Over the next six months 70 million people are expected to attend the 528 hectare site in the middle of Shanghai.
But what does this mean to New Zealand businesses, and how will we benefit from an event featuring the world’s most innovative economic, scientific, technological developments and cultural experiences?
Is it even relevant to New Zealand?
“Absolutely,” says Phillip Gibson, New Zealand’s commissioner-general at the Expo.
"The Shanghai Expo will be the biggest and possibly the most important in history. It will provide us with a unique opportunity to position New Zealand in a market that is increasingly critical to our prosperity.
"It will give New Zealand businesses a platform to develop and strengthen trade links with the world’s most dynamic economy,” Mr Gibson says.
Along with the Beijing Olympic Games, this year’s Expo marks China’s re-emergence onto world stage. Traditionally western countries have held the economic power, but there has been shift to East Asia, which has enormous implications to New Zealand.
Following the introduction of the Free Trade Agreement in 2007, China is now New Zealand’s second largest trading partner and second largest export market, having recently taken over from the United States.
A strategic opportunity for NZ Inc
“New Zealand’s presence in Shanghai presents a strategic opportunity to present ‘New Zealand Inc’ to China and the rest of the world. This is not a trade fair – it’s bigger than that. Our pavilion showcases New Zealand as a clean, green, vibrant, smart, innovative, great place to do business, for education, or to visit as a tourist,” says Mr Gibson.
With a sophisticated and extensive communications strategy in place reinforcing New Zealand’s political trade and economic messaging, the Expo presents significant leveraging opportunities for New Zealand companies to strategically position themselves in the Chinese market.
With a number of carefully designed sectoral trade missions including fish, meat, aviation, ICT, education, Maori interests, and tourism, and seven regional missions from all over New Zealand, there is a series of planned activities and events that will leverage involvement for New Zealand businesses.
“We have more than 200 functions already booked at the VIP pavilion, involving nearly 7000 guests, each of whom will experience the very best of New Zealand’s food and beverage. This represents significant use of the pavilion as leverage for participating companies,” says Mr Gibson.
The visually striking pavilion holds a 200sqm site located in one of the prime positions at the Expo, close to the host country's pavilion. It is adjacent to the main walkway and will be seen by virtually every visitor to the Expo.
