Shanghai 2010 as a communication and marketing platform
70 million visitors are expected at this year's World Expo in Shanghai. Switzerland and the cities of Basel, Geneva and Zurich will also be there with two pavilions and numerous sponsors. The approach of the two exhibition contributions is different.
The World Expo in Shanghai has been running since May 1 under the motto "Better City, Better Life". With over 240 exhibiting nations, cities and organizations and already more than 16 million visitors, this major event in the Chinese economic metropolis puts all previous world expos in the shade. The organizers are expecting around 70 million Expo visitors by the end of October.
For most of the 1.3 billion Chinese, traveling abroad is still unaffordable. The Expo therefore offers a welcome insight into foreign countries and cultures. The country pavilions are correspondingly popular, and visitors sometimes have to wait several hours to see them.
Just like the Olympic Games in Beijing, the Expo underlines the economic and political importance that China has gained in recent years. Accordingly, practically all industrialized nations as well as numerous countries from the southern hemisphere are represented.
Industry also uses the World Expo in a variety of ways to introduce itself to the Chinese public. Various domestic and foreign industry associations as well as some global companies present themselves with their own pavilions, while others act as sponsors of the country and city pavilions. Switzerland is also represented with a country and city pavilion.
Swiss pavilion with chairlift and Alpine panorama
The Swiss national pavilion focuses on the interaction between city and countryside. The balance between man, nature and technology is depicted. Despite its original design with a cylinder and ramp system, the pavilion takes a more traditional approach: the main attractions include a chairlift and a virtual Alpine panorama. A folk band plays in the inner courtyard and a restaurant offers Swiss specialties. The long queues in front of the Swiss pavilion show that the offer is very popular with the Chinese public.
This platform will be used accordingly by sponsors such as Swatch and Nestlé, who will draw attention to themselves with a showroom and a coffee stand. The presentation is also thematically appropriate for the Swiss travel and tourism industry, with the St. Moritz, Titlis and Zermatt tourist regions and the airline Swiss also appearing on the list of sponsors in the pavilion. However, the technical problems with which the chairlift, the main attraction, initially struggled do not quite fit in with the image of Swiss quality and reliability.
Urban location marketing with practical case studies
The second pavilion from Switzerland takes a different approach: Basel, Geneva and Zurich are presenting themselves with a joint city pavilion. Under the motto "Better Water - Best Urban Life", the three Swiss cities will showcase the contribution that investment in sustainable water management can make to an exceptionally high quality of urban life.
"Basel hopes that its presence at the World Expo in Shanghai will raise its profile as an attractive cultural, educational and business location," explains Sabine Horvath, Head of the External Relations and Location Marketing Department of the Canton of Basel-Stadt. In addition, the World Expo represents a unique opportunity for Basel to further consolidate and deepen the successful city partnership with Shanghai that has existed since 2007.
Since 2007, numerous projects and collaborations in the fields of research, education, business and culture have already been realized as part of the city partnership. These are to be further expanded as part of the World Expo presentation. Thanks to the involvement of numerous Basel stakeholders and partner organizations, it has been possible to put together a varied and diverse programme that creates the necessary framework for a targeted expansion of the top-class network with representatives of the Chinese metropolis.
According to Sabine Horvath, the first few weeks at the World Expo have been very positive. After a rather small number of visitors in the first few weeks, more than 30,000 people are now regularly visiting the joint city pavilion. "The biggest challenge is the planning and organization on site," explains Horvath. It is still necessary to come to terms with the fast pace of the World Expo and to react to the new conditions on a daily basis.
Basel has also had extremely positive experiences in its cooperation with Geneva and Zurich, without which it would hardly have been possible to stage the largest world exhibition to date. All three cities can well imagine presenting themselves together abroad again on another occasion.
Successful public-private partnership
Novartis has been secured as the presenting partner for the city pavilion. The commitment to the city pavilion underlines the importance of China for the Basel-based healthcare company, which announced additional investments of over one billion US dollars in China last fall. "The World Expo in Shanghai offers us a unique opportunity to present ourselves to a larger local audience," says Armin Zust, Head of Novartis Switzerland. In addition, this commitment is also intended to support the efforts of the city of Basel.
The company uses the pavilion to interact with specific target groups. The company chose the city pavilion specifically because of the thematic reference, as the exhibition focuses on the sustainable use of water in urban areas. Novartis also attaches great importance to aspects of sustainability. For this reason, a commitment was obvious. Novartis is also integrated into the exhibition with a practical case study on sustainable water management at the Novartis Campus in Basel.
Platform for numerous occasions
Numerous special events will also be held in the two pavilions over the course of the World Expo. Highlights include the visits by Federal Councillor Calmy-Rey at the end of June and by President Doris Leuthardt in August. The Cities Pavilion will also host so-called Cities Weeks, during which Basel, Geneva and Zurich will present themselves to the Chinese public in the presence of local political celebrities from the respective cities and cantons. Special exhibitions, VIP and sponsor events round off the extensive program until the end of October.
