Experience-Driven Showcase [39]October 31: Milan Expo closes, Japan Pavilion wins Gold Prize at Pavilion Prize!
The Milan Expo, held in Milan, Italy, from May 1 to October 31, 2015, under the theme "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life," lasted 184 days and saw participation from approximately 140 countries, regions, and international organizations.
On the closing day, October 31, the Japan Pavilion staff saw off their final visitors, bringing the 184-day operation to a close. This article covers the closing of Expo Milano and the Japan Pavilion's win of the Gold Prize in the Pavilion Prize.
Edited and Compiled by: Aki Kanahara, Dentsu Inc. Event & Space Design Bureau
10% of Total Visitors Visited Japan Pavilion
During the event, the Japan Pavilion welcomed a total of 2.28 million visitors. With the total attendance for the entire Milan Expo reaching 21.5 million, this means one in ten visitors came to the Japan Pavilion.
The Japan Pavilion welcomed its 1 millionth visitor on August 12, its 1.5 millionth on September 17, and its 2 millionth on October 19. Toward the end of the event, the Japan Pavilion was filled daily with long queues of visitors waiting to enter.
Japan Pavilion Wins Gold Prize at Pavilion Prize!
The Japan Pavilion, one of the most popular pavilions at the Expo site, was recognized by experts for its "harmony" between nature and technology. It won the Gold Prize in the Exhibition Design category for self-built pavilions over 2,000 square meters in the Pavilion Prize, an award system organized by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE). The award ceremony took place on October 30.
The Japan Pavilion's Gold Prize win marked the first such achievement at a registered exposition (a large-scale World Expo held every five years). It also received high praise elsewhere, including winning the Best Presentation Award for Scene I "Harmony" at the Pavilion Awards by EXHIBITOR Magazine (USA) and receiving an award at the Expo Pavilion Heritage Awards by Classeditori (Italy).
Furthermore, Italy's national newspaper Corriere della Sera featured the Japan Pavilion as the most popular pavilion.
The closing ceremony brought together all of Japan. Our gratitude to everyone involved!
At the closing ceremony, attendees included Takayuki Yano, Chief Director for the overall production, exhibition design, and construction supervision handled by Dentsu Inc.; Anna Maria Maroni of Takenaka Europe for architectural work; Yoshihide Fujikawa of Asatsu-DK for operational management; Shuichi Kaneda from Hakuhodo for PR operations, Ryuhei Ishii from Hakuhodo for event operations, Yasuo Ogawa from the Exhibition Consortium for exhibition operations, and Hisao Fukuda from the Japan Foodservice Association for restaurant operations. With this, the Japan Pavilion, a truly all-Japan effort, closed its doors.
Furthermore, Mr. Tatsuya Kato, the Japanese Government Representative, expressed his joy at the successful closure and gratitude to the many involved parties. Mr. Jun Naito, the Exhibition Producer, shared his delight at winning the Gold Prize in the Pavilion Prize.
Furthermore, the Astana International Expo (Kazakhstan, Theme: "Future Energy") in 2017 and the Dubai International Expo (United Arab Emirates, Theme: "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future") in 2020 have been confirmed.
Exhibitions have evolved into a 21st-century format, shifting from their previous role as trade shows showcasing developmental and national prestige technologies and services to becoming "a forum for solutions to global challenges common to humanity."
Moving forward, Dentsu Inc. will continue to contribute to enhancing Japan's value—what we call "Japan Presentation"—not only at expositions but also at other festive international mega-events.
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Kenji Washida
Dentsu Inc.
Primarily handles corporate communication space development and event production services overseas.