 Although 70 million people are expected to visit this year’s World Expo in Shanghai between May and October, many more will not have that opportunity.
However, thanks to a groundbreaking innovation to be introduced at this year’s event, millions of people will be able to experience all the Expo has to offer and more by way of an online “virtual Expo” furthering the event’s theme “Better Cities, Better Life”. Introducing the signing ceremony on Wednesday, The Deputy Director of the Communication and Promotion Department of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination and Project Manager for Expo Shanghai Online, Mr Wang Li Ping, said he was looking forward to what would be one of the best pavilions at the exhibition. He said the UN’s theme “One World, One UN” would provide a unique and attractive experience for visitor’s. Also speaking at the ceremony, UN Section Expo Coordinator Lars Reutersward said he was extremely pleased to be working with online Expo implementers Crystal CG on the project that would allow access to people in all of the UN’s 192 member states. “Our mandate is international and this will help us to fulfill that mandate” he said. “We are extremely pleased to enter into a close collaboration with Crystal on this. We know that Crystal possesses the expertise and capacity to transform our exhibition events into an appealing on-line site for everyone”. The online Expo will provide a virtual tour of both the exterior and interior of the UN pavilion but will also offer videos of events and additional background movies, photographs and information far beyond that available on site and will be available for some time after the event. Crystal CG Vice President, Ji Fei Chong, said his company was honoured to be working on the online Expo and to be given the opportunity to showcase the creativity of their work and that of agencies like the UN. This is the first time that the World Expo will be held in a developing country and address a theme of urbanization. UN Habitat, the UN’s agency for human settlements, will coordinate the pavilion which will feature work from all the UN agencies and partner organizations from around the globe. |
