“There is very little published material on how expos are born, organized and operated. As a result, expo organizers often get off to a rough start,” says Gordon Linden AIA, AICP, co-author of The Expo Book, speaking from his current base of operations as Manager of Planning and Urban Design for the Dubai office of Parsons International. “But that doesn’t have to be the case,” continues Linden. “While each event is unique, there are many common factors that, if understood, would prevent or lessen many of the problems that tend to crop up again and again, consuming precious time and resources. And it’s worth it – because a world expo is a monumental, magnificent undertaking with the potential to deliver significant regional benefits and positive global impact.”

The Expo Book is being published as a series in six consecutive installments, every two months through November 2008. The first three chapters are available now in a downloadable electronic version at www.TheExpoBook.com.

The Expo Book brings together a uniquely qualified team, headed by co-authors Gordon Linden and Paul Creighton, a pair of seasoned international expo consultants with several decades’ experience advising world’s fairs and mega-events such as the Olympic Games. Special contributor is Bob Rogers of BRC Imagination Arts, an internationally renowned designer of world expo pavilions. The editor is Judith Rubin, former associate editor of World’s Fair magazine (now out of print) and the graphic designer/photo editor is expo historian Urso Chappell, founder of the acclaimed ExpoMuseum.com.

The Expo Book is intended primarily to assist those who are involved in, or considering becoming involved in, a modern world expo – whether as host, organizer, promoter, participant, sponsor, concessionaire, designer or contractor. It is filled with useful information, guidelines, illustrations, facts and figures and relevant case studies. It addresses all aspects of the complex and rewarding business of creating an outstanding and successful world expo – from seeking registration with the Bureau of International Expositions, to selecting a site and formulating a theme, through all the subsequent planning, financial, operations and development issues including the transition to post-use of the site.

“The Expo Book is for the visionaries of today and tomorrow - who need to understand the challenges in order to cultivate the benefits of a world expo,” says Gordon Linden. “It helps them identify and acquire the information and the qualified people they need to put on a successful and meaningful event with a valuable legacy.”

For more information, visit www.TheExpoBook.com.

World Expos – A Little Background
A world expo (aka international exposition or world’s fair) is a three- to six-month, one-time, public event on a grand scale. Recent and upcoming world expos include Lisbon 1998, Hanover 2000, Aichi 2005, Zaragoza 2008, Shanghai 2010, Yeosu 2012 and Milan 2015. (North America has, in past decades, hosted numerous expos, the most recent being Vancouver Expo 86.) World expos can focus attention on global issues of importance through their themes (i.e. the theme of Expo 2008 is “Water & Sustainable Development” and the theme of Expo 2010 is “Better Cities, Better Life”). Hosting an expo can bring considerable regional benefits, including land development, infrastructure and improvements, business development, enhanced international relations and increased tourism. The federal governments of nations that are member states of the Paris-based Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) take part in a world expo by building pavilions and creating exhibits that illustrate the expo theme for the benefit of millions of visitors. Other participants include corporations and NGOs. (Expo 2010 Shanghai organizers anticipate some 70 million visits to the exhibits of about 200 participants.)

THE EXPO BOOK: Six Chapters
Nov-Dec 07     Chapter One: World Expositions Today
Feb-Mar 08     Chapter Two: Putting It Together/Financial Models
April-May 08    Chapter Three: Getting to Opening Day/Operations
June-July 08    Chapter Four: Design: The Guest Experience I (special contributor: Bob Rogers)
Aug-Sept 08    Chapter Five: Design: The Guest Experience II (special contributor: Bob Rogers)
Oct-Nov 08    Chapter Six: Legacy: Closing & Transition to Post-Use

About Gordon Linden and Paul Creighton
Gordon Linden AIA, AICP is Manager of Planning and Urban Design with Parsons International, based in Dubai, UAE where he has responsibility for directing the planning of a variety of mega-projects in the Middle East. During his career, he has worked on numerous one-time events, including Olympic Games and International Expositions; recently he was part of a team assisting Toronto, Canada in assessing the potentials for hosting an Expo in 2015. Visit www.GordonLinden.com.

Paul Creighton is President of Creighton Management, Inc. in Olympia, Washington, a private firm specializing in recreational park development and world’s fair development and management. Mr. Creighton has held management positions at numerous North American Expos and acted as an advisor to several Expo organizations in Europe, Asia and North America.

About Bob Rogers
Bob Rogers is the founder and chairman of BRC Imagination Arts. BRC’s style combines a passion for showmanship with a respect for scholarship, together with thoughtful, meaningful communication, mixed with a ton of fun and technical dazzle. Master storyteller, inventor, writer and more, Rogers mentors a young and talented creative team as they serve clients both large and small: NASA, Disney, General Motors, the Empire State Building, and the Texas State History Museum, etc. In 2007, Bob received The Thea Award for Lifetime Achievement, this industry’s highest honor. Since its inception in 1981, BRC has been honored with over 250 international awards for creative excellence, including two Academy Award nominations and 11 Thea Awards for Outstanding Achievement in themed entertainment. Its production of expo pavilions has taken BRC to every continent except Antarctica.  BRC has conceived, designed and produced 10 expo pavilion presentations and been a key creative consultant on a half dozen more. Visit www.brcweb.com.

About Judith Rubin
Judith Rubin is a leading editor/writer for the attractions industry and contributing editor to IPM Magazine. Her work has been published in more than two dozen trade publications. She was associate editor/associate publisher of World’s Fair magazine from 1987-1995. Visit www.JudithRubin.blogspot.com.

About Urso Chappell
Urso Chappell is a San Francisco-based graphic designer, photographer and branding specialist. As a lifelong student of world’s fair history, he founded ExpoMuseum.com in 1998. He was the winner of Aichi Expo 2005’s international contest to design the Linimo maglev train exterior and has visited six world’s fairs. Visit www.UrsoChappell.com.

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Image at top: Heatherwick Studio's winning design for the British Pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010. Photo courtesy Heatherwick Studio.