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Business Connections
Connect with Australia China businesses through our online marketplace. Job Connections
A new way for Australians and Chinese to find employment in each others countries.
Events Connections
Click images below for the many EVENTS in China and Australia
Book Connections
The site to find the many books on China.
Back Issues
| The countdown begins | | Print | |
| Sep / Oct 2008 | |||
 Commissioner-General for Australia and Executive Director of DFAT's Shanghai World Expo 2010 Unit, Peter Tesch, gives an update on Australia's plans and prejparations for the Shanghai World Expo 2010.People wonder why, in this digitally connected age, world expos still matter. Debate will probably continue, but world expos have been around since the 1851 Crystal Palace exhibition in London and countries continue to compete vigorously to host one because they provide an opportunity, over a sustained period, to showcase the host and participating nations in a very accessible way. Nothing has yet matched the ability of expos to connect people directly, enabling them to experience a range of cultures in a dynamic environment. The Shanghai World Expo, now less than 20 months away, shows the enormous global appeal expos still have today. From May 1 to October 31 2010, up to 80 million people are expected to visit the expo park, where more than 175 nations and 40 international organisations will be represented. Shanghai 2010 will indeed be the largest world expo in history. Australia has been a strong player at previous expos, including Hannover (2000) and Aichi (2005), and our plans for our A$83 million presence at Shanghai, the Government's highest level of investment in any expo, and the largest undertaking in the Australia-China relationship, are advancing well. At a ceremony in Shanghai on July 3, 2008, Australia marked a critical milestone, becoming the 50th country to sign its contract of participation with the Expo Bureau. The event attracted broad media interest in Shanghai, so there can be no doubt in people's minds that Australia is intent on mounting a substantial, high-quality presence - a commitment made clear at the ceremony by Prime Minister Rudd, in a recorded video message which he delivered in Mandarin. We have secured a prime, 4800-square metre site at the heart of the expo, not far from the China pavilion, and in the good company of neighbouring pavilions that include Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and New Zealand. You may ask what Australia's expo presence offers you, as someone active in the China market. As you read this, we are nearing the conclusion of our extensive procurement process, which we have promoted actively throughout Australia and through the networks of the ACBC and Australian Chambers of Commerce in Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong. By the end of August we will have released five of the six tenders for the project. As the AustCham members who attended our China briefings in early July will recall, the first, for pavilion design, was awarded in July 2007 to Melbourne-based company Think OTS in conjunction with Wood Marsh Architects. Momentum has built since the release of the second tender, in May, for Communications and Public Affairs services. August sees the close of the third and largest tender, Construction, Exhibition and Technical Operations and the release of the fourth and fifth tenders - Staffing, Retail and Operations and the Cultural Program. We look forward to introducing the winning tenderers in future issues of Australia China Connections. The sixth and final tender, for decommissioning, is scheduled for release by March 2009. But the benefits to Australian business in China go well beyond procurement. Working closely with our government and industry stakeholders, we are developing a business program geared towards advancing Australia's commercial interests and enhancing the bilateral relationship. Held in the impressive VIP area, the program will consist of some 200 events over 184 days, including business networking functions, trade and investment seminars, ministerial-led trade missions, events for our sponsors, and sectoral promotions.  Collectively, these will highlight Australian capabilities in key industry sectors ranging from minerals and energy (including clean and renewable energy technologies), through food and agribusiness to services such as legal, financial, tourism, education and design and urban planning. The Government, which has committed A$61 million to the project, announced in May that it would seek an estimated $22 million in sponsorship. That strategy is being developed, and we expect that more information about the opportunities and benefits will be made public in the coming months. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) - which is leading this project on behalf of Government - will continue to engage with stakeholders, both in Australia and China, as this exciting project progresses. Eighty weeks is not a great deal of time to complete our ambitious project - but it is enough lead time for you to consider how you might take advantage of the opportunities the expo affords. If you're active in the China market, or in Australia-China relations, you should consider how this might be part of your country strategy in 2010. ■ Shanghai World Expo 2010 Unit Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Barton ACT 0221 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it T: +61 (0)2 6261 1844 W: www.expo2010.com.au
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