The office of the president-elect's site, Change.gov, has a feature called the Citizen's Briefing Book.
In it, Bob Jacobson at the BH&L Group has posted about the issue of the United States Pavilion at Expo 2010. I've put in my two cents as well (and giving the issue a "vote up."
I encourage anyone else interested in the issue to visit the issue's page:
http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov/ideas/viewIdea.apexp?id=087800000004mIL
14 January 2009
10 January 2009
Remembering New Orleans 1984
As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the 1984 Louisiana World's Fair, I encourage those who remember well those 6 months in 1984 by helping to rebuild the city through Rebuilding Together New Orleans. The goal is to donate $8400 to the organization.
09 January 2009
Expo 58 United States Pavilion: What's My Line
In the last year, I've become a big fan of the Game Show Network's reruns of the classic panel game show What's My Line. They've been running episodes in order and they're currently showing episodes from 1958.
The host, journalist John Charles Daly, left for two weeks to travel to Europe and mentioned to the audience he was going to see "the fair in Brussels." I thought it was interesting that he didn't feel the need to elaborate what was going on there, despite this being an era when very few Americans had the means to travel abroad.
Weeks later, when bandleader Benny Goodman visited the show, he was asked about his visit to Expo 58 and what he thought about the United States Pavilion and its exhibits. He was generally favorable about the music venue but attempted to be diplomatic in the face of some criticism about the exhibit. Panelist Dorothy Kilgallen, also a columnist who'd visited Expo 58, expressed high praise for the exhibit.
I think there are a couple of interesting things about these exchanges. I'd like to hear more about what sorts of criticism was being leveled at the design of the United States Pavilion in 1958. I also find it interesting that this was considered a large enough issue to take two or three minutes away from a game show to discuss.
I think it's instructive that the quality of the United States Pavilion was seen as an important issue, one that affects other nations' perceptions of the country.
Fifty-one years later, it has become questionable whether the United States will even have a presence at next year's world's fair, the largest in history and China's first.
The host, journalist John Charles Daly, left for two weeks to travel to Europe and mentioned to the audience he was going to see "the fair in Brussels." I thought it was interesting that he didn't feel the need to elaborate what was going on there, despite this being an era when very few Americans had the means to travel abroad.
Weeks later, when bandleader Benny Goodman visited the show, he was asked about his visit to Expo 58 and what he thought about the United States Pavilion and its exhibits. He was generally favorable about the music venue but attempted to be diplomatic in the face of some criticism about the exhibit. Panelist Dorothy Kilgallen, also a columnist who'd visited Expo 58, expressed high praise for the exhibit.
I think there are a couple of interesting things about these exchanges. I'd like to hear more about what sorts of criticism was being leveled at the design of the United States Pavilion in 1958. I also find it interesting that this was considered a large enough issue to take two or three minutes away from a game show to discuss.
I think it's instructive that the quality of the United States Pavilion was seen as an important issue, one that affects other nations' perceptions of the country.
Fifty-one years later, it has become questionable whether the United States will even have a presence at next year's world's fair, the largest in history and China's first.
04 January 2009
25th Anniversary of the Louisiana World Exposition
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the 1984 Louisiana World's Fair, the last world's fair held in the United States.
I'm researching possible commemorations of the event in New Orleans this year, but in addition to any actual events, I'm working on some ideas for a retrospective web site that both marks the anniversary and afford people the opportunity to help New Orleans, which is still struggling with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
To that end, I'm soliciting ideas for groups I can partner with using the web sites 1984WorldsFair.com and 84plus25.org.
Know of any appropriate charities? Please let me know. Ideally, a connection to the world's fair would make the effort "click" and achieve the most attention.
02 January 2009
Season Pass Podcast Year in Review... and a Couple of Corrections
This week, I was a guest on The Season Pass Podcast for the third time. It was posted today and listening to it, I already found a couple of misstatements on my part:
Expo 2008 Zaragoza attendance:
I said that Expo 2008's final attendance figure was about 5.9 million, just shy of the 6 million they'd projected. I'm still researching the exact final attendance figures, but the attendance was closer to 5.5 million, still not too shabby for a 3-month exposition.
Barry Howard's United States Pavilion Experience:
I was right about his being involved in Expo 74 in Spokane and the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition, but his other United States Pavilion was Expo 70 in Osaka, Japan.
