Expo Milano 2015 aims to be more than a vanity project as it sets its sights on solving some of the planet’s fundamental problems, as Piero Galli explains
By Alice Davis | Published in Attractions Management 2015 issue 2
Piero Galli, general manager of the Expo’s event management division
Expo Milano 2015 kicked off on 1 May, promising to be an exceptional world fair. The Expo, which is taking place on a 200 hectare (490 acre) site about 15km (10 miles) northwest of Milan in Lombardy, Italy, features 145 participating countries and expects around 20 million visitors over its six-month run.
The Expo hopes to confront issues around agriculture, sustainable development and energy conservation, inviting the countries of the world to showcase the best in technology and innovation to guarantee the food supply the global population needs. The theme is Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life.
The event is being managed by Expo 2015 SpA, led by CEO Giuseppe Sala. The team’s expertise cover event management, marketing and design. Expo Milano is supported by the Italian government and the regional governments of Lombardy and the municipality and province of Milan.
Public investment in the Expo is €1.3bn ($1.4bn, £950m), which is within the planned budget of €1.6bn ($1.7bn, £1.2bn) proposed in 2012. According to the organisers, operating costs of €800m ($869m, £584m) are balanced with €800m in revenues received from sponsors, ticket sales and merchandise.
Official participants have invested approximately €1bn ($1.1bn, £730m). Italy’s Chamber of Commerce and the University Bocconi in Milan have estimated the Expo is worth an extra €10bn ($11bn, £7.3bn) to the Italian economy and €5bn ($5.4bn, £3.7bn) to the tourism sector. It’s thought the Expo will create more than 60,000 direct and indirect jobs.
FEEDING THE PLANET “With the theme of Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life, Expo Milano 2015 provides an opportunity to reflect upon and seek solutions to the contradictions of our world,” says Piero Galli, general manager of the Expo’s event management division.
“There were approximately 870 million people undernourished in the period 2010 to 2012. During the same time period, approximately 2.8 million deaths from diseases related to obesity or to being overweight occurred,” he says.
“In addition, about 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted every year,” says Galli. “We need to make conscious political choices, develop sustainable lifestyles, and use the best technology to create a balance between the availability and the consumption of resources.”
“While the central theme is nutrition – human nutrition, first and foremost – it also focuses on nurturing the environment in which we live, the place where the food we eat comes from,” says Galli.
Milan and its home region of Lombardy make a prime place to begin to tackle the topic of food, and Italy’s contributions to global cuisine are well known.
“In Milan and Lombardy, there are 60,000 prestigious agricultural production companies and another 20,000 businesses involved in food processing and nutrition,” says Galli. “They are ready to meet the challenges of the Expo’s theme in a skilled, capable way, representing an Italian tradition that has been exported to the whole world as a true model of food and culture.”
Galli points out that Expo Milano is placing a strong emphasis on creating a collaborative and educational environment for the exchange of ideas in a serious effort to search for solutions.
“The Expo offers a unique, unrepeatable opportunity to create concrete solutions to nurture our planet and its inhabitants in a proper, healthy, sufficient and sustainable manner. It’s a global and interactive event, whose key players are 145 participating countries, international organisations, civil society associations, the international scientific and economic communities.”
Demonstrating this commitment, the theme of the Expo has been closely linked with the work of the UN. UN General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon has already tied the world fair to the Millennium Development Goals – the deadline for them is also this year.
After the Expo, citizens, institutions, companies, associations, academia and international organisations will sign the Charter of Milan, which will be delivered in October to Ban Ki-moon, linking the Expo to the Millennium Development Goals.
FROM NEAR AND FAR As Italy is the fifth-most popular tourist destination in the world, attracting 49 million visitors per year, Expo Milano has made a particular effort to appeal to visitors from abroad. “We expect 40 per cent of the tickets, 8 million out of 20 million, to be sold abroad,” Galli says. “We estimate one in five Italian citizens on average will visit the Expo, while in the Lombardy region the estimated rate is that at least every second person will visit.” During the Expo, which runs until 31 October, Galli says up to 250,000 people could visit on the busiest days. “Including the national and corporate pavilions, five thematic areas and nine ‘clusters’ – shared exhibition areas for countries that don’t have their own pavilion – there are 90 buildings to see. To see the whole Expo, a visitor would need a week,” he says.
VISITOR EXPERIENCE For visitors, Galli says the content has been divided into two formats that will appeal to different levels and styles of engagement: experiences and focuses.
‘Experiences’ are aimed at people searching leisure, fun and entertainment. ‘Focuses’ are in-depth analyses of the challenges of feeding the planet.
