Wrapping Up the World's Greatest Show - Australian Pavilion Highlights

Expo 2020 Dubai was truly one of the most spectacular and successful mega event amidst the pandemic with a final tally of 24 million visits over its six months duration. Virtual visits to the expo site exceeded 200 million.

There were over 200 pavilions at the expo, which included representation by 192 nations. Visitors from 178 countries, most of who were from India, Germany, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, Russia, France, and the United States.

As expected, March was the busiest month of all with residents and international visitors coming in throngs to enjoy the last few weeks and make the most of their expo experience.

Australia Shined Bright at Expo 2020 Dubai

The #AustralianPavilion was one of the first pavilions to be completed and started running test events in September 2021. Being touted among the most #instagrammable pavilions at expo, made it the talk of the town early on. And pavilion mascots, Wattle and Jali who quickly became public favorites added to the popularity.?

Over the six-month period, over 1.6 million people visited the Australian Pavilion and virtual visitation numbers were more than 30 million online visits.

The pavilion hosted around 160 business and public diplomacy events with over 7,300 guests, and 691 international delegations (4,500+ guests), which included heads of state, royal families, ministers, C-level executives, etc. from 71 different countries.

2,949 cultural performances highlighting Australia’s diversity and rich culture were staged in the public forecourt.

73 official pavilion partners, providers, and associates from State and Territory governments, businesses, academia, and sports.

Australia actively participated in Expo’s 10 thematic weeks and under the Expo Program for People and Planet, Australia provided over 70 expert speakers for expo led events.

The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) successfully leveraged the Australian Pavilion as a platform for business engagement. 200+ Australian companies participated in the pavilion programs, major commercial exhibitions, and other meetings and workshops during the expo period. $280 million worth of business has been secured by Australian companies working on Expo 2020 related projects and participating in events in the UAE and the region.

Through Australia's leading role on sports at Expo 2020, the Aussie Park, which was located adjacent to the pavilion, held sports, health, and wellness activations for thousands of participants across the six months of expo.

The pavilion’s retail food outlet The Local Aussie Grill was the winner of the What’s On Awards for Favourite Expo Food Concept. The Australian Pavilion also received an Honourable Mention for Best Large Pavilion in Exhibitor Magazine’s World Expo Awards.

Marching Towards the End

47 events took place in March at the Australian Pavilion.

Pavilion partners – CSIRO, Treasury Wine Estates, The Hermal Group, Meat and Livestock Australia, Gulf Extrusions,?and State Governments – New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and Western Australia hosted a variety of events ranging in Mining and Resources to Food and Agri, Education, and Infrastructure.

Commonwealth events included supporting activities around Expo’s last thematic week on 'Water'; World Police Summit reception; sports diplomacy events; International Women’s Week welcome breakfast co-hosted with the Mexican Pavilion; and a Joint UAE Symposium on Social Robotics that brought together leading technology developers, roboticists, and social scientists from world over.

Austrade activities started with a targeted investment hybrid session on Australia – Future Hydrogen Export Powerhouse Showcase that highlighted Australia’s promising future as a green Hydrogen centre, and provided an exclusive preview of investment-ready projects in Australia.?

Two important trade partnerships were formalized in March – one between Coles Supermarket in Australia and UAE distributor Barakat where the latter will import and sell fresh Australian produce and meat in-market. The second commercial outcome was a joint venture that Aspen Medical entered into with UK-based, Collinson Group to provide a best-in-class medical support solution, which will deliver fully integrated, bespoke services for a range of clients across the globe.

During the last week of expo, Austrade CEO, Mr Xavier Simonet visited the UAE where he had the opportunity to meet with key Australian and local stakeholders, investors, and partners who are contributing to the burgeoning ties between Australia and its largest trade partner in the Middle East.?Xavier’s visit signified the importance of expo being instrumental in supporting the post COVID-19 recovery strategy for Australian exporters. Expo 2020 Dubai has already provided a plethora of opportunities for Australian companies to do business and form key partnerships on a global scale.

Promoting Australia’s world class education sector at expo has been a top priority for the Australian government. From organizing student virtual fairs, workshops, to running masterclasses, collaborating with academics on expo led and pavilion run programs, showcasing university driven innovations such as, 3D bio-printing, radio astronomy satellites, robotics, etc., Australia has profiled a diverse range of facets and stakeholders part of the education field. In March, Austrade hosted several education agents at the pavilion who play an impactful role in furthering the Australian higher education agenda. Agents based in the UAE and visiting regional representatives were briefed on Australia’s latest policies in supporting international students. ?

The?Austrade?business program at?Expo 2020 Dubai?culminated with a mega culinary event - the Gourmet Australia F&B Experience - which showcased Australia’s premium food and beverage offerings to key stakeholders from the?food and agri, and?hospitality?industries. The one-of-a-kind gastronomic journey was hosted in collaboration with the?Australian Pavilion?partners -?Bega Cheese Limited,?Treasury Wine Estates, and?Meat & Livestock Australia, and the exclusive menu for the evening incorporated Australian food and wine from across?Australia?– Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia. With Australia’s reputation for delivering quality, safe and sustainable produce, food and agribusiness are the largest exports to the region with a trade value approximately at A$ 3 billion.?

In conclusion?

Australia’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai was the largest public diplomacy project undertaken by the Australian government in over a decade, projecting Australia as a great place to do business, invest, study and visit.

It was an outstanding opportunity and platform to strengthen the Australia-UAE bilateral relations and reach target international government and business groups on a global level. The Australian Pavilion consistently received positive media coverage and feedback from various stakeholders, local authorities, the Expo community, and visitors.

Australia plans to build on its success in Dubai at the next world expo to be held in Osaka in 2025.

www.australiaexpo2020.com