O FINANSIRANJU PROJEKTA

The presentation of the pavilion does not mean, the US has neither already
confirmed its participation nor the pavilion will be build. Because the US
pavilion and participation is not a public financed project, the
organisers now have to find private sponsors. In the press release of the
White House it is said:
The United States is moving forward with Friends of the U.S. Pavilion Milano
2015, our partner in the effort to build the USA Pavilion at the Milan Expo. This
group must now raise the necessary private funds to sponsor the USA Pavilion. In
partnership with The James Beard Foundation and the International Culinary
Center, and in association with the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy, the
Friends group will work for a vibrant U.S. presence at the Milan Expo.

FACT SHEET: U.S.-Italy Cooperation

President Barack Obama hosted the President of the Council of Ministers of the
Italian Republic Enrico Letta at the White House on October 17, 2013. The visit
highlighted the vitality of the relationship between the United States and Italy.
The bonds between our two countries are among the strongest tying together the
United States and Europe. Discussion focused on our ongoing cooperation in the
following areas:

Partners in Global Security: The United States and Italy are working together to
promote peace, rule of law, and freedom worldwide. The United States partners
with the more than 5,000 Italian security forces deployed in key international
missions around the globe. Italians command the United Nations Interim Force in
Lebanon and NATOs Kosovo Force, and they conduct anti-piracy operations off
the east African coast. Our partnership with Italys Center of Excellence for
Stability Police Units has prepared more than 4,500 police unit leaders for UN
peacekeeping operations. Italy has the fourth-largest contingent in ISAF in
Afghanistan, and its leadership in Herat Province is enabling a smooth transition
in the western region of the country. Together with the United States, the United
Kingdom, and Turkey, Italy plays a lead role in assisting Libya in its efforts to
restore security and build its institutions. Italy hosts more than 30,000 U.S.
service members, Department of Defense civilian employees, and their families
at bases across Italy. Those bases are instrumental in protecting U.S. personnel
and facilities in North Africa, particularly during times of heightened instability.

Strong Economic Ties: Our two countries share a robust trading relationship. The
United States is Italys third-largest export market, and Italy is the United States
15th-largest export market. Italian exports to the United States in 2012 totaled
$35.5 billion, a 16.8 percent increase over 2011. Meanwhile, American exports to
Italy in 2012 totaled $16.0 billion, a 1.1 percent share of total U.S. exports.
Together, the EU and the United States account for nearly half the worlds GDP
and 30 percent of world trade, contributing to economic growth and supporting
millions of jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. Between five and six million U.S.
tourists visit Italy each year.

Cultural Exchange and Heritage: Americans and Italians participate in a wide

variety of exchange programs. Italy hosts some 30,000 American exchange
students each year, many on study abroad programs. Italy is second only to the
United Kingdom as a destination for American exchange students. The
Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange between Italy and the United
States (the Fulbright Commission) is one of the oldest and largest in Europe.
Since the Commission was established in 1948, more than 10,000 U.S. and Italian
students, teachers, lecturers, and researchers have been awarded Fulbright
grants. The Business Exchange and Student Training program brings young
managers and entrepreneurs in science and engineering to the United States to
pursue academic coursework and training in entrepreneurship. Since 2001, the
United States and Italy been have been partners in a bilateral agreement
protecting Italys cultural property, reducing the incentive for looting of
archaeological sites and preventing the illicit trafficking of cultural objects. Our
two countries are celebrating 2013 as the Year of Italian Culture in the United
States. A year-long series of exhibits, conferences, concerts, and symposia is
providing the American people with new opportunities to learn about Italian art,
culture, and innovation in science, technology, and design.

50 Years of Space Cooperation: In 1962, the National Aeronautics and Space

Administration (NASA) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Italian
Space Commission of the Italian National Council of Research, which led to the
launch of one of the earliest satellites ever placed in orbit around the Earth.
Today, NASA enjoys robust cooperation through the Italian Space Agency and
European Space Agency. In 2013, the United States and Italy celebrated 50 years
of cooperation in outer space and signed an agreement to facilitate future U.S.Italy cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space. NASA considers Italy
one of its most important EU partners, and on July 9, Italian astronaut Luca
Parmitano completed a spacewalk the first ever for an Italian citizen at the
International Space Station.

