Bureau of International Expositions
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bureau International des Expositions | |
|---|---|
| Formation | 22 November 1928 |
| Type | Expositions |
| Headquarters |  Paris, France |
| Membership | 152 members |
| President | Jean-Pierre Lafon |
| Website | http://www.bie-paris.org/ |
The International Exhibitions Bureau (or Bureau International des Expositions) is the governing body of World's Fairs (Expos or World Fairs). The BIE was established by an international Convention signed in Paris on 22 November 1928, with the following goals:
1. to oversee the calendar, the bidding, the selection and the organisation of Expos;
2. to establish a framework allowing Countries to cooperate under the best conditions as organisers of Expos or as participants through national pavilions.
To date, 152 member countries have adhered to the BIE Convention.
The BIE regulates two types of Expos: International Registered Exhibitions (commonly called Universal Expos), and International Recognized Exhibitions (commonly called Thematic or International Expos).
Contents |
[edit] Universal Expos
Universal Expos occur every five years, lasting six months. Countries, international organizations, civil societies, and corporations are allowed to participate in universal expos. The themes of universal expos must have universal themes, and the participants must design and build their own pavilions. The size of the pavilions is determined by the Expo and there are no restrictions on the site. The host cities are usually cities (mostly capital cities) hoping to advance urban revitalization.
[edit] Thematic/International Expos
Thematic/International Expos occur between two universal expos and last for three months. Countries, international organizations, civil societies, and corporations are allowed to participate but the expo must have a precise character for its theme. The pavilions are built by the hosts and not the participants, and there is no rent or charge for pavilions. Nevertheless, the largest pavilion may be no larger than 1000 square meters, and the site of the fair must not exceed an area of twenty-five hectares. The host city is typically a city wanting to establish themselves on the world stage.
[edit] Special Expos
There have been some specialized expos in which countries have built their own pavilions (Liège 1939 was such an event). The Seattle Century 21 Exposition 1962 was a "universal" exposition (General Exposition 2nd category), in the same category as Paris 1937 and the 1939 New York World's Fair, and thus, according to the rules, countries should not have been allowed to build their own pavilions.
[edit] Additional Facts
The second category phase came under the 1972 protocol - which was first used after Expo '75. Under that system there were just 2 types, Universal (the 1st and 2nd categories were combined) and International (or specialized). Under this system, each country could build its own pavilion at a universal expo, but buildings could be provided for poorer countries. At an international expo, the expo built the pavilions. Also, the theme at a universal expo was larger or more open. Only Expo '92 in Seville and Expo 2000 in Hanover have been held in this category. Both Genoa Expo '92 and Taejon Expo '93 were held as "test runs" for this type. BIE considered Lisbon's Expo '98 to be the best expo in Expo history.[citation needed]
[edit] USA membership
The USA had its membership of the BIE withdrawn in June 2001. The cause was the non allocation of funds by the U.S. Congress for two years. However, no concrete reason for failing to pay membership has been given by the United States Congress, sometimes hinting that it was political that the United States is now no longer a member of the BIE. The online news source "Ranger" reported, "Indeed, world's fairs were seen as a joke by many; the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tenn., for instance, was the subject of ridicule in the 1996 episode of The Simpsons 'Bart on the Road.' This bad impression, a drive to save taxpayer money and increasing nationalism in America resulted in then-Secretary of State Colin Powell withdrawing the United States from the body governing World's Fairs, the Bureau of International Expositions, in 2001." [1]
In a letter from April 20, 2006, the secretary general of the BIE said, "As you are aware, the United States government withdrew from the BIE in June 2001. Citizens realize and would welcome the strong impact a World's Fair can have on their city, state and country. It would be wonderful to, once again, attend an Exhibition in the United States." [2] Participation in the BIE is controlled by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ San Antonio changes after HemisFair '68, speaker says
- ^ Letter from the BIE Secretariat to David Oats
