May 1 2010 sees China open its doors for another global event, the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. With a history extending back to the World Fair in London in 1851, the Shanghai Expo is the latest edition of the once every five years event and is the second consecutive Expo to be held in Asia, the last being in Aichi Japan in 2005. 200 countries are participating in the Expo this year which promises to attract 70 million people over the six months the fair is open, largely from Mainland China. The organization of the event has not been without its controversies. Some countries have been slow to confirm their participation. There have been reports of difficulties in funding pavilions and more recently questions have been raised over whether some pavilions will be finished on time. Here we ask team members engaged in Expo work to provide a look at the event from the inside to see what PR opportunities the show offers as well as the challenges to contend with.

Dr. Simeon Mellalieu

general manager

Ketchum Hong Kong

Simeon Mellalieu (SM): I think the Expo has been on the communications calendars of many companies for some time. But many have found it baffling – who’s coming, what’s on show, what’s the opportunity? In the planning process you may feel on safer ground with something more familiar like the Olympic Games, but for many there have been more uncertainties trying to plan around the Expo.

William Li

account director

Ketchum Shanghai

William Li (WL): The biggest challenge is really cutting through the noise that the event will generate. Each pavilion has its own PR program and there are sponsors in each all looking for a piece of the action. Timing will be critical as well as coming up with something meaningful that captures attention.

WL: I’d also say: work with the Expo Media Center to get your message to the broader media in attendance. Building relationships with key influential media involved in the Expo will also be important rather than spreading yourself too thin trying to engage the thousands of journalists expected to attend.

SM: Over a six-month period there will be many opportunities to zero in on different target audiences, potentially in many different ways. We have clients whose communications come to a crescendo at the very end of the event. We don’t see this as necessarily a bad thing. Good ideas well executed will always rise to the top.

Ketchum at World Expo

Teams from Ketchum will be active through the duration of the Expo supporting both government organizers and corporate sponsors of pavilions. Clients include:

• BASF

• Hong Kong SAR Government

• Jaguar Land Rover