Milan Expo 2015: The United States is moving forward with Friends of the U.S.
Pavilion Milano 2015, our partner in the effort to build the USA Pavilion at the

Milan Expo. This group must now raise the necessary private funds to sponsor
the USA Pavilion. In partnership with The James Beard Foundation and the
International Culinary Center, and in association with the American Chamber of
Commerce in Italy, the Friends group will work for a vibrant U.S. presence at the
Milan Expo. Its goal is to use state-of-the-art digital media and other novel
approaches to showcase American leadership and innovation in global food
security, agriculture, and cuisine and lay the seeds for enhanced trade and
investment between the United States and Italy in this sector, so important to the
cultural heritage of both nations.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/10/17/fact-sheet-us-italycooperation
AmCham at Expo 2015 for the American Pavillion
American Chamber of Commerce in Italy is officially involved in the realization
and management of the American Pavillion in occasion of the Universal
Exposition (Expo), that will be held in Milan in 2015. The theme of the
universalexhibition will be food and nutrition: Feeding the Planet, Energy for life.

The American Government, due to a federal law, can not finance the US
participation at fairs and international event, such as Expo, with public
resources.
Therefore, as for the previous editions of Expo, the Department of State
published a Request for Proposal to find a private partner, responsible for
fundraising, project, building and managing and dismantelling the American
pavilion at Expo 2015. AmCham, after several meetings with the US Diplomatic
Mission and Expo Company 2015, decided to respond to the RFP published by the
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs of the Department of State. In order to
elaborate a proposal related to the theme of Expo 2015 - Feeding the Planet
Energy for Life AmCham decided to collaborate with two of the most prestigious
American organizations of the food and culinary sector, the James Beard
Foundation (www.jamesbeard.org) and the International Culinary Center
(www.internationalculinarycenter.com) and asked the support of the National
Italian American Foundation (www.niaf.org), whose role as cultural and economic
bridge between the United States and Italy is internationally recognized.

On October the 17th, President Obama, after his meeting with the Italian Premier
Enrico Letta, announced that Amcham Italy with its partners will be the
organization responsible for the creation and management of the American
Pavillion at Expo 2015.
This is an important challenge for Amcham Italy, that will have to build and
manage the US pavillion, which is usually the most visited one at the universal
expositions.

However This is a tremendous opportunity, not only to further strengthen the

business ties between our countries, but also for AmCham which in 2015 will
celebrate its 100th anniversary.

Please find below part of the Press Release of the White House:

Milan Expo 2015: The United States is moving forward with Friends of the U.S.
Pavilion Milano 2015, our partner in the effort to build the USA Pavilion at the
Milan Expo. This group must now raise the necessary private funds to sponsor the
USA Pavilion. In partnership with The James Beard Foundation and the
International Culinary Center, and in association with the American Chamber of
Commerce in Italy, the Friends group will work for a vibrant U.S. presence at the
Milan Expo. Its goal is to use state-of-the-art digital media and other novel
approaches to showcase American leadership and innovation in global food
security, agriculture, and cuisine and lay the seeds for enhanced trade and
investment between the United States and Italy in this sector, so important to the
cultural heritage of both nations.
http://www.amcham.it/default.asp?id=632&id_n=4064

Tales from the Expo: Comparing US

pavilion plans for Milan 2015 with
Genoa 92
by James Ogul
As the US prepares to participate in Milan Expo 2015, I am remembering we also participated in another worlds
fair in Italy back in 1992. Genoa 92 was an International Specialized Expo sanctioned by the Bureau of
International Expositions (BIE). It ran May 15-August 15 and its theme was Christopher Columbus: Ships and the
Sea.
Located one hour and 46 minutes from Milan by car, the Genoa event did not gain much attention because there
were two worlds fairs in 1992, both in Europe. The larger of them was Seville 92 (Spain).
Funding for the US pavilion in Genoa was $2.9 million with a 50/50 Federal-private sector split. The Federal funds
were secured through a protracted negotiation with Congress that resulted in a reprogramming request. The major
private sector sponsor for the pavilion was Amway Corporation.
Exhibitors at Genoa were housed for the most part in a restored cotton warehouse although the US opted to set
up in one of four adjacent buildings that had been 17th century merchant homes called palazzine. The 5,000square-foot US exhibit made use of media effects in three galleries to depict the importance of waterways to US