The ‘experiences’ are organised by theme, and include topics such as food, family and lifestyle. The food theme, for example, involves 26 million meals being distributed over the course of the Expo, with cuisines from around the world on offer. The Supermarket of the Future is also part of the food experience, showing how food might one day be produced and consumed. Visitors can also learn about the Slow Food movement and food biodiversity.
The lifestyle theme promotes campaigns around the message of the Expo, such as the legacy of the Expo and the art and photography exhibits taking place. There’ll also be live entertainment, such as the Cirque du Soleil and music concerts.
For deeper insights, three ‘focuses’ include debates, talks and conferences. “The first focus tells the story of man and food. It shows the contemporary paradox of abundance and shortage, explains what the future of food will be, analyses why a fair world originates from the production of sustainable food, highlights the relationship between taste and knowledge,” says Galli.
The second focus looks at food groups and agricultural zones, while the third focus is on special projects such as the UN’s Blue Spoon Against Hunger installation.
WIDER EFFECTS Of course, it’s good news for Italy and tourism. There should be an influx of visitors for years to come. However, beyond the exposition itself and the signing of the Charter of Milan (which Italy will propose to the world on the big global questions relating to food), Expo Milano also hopes to promote collaboration between people and nations.
“For the first time in its history, the Expo won’t simply be an exhibition of human progress, but a chance for discussion and cooperation between nations, organisations and businesses to develop joint strategies to improve quality of life and support the environment,” Galli says. “It’s a platform to share ideas and solutions on the topic of nutrition; it’s a way to stimulate creativity and innovation in companies.”
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Interview: Marty Sklar
Retired Disney Legend Marty Sklar
reveals the secrets of Imagineering,
the legacy of the 1964 World’s Fair
and the lessons he learned as
Walt Disney’s “keeper of the keys”
Talking Point: The $100 Barrier
As a Walt Disney World day ticket
enters three-digit territory for
the first time, we ask what this
means for pricing in the sector
Museums: Biomuseo
Panama has opened the world’s first
museum of biodiversity, an ambitious
building by architect Frank Gehry. We
meet the team behind the project
Expos: Food for Thought
Expo Milano 2015 launches in Italy,
aiming to bring the planet’s most
pressing problems to the fore, not least
how to provide food for everybody
Zoos & Aquariums: On the SAFE Side
AZA chair Dennis Pate explains a new
initiative designed to help endangered
animals, and offers some tips from
his world-class Henry Doorly zoo
Promotional feature: IDEATTACK
IDEATTACK is a creative maverick with a
new perspective, bringing custom-made
one-of-a-kind attractions typologies to
a world that needs something di�fferent
Rides: The Ride Makers
In the third part of our series, we look at
the enduring appeal of wooden coasters
Ticketing: Dream Tickets
Ticketing systems are advancing to
improve the guest’s experience and the
operator’s profit. We investigate the
sector’s current and upcoming trends
Expo organisers say that procedures and strategies are in place to prevent the site becoming derelict or abandoned after its October finale. The site itself, a statement from the Expo says, “will be ready to host a new city area of technology and innovation, with perfect infrastructure, green spaces, environmentally friendly materials and renewable energy.”
All countries were asked to build their pavilions in a sustainable way, where they can be disassembled and recycled. Countries like the UAE and Azerbaijan have planned to return their pavilions home as landmarks. In Milan, certain Italian pavilions will remain on the exhibition site after the Expo is over, such as Palazzo Italia, which will become Milan’s centre of technological innovation.
Expo Milano 2015
A rendering of a floating greenhouse, named Jellyfish Barge, in the thematic Future Food District area of the Expo
imagery shows the designs submitted from France for the herb and hop-covered French pavilion
United Arab Emirates pavilion
Pavilion Zero, which is the introductory stop at the Expo, and tells the story of humankind
Austria’s pavilion is named Breathe
The Supermarket of the Future is central to the Expo, featuring data analytics, robots and interactive technologies
ABB’s robots will interact with guests to select products based on data about characteristics, origin and history
Exploring the crucial role of a bee colony in the global ecosystem, artist Wolfgang Buttress and architects BDP created a hive structure as the centrepiece of the UK pavilion at the Expo / photo: Hufton+Crow
Exploring the crucial role of a bee colony in the global ecosystem, artist Wolfgang Buttress and architects BDP created a hive structure as the centrepiece of the UK pavilion at the Expo / photo: Hufton+Crow
Global ecosystem, artist Wolfgang Buttress / MELTON ORIGINAL PORTRAITS
Expo Milano 2015 aims to be more than a vanity project as it sets its sights on solving some of the planet’s fundamental problems, as Piero Galli explains
By Alice Davis | Published in Attractions Management 2015 issue 2
Piero Galli, general manager of the Expo’s event management division
Expo Milano 2015 kicked off on 1 May, promising to be an exceptional world fair. The Expo, which is taking place on a 200 hectare (490 acre) site about 15km (10 miles) northwest of Milan in Lombardy, Italy, features 145 participating countries and expects around 20 million visitors over its six-month run.
