jimi727

I have been looking at this but even going to the official website, I don't get a good feel about what this will be or how large/small it is

Is the Expo just like a World's Fair ?

I will be landing in Milan May 89, departing May 25 and am wondering of this would be worth a day , instead of landing and heading straight to Lake Como, maybe staying in Milan one day and visiting the Expo , just to burn off jet lag

Any thoughts?

Jerry

Perche

You only go to it if you are a business man seeking to get a contract with someone. It's not worth wasting a day.

ckendall

While I will not go, I believe the Expo is aimed at the general public and not just business people (like the various fairs). See here for more info: http://www.expo2015.org/en/learn-more

jimi727

I had looked at the website & I believe you are right , it seems like a World's Fair . They mentioned on the site that they had pre-sold a million tickets, just in China !!
My wife & I have trouble sleeping on a plane, so we may take a day and use it just to decompress after the flight rather than jump on a bus/train to Lake Como

My thought is that if it is an event that occurs every five years and I will be travelling to the city it is in, it may be worth to spend a day there

tboons

Friends told me would waste a half of the time queuing up and she had a bad experience in China. I myself also considering if milan is worth the visit haha

slawecki

milan has a huge "expo" or fair or trade show area, and a lot of activity. the show is usually one or two weeks long, and deals in merchandise from mfgrs or importers to retailers.

this expo sounds like a general production for the general public. supposed to last about 6 months.

PWMTrav

I'd go if I was going to the area anyway.

Regarding spending half the time queuing up, I will simply remind you that Italians generally don't do lines

ckendall

A word of explanation for those confused: this is a world expo, like Expo 63/64 in New York (the unisphere and ll that) and Expo 67 Montreal and so on. There have been fewer world expos in recent years and they are not so popular in the west these days. Much of the marketing has been done in Asia and the Chinese are expected to attend en masse.

This has nothing to do with the fairs and trade shows that happen every year.

Perche

Just remember what their website says beyond the advertising.

"Expo Milan 2015 is a window of unique business opportunities. The support of