history, development and traditions. The Chesapeake Bay and the port of Baltimore, a sister city of Genoa were
singled out as illustrative of American maritime culture. The exhibit also emphasized the need to preserve and
protect the worlds waterways.
Getting back to the present, the 2015 Universal Expo in Milan will run May 1-October 31, 2015. Its
theme is Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life. Attendance is projected at 20 million visitors. Genoa 92
occupied 12 acres and had 52 international exhibitors very small in comparison to the 271 acres and
140+ participating nations of Milan 2015.
Likewise, the US pavilion at Milan 2015 will be much larger and a more elaborate undertaking, built from the
ground up on a 2,790 square meter site, unlike Genoa where the organizers leased space within an existing
building. The cost of participation will be commensurately higher: an estimated $45 million. The funding challenge
is also now significantly different for a US pavilion compared to 1992: All of that $45 million will have to be raised
from private sector contributions.
Charles Faas is CEO of the official US pavilion project being created by Friends of the US Pavilion Milano 2015
the private sector team acting on the authority of a Letter of Intent from the US State Department. Members of this
group include Dorothy Hamilton, CEO of the International Culinary Center; Mitchell Davis, VP of The James Beard
Foundation; and Simone Crolla, managing director of the US Chamber of Commerce in Italy.
Once the Friends group has demonstrated that all funding for this project will be in hand, they will sign a Memo of
Understanding with the State Department, which will then sign a Participation Contract with the Expo Organizers,
and appoint a Commissioner General.
This has been the US pattern for the past three world expos Aichi 2005, Shanghai 2010 and Yeosu 2012. Only
after the US has signed a Participation Contract with the Expo Organizers will the US plot be turned over to the
US and the Friends group be able to break ground for the Pavilion.
3 slike Genoa Expo 92 images published on Urso Chappells site www.expomuseum.com

Obviously the sooner all of this can take place the better to allow time for building construction. Construction must
be completed well before opening day of May 1, 2015 (some 16 months away) to allow time for installation of
exhibits.
he compressed timeframe for this effort is due in large part to the lateness of the US decision to participate.
Unfortunately this has been true for most of the expos in recent history. No appropriations for worlds fair
participation have been received since 1988. Further, the office charged with handling these projects was
abolished in 1993. So often it has been a high level appeal from the host country that has triggered a decision and
this has happened only after all other avenues have failed. And so we have been late, and with less time to do the
work, costs and risks have risen.

Notwithstanding these challenges, the US had very successful pavilions at Aichi Expo 2005 in Japan, Shanghai
Expo 2010 in China and Yeosu Expo 2012 in Korea. This was accomplished through dedicated Federal and
private sector partners working cooperatively to pull these projects together in record time. Challenges abound in
complex projects like these and there are constant struggles to meet budget requirements and milestones. Having

spent hundreds of hours on the exhibition floors of our US Pavilions and watching visitor reaction and interaction
with both our exhibits and our guides, I can say that all of the efforts that go into them are very worthwhile.

James Oguls next column will look at private sector fundraising for US expo pavilions.

In the matter of organizing a worlds fair pavilion, James Ogul is a top human resource. At such times as the
United States has stepped up to participate in a world expo, from the early 80s to the present more often than not
Ogul has been tapped to help coordinate the effort on the government side. Since retiring from the US State
Department in 2011, he has remained connected to the expo scene in an advisory and consulting role.
http://www.inparkmagazine.com/tales-from-the-expo-comparing-us-pavilion-plans-for-milan-2015-with-genoa-92/

Worlds fair consultant James Ogul

talks about Milan 2015, and the
history of US expo participation
In the matter of organizing a worlds fair pavilion, James Ogul is a top human resource. At such times as the
United States has stepped up to participate in a world expo, from the early 80s to the present more often
than not Ogul has been tapped to help coordinate the effort on the government side. Since retiring from the US
State Department in 2011, he has remained connected to the expo scene in an advisory and consulting role.
InPark co-editor Judith Rubin, who has known Ogul since her days with Worlds Fair magazine in the 80s and
90s, interviewed him about US plans and prospects for participating in the next world exposition, Milan 2015
and about the complex workings and history of these projects.
Judith Rubin: Where does the money come from for a US pavilion at a world expo?
James Ogul: When I first got started in Expos in 1981, our money came from Federal Appropriations. We raised
some additional support from the private sector, usually in the form of goods and services. For example, if we
were doing an exhibit on solar energy we might get the solar panels in the display donated. If we needed TV
monitors, we would go to a manufacturer and try to get them donated.
The 1992 Seville worlds fair changed things with a model of 50/50 funding from the government and the private
sector. What is not widely know is that there was no federal appropriation for the US participation in Seville, but
rather the United States Information Agency (USIA) had to take the money out of its own hide in what is called
reprogramming. In addition to the approximately $15 million in reprogramming, $15 million in private sector
donations was raised.
For Taejon Expo 93, all of the US pavilion funding was from the private sector with Amway corporation being the
prime funder. This was the first US pavilion to be totally privately funded. In 1994, budget language for the USIA
stated, Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the United States Information Agency shall not obligate or

