PW OCT08 P20-21v4.qxd 9/24/08 10:53 am Page 20
Expo Review
www.parkworld-online.com
Reflections on
a World’s Fair
EXPO ZARAGOZA
This summer there was a “World’s Fair” in big Universal Class Expos, which run for around six
Zaragoza, Spain, taking as its theme water and months and are much, much larger affairs. Here most
sustainable development, but according to Jack pavilions are built by participating counties or
Samuels the event created few ripples outside its sponsors, and often ripped down at the end. The last
own country. Here Park World’s resident “Fun such Expo took place in Aichi, Japan, in 2005 and the
Doctor” offers his own reflections next is scheduled for Shanghai in 2010. This will be
the biggest Expo of all time, where organisers are
F
irst let me explain the difference between different aiming for an attendance of around 70 million – in
types of Expos or “World’s Fairs.” Special Class just six months!
exhibitions, such as the event in Zaragoza, are All this is in marked contrast to Zaragoza, where this
limited in size and scope and generally run only for Expo seemed poorly promoted, and on my visit in
three months or so. Most of the pavilions are built by August attendance was failing to meet projections. It
the fair organisers and then leased to participating was almost as though the event has been staged as an
MAIN PICTURE: The Agua Extrema countries and other exhibitors, before being put into excuse to build the new high-speed rail line between
arena BELOW: The spectacular El alternative use after the event. Madrid and Barcelona and give this city in the middle
Hombre Vertiente evening show Generally Special Class fairs are held in between the of the Spanish desert a spurt of growth.
There was not a lot of ride or show innovation at
Expo Zaragoza, or unique or interesting exhibit
concepts. Just to illustrate this, consider that the one of
the hardest exhibits to get into was the Kuwait exhibit,
which featured nothing more than a simple, but well
done, 4D attraction. Sitting just 25 people at a time,
there were waits outside of three hours or more.
Water, Water Everywhere
Other exhibits of interest included a themed pavilion
demonstrating man’s challenges with water. Here in a
large auditorium-sized motion simulator guests where
exposed to the tragic force of tsunamis and other
water-based disasters. Given a raincoat on entry,
audience members were absolutely soaked during the
experience. It felt pretty real except you couldn’t pay
too much attention to the video due to all the water in
your eyes!
But surely the most innovative parts at the Expo was
a spectacular evening show called El Hombre Vertiente
20 OCTOBER 2008
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