The Expo hopes to confront issues around agriculture, sustainable development and energy conservation, inviting the countries of the world to showcase the best in technology and innovation to guarantee the food supply the global population needs. The theme is Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life.
The event is being managed by Expo 2015 SpA, led by CEO Giuseppe Sala. The team’s expertise cover event management, marketing and design. Expo Milano is supported by the Italian government and the regional governments of Lombardy and the municipality and province of Milan.
Public investment in the Expo is €1.3bn ($1.4bn, £950m), which is within the planned budget of €1.6bn ($1.7bn, £1.2bn) proposed in 2012. According to the organisers, operating costs of €800m ($869m, £584m) are balanced with €800m in revenues received from sponsors, ticket sales and merchandise.
Official participants have invested approximately €1bn ($1.1bn, £730m). Italy’s Chamber of Commerce and the University Bocconi in Milan have estimated the Expo is worth an extra €10bn ($11bn, £7.3bn) to the Italian economy and €5bn ($5.4bn, £3.7bn) to the tourism sector. It’s thought the Expo will create more than 60,000 direct and indirect jobs.
FEEDING THE PLANET “With the theme of Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life, Expo Milano 2015 provides an opportunity to reflect upon and seek solutions to the contradictions of our world,” says Piero Galli, general manager of the Expo’s event management division.
“There were approximately 870 million people undernourished in the period 2010 to 2012. During the same time period, approximately 2.8 million deaths from diseases related to obesity or to being overweight occurred,” he says.
“In addition, about 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted every year,” says Galli. “We need to make conscious political choices, develop sustainable lifestyles, and use the best technology to create a balance between the availability and the consumption of resources.”
“While the central theme is nutrition – human nutrition, first and foremost – it also focuses on nurturing the environment in which we live, the place where the food we eat comes from,” says Galli.
Milan and its home region of Lombardy make a prime place to begin to tackle the topic of food, and Italy’s contributions to global cuisine are well known.
“In Milan and Lombardy, there are 60,000 prestigious agricultural production companies and another 20,000 businesses involved in food processing and nutrition,” says Galli. “They are ready to meet the challenges of the Expo’s theme in a skilled, capable way, representing an Italian tradition that has been exported to the whole world as a true model of food and culture.”
Galli points out that Expo Milano is placing a strong emphasis on creating a collaborative and educational environment for the exchange of ideas in a serious effort to search for solutions.
“The Expo offers a unique, unrepeatable opportunity to create concrete solutions to nurture our planet and its inhabitants in a proper, healthy, sufficient and sustainable manner. It’s a global and interactive event, whose key players are 145 participating countries, international organisations, civil society associations, the international scientific and economic communities.”
Demonstrating this commitment, the theme of the Expo has been closely linked with the work of the UN. UN General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon has already tied the world fair to the Millennium Development Goals – the deadline for them is also this year.
After the Expo, citizens, institutions, companies, associations, academia and international organisations will sign the Charter of Milan, which will be delivered in October to Ban Ki-moon, linking the Expo to the Millennium Development Goals.
FROM NEAR AND FAR As Italy is the fifth-most popular tourist destination in the world, attracting 49 million visitors per year, Expo Milano has made a particular effort to appeal to visitors from abroad. “We expect 40 per cent of the tickets, 8 million out of 20 million, to be sold abroad,” Galli says. “We estimate one in five Italian citizens on average will visit the Expo, while in the Lombardy region the estimated rate is that at least every second person will visit.” During the Expo, which runs until 31 October, Galli says up to 250,000 people could visit on the busiest days. “Including the national and corporate pavilions, five thematic areas and nine ‘clusters’ – shared exhibition areas for countries that don’t have their own pavilion – there are 90 buildings to see. To see the whole Expo, a visitor would need a week,” he says.
VISITOR EXPERIENCE For visitors, Galli says the content has been divided into two formats that will appeal to different levels and styles of engagement: experiences and focuses.
‘Experiences’ are aimed at people searching leisure, fun and entertainment. ‘Focuses’ are in-depth analyses of the challenges of feeding the planet.
The ‘experiences’ are organised by theme, and include topics such as food, family and lifestyle. The food theme, for example, involves 26 million meals being distributed over the course of the Expo, with cuisines from around the world on offer. The Supermarket of the Future is also part of the food experience, showing how food might one day be produced and consumed. Visitors can also learn about the Slow Food movement and food biodiversity.
