NZ to air Expo 2005 concept next month

By ELLEN READ

The concept for New Zealand's pavilion at the 2005 World Expo will be unveiled in Japan next month.

The international trade show will be held in Japan's prefecture of Aichi, the home of Toyota, 250km west of Tokyo.

New Zealand's ambassador to Japan, Phillip Gibson, has been seconded to the Government's Trade and Enterprise arm to run this country's $8.5 million project.

The expo's theme is "Nature's Wisdom" and exhibits are likely to push the "environmental yet technologically advanced" message.

So far, 125 countries, eight international organisations and numerous Japanese Government, corporate and non-Government organisations have signed up for Aichi 2005.

The expo is expected to attract 15 million visitors between March 25 and September 25. Seven million tickets have already been sold.

The official website explains the theme, saying Japan regrets having achieved its economic development by "inadvertently sacrificing human values on the altar of economic efficiency".

It says the theme was chosen in regret at the mistakes of the past and in determination to make a dream of fusing "Asia's traditional wisdom with modern science and technology to create a better world where humankind and nature can co-exist in harmony" come true.

Gibson said the New Zealand pavilion would reflect this - spreading a clean, green image through the use of top-level technology.

"New Zealand has a good brand image in Japan, green, beautiful and pure, but we also want to show there's a lot more to us than that," he said.

Wellington company Story Inc (which worked on Lord of the Rings) is managing and designing the pavilion's concept and mechanics.

Lots of film footage and interactive screens will be used to give visitors a glimpse of New Zealand.

The footage will give a bird's-eye view, travelling the length of the country through the four seasons and from dusk to dawn.

In keeping with the environmentally aware sentiment, the Aichi site will be flattened and returned to grassland after the expo. This continues Japan's eco-awareness - its pavilion at a previous expo in Germany was made entirely of recycled paper and after the expo was turned into school books.

Announcing the Government's funding last month Prime Minister Helen Clark said New Zealand would use the themes of environment and technology to promote "New Zealand Inc" - how the Government and private sector work together.

Gibson expanded on this during a trip to Auckland this week, saying business and trade links would be promoted alongside tourism, education and investment.

World expositions, known as expos, are held every few years. The first was in 1851 when 6 million people visited London's Crystal Palace.

The last, Expo 2000 in Hanover, was the world's biggest, 173 nations taking part on a 160ha site.

New Zealand, which had been one of the most popular exhibitors at the previous gathering, Expo '92 in Seville, Spain, was not there. Nor was the United States.

The German expo was held amid doubts about the wisdom of nations spending up large on expensive showpieces when the audience was restricted mainly to ticket-buying locals.

"To some, in a world shrinking through mass air travel and the internet, expos seem out-moded," the Herald said at the time.

New Zealand organisers are hoping that is not the case this time. On top of the Government money, discussions are under way with leading businesses to secure extra money.

Expo 2005

Dates: March 25-September 25, 2005

Location: Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

Participants: 125 countries, 8 international organisations

Projected number of visitors: 15 million