The Paris-based intergovernmental organisation in charge of overseeing and regulating World Expos, Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), says it has received candidature dossiers from the United States (Minnesota), Thailand (Phuket), Serbia (Belgrade), Spain (Malaga) and Argentina (Bariloche) to organise Specialised Expo 2027/28.
The five candidature dossiers are comprehensive documents detailing each Expo project and outline each candidate’s vision for the Expo, including details on the planned Expo site and experience, the theme, and the planned legacy. They also lay out projections on visit numbers, financing and costs.
The next stage is a series of BIE Enquiry Missions that will be carried out in each candidature country, taking place between July and October 2022. The candidature dossiers are also used by BIE Member States to evaluate the interest of each Expo project, alongside the reports of the BIE Enquiry Missions and candidate presentations. All candidates will have the opportunity to present their Expo projects to Member States on 20 June during the 170th General Assembly of the BIE.
The secretary general of the BIE, Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, said: “The BIE Secretariat and BIE Member States will carefully examine each candidature dossier both on a technical level and in terms of the themes being explored. The upcoming Enquiry Missions will allow us to gain an even greater understanding of the vision that each candidate has for Specialised Expo 2027/28, and to explore in more depth the themes being put forward.”
The United States’ candidature is for a Specialised Expo in Minnesota between 15 May and 15 August 2027 under the theme ‘Healthy People, Healthy Planet: Wellness and Well-Being for All.
Thailand’s candidature is for a Specialised Expo in Phuket between 20 March and 17 June 2028 under the theme ‘Future of Life: Living in Harmony, Sharing Prosperity’.
Serbia’s candidature is for a Specialised Expo in Belgrade between 15 May and 15 August 2027 under the theme ‘Play for Humanity: Sport and Music for All’
Spain’s candidature is for a Specialised Expo in Malaga between 5 June and 5 September 2027 under the theme ‘The Urban Era: towards the Sustainable City’.
Argentina’s candidature is for a Specialised Expo in San Carlos de Bariloche between 1 February and 30 April 2027 under the theme ‘Nature + Technology = Sustainable Energy. A viable future for humanity’.
At the end of the project examination phase, BIE Member States, on the principle of one country one vote, will elect the Specialised Expo 2027/28 host country by secret ballot during the 172nd General Assembly of the BIE, set to take place in June 2023.
Expos are global events that explore a chosen theme through engaging and immersive discoveries. Among the different categories of Expos, Specialised Expos are designed to respond to a precise challenge facing humanity and may take place in the interval between two World Expos.
Specialised Expos are limited in terms of duration – lasting up to three months – and space, with the exhibition area not exceeding 25 hectares. The site is entirely built by the organiser, participants being provided with pavilion space.
The most recent Specialised Expo, Expo 2017 Astana, took place in the capital of Kazakhstan under the theme ‘Future Energy’, and welcomed almost four million visitors.
