swedish youth culture and forge strong links between people across national borders,” said David Garpenståhl, DreamHack’s CEO. DreamHack has had longstanding global exchanges of knowledge, ideas, and sportsmanship at its substance free festivals, which attract young people from all over the world.

[mynewsdesk.com]

General Info

Frankfurt Book Fair to Display 73 Expo Books

10/12/09 – A total of 73 English-language books covering various aspects of the Expo will be on display at this year’s Frankfurt International Book Fair in Germany. The Expo books focus on culture, tourism, service and exhibitions, said Liu Binjie, head of General Administration of Press and Publications. The five-day Frankfurt International Book Fair will start on Oct 13, 200 days ahead of the opening of Expo 2010 in Shanghai. China, as this year’s Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt fair, has sent 7,600 books from 196 publishers, Liu said. “Through this golden opportunity, we wish to show the world a friendly and open China with diverse culture and a robust publication industry,” Liu added.

[Zhang Xiang / Xinhua]

Shanghai’s Largest Expo Gift Shop Opens

10/12/09 – More than 3,000 official souvenirs for the Expo are now available at the city’s biggest Expo store, which opened Monday on East Nanjing Road. With prices ranging from 10 yuan (US$1.45) to 400,000 yuan, the over 1,100 square meter store sells everything ranging from Expo-themed stamps to golden handicrafts. Sales staff can communicate in Chinese, English and in sign language. 1.18 billion yuan worth of goods have already been sold nationwide in 320 Expo franchise shops in 47 cities. By the end of September, the Expo organizer had signed 59 franchise manufacturers and 35 franchise retailers.

[Jane Chen / Shanghai Daily]

Stars to Head Expo Countdown Concert

10/8/09 – A string of stars from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan are ready for a joint Expo-themed concert on October 13 at the Shanghai Grand Stage, to mark the 200-day countdown to the Expo. Nearly 40 singers including Andy Lau, Coco Lee and Tsai Chin will sing 17 Expo songs selected from about 4,000 musical works around the world. Eight stars will sing “Smile Shanghai” to mark the occasion. Shanghai’s Dragon TV will offer a live broadcast of the concert starting at 7:30pm.

[Hu Min / en.expo2010.cn]

Branding Power Discussed, H&K Contributes Perspective

10/8/09 – “Combine the world’s largest business-focused event with China’s most extrovert city, eager to prove itself on the world stage, and a big show can be expected,” reported an affiliate of Brandrepublic. “As with the Olympics, brands are increasingly keen to get on board, and for a number of reasons,” it went on to say, describing the Expo’s key advantages: its long duration, the huge number of participants, and the record number of expected visitors, with a majority coming from within China. Brands will want to raise their visibility and demonstrate their capabilities, particularly to the Chinese audience, it said, and the Expo’s ‘Better City, Better Life’ slogan also presents sponsors with opportunities to market a variety of messages. David Zhao, managing director of Hill & Knowlton Shanghai, was one of the communications professionals quoted in the article: “There are a range of messages that brands can associate with the Expo, regarding a more healthy and sustainable lifestyle, technological development, social development, urban environments, and economic development.” Beginning engagement with consumers before and during the Expo through digital communications, such as social networking, is also key; this method also allows brands to reach beyond just Expo visitors. “Brands associated with the Expo are not just marketing now, but are also marketing for their future,” said Zhao.

[www.media.asia]