Brian Coddington, Communications Director, 509.625.6740
Wednesday, October 12, 2022 at 2:07 p.m.
After a formal review of the site, infrastructure, financial, and project plans, the United States is one step closer to bringing a Specialized Expo back to America in 2027. Mayor Nadine Woodward joins dozens of communities from across the country in support of the USA Expo 2027 bid.
For more than 150 years, the United States has had a long and successful history with Expos, more commonly referred to as World’s Fairs in the United States. These global events have reshaped the economic and cultural trajectory of U.S. cities like Spokane, Seattle, San Antonio, San Francisco, St. Louis, New York and Chicago. Hosting the World’s Fair transformed Spokane’s downtown from a railroad hub into a thriving commercial area surrounding 100-acre centerpiece Riverfront Park, which has undergone significant new investment over the past few years that includes activating the north bank of the Spokane River as an arts and entertainment area.
This week, a delegation from the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) traveled to Minnesota and Washington, D.C. on an Enquiry Mission to assess the feasibility and viability of the USA Expo 2027 project. The BIE is the international organization responsible for evaluating proposals and deciding the location of Expos. It’s been 38 years since the United States last hosted a World’s Fair.
The United States’ proposal is based on the theme “Healthy People, Healthy Planet: Wellness and Well-Being for All.” If successful, the Expo would take place in Bloomington, Minnesota near the Mall of America from May 15 until August 15, 2027. This 93-day extravaganza would include participation from as many as 200 countries and is projected to attract 14.3 million in visits and one billion global viewers. With more than $12 trillion spent every year on health and wellness, Expo 2027 would also be a platform to forge the global partnerships needed to advance the United Nation’s sustainability goals for good health and well-being for all.
“Spokane enthusiastically supports Bloomington’s bid to bring the World’s Fair back to the U.S.,” Woodward said. “Hosting Expo ’74 forever transformed our city and its downtown in ways that we are still benefiting from as we approach our 50th anniversary of welcoming the world. Convening an international conversation about health and wellness coming out of a global pandemic is both timely and critical and we would love to welcome Bloomington to the Expo family.”
Minnesota has one of the most respected public health systems in the world, including the #1 rated hospital, Mayo Clinic, and the #1 rated Health Tech Cluster, Medical Alley. “As the ‘Silicon Valley of Healthcare,’ Minnesota is uniquely positioned to host such an important global gathering,” said Bloomington, Minnesota Mayor Tim Busse. “We look forward to working with local officials and other stakeholders across the United States to ensure that Expo 2027 is truly a national effort.”
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Bloomington, Minnesota was selected as the official Expo 2027 bid location of the United States in June 2021. This international campaign is a joint effort between the bid committee and the United States federal government. Minnesota USA Expo 2027 is an independent nonprofit organization established for the purpose of coordinating the bid process and, if successful, planning and hosting the event.
In June 2022, the U.S. State Department and Minnesota USA Expo formally applied to the BIE to host the first-ever World Expo focused on health and well-being. The United States is competing against Argentina, Serbia, Spain, and Thailand to host Expo 2027. The BIE will vote in June 2023 to determine where Expo 2027 will take place.