expend any funds for a United States Government funded pavilion or other major exhibit at any international
exposition or worlds fair registered by the Bureau of International Expositions in excess of amounts expressly
authorized and appropriated for such purpose.
For the US to exhibit at Expo 98 at Lisbon, Portugal, since the legislation did not preclude money coming from
other government agencies, the project turned to HHS (Health and Human Services) and the US Navy, which
provided a combined total of $6.5 million through an interagency fund transfer, to supplement the $3 million in
non-federal support that had been raised.
For Hanover 2000, fundraising pledges from the private sector were insufficient to achieve a $45 million goal and
the US was forced to withdraw from the expo. For Aichi Expo 2005, approximately $34 million was raised with the
majority of the funding coming from Toyota of North America.
For Shanghai Expo 2010, a record $63 million was raised for the US presence, with State Department Secretary
Hillary Clinton playing a major role. For US participation in Yeosu Expo 2012 $9.2 million was raised with the State
Department again playing a major role.
What can you tell us about the team that was selected for the USAP at Milan Expo 2015?
Here is an excerpt from a White House Press release that announced their selection: Milan Expo 2015: The
United States is moving forward with Friends of the U.S. Pavilion Milano 2015, our partner in the effort to build
the USA Pavilion at the Milan Expo.
This group must now raise the necessary private funds to sponsor the USA Pavilion. In partnership with
The James Beard Foundation and the International Culinary Center, and in association with the American
Chamber of Commerce in Italy, the Friends group will work for a vibrant U.S. presence at the Milan Expo.
Its goal is to use state-of-the-art digital media and other novel approaches to showcase American
leadership and innovation in global food security, agriculture, and cuisine and lay the seeds for enhanced
trade and investment between the United States and Italy in this sector, so important to the cultural
heritage of both nations.
Why is it important for the US to participate in a worlds fair?
Historically, have the reasons for doing so remained pretty much the same?
In answer to the second question: Yes.
In answer to the first: Worlds fairs offer an excellent venue for presenting Americas view on the Expo theme to a
large audience. The theme for Milan Expo 2015 is Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life. Since the year 2000, 127
million people have attended worlds fairs. In particular, our pavilions have made strong impressions and our
young guides (Student Ambassadors) interact with thousands of visitors daily, speaking the language of the host
country.
Many heads of state visit worlds fairs, especially to commemorate National Days which take place for each
participating country. Most of the heads of state visit the US pavilion and are met and greeted by the US
Commissioner General, who heads up the US pavilion. These first-person impressions and interactions offer
important diplomatic opportunities. Participating US Corporations often have annual board meetings at the US
pavilion and the setting offers them unparalleled chances to expand business interests in the host countries.

What are some of the unique and specialized factors that project teams will encounter
doing an expo pavilion?
Project teams benefit from creativity in developing story lines and imaginative and innovative ways to present
them. Experience working with large crowds is a significant plus. Experience working in foreign countries is
important. Special skills in architecture, exhibit design and fabrication, venue operations, project management,
fundraising and budgeting are all needed.

What particular challenges would the US team for Milan 2015 be facing?
The biggest challenge is raising the money and dealing with a cash-flow situation where they will be incurring
expenses while they are attempting to raise money. The project timeline will require sufficient time for design and
construction of a large building, design and fabrication of exhibits, installation of exhibits, hiring and training of staff
and development of an operational plan that will enable the pavilion to serve thousands of visitors a day for the 6month run of the expo. These were the same challenges I faced again and again in my career. Expo pavilions are
fast-paced projects with daunting time restrictions that require a dedicated staff willing to work long hours under
constant pressure.
Tell us about one of your most memorable experiences in connection with a US pavilion.
Working on US pavilion projects have their interesting moments. I remember at Vancouver Expo 86, Prince
Charles and Princess Diana visited the US pavilion and I was designated to take them on the tour. We had an
upstairs and a downstairs in the pavilion and the handlers told us they would not have time to start upstairs and go
through the entire pavilion, but instead would enter at the bottom and view two exhibits. Our Commissioner
General was to meet them outside and we both felt they should see the whole pavilion, so he said he would try to
persuade them.
I was to watch through a crack in the downstairs door for a hand signal behind his back: He would give me a
thumbs-up for the entire tour. After a short discussion, I saw the thumbs-up and dashed up the stairs to meet them
on the second floor for the full tour. I was a bit out of breath! The handlers had coached me on proper protocol and
told me I was to bow but not touch. However, the Prince and Princess came up to me and immediately extended
their hands for a handshake.