Expo 2008 Zaragoza attendance:
I said that Expo 2008's final attendance figure was about 5.9 million, just shy of the 6 million they'd projected. I'm still researching the exact final attendance figures, but the attendance was closer to 5.5 million, still not too shabby for a 3-month exposition.
Barry Howard's United States Pavilion Experience:
I was right about his being involved in Expo 74 in Spokane and the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition, but his other United States Pavilion was Expo 70 in Osaka, Japan.
30 December 2008
Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition Centennial
2009 marks the 100th anniversary of Seattle's Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition and plans are already afoot for the new year.
There are two sites info about 2009's plans:
http://www.AYP100.org/ and http://www.AYPE.org/
There are two sites info about 2009's plans:
http://www.AYP100.org/ and http://www.AYPE.org/
09 December 2008
Expo 2010 United States Pavilion Press Release
"US Must Act Rapidly to Ensure Participation in China's 2010 World Expo or Risk Major Diplomatic Blunder, Says Consortium"
That's the headline of a press release today from the BH&L Group, of which I'm a member of its advisory board. We're hoping to save the troubled efforts to create a United States Pavilion at Shanghai's Expo 2010, China's first world's fair.
To that end, I created the website UnitedStatesPavilion.com. I'm hoping this might finally get the ball rolling.
The press release can be found at: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/12/prweb1702724.htm.
That's the headline of a press release today from the BH&L Group, of which I'm a member of its advisory board. We're hoping to save the troubled efforts to create a United States Pavilion at Shanghai's Expo 2010, China's first world's fair.
To that end, I created the website UnitedStatesPavilion.com. I'm hoping this might finally get the ball rolling.
The press release can be found at: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/12/prweb1702724.htm.
27 October 2008
Sad News about the Expo 2010 United States Pavilion
I've received word tonight that the group that the State Department had chosen to fund, plan, design, build, and staff a United States Pavilion at Expo 2010, has announced that they've run out of both time and money.
Expo 2010 opens in May 2010 and it was estimated that the cost of a US Pavilion would have been about 100 million dollars. Under current government rules, all of that money would have had to have come from private industry.
It now looks like there will be no United States Pavilion at history's largest world's fair, a world's fair in perhaps the most important country of the 21st country, an exposition that will host over 200 other countries and 70 to 100 million visitors.
We need to change United States policy toward international expositions. Not only do we need to be able to fund pavilions for government monies, we need to rejoin the Bureau International des Expositions, an organization that now boasts over 100 member nations.
Expo 2010 opens in May 2010 and it was estimated that the cost of a US Pavilion would have been about 100 million dollars. Under current government rules, all of that money would have had to have come from private industry.
It now looks like there will be no United States Pavilion at history's largest world's fair, a world's fair in perhaps the most important country of the 21st country, an exposition that will host over 200 other countries and 70 to 100 million visitors.
We need to change United States policy toward international expositions. Not only do we need to be able to fund pavilions for government monies, we need to rejoin the Bureau International des Expositions, an organization that now boasts over 100 member nations.
23 October 2008
Nicholas Kristof Article in New York Times
An interesting article by Nicholas Kristof appeared in today's New York Times. Entitled "Rebranding the U.S. with Obama," he talks about how public opinion of the United States will undergo a big change if Barack Obama is elected president of the United States. It includes this fascinating interchange between Mr. Kristof and a Chinese friend about Barack Obama's likely win:
Setting aside the political aspect of the article, I think it serves to illustrate how people's attitudes about a country can be changed with simple information.
Imagine the potential of a United States Pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai. There's so much opportunity there, not just economically but also diplomatically. I would love to be working in the United States Pavilion and overhear Chinese people leaving the pavilion saying "What an amazing country!"
Now, imagine that there's no United States Pavilion because the funds couldn't be found. Expo 2010 will host over 200 countries for six months in Shanghai. They're expecting 70 to 100 million visitors. What will the Chinese people think if the richest and most powerful country in the world couldn't find the money to participate in China's first world's fair.
She: Obama? But he’s the black man, isn’t he?
Me: Yes, exactly.
She: But surely a black man couldn’t become president of the United States?
Me: It looks as if he’ll be elected.
She: But president? That’s such an important job! In America, I thought blacks were janitors and laborers.
Me: No, blacks have all kinds of jobs.
She: What do white people think about that, about getting a black president? Are they upset? Are they angry?
Me: No, of course not! If Obama is elected, it’ll be because white people voted for him.
