Australia to host Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020

Great news that Australia has decided to be represented at Expo 2020 Dubai.

We look forward to further updates as time progresses and to seeing a robust and cutting-edge Australia Pavilion - both in architecture and content at this landmark event.

Press Release from DFAT follows:

Australia to attend Expo 2020 Dubai

Joint media release

The Hon Julie Bishop MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs

The Hon Steven Ciobo MP, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment

25 March 2018

Today we announce that Australia will participate in the 2020 World Expo in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from October 2020 to April 2021.

Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo hosted in the Middle East, and is expected to attract around 25 million visitors from over 180 countries.

The UAE is Australia’s largest trade and investment partner in the Middle East. Expo 2020 is an opportunity to showcase Australian culture, ingenuity and innovation and highlight the quality of our services sector and education system, agricultural products and credentials as a secure destination for investment.

Australia is a longstanding friend and partner of the UAE, and we are proud to be a part of the Dubai success story. Our connections are strong and growing. Almost 25,000 Australians live in the UAE, there are 350 Australian companies represented and over 130 flights a week connect the UAE and Australia.

The UAE is investing more than USD 9.4 billion in Expo 2020. Australian companies have already been successful in winning expo-related contracts, including in architecture, construction and logistics.

We look forward to promoting Australia on the world stage at Dubai Expo 2020. We will work to make the most of this opportunity to promote trade and two-way investment and to help Australian companies capitalise on opportunities in the UAE and the region more broadly.

Media enquiries

Minister's office: (02) 6277 7500

DFAT Media Liaison: (02) 6261 1555

----------------

Original of this Press Release can be viewed here:

https://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2018/jb_mr_180325.aspx

Australia at Dubai Expo 2020 - 1000 Days to Go

The Hon Andrew Laming MP
Member for Bowman
Federal Parliament of Australia

24 January 2018

Dear Mr Laming:

My name is John McGregor and I run an organisation that advocates for the legacy of Brisbane's World Expo 88 and representation of Australia at World Expositions - both as representative and host, entitled "Celebrate 88".

Today marks 1000 days till the commencement of Dubai Expo 2020, and despite voting for Dubai several years ago, it appears DFAT has yet to commit to any funding for an Australian Pavilion at Dubai.

Correspondingly, as my local federal Parliament member, I would be grateful if you could forward following message - sent to Austrade's Dubai office - also to the Minister for Foreign Affairs Ms Julie Bishop MP and Minister for Trade Mr Steven Ciobo MP - for their response.

With warm regards

JOHN MCGREGOR
CELEBRATE 88
.............

Dear Sir/Madam:

AUSTRALIA AT DUBAI EXPO 2020

As we enter into 1000 days to go before the commencement of Expo 2020, I believe now is the time to ramp up Australia's commitment to be represented with a Pavilion at Dubai.

As you no doubt know, Australia was one of the BIE member states that voted for Dubai to host Expo 2020, and our Minister for Foreign Affairs warmly welcomed Dubai's success in being selected to be the expo's host.

It is now time, I believe, to "walk the walk" and "talk the talk" and ramp up our congratulatory rhetoric and set aside funds for a Pavilion at Dubai.

Already Australia has seen two recent World's Fairs pass - Milano 2015 - and Astana 2017 - without representation by an Australia Pavilion.

We do not wish to rest on the laurels of our very successful Pavilions at Shanghai 2010 and Yeosu Korea 2012 and let our absences at Milan and Astana become a precedent for not being represented in Dubai.

As the first World Expo in the middle east, and as a worldwide microcosm of nations and corporations will be represented at Dubai - including our our own neighbour from across the ditch New Zealand - it is important for Australia to be at Dubai, to prove to the world that yes we are forward thinking and still relevant commercially, diplomatically, and personally on the world stage that being participants at a World Expo affords us.

I trust through this email to Austrade Dubai and to my local member Mr Andrew Laming MP, the Hon Ms Bishop MP and her counterpart in trade the Hon Mr Ciobo MP we can re-stoke our commitment to regional and international world peace, trade, diplomacy and personal exchange through an outstanding Pavilion at Dubai - connecting minds - and creating the future.

I would be grateful for your response.

