Australia has a significant national presence at the Shanghai World Expo 2010, which is expected to attract 70 to 80 million visitors and is the largest expo the world has ever seen.
From 1 May to 31 October 2010, Australia's visually striking national pavilion will showcase Australian innovation, creativity and achievement to some 7 million visitors mostly from mainland China - an average of 38,000 people on each of the 184 days of the expo.
Dynamic and engaging exhibits, an energetic team of bilingual staff, a rich cultural program and unique retail, food and beverage options will introduce visitors to the sights, sounds and tastes of Australia.
Targeted business promotion events in the pavilion's dedicated VIP area highlight Australian capability in key industry sectors, help to boost trade and two-way investment, and expand institutional and people-to-people links.
As a whole, the pavilion and its programs respond to the expo's 'Better City, Better Life' theme by focusing on Australia's cities - many consistently ranked as among the world's most liveable - and our smart solutions for urban living.
The Australian pavilion is located at the heart of the 5.28 square kilometre expo site, on the banks of the Huangpu River in downtown Shanghai. Australia is one of more than 190 nations taking part in the expo.
Click here to read the Australian pavilion theme statement and to hear or read the message from the former Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon Kevin Rudd MP.
Australia and world expos
World expos have taken place since the 1851 Crystal Palace exhibition in London and countries continue to compete vigorously to host them. They provide an opportunity, over a sustained period, to showcase the host country and participating nations in an accessible way. Nothing has yet matched the ability of world expos to enable people to experience a range of cultures in a dynamic environment.
Australia's participation in world expos is decided on a case-by-case basis. Over the past twenty years, Australia has been involved in six world expos: Tsukuba, Japan (1985); Vancouver, Canada (1986); Brisbane, Australia (1988); Seville, Spain (1992); Hanover, Germany (2000) and Aichi, Japan (2005).
World expos are now held every five years, last for up to six months, and are governed by the Bureau International des Exhibitions (BIE), of which Australia is a full voting member.
Australia last hosted a World Expo 1988 in Brisbane with the theme 'Leisure in the Age of Technology'. Oz Expo '88 featured 36 countries, 80 pavilions and attracted 18 million visitors, which was more than Australia's population at the time.
At the 2005 World Expo in Aichi, Japan, Australia's pavilion was one of the most popular national pavilions at the expo, consistently ranking in the top five in independent Japanese reports. Over 3.5 million people visited the multi-award-winning pavilion and more than 10,000 people attended nearly 220 trade, investment and sponsor-related events during the six-month expo period.