[Long pause.]
She: Really? Unbelievable! What an amazing country!
Setting aside the political aspect of the article, I think it serves to illustrate how people's attitudes about a country can be changed with simple information.
Imagine the potential of a United States Pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai. There's so much opportunity there, not just economically but also diplomatically. I would love to be working in the United States Pavilion and overhear Chinese people leaving the pavilion saying "What an amazing country!"
Now, imagine that there's no United States Pavilion because the funds couldn't be found. Expo 2010 will host over 200 countries for six months in Shanghai. They're expecting 70 to 100 million visitors. What will the Chinese people think if the richest and most powerful country in the world couldn't find the money to participate in China's first world's fair.
15 October 2008
NBA and AEG at Expo 2010
From the Los Angeles Times today:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-china15-2008oct15,0,7372063.story?track=rss
Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any new news about plans for a United States Pavilion at the site.
SHANGHAI -- The NBA and the Los Angeles sports and entertainment firm AEG announced plans Tuesday to help develop a $280-million arena and recreation center for the Shanghai World Expo in 2010 -- the first of a dozen multipurpose arenas that the new joint venture hopes to build in China.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-china15-2008oct15,0,7372063.story?track=rss
Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any new news about plans for a United States Pavilion at the site.
25 September 2008
Tent of Tomorrow
Whenever I go to New York, I make a pilgrimage to Flushing Meadows, the site of both the 1939-'40 and 1964-'65 New York World's Fair. I try to imagine what it would have been like to have attended those expositions. The New York State Pavilion from the '64-'65 expo, even then, was in sad state of affairs. Earlier this year, they ripped out the exterior elevators to the observation saucers for fear that they would fall off.
As posted in the Queens Chronicle:
In an about-face, the city is now seeking state landmarking for the decaying 44-year-old New York State Pavilion in Flushing Meadows Park.
Although it was the city that abetted the pavilion’s neglect, Parks Department officials now say they are encouraging state landmarking — which would lead to federal status — to secure funding to restore the structure built for the 1964-65 World’s Fair.
Officials say a National Register of Historic Places listing would make the city eligible for money to shore up and restore the site.
As posted in the Queens Chronicle:
In an about-face, the city is now seeking state landmarking for the decaying 44-year-old New York State Pavilion in Flushing Meadows Park.
Although it was the city that abetted the pavilion’s neglect, Parks Department officials now say they are encouraging state landmarking — which would lead to federal status — to secure funding to restore the structure built for the 1964-65 World’s Fair.
Officials say a National Register of Historic Places listing would make the city eligible for money to shore up and restore the site.
23 September 2008
Expo 2008, Aragon Pavilion
I've posted before about the wonderful Aragon Pavilion at Expo 2008, but this past week, I discovered that the pavilion's movie, Simfonía de Aragón, had posted online.
To put the film in context, it was shown on multiple screens in a huge room that took up an entire level of the pavilion. large glossy black irregular shapes, which served as support for the pavilion divided up the interior space, which was further articulated by little streams bordered by rocks. Visitors explored the space and navigated over the stream using small bridges and discovered a few hidden artifacts in recesses in the columns. In addition to the film that dominated the space, interactive projections also provided diversions on the floor.
Here are three photos of the Aragon Paviion I took while there:
Here is the film in two parts:
To put the film in context, it was shown on multiple screens in a huge room that took up an entire level of the pavilion. large glossy black irregular shapes, which served as support for the pavilion divided up the interior space, which was further articulated by little streams bordered by rocks. Visitors explored the space and navigated over the stream using small bridges and discovered a few hidden artifacts in recesses in the columns. In addition to the film that dominated the space, interactive projections also provided diversions on the floor.
Here are three photos of the Aragon Paviion I took while there:
Here is the film in two parts:
20 September 2008
Expo 2008, Closing Day
Sadly, I was not at Expo 2008 for closing day. But, by all reports, it was pretty amazing. Thankfully, we live in the age of YouTube. A kind soul posted the closing ceremonies performance by Philip Glass (incidentally, my favorite composer), who also performed at Seville's Expo '92.
Expo 2008, being a relatively small world's fair, and Zaragoza, being a relatively small city, made for an amazing atmosphere. I can't recall a city being and an expo being so integrated into each other. The Expo seemed to start way outside the gates. The videos from the closing ceremonies show that. The fireworks running up and down the Ebro River connected the Expo site to the historic center of town. Like many visitors to Expo, my hotel was there, so I had the pleasure of walking to and from the world's fair site alongside the river.
