By Zhang Dingguo

Corporate pavilions in Expo

In the early World Expos, national pavilions were always the highlight. Although the latest science and technological achievements and products displayed in the Expo were mostly from enterprises, the enterprises didn’t have their own pavilions. It was not until the Expo Chicago in 1933 that corporate pavilions entered the Expo stage. But at that time, the few corporate pavilions didn’t attract much attention. Expo 1985 Tsukuba, some large corporations from Japan featured their high technologies and advanced products and their pavilions attracted many people. Hence, corporate pavilions started getting important in Expo. Expo 2000 Hanover the first time this exhibition giant hosted for World expo, many German enterprises built their own pavilions and became a generic part of the illustration of Expo theme.

Corporate pavilions, highlight of Expo

Along with the rapid development of world economics, the opportunities brought to enterprises by World Expo have attracted attention from many world famous corporations. These enterprises gradually realized the significance of World Expo in terms of establishing and promoting their images globally. Under this background, corporate pavilions appeared in World Expos with unseen sizes and started getting more and more important. Some corporate pavilions have even become a signature part of World Expo, especially the ones in Expo 2005 Aichi.

Japan has rich experience in holding World Expos and long-term corporate participation. Hence, each corporate pavilion in Expo Aichi had their clear themes. However, those themes were not randomly set. Rather, they were based on the theme of“Nature’s wisdom”the corporation’s cultural and industrial features, designed by professional creative team. The themes of these corporate pavilions did not overlap and each became a good compliment of the World Expo theme with its unique angle.

In terms of display contents, some corporations summarized contents from industrial development history; some highlighted their industrial features or advanced technologies; some illustrated the global environment situation and serious problems in the future. Each pavilion was unique and amazing in illustrating the Expo theme of“Nature’s wisdom”.

In terms of display forms, every corporation invested a lot of time and energy. They utilized the most advanced display technological methods and let the audiences appreciate the exhibitions.

In terms of pavilion construction, the corporations paid much attention to environmental issues. The buildings, based on the basic idea of“earth recyclable pavilion”, were built with recyclable and biodegradable materials such as recyclable paper and plastic bottles, through which zero construction wastes would be achieved. Moreover, the pavilions tried their best to utilize wind power generator and solar cell unit outside the pavilion. They tried to result in zero CO2 exhaust. Some pavilions even used recyclable water and planted exterior side to reduce temperature, reducing air-condition burden.

In terms of details, the pavilion builders paid attention to facilities for visitors. All kinds of handicapped facilities were set; special sun protection facilities were set for queued people; some pavilions even saved large space for visitors to rest.

Compared to other pavilions, corporate pavilions are less limited by political and cultural factors, hence it is much easier to illustrate the theme directly, which makes the comprehensive design more visually shocking than national pavilions and the communicated languages and information richer and more innovative. Almost all corporate pavilions were filled with people due to these attractive effects and humanitarian methods.

Corporate pavilions, more exciting in 2010

Expo 2010 Shanghai will be the largest forum in Expo history and it is certainly the best chance and platform for any enterprises to present corporate images. Such opportunities will provide unlimited motivation for corporations’further developments. Then, how should the participating corporations treat this opportunity? This issue is presented in front of various participating enterprises and has raised attention from relevant personnel. In order to build a successful corporate pavilion, the corporation should pay attention to the utilization of advanced technologies, the organization of professional team and the professional innovation of design plan in addition to illustrating the Expo theme.

World Expo is neither a traditional exhibition nor a professional symposium. Hence, the Expo corporate pavilion should not be a comprehensive display hall for enterprises, but an innovative, educational, artistic and emotional space surrounding the Expo theme. The corporate pavilion should be based on the corporation’s understanding of Expo theme rather than directly introducing corporation’s products and services. Therefore, the corporate should creatively choose its theme and content, rather than being limited by the industry. The enterprise should surround the Expo theme and sub themes and utilize its own resources and advantages, in combination with its culture and idea, to display and reflect its understanding of the Expo theme.

World Expo is a large stage filled with innovative ideas and the use of advanced technologies will make the exhibition more attractive. Whether the corporation wants to show its technological highlights or use high-tech display methods, it should generically combine the content and the form under the big idea of illustration the theme so that the visitors would not feel like visiting the corporation’s technological promotion activities.

World Expo pavilion is a comprehensive system project and requires co-operation from various sides. Hence, it is necessary to build a comprehensive team with various professionals. The members should mainly contain the corporation’s own staff, professional exhibition design company, advertisement company, architectural (environmental) design firm and multi-media special effect production team, etc. In the design stage, the designer-in-general will plan with the corporation’s representative and the core team of the exhibition and advertisement companies. Meanwhile, architectural and multi-media experts would provide suggestions and technological supports. The decision of the designer-in-general -- whether an expert from exhibition or performance companies -- should be made by the corporation pavilion’s theme and innovation. For example, the director-in-general of Toyota pavilion of Expo Aichi was French space director, Yves Pépin who specializes in designing large performances with sound and light special effects, since there were robot band performances.

Our enterprises usually participate in some commercial exhibitions, co-coordinated by marketing departments. But World Expo is different from the normal exhibition designs. It is much more complicated and has more strictly terms of scientific and systematic requirements. In terms of exhibition design plan, it should contain not only the design, but also detailed planning of the exhibition. Such plan can be divided into idea and operational layers which each contain some specific contents. On the idea lave, the designers should set exhibition plan objective, idea, content and principle for choice of forms, exhibition contents and intent of design. In terms of the operational level, the designers should set up exhibition division, arrangement of space, visiting routes, crowd forms, visiting time arrangement, crowd control method, flow evaluation and visitors’emotions. The exhibition can only be successful with comprehensive plan and consideration.

Expo 2010 Shanghai is an opportunity as well as challenge for China, which have never held any comprehensive World Expos. And the same goes to the enterprises that have never participated in World Expos. We hope that our corporate pavilions would become a highlight in Expo Shanghai zone as well as in the world. We hope they would be the strong backdrops for Chinese enterprises to enter the global stage.