World's Fairs Are Alive And Well - And Relevant: The Expo Book

Milwaukee, USA, September 27, 2007 – InPark Magazine (IPM) announced that it will publish THE EXPO BOOK: A GUIDE TO THE HOSTING, PLANNING, ORGANIZATION & DESIGN OF WORLD EXPOSITIONS by Gordon Linden and Paul Creighton, in six consecutive installments of the bi-monthly magazine, starting with the Nov-Dec 2007 issue. Written by a pair of seasoned international expo consultants, THE EXPO BOOK addresses all aspects of the complex and rewarding business of creating an outstanding and successful world expo – from seeking registration with the Bureau of International Expositions, to selecting a site and formulating a theme, through all the subsequent planning, financial, operations and development issues including the transition to post-use of the site. The IPM serialization of THE EXPO BOOK will be the first publication of this new business & reference title. It will be edited by Judith Rubin.

A world expo (aka international exposition or world’s fair) is a three-to-six month, one-time public event on a grand scale. Recent and upcoming world expos include Lisbon 1998, Hanover 2000, Aichi 2005, Zaragoza 2008 and Shanghai 2010. World expos can focus attention on global issues of importance through their themes (i.e. the theme of Expo 2008 is “Water & Sustainable Development” and the theme of Expo 2010 is “Better Cities, Better Life”). Hosting an expo can bring considerable regional benefits, including land development, infrastructure and improvements, business development, enhanced international relations and increased tourism. The federal governments of nations that are member states of the Paris-based Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) take part in a world expo by building pavilions and creating exhibits that illustrate the expo theme for the benefit of millions of visitors. (Expo 2010 Shanghai organizers anticipate some 70 million visits to the exhibits of about 200 participants.)
THE EXPO BOOK by Gordon Linden and Paul Creighton is intended primarily to assist those who are involved in, or considering becoming involved in, a modern world expo – whether as host, organizer, promoter, participant, sponsor, concessionaire, designer or contractor. It is filled with useful information, guidelines, illustrations, facts and figures and relevant case studies, gained through the authors’ decades of experience advising the organizers of world expositions, Olympic Games and other mega-events.

Publication of THE EXPO BOOK will fill a need. “A world expo is a monumental and magnificent undertaking that can have significant regional benefits and global impact in today’s world,” says Gordon Linden. “But there is very little published material on how expos are born, organized and operated. As a result, expo organizers often get off to a rough start. Each event is unique but there are still many common factors that, if understood, would prevent or lessen many of the problems that tend to crop up again and again, consuming precious time and resources. This book is for the visionaries of today and tomorrow - who need to understand the challenges in order to cultivate the benefits of a world expo. THE EXPO BOOK will help them identify and acquire the information and the qualified people they need to put on a successful and meaningful event with a valuable legacy.”

“World expos don’t get as much coverage in the US media as they should, and we want to change that,” says Martin Palicki, publisher of IPM. “New Orleans 1984 may have been the last time a US city hosted an expo, but the events have continued overseas, and in the context of the global market, the world situation and the industry we serve, world expos are important and relevant. In addition to its being a vital resource for expo organizers, THE EXPO BOOK will be invaluable to designers, vendors and contractors because it shows them where to look for opportunities.”

THE EXPO BOOK: Six Installments in Six Issues of InPark Magazine
Nov-Dec 07 I. World Expositions Today
Jan-Feb 08 II. Building Blocks & Pitfalls: Putting It Together/Financial Models
Mar-Apr 08 III. Building Blocks & Pitfalls: Getting to Opening Day/Operations
May-June 08 IV. Design: The Guest Experience
July-Aug 08 V. Design: Exhibits & Buildings
Sept-Oct 08 VI. Legacy: Closing & Transition to Post-Use

About InPark Magazine (IPM) – publisher of THE EXPO BOOK
IPM is an independent trade publication based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA serving the amusement industry by providing a fresh perspective on best practices, industry trends and new products in the amusement market. IPM publishes six issues per year and is distributed internationally, as well as at industry trade shows and conferences.

About Gordon Linden and Paul Creighton - authors of THE EXPO BOOK
Gordon Linden AIA, AICP is Manager of Planning and Urban Design with Parsons International, based in Dubai, UAE where he has responsibility for directing the planning of a variety of mega-projects in the Middle East. During his career, he has worked on numerous one-time events, including Olympic Games and International Expositions; recently he was part of a team assisting Toronto, Canada in assessing the potentials for hosting an Expo in 2015. Paul Creighton is President of Creighton Management, Inc. in Olympia, Washington, a private firm specializing in recreational park development and world’s fair development and management. Mr. Creighton has held management positions at numerous North American Expos and acted as an adviser to several Expo organizations in Europe, Asia and North America.

About Judith Rubin - editor of THE EXPO BOOK
Judith Rubin is a leading editor/writer for the attractions industry and contributing editor to InPark magazine. Her work has been published in more than two dozen trade publications. She was associate editor/associate publisher of World’s Fair magazine from 1987-1994.