Satoshi Sugimoto, Member of the SPRV Board of Directors
For most of the 1.3 billion Chinese, traveling abroad is still unaffordable. The Expo therefore offers a welcome insight into foreign countries and cultures. The country pavilions are correspondingly popular, and visitors sometimes have to wait several hours to see them.
Just like the Olympic Games in Beijing, the Expo underlines the economic and political importance that China has gained in recent years. Accordingly, practically all industrialized nations as well as numerous countries from the southern hemisphere are represented.
Industry also uses the World Expo in a variety of ways to introduce itself to the Chinese public. Various domestic and foreign industry associations as well as some global companies present themselves with their own pavilions, while others act as sponsors of the country and city pavilions. Switzerland is also represented with a country and city pavilion.
Swiss pavilion with chairlift and Alpine panorama
The Swiss national pavilion focuses on the interaction between city and countryside. The balance between man, nature and technology is depicted. Despite its original design with a cylinder and ramp system, the pavilion takes a more traditional approach: the main attractions include a chairlift and a virtual Alpine panorama. A folk band plays in the inner courtyard and a restaurant offers Swiss specialties. The long queues in front of the Swiss pavilion show that the offer is very popular with the Chinese public.
This platform will be used accordingly by sponsors such as Swatch and Nestlé, who will draw attention to themselves with a showroom and a coffee stand. The presentation is also thematically appropriate for the Swiss travel and tourism industry, with the St. Moritz, Titlis and Zermatt tourist regions and the airline Swiss also appearing on the list of sponsors in the pavilion. However, the technical problems with which the chairlift, the main attraction, initially struggled do not quite fit in with the image of Swiss quality and reliability.
Urban location marketing with practical case studies
The second pavilion from Switzerland takes a different approach: Basel, Geneva and Zurich are presenting themselves with a joint city pavilion. Under the motto "Better Water - Best Urban Life", the three Swiss cities will showcase the contribution that investment in sustainable water management can make to an exceptionally high quality of urban life.
"Basel hopes that its presence at the World Expo in Shanghai will raise its profile as an attractive cultural, educational and business location," explains Sabine Horvath, Head of the External Relations and Location Marketing Department of the Canton of Basel-Stadt. In addition, the World Expo represents a unique opportunity for Basel to further consolidate and deepen the successful city partnership with Shanghai that has existed since 2007.
Since 2007, numerous projects and collaborations in the fields of research, education, business and culture have already been realized as part of the city partnership. These are to be further expanded as part of the World Expo presentation. Thanks to the involvement of numerous Basel stakeholders and partner organizations, it has been possible to put together a varied and diverse programme that creates the necessary framework for a targeted expansion of the top-class network with representatives of the Chinese metropolis.
According to Sabine Horvath, the first few weeks at the World Expo have been very positive. After a rather small number of visitors in the first few weeks, more than 30,000 people are now regularly visiting the joint city pavilion. "The biggest challenge is the planning and organization on site," explains Horvath. It is still necessary to come to terms with the fast pace of the World Expo and to react to the new conditions on a daily basis.
Basel has also had extremely positive experiences in its cooperation with Geneva and Zurich, without which it would hardly have been possible to stage the largest world exhibition to date. All three cities can well imagine presenting themselves together abroad again on another occasion.
Successful public-private partnership
Novartis has been secured as the presenting partner for the city pavilion. The commitment to the city pavilion underlines the importance of China for the Basel-based healthcare company, which announced additional investments of over one billion US dollars in China last fall. "The World Expo in Shanghai offers us a unique opportunity to present ourselves to a larger local audience," says Armin Zust, Head of Novartis Switzerland. In addition, this commitment is also intended to support the efforts of the city of Basel.
The company uses the pavilion to interact with specific target groups. The company chose the city pavilion specifically because of the thematic reference, as the exhibition focuses on the sustainable use of water in urban areas. Novartis also attaches great importance to aspects of sustainability. For this reason, a commitment was obvious. Novartis is also integrated into the exhibition with a practical case study on sustainable water management at the Novartis Campus in Basel.
Platform for numerous occasions
Numerous special events will also be held in the two pavilions over the course of the World Expo. Highlights include the visits by Federal Councillor Calmy-Rey at the end of June and by President Doris Leuthardt in August. The Cities Pavilion will also host so-called Cities Weeks, during which Basel, Geneva and Zurich will present themselves to the Chinese public in the presence of local political celebrities from the respective cities and cantons. Special exhibitions, VIP and sponsor events round off the extensive program until the end of October.
Satoshi Sugimoto, Member of the SPRV Board of Directors