The lifestyle theme promotes campaigns around the message of the Expo, such as the legacy of the Expo and the art and photography exhibits taking place. There’ll also be live entertainment, such as the Cirque du Soleil and music concerts.
For deeper insights, three ‘focuses’ include debates, talks and conferences. “The first focus tells the story of man and food. It shows the contemporary paradox of abundance and shortage, explains what the future of food will be, analyses why a fair world originates from the production of sustainable food, highlights the relationship between taste and knowledge,” says Galli.
The second focus looks at food groups and agricultural zones, while the third focus is on special projects such as the UN’s Blue Spoon Against Hunger installation.
WIDER EFFECTS Of course, it’s good news for Italy and tourism. There should be an influx of visitors for years to come. However, beyond the exposition itself and the signing of the Charter of Milan (which Italy will propose to the world on the big global questions relating to food), Expo Milano also hopes to promote collaboration between people and nations.
“For the first time in its history, the Expo won’t simply be an exhibition of human progress, but a chance for discussion and cooperation between nations, organisations and businesses to develop joint strategies to improve quality of life and support the environment,” Galli says. “It’s a platform to share ideas and solutions on the topic of nutrition; it’s a way to stimulate creativity and innovation in companies.”
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Interview: Marty Sklar
Retired Disney Legend Marty Sklar
reveals the secrets of Imagineering,
the legacy of the 1964 World’s Fair
and the lessons he learned as
Walt Disney’s “keeper of the keys”
Talking Point: The $100 Barrier
As a Walt Disney World day ticket
enters three-digit territory for
the first time, we ask what this
means for pricing in the sector
Museums: Biomuseo
Panama has opened the world’s first
museum of biodiversity, an ambitious
building by architect Frank Gehry. We
meet the team behind the project
Expos: Food for Thought
Expo Milano 2015 launches in Italy,
aiming to bring the planet’s most
pressing problems to the fore, not least
how to provide food for everybody
Zoos & Aquariums: On the SAFE Side
AZA chair Dennis Pate explains a new
initiative designed to help endangered
animals, and offers some tips from
his world-class Henry Doorly zoo
Promotional feature: IDEATTACK
IDEATTACK is a creative maverick with a
new perspective, bringing custom-made
one-of-a-kind attractions typologies to
a world that needs something di�fferent
Rides: The Ride Makers
In the third part of our series, we look at
the enduring appeal of wooden coasters
Ticketing: Dream Tickets
Ticketing systems are advancing to
improve the guest’s experience and the
operator’s profit. We investigate the
sector’s current and upcoming trends
Expo organisers say that procedures and strategies are in place to prevent the site becoming derelict or abandoned after its October finale. The site itself, a statement from the Expo says, “will be ready to host a new city area of technology and innovation, with perfect infrastructure, green spaces, environmentally friendly materials and renewable energy.”
All countries were asked to build their pavilions in a sustainable way, where they can be disassembled and recycled. Countries like the UAE and Azerbaijan have planned to return their pavilions home as landmarks. In Milan, certain Italian pavilions will remain on the exhibition site after the Expo is over, such as Palazzo Italia, which will become Milan’s centre of technological innovation.
Expo Milano 2015
A rendering of a floating greenhouse, named Jellyfish Barge, in the thematic Future Food District area of the Expo
imagery shows the designs submitted from France for the herb and hop-covered French pavilion
United Arab Emirates pavilion
Pavilion Zero, which is the introductory stop at the Expo, and tells the story of humankind
Austria’s pavilion is named Breathe
The Supermarket of the Future is central to the Expo, featuring data analytics, robots and interactive technologies
ABB’s robots will interact with guests to select products based on data about characteristics, origin and history
Exploring the crucial role of a bee colony in the global ecosystem, artist Wolfgang Buttress and architects BDP created a hive structure as the centrepiece of the UK pavilion at the Expo / photo: Hufton+Crow
Exploring the crucial role of a bee colony in the global ecosystem, artist Wolfgang Buttress and architects BDP created a hive structure as the centrepiece of the UK pavilion at the Expo / photo: Hufton+Crow
Global ecosystem, artist Wolfgang Buttress / MELTON ORIGINAL PORTRAITS
Global Wellness Day (GWD) will mark its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
Longevitix, a clinical platform for preventive and longevity medicine, has launched its AI-
powered intelligence system to help physicians deliver continuous, personalised longevity-
focused care at scale.
Atmantan Wellness Centre, an integrative wellness destination in Mulshi, near Pune in India, is
expanding its portfolio by adding a new centre in Hyderabad that will launch between 2028 and
2029.
A recent survey by the UK Spa Association (UKSA) into the industry’s approach to cancer care
has revealed that almost half of participating respondents (46 per cent) are unaware that
cancer is a disability and guests with a cancer diagnosis must be given