http://www.inparkmagazine.com/worl
ds-fair-consultant-james-ogul-talksabout-milan-2015-and-the-history-ofus-expo-participation/

James Ogul: Looking back on a

career in US expos and expo
pavilions
James Ogul may not be a household name to you, but it was a name that I read and heard frequently in the
1980s and 90s, during my tenure at Worlds Fair magazine*. We knew Ogul then as the face of the US
Information Agency (USIA), which managed US participation in world expos. The US presence on the expo scene
was dependable from the 50s through the 80s but began to waver in the 1990s. Theres been something of a
comeback in the 21st century, most notably with the exemplary USA Pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010.
At such times as our nation has stepped up to participate in a world expo, from the early 80s to the present more
often than not Ogul has been tapped to help coordinate the effort on the government side recently in connection
with the USA Pavilion for Shanghai, and now, in connection with the RFP issued by the US government for
participation in Yeosu Expo 2012.
The USIA was absorbed some years ago in a re-organization, and Oguls current title is Program Officer with the
Office of Citizen Exchanges, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, State Department. Further changes are
ahead: Ogul, now 70, has announced that he will retire in May. He shared with us a recap of some memorable
roles and milestones and some pictures from his substantial worlds fair resume.
The 1964-65 New York Worlds Fair was the site of James Oguls first involvement in worlds fairs as one of the
managers of an Atomic Energy Exhibit in the Hall of Science. He didnt return to the expo scene again until 16
years later, but it was more or less continuous after that. In 1981, he signed on as an Exhibits Officer for the US
Pavilion at Knoxville Expo 82 (theme: Energy). My job there was to get all of the exhibit copy approved by the
Department of Energy and look after the interactive touchscreen exhibits which was the first application of this
technology on such a large scale, and won the National Audio-Visual Associations top achievement award for
1982, said Ogul.
Following Knoxville, Ogul was appointed Exhibits Director for the U.S. Pavilion at New Orleans Expo 84. Among
other things, we had two 750 seat 3-D theaters, with a film by award winning filmmaker Charles Guggenheim and
an actual Space Shuttle the one that was used for glide testing, he recalled.
Although 1984 marks the last time the US hosted a worlds fair, the 1980s were a busy decade for expos, and
from New Orleans, Ogul moved on to become Exhibits Director for the US Pavilion at Tsukuba Expo 85 in Japan.
Our pavilion was visited by the Emperor and Prime Minister. Next, Ogul was Pavilion Director for the US
presence at Vancouver Expo 86. My duties included personally escorting Princess Diana and Prince Charles
through the Pavilion as well as Vice President George H. W. Bush. Ogul was not involved in the US presence at
World Expo 88 in Brisbane, Australia, but in 1988 served as staff director for an Interagency Task Force to develop
plans for future participation in worlds fairs. He also served as US project coordinator for the US Australia
Maritime Gallery in the soon-to-open Australia Maritime Museum in Sydneys Darling Harbor. The Gallery was a
bicentennial gift to Australia.
In 1992, Ogul served as Project Director and Pavilion Director for the US Pavilion at the expo in Seville, Spain.
Following that he served as coordinator for the US Pavilion at the 1993 world expo in Taejon, Korea. In 1998 he
assisted in the development of plans for US participation at Lisbon Expo 98. This was, Ogul pointed out, the first
US Pavilion to have an interactive Web site and a Scientific Advisory Board. It had a live satellite video
presentation by President Clinton, who spoke to the expo community as part of US National Day. It featured a film

entitled Discover Planet Ocean, produced exclusively for the US Pavilion by the Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution.
The next expo, Hanover 2000, lacked a US presence: We withdrew from Expo 2000 due to a lack of private
sector support, explained Ogul. There was a more positive outcome five years later, in Japan: Ogul served as a
coordinator for US participation at Aichi Expo 2005. Following that, he was a member of the Shanghai Expo 2010
working group. My role for Shanghai was coordinating the vetting of potential private sector partners, he
explained, and I am currently doing the same in regard to Yeosu Expo 2012.
For the ups and the downs of the US hosting and participating in world expos in the 80s, 90s and the beginning
of the 21st century, James Ogul has been there. We wish him a good transition and happy retirement. J.R.
*Worlds Fair magazine is out of print, but publisher Alfred Heller is still following the expo scene.

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es-ogul-looking-back-on-a-career-inus-expos-and-expo-pavilions/