Six months before the start of
Milan Expo 2015, construction work has been completed on 80% of
infrastructures and is well underway on most of the 53
single-nation pavilions at the food-themed event, Expo chief
Giuseppe Sala has said.
Apart from the "last six or seven last-minute additions"
from a record-breaking 53 countries, construction on most
single-nation pavilions is making good progress over an area of
more than 100 hectares near Milan's huge Rho Pero trade fair
exhibition center, Sala said on Thursday.
One of the last countries to begin construction was France,
whose pavilion will be located next to the Italy's and will be
made almost entirely from wood from the Jura region.
Sala on Thursday said that it was largely to the credit of
Italy's anti-corruption czar Raffaele Cantone, who was given
powers during the summer to vet Expo business, that things were
moving ahead as planned.
"Ever since he has been with us, things have greatly
improved", he said.
The Expo chief was presenting on Thursday the institutional
ad campaign for the food-themed World Fair, which is set to run
May to October 2015.
A video clip, produced by Havas Worldwide Milan, will be
broadcast on national television starting on November 2 and a
radio ad as of November 14.
Both feature leading Italian actor Antonio Albanese
discussing different types of food and their meaning - from
pasta to grasshoppers - to conclude that food is "life, work
and play".
Sala has just returned from a trip to China - a country
which has invested a reported 60 million euros in the event and
where over one million Expo tickets have already been sold.
He also recently met with Culture Minister Dario
Franceschini, who stressed at an informal meeting with his
European counterparts held in Naples on Thursday that the
Universal Exposition is "an opportunity for Europe", as well as
Italy.
Speaking at the 13th European Tourism Forum - a two-day
event on "Tourism and culture in Europe: innovative actions for
jobs and growth" wrapping up Friday - Franceschini said the
"objective is to make sure that non-EU tourists, once in Italy,
remain in Europe thanks to a high-quality cultural offer" and
joint strategies.
The government is expecting 20 million visitors at Milan's
Expo, based on the fact that 5.8 million tickets have already
been sold.
The theme of Milan Expo 2015, which opens on May 1 through
October 31 next year, is "Feeding the planet: Energy for Life",
and deals with food security, fighting hunger, and promoting
global food-production practices that are economically,
environmentally and socially sustainable.
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