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Caribiner International has been awarded the contract to
develop the Australian pavilion at Expo 2000, which is being
held in Hannover, Germany, from 1 June to 31 October next
year.
The Sydney-based consortium was chosen from a field of 32
submissions in a highly contested selection process run by
the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. As Project
Developer Caribiner will be responsible for managing all
aspects of the design, construction, operation and
decommissioning of the temporary pavilion which Australia
will operate on a 2500 square metre site at Expo.
World Expo organisers predict that up to 40 million
people, predominantly from Germany and other European
countries, will visit Hannover for Expo 2000. It is the
first World Exposition hosted by Germany. Expo 2000 is set
to be the largest exposition yet, with 190 participating
nations and international organisations confirmed at this
stage, compared with 110 at Expo 92 in Seville.
The Australian pavilion will attract around 10% of total
visitors to the Expo. This means that up to four million
people will see first hand examples of Australian creativity
and industrial innovation.
Expo 2000 is a global platform for Australia to
demonstrate its strengths as a supplier of excellent and
innovative goods and services - from value-added primary
products to leading-edge information technologies.
Projecting an up-to-date image of Australia during the five
months of Expo will also help boost tourism and encourage
further investment in key industry sectors, as well as
showcase the best of contemporary Australian arts.
Australia's overall theme - "From boomerangs to the
bionic ear" - emphasises Australia's strengths as a
creative, can-do country where people, research, and
business are focused on generating practical outcomes that
will benefit people all over the world. Presentations and
theming of the pavilion will also highlight Olympics themes,
as Expo spans both the Olympics and Paralympics, as well as
promote the Centenary of Federation. Industry sectors that
are likely to be highlighted include education, IT&T,
and food and beverage.
The Commonwealth, Queensland and Victorian governments
have provided core funding, with additional funding from the
South Australian and ACT governments.
The theme of Expo 2000 is "Humankind - Nature -
Technology". Nations are asked to consider twelve sub-themes
(Health and Nutrition, Living and Working, Environment and
Development, Communication and Information, Leisure and
Mobility, and Education and Culture) in designing their
pavilions and exhibits.
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