Dubai 2020
part in this six-month celebration
of creativity, innovation and world
cultures.
Expo 2020 expects to welcome 25m
visits from around the world, with
70% of visitors projected to travel
from outside the UAE.
Expo 2020 will be a global
gathering with a defined purpose
of bringing people together to ignite
positive change through innovation,
world-class architecture, captivating
stories, live performances and
immersive, thought-provoking
experiences. The World Expo will
play host to approximately 60
entertainment, business, cultural,
gastronomy, youth, wellness and
thought leadership events per day for
173 consecutive days.
What are the unique features
planned, and how will Expo 2020
Dubai make its mark compared to
previous World Expos?
This will be a World Expo like
no other. Our site, thanks to 5G
connectivity and advanced digital
infrastructure provided by our
partners including Cisco, Accenture,
Siemens and UAE-based telco Etisalat,
will be one of the best connected
places on the planet – providing an
innovative, enjoyable and seamless
visitor experience that will be enjoyed
by millions.
But there is much more to Expo
than just technology. It will be fun and
engaging for people of any age, from
any background and from anywhere,
whether they are looking for
educational experiences for children,
live entertainment or the chance to
taste global cuisine across the 200 site-
wide F&B outlets.
And then there is the architecture.
Our Sustainability Pavilion is already
an award-winning, largely self-
sustaining building.
The Opportunity Pavilion,
meanwhile, has been designed to
bring together people of all ages
and backgrounds to celebrate global
progress towards achieving the
w w w.exhibitionworld.co.uk
United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development.
What do you expect the legacy of
Expo 2020 to be?
We will be offering experiences
that will live on in a space where its
impact and benefits can continue to
inspire and grow beyond the UAE, to
the wider region as well as globally.
The physical site will become District
2020: a place where sustainability
evolves, minds can connect and
business communities will congregate
to leave a lasting impact as economic
drivers. Accenture and Siemens have
already committed to establishing
hubs in District 2020 after the Expo
finishes.
The Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC)
will be a part of District 2020 – a
thriving ‘city of the future’ and legacy
of Expo 2020, which will be a global
destination offering integrated living
and working in Dubai South.
How can the wider global
exhibition industry get involved in
Expo 2020 and what does it mean
for our industry?
There are several ways the global
exhibition industry can get involved,
firstly by visiting and experiencing
Expo 2020, and secondly through
the brand new DEC. The co-location
of Expo 2020 and the DEC provides
a unique location to bring together
businesses, opinion leaders and
consumers. The facility’s 45,000sqm
of programmable space can be
configured for all types of events,
including conferences, exhibitions,
banquets and even indoor concerts.
This venue offers delegates
from every corner of the planet an
opportunity to be part of Expo 2020
Dubai, which will bring together
world leaders, innovators, artists,
entertainers, entrepreneurs and more
for a six-month celebration of human
ingenuity and progress.
A series of concentrated business
theme weeks, supported by summits,
business festivals, seminars and
“A series of business theme
weeks, supported by
summits, business festivals,
seminars and conferences,
will enable the exhibition
industry to interact and
experience innovation and
technology at Expo 2020”
Above:
Shaun
Vorster
conferences, will enable the
exhibition industry to interact
and experience innovation and
technology at Expo 2020, with an
emphasis on global challenges and
ideas that will shape the future.
Expo 2020 will also provide
both domestic and international
companies the chance to take
advantage of a range of opportunities
in the lead-up to, during and after the
next World Expo.
Fifty-six per cent of contracts
awarded so far have been won by
SMEs. In the long run this should
stimulate employment, advance
competitiveness and reinforce
sustainable economic growth.
Young people are the future, and
the Middle East region is home
to one of the world’s youngest
populations. So the dedicated Expo
School Programme team is working
to create a legacy for generations
to come, focusing in particular on
placing young people at the centre
of the journey to 2020, offering
immersive content during Expo, and
contributing to the UAE’s progress
thereafter.
Issue 1 2019
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