Apparently, Expo 2008 had 5.65 million visitors, just shy of their projected 6 million. Interestingly, they overbuilt their parking facilities. They were mostly empty when I visited in June and apparently went mostly unused with 40.1% taking buses to the site and an amazing 18.5% traveling by foot! It's a wonderfully walkable city and I hope to visit someday in the future and see how the expo site is woven into the fabric of the city.
Here's Aragon TV's coverage (in 5 parts), including a great round-up video at the end:
Expo 2008, being a relatively small world's fair, and Zaragoza, being a relatively small city, made for an amazing atmosphere. I can't recall a city being and an expo being so integrated into each other. The Expo seemed to start way outside the gates. The videos from the closing ceremonies show that. The fireworks running up and down the Ebro River connected the Expo site to the historic center of town. Like many visitors to Expo, my hotel was there, so I had the pleasure of walking to and from the world's fair site alongside the river.
Apparently, Expo 2008 had 5.65 million visitors, just shy of their projected 6 million. Interestingly, they overbuilt their parking facilities. They were mostly empty when I visited in June and apparently went mostly unused with 40.1% taking buses to the site and an amazing 18.5% traveling by foot! It's a wonderfully walkable city and I hope to visit someday in the future and see how the expo site is woven into the fabric of the city.
Here's Aragon TV's coverage (in 5 parts), including a great round-up video at the end:
12 September 2008
Edmonton Sun: 2017 World's Fair 'Doable' for Edmonton
In today's Edmonton Sun:
Bringing the world's fair to the Alberta capital in 2017 is "doable," say officials laying the groundwork for Edmonton's bid.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2008/09/12/6744116-sun.html
I've said it before, but I'll say it again: I would be very happy to finally see a world's fair in North America again. If 2017 is the year, it will end a 31 year gap in North American world's fairs. The last expo was Expo '86 in Vancouver.
Bringing the world's fair to the Alberta capital in 2017 is "doable," say officials laying the groundwork for Edmonton's bid.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2008/09/12/6744116-sun.html
I've said it before, but I'll say it again: I would be very happy to finally see a world's fair in North America again. If 2017 is the year, it will end a 31 year gap in North American world's fairs. The last expo was Expo '86 in Vancouver.
10 September 2008
Expo 2008 Attendance Numbers
I still haven't found a cumulative number for Expo 2008's attendance yet, but the BIE is reporting that the average attendance at Expo 2008 as of 09 September is 57,909. Not surprisingly, yesterday's attendance was higher than that: 89,441.
http://www.bie-paris.org/main/popup.php?a=620
I say it isn't surprising since we're in the last week. When I went to Expo 2005, I was there the last ten days and I can attest that there's always a huge surge of visitors during the last few days. People have unused tickets and many locals want to see the Expo before it closes. After all, there's no second season.
So, since yesterday was the 88th of the 93 days, we can assume they've had about 5,095,992 visitors (88 x 57,909). If we assume the next five days will also have high attendance (and I think we could argue the last two days, a weekend, will be even higher), that would add at least 447,205 more visitors (5 x 89,441) to make the total 5,543,197.
Before Expo 2008 started, they predicted 6,000,000 visitors. To meet that, they'd need 904,008 visitors in the next five days, an average of 180,801 per day.
http://www.bie-paris.org/main/popup.php?a=620
I say it isn't surprising since we're in the last week. When I went to Expo 2005, I was there the last ten days and I can attest that there's always a huge surge of visitors during the last few days. People have unused tickets and many locals want to see the Expo before it closes. After all, there's no second season.
So, since yesterday was the 88th of the 93 days, we can assume they've had about 5,095,992 visitors (88 x 57,909). If we assume the next five days will also have high attendance (and I think we could argue the last two days, a weekend, will be even higher), that would add at least 447,205 more visitors (5 x 89,441) to make the total 5,543,197.
Before Expo 2008 started, they predicted 6,000,000 visitors. To meet that, they'd need 904,008 visitors in the next five days, an average of 180,801 per day.