Yours sincerely

John R McGregor
Celebrate 88!
- Celebrating Brisbane's World Expo '88 and Australia at World Expositions -

celebrate@celebrate88.com
http://www.celebrate88.com/

Queensland, Australia

http://www.facebook.com/celebrate88/
http://twitter.com/celebrate88
http://YouTube.com/foundationexpo88/
http://worldexpositionssnapshot.blogspot.com

"It is a great and glorious end to bless the sons of man,
And meet for peace and doing good, in kindness, while we can;
It is a greater, and more blest, the human heart to raise
Up to the God who giveth all, with gratitude and praise."

Excerpt from prose by Martin Tupper Farquhar, on the 1851 London Crystal Palace Exhibition

2017 DFAT White Paper Submission

Dear Ministers:

Please find following my submission for the 2017 DFAT White Paper.

Yours sincerely

John McGregor
Celebrate 88
http://celebrate88.com/
TEL 048181 3388

DFAT WHITE PAPER SUBMISSION
2017
JOHN MCGREGOR
CELEBRATE 88

In the decade ahead Australia must pursue a robust foreign and trade policy that secures our place on the world stage as a prominent leader and producer of goods and services that represent cutting-edge capabilities.

With our diverse multicultural workforce, we already have so many innate advantages in trade on the global stage, more however needs to be done in promoting our goods and services in ways that further our nation-branding in timely and focussed means, and this is where our membership of the Bureau of International Expositions, and representation at and of hosting of World Expositions needs to be further maximised and delivered.

Too much of late, including glaring omissions at Milano 2015 and Astana 2017, Australia has missed it's opportunities for promotion at these pinnacle events, citing short-term "budget emergencies" or "financial constraints", effectively meaning that Australia is "not in business" at these microcosm world diplomacy and trade events.

We would not think of not sending a team to the Summer or Winter Olympics Games, citing "budgetary pressure", and yet, when there is the opportunity to further our key core assets on the world stage makes itself possible by representation at or at hosting of a World Expositions, we strangely believe that it is "not in our national best interest" to attend.

Too often, lack of a burgeoning trade relationship with the Exposition host nation is used as a excuse for not being represented with an Australian Pavilion at a Recognised or Registered Exposition.

But this is precisely the reason why we should attend - to boost trade and diplomatic relations with not only the host nation and region - but also with the myriad of other nations (and corporations) represented at the Expo also in terms of business deals made with visiting international corporate and national delegations to the Expo.

It is sincerely hoped that through regular representation at World Expositions, Australia can once again gain trade, business, and diplomatic momentum on the world stage, and that subsequent Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments, can earmark from a early stage funding for upcoming Expositions, hence furthering our trade and diplomatic relations, and our membership of the BIE.

As an observer for Brisbane's World Expo 88 at three Assemblies of the BIE-led Assembly of Expo Cities and Regions, it would be an honour to speak further to the Commonwealth Government on ways in which "brand Australia" can re-assert itself on the World Expositions stage.

Our nation depends on it.

Yours sincerely

JOHN MCGREGOR
CELEBRATE 88
http://celebrate88.com/
TEL 048181 3388

Australia at Dubai 2020

22 August 2016

CORRESPONDENCE TO FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MONCRIEFF
THE HONOURABLE MR STEVEN CIOBO MP
RE: AUSTRALIA AT DUBAI EXPO 2020

Dear Minister:

AUSTRALIA AT DUBAI EXPO 2020

Greetings!

My name is John McGregor and I live in your electorate, in Lawson St Southport.

I run a commemorative organisation for Brisbane's World Expo 88, entitled Celebrate 88, and hosted at http://www.celebrate88.com/, and we also look into advocacy for Australian representation at future World Expositions, including the upcoming Astana Expo 2017, and Dubai Expo 2020.

Although we have received official notification that Australia will not be at Astana 2017, we have yet to hear about Australia at Dubai 2020, a bid which Australia supported in its initial and concluding stages.

Representation at World Expositions enables Australia to promote it's important nation branding initiatives on the world stage, not only at the host city and host nation level, but also for trade and business delegations amongst other participating nations and corporations at the Expo.

Whilst Australia's lack of participation at Astana 2017 is disappointing, what would be even more disappointing is  being absent also from Dubai 2020.

Being represented at Dubai is an important fiscal priority for the Australian Government, and measures must be made now to ensure future budgets take this into account.

I would be grateful if you could forward this correspondence to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Ms Julie Bishop MP, whose portfolio responsibility lies for Australia at World Expositions, for her comment.

As always, Celebrate 88 fully supports an Australian presence at future World Expositions, we need not rest on our laurels of past Exposition Pavilion successes, but we need to work further towards future synergies of trade, commerce and diplomacy and their benefits for Australia as encapsulated by being represented.

I look forward to your response.

With cordial regards,

JOHN R MCGREGOR
Founder
Celebrate 88
Progressing the World Expo 88 Vision

Response to Minister for Trade

30 October 2015

The Honourable Mr Andrew Robb MP
Minister for Trade
Commonwealth Government of Australia
CANBERRA ACT 2600

Dear Minister:

AUSTRALIA AT WORLD EXPOSITIONS

Thank you for your letter of 13 October 2015 to my local Federal Member Mr Stuart Robert MP's office with regards to my representation to you regarding Australia at Milan World Expo 2015 and subsequent World Expositions.

I acknowledge your Department's response and the effort made to secure representation at Milan, however unsuccessful.

Every World Exposition is a one-off event, unique to the host city, unique to the world, and unique to that epoch and time. The theme of the Expo gives us a further opportunity to communicate Australia's objectives on the world stage.

Unfortunately, like any advertisement, it costs money to have a shop front, but we run into the danger of "advertising" that Australia is "closed for business", if we do not make the effort for a Pavilion at these pinnacle public diplomacy events.

But lack of Government funding should not be a stumbling block for no representation at a World's Fair, as the USA example (and others) shows.

Wouldn't it therefore, be far better that the portfolio for Australia at World Expositions be moved to Austrade where that agency would be better able to facilitate and promote Australian private enterprise representation and funding of an Australian Pavilion?

Whilst a fully private enterprise funded Australia Pavilion has, I believe, not been explored before, now, as Astana and Dubai, loom, maybe it is time to investigate such an approach.

And given the microcosm and myriad of business transactions which take place amongst international participants at a World Fair, I believe that geopolitical relations with the host nation, whilst important, need to be a second tier rationale for representation at an Expo, with the ability to network with the global community and articulate the Expo theme to Australia's advantage at a World's Fair to be the principal non-financial deciding factors.

Australia in its modern history has been a proud representative in World Exposition history, including hosting World Expositions in Sydney, Melbourne, and recently Brisbane 1988, with Australian representation at World Expositions being amongst the most awarded and memorable of any nation's Pavilions.

We need not however forget the important role of World Expositions in the peaceful promotion of global understanding and trade relations, objectives that Australia proudly also upholds, and we also need not run into the danger of "resting on our laurels".

Correspondingly, I ask that your Department, on behalf of the Australian nation, take into serious consideration the matters raised in this letter.

I await your response.

Yours sincerely

John R McGregor
Celebrate 88!
- Celebrating Brisbane's World Expo '88 and Australia at World Expositions -

celebrate@celebrate88.com
http://www.celebrate88.com/

Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Co-host The World's Fair Podcast
http://www.worldsfairpodcast.com

http://www.facebook.com/celebrate88/
http://twitter.com/celebrate88
http://YouTube.com/foundationexpo88/
http://worldexpositionssnapshot.blogspot.com

 Tel +614384 89135

"It is a great and glorious end to bless the sons of man,
And meet for peace and doing good, in kindness, while we can;
It is a greater, and more blest, the human heart to raise
Up to the God who giveth all, with gratitude and praise."

Excerpt from prose by Martin Tupper Farquhar, on the 1851 London Crystal Palace Exhibition

Open Letter to Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs

30 April 2014

The Honourable Ms Tanya Plibersek MP
Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
Commonwealth Government of Australia

Dear Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs:

I write to you on this occasion further to previous correspondence concerning next year's World Exposition at Milano Italy and Australia's representation there.

I have written to your Government counterpart and also the Prime Minister, however, now, at one year to go before the commencement of the World Fair, the Australian Government is yet to commit to be represented at Milano.

Dear Shadow Minister, Australia has a proud and long record of hosting and being represented at World Expositions - the 'cultural Olympics' - from Sydney 1879 to Melbourne 1888, to Brisbane 1988, and the stunning Australia Pavilions at Montreal 1967, Seville 1992 and Shanghai 2010.

Already over 150 nations have committed to Milan, including the UK, USA, China, Japan, Korea - in fact most of our major trading partners and the developed and developing world.

Australia's absence from Milan 2015 would be a major loss for our nation's trade and foreign affairs branding, in this decade's major cultural public diplomacy opportunity.

Not participating at Milan would not only represent a major omission, embarrassment and lack of opportunity to further Australia's interests on the world stage, both in terms of visitor impact and inter-Pavilion and international business networking but it would be the first time in the modern era that Australia has not had a Pavilion at a Universal Exposition.

Dear Shadow Minister, I implore upon you, to bring our Government into account to announce Australia's representation at Milano soon.

This is a major international public diplomacy initiative that Australia cannot afford not to be represented at.

I look forward to your representation in Parliament, and to your response.

Yours sincerely,

John McGregor
Founder
Celebrate 88
http://celebrate88.com/
Progressing Brisbane's World Expo 88 and Australia at World Expositions
Tel 0455 488 787
Surfers Paradise Queensland

Milano World Expo 2015 - 366 days to go

Tomorrow marks exactly one year till the commencement of Milano's World Expo 2015, where the international community will gather on the theme of "Food: Energy for Life".

Already over 150 nations have announced their participation, including Japan, UK, USA, China, and most of the developed and developing world.

Australia has participated at every Universal Exposition with its own Pavilion since Montreal Expo 67 Canada. Yet at this critical one year to go milestone being passed till Milano 2015, the Australian Government is yet to announce its decision concerning its representation.

At 400 days to go Celebrate 88 wrote to the Prime Minister's Office, asking for a response, however now more than a month later, still no response has been received.

Citing 'budgetary pressures' the Australian Government is either uninterested or not willing to commit to Milan, risking an obvious omission, not to also mention an embarrassing one.

We can only hope that the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, whose responsibility it is for Australia's representation at World Expositions, has in fact already advised the Prime Minister that Australia should be at Milan, and that we are just waiting for the announcement.

However, in another 2 months time, by 300 days to go, it may be too late to commit funding and organise a Pavilion from a logistics point of view.

At the moment, we can only hope an announcement for Australia's participation will be made soon.

Expo Unlimited: Australian Government Responds to Permanent Online Exposition Launch

Further to the launch by the BIE and the Swedish Government for a permanent online World Exposition space, now at http://expounlimited.se/, Foundation Expo '88 wrote to the Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs the Honourable Kevin Rudd MP to advise the Australian Government of this new development.

Foundation Expo '88 has today received below letter from the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, from Commissioner-General of the Australia Pavilion at Yeosu Expo 2012 Korea Mr Kevin Nixon, indicating that Australia is a strong player in the World Expositions system, and shall also consider new initiatives such as the online exposition development.

For further questions regarding "The Expo", please contact the ExpoUnlimited website directly.

 

Thanks

I wish to thank you for your support and kind wishes for my job interview for the Australia Pavilion at Yeosu Expo 2012 Korea today.

I have put my best foot forward and now just have to wait for the results.

It will be a long wait though - shall not know until February!

Let's hope that the decision is a favourable one and that I'll be jetting off to Korea in May.

Australia Pavilion Interview on Monday!

Hi guys,

Just received notification of my interview with the Australia Pavilion for Yeosu Expo 2012 Korea on Monday, and have been inspired by ever4one's YouTube channel to do a self-introduction video in Korean for feedback and to boost my self-confidence.

Here's the link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVW59SHZcew

I'm not going to include a translation - that will come if I'm successful in getting the position!

Best regards,

JOHN MCGREGOR
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
FOUNDATION EXPO '88

Australia Pavilion Korea Yeosu Expo 2012 Recruitment Launched!

Please find following official Press Release from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with regards to the launch of recruitment for staff at the Australia Pavilion, Korea Yeosu Expo 2012.

http://dfat.gov.au/yeosu/index.html

Please note that Australian applications for positions close on 25 November.

Good luck with your application and let's hope we have a brilliant team for the Pavilion when it opens next year!

Further questions regarding the Australian Pavilion recruitment and staffing should be directed to the Australia Pavilion website.

Meeting with Mayor of Yeosu City Korea - and Correspondence to the BIE

Dear Supporters,

Just a quick message to let you know that I have today met again the Mayor of Yeosu City, Mr Kim Chung-seog, and attended a paper given by him to the Asia Pacific Cities Summit, this year hosted by Brisbane City Australia, at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Mr Kim was upbeat at my meeting him and seemed to recall our first meeting at the 4th Assembly of the Association of Expo Cities and Regions at Shanghai World Expo 2010 last year.

He gave an interesting presentation/progress report on Yeosu Expo 2012 for Summit delegates, and also showed a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation, which included a 7-minute video presentation.

The floor was opened for questions at the end of the paper, where Australia's confirmed presence at Yeosu Expo 2012 was duly noted by officials from Trade Queensland, the Trade development arm of the Queensland Government. No doubt, Queensland is looking forward to strong representation within the Australia Pavilion at Yeosu and will fund accordingly.

As a former staff member of Korea's last Exposition - Taejon Expo 93, it was a pleasure to see this progress report on Korea's next Exposition. I wish them every success.

I also forwarded an email to the Secretary-General of the BIE, Sr Vicente Loscertales, thanking the BIE for the opportunity to meet Mr Kim at A.V.E. at Shanghai, and how I look forward to further furthering these important inter-city Expo links on future occasions, including A.V.E. at Yeosu next year.

I attach here said correspondence to the BIE, which includes a photo, taken today, with the Mayor.

-----------------------------------

7 July 2011

H.E. Sr Vicente Loscertales
Secretary-General
Bureau of International Expositions
Paris France

ATTN: Ms Martine Leyrat, Communications



Dear Secretary-General

MEETING WITH MAYOR OF YEOSU CITY, KOREA

 Greetings from the Antipodes!


Thank you for your office's kind ongoing support.


This email is to inform you that I have been strengthening our inter-city World Expositions links, furthered through my representation as an Observer for Brisbane City at last year's Assembly of the Association of Expo Cities and Regions at Shanghai World Expo 2010, kindly arranged through your office, with a brief meeting today with Mayor of Yeosu City, Mr Kim Chung-seog, at the Asia Pacific Cities Summit, at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre earlier today.


Mr Kim was a speaker at the Summit, and I was able to attend for his paper, which was a presentation/progress report on Yeosu Expo 2012, and included a brief speech by Mr Kim, as well as a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation.


It was a pleasure to meet Mr Kim and his delegation again after our inaugural meeting at A.V.E. in Shanghai and further the important links between World Expo '88 and Expo 2012.


As you may also know, it is heartening that Australia has decided to be represented at Yeosu, just recently, which was further to several emails lobbying my local Federal member of Parliament, marked in attention to our Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Mr Kevin Rudd MP, our former Prime Minister. As you may know, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade looks after Australia's representation at World Expositions.


Foundation Expo '88 wishes to take this opportunity to thank the BIE again for facilitating these important Expo City links through A.V.E. and looks forward to either accompanying the Brisbane City delegation or, once again representing Brisbane City as an Observer at A.V.E. at Yeosu.


Brisbane is yet to ratify it's membership of A.V.E., but please be assured that Foundation Expo '88 shall continue to do it's utmost to see Brisbane City's official ratification of it's membership, and until that time shall seek to represent Brisbane as an Observer at future A.V.E. Assemblies, in order to further this cause, through which I shall no doubt be seeking once again your office's kind support.


With thanks, and with warmest regards to your Bureau staff,




John R McGregor
Executive Director Foundation Expo '88


http://www.foundationexpo88.org


Brisbane, Queensland, Australia


Co-host The World's Fair Podcast
http://www.worldsfairpodcast.com


http://www.facebook.com/foundationexpo88/
http://twitter.com/fexpo88/

http://worldexpositionssnapshot.blogspot.com


Tel +61417 434105


"It is a great and glorious end to bless the sons of man,
And meet for peace and doing good, in kindness, while we can;
It is a greater, and more blest, the human heart to raise
Up to the God who giveth all, with gratitude and praise."

Excerpt from prose by Martin Tupper Farquhar, on the 1851 London Crystal Palace Exhibition