Sweden Develops Virtual World Expo

One more case for Spirit of Innovation

SHANGHAI, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- 2010 Shanghai World Expo will soon close but the Expo will continue. Swedish Pavilion today unveils a virtual Expo project that will be available for a global audience on the Internet, free of charge in 2011. The project is an initiative from Sweden and accepted by BIE, the official international exhibitions bureau. This is just one more case of Spirit of Innovation of the Sweden Expo.

The virtual World Expo will be a continuing Expo that gives the nations of the world a common Internet-based channel for communicating their visions. It can be visited by anyone, at any time, free of charge. The premiere is set to occur in 2011.

"This is an important but natural step for the World Expo tradition. It will serve as a great complement to the physical Expos. BIE have an ongoing dialogue with the Stockholm-based development team," said Mr Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales, general secretary of BIE.

The virtual Expo venue is located on the inside of a sphere of 1,000 meters in diameter with a surface of 315 hectares. The area offers a unique visiting experience and can contain pavilions from all countries of the world as well as numerous other attractions. There are 25 nations that are estimated to participate from the beginning and all contributors are asked to share their participation under a general theme of Human Balance. A Swedish pilot pavilion is currently under construction.

"The Swedish pilot pavilion should act as an inspiration and support to other nations' pavilion projects as well as being a showcase to demonstrate the full potential and benefits of the project," said Mr Staffan Bjork, Senior Advisor at Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The project will be run by Expo Unlimited on commission by BIE. Initial financing amounts to SEK 1,500,000 from BIE and the Swedish government, respectively. A development center has been established in Stockholm, Sweden.

"World Expos are global meeting places and our mission is to make these available for a global audience, in a way which hasn't been possible before. The virtual Expo will increase interest in, and rejuvenate the image of the World Exhibition," said Mr Gunnar Linden, CEO of Expo Unlimited.

For more information: http://expounlimited.se/

About BIE, The bureau International des Expositions

International Exhibitions Bureau was established by a diplomatic international Convention, signed in Paris, in 1928. BIE oversees the calendar, the bidding, the selection and the organization of World Expositions; and establishes a regulatory framework under which Expo organizers and participants may work together. Two types of Expositions are regulated by BIE: Registered Exhibitions (commonly called World Expos) and Recognized Exhibitions (commonly called International or Specialized Expositions). Today BIE has 157 member states.

www.bie-paris.org

About The Virtual World Expo

The Virtual World Expo will be a continuing world Expo that can be visited at any time, free of charge. The general theme of The Expo is Human Balance. The Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs cooperates with BIE in establishing the virtual World Expo, and a development centre for managing the project will be set up in Stockholm, Sweden managed by Expo Unlimited Sweden AB.

www.expounlimited.se

About Stockholm Business Region

Stockholm Business Region is the official investment promotion agency for the Stockholm region, one of Europe's most dynamic regions. With continual high growth, world-leading clusters within life science and ICT, and as a centre for fashion and design, Stockholm is the natural capital of Scandinavia.

www.stockholmbusinessregion.com