04 September 2008
Visiting the Season Pass Podcast
This week I had the great pleasure to visit the folks at the Season Pass Podcast and talk world's fairs. It's now available to listen to at:
http://seasonpasspodcast.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=374642
We also talked a bit about Atlanta's World of Sid and Marty Krofft amusement park that lasted just one season in 1976.
http://seasonpasspodcast.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=374642
We also talked a bit about Atlanta's World of Sid and Marty Krofft amusement park that lasted just one season in 1976.
19 August 2008
Random World's Fair News Notes
I've run across several world's fair stories recently.
Various American Cities 1933-1940:
The National Building Museum will host an exhibit entitled "Designing Tomorrow: America’s World’s Fairs of the 1930s." It opens in October 2009.
New York 1939-1940:
The New York Times has an interesting article about a bomb that killed two city detectives in the British Pavilion. The case remains unsolved.
Seattle 1962:
The monorail from Seattle's 1962 Century 21 Exposition will soon be returned to its original condition.
New York 1964-1965:
I had no idea that pita bread was introduce to the United States at the 1964-'65 New York World's Fair.
Spokane 1974:
The Seattle Times writes about Spokane's Riverfront Park, legacy site of Expo 74.
Man Belongs to the Earth, a film from the United States Pavilion is available on YouTube. It's an early example of environmentalist messaging from the first world's fair with an environmental theme.
Shanghai 2010:
France has set up it's Expo 2010 pavilion web site .
(Unknown) 2020:
Copenhagen might bid for Expo 2020.
The Gotthard Region of Switzerland might also bid for Expo 2020.
Various American Cities 1933-1940:
The National Building Museum will host an exhibit entitled "Designing Tomorrow: America’s World’s Fairs of the 1930s." It opens in October 2009.
New York 1939-1940:
The New York Times has an interesting article about a bomb that killed two city detectives in the British Pavilion. The case remains unsolved.
Seattle 1962:
The monorail from Seattle's 1962 Century 21 Exposition will soon be returned to its original condition.
New York 1964-1965:
I had no idea that pita bread was introduce to the United States at the 1964-'65 New York World's Fair.
Spokane 1974:
The Seattle Times writes about Spokane's Riverfront Park, legacy site of Expo 74.
Man Belongs to the Earth, a film from the United States Pavilion is available on YouTube. It's an early example of environmentalist messaging from the first world's fair with an environmental theme.
Shanghai 2010:
France has set up it's Expo 2010 pavilion web site .
(Unknown) 2020:
Copenhagen might bid for Expo 2020.
The Gotthard Region of Switzerland might also bid for Expo 2020.
06 August 2008
Expo 2008 Review on Blooloop.com
Blooloop.com, an amusement/theme park industry web site, has just published an article I've written about Expo 2008.
16 July 2008
Antalya, Turkey to Bid for Expo 2017 or Expo 2023
On the heels of Izmir, Turkey's losing bid for the large BIE-sanctioned Expo 2015, the city of Antalya, Turkey has announced that it will bid for the smaller BIE-recognized Expo 2017 or Expo 2023.
More news about this bid at TurkishPress.com
More news about this bid at TurkishPress.com
10 July 2008
Expo 2008, Iceberg
Reading over my posts from my Expo 2008 visit and going through the 1200+ photos I took during those six days, I'm realizing there are noteworthy exhibits and performances I either didn't mention or didn't elaborate on.
The Iceberg performance is certainly one of these. The night before my first day on the site, we walked along the Ebro River toward the site and we were surprised by how much of Iceberg was visible from outside the gates. There was also a spectacular fireworks display afterwards.
I think this element of Expo 2008 will be one of the ones that folks in Zaragoza will remember decades from now when reminiscing about the expo. It's made even more powerful in that it is set on the opposite side of the river from the Expo site and the audience.
Unfortunately, my own video of Iceberg wasn't of a great quality. Lucky for us, others have posted on YouTube their own recordings. The best of these recordings I'm embedding here. It's in three parts.
The Iceberg performance is certainly one of these. The night before my first day on the site, we walked along the Ebro River toward the site and we were surprised by how much of Iceberg was visible from outside the gates. There was also a spectacular fireworks display afterwards.
I think this element of Expo 2008 will be one of the ones that folks in Zaragoza will remember decades from now when reminiscing about the expo. It's made even more powerful in that it is set on the opposite side of the river from the Expo site and the audience.
Unfortunately, my own video of Iceberg wasn't of a great quality. Lucky for us, others have posted on YouTube their own recordings. The best of these recordings I'm embedding here. It's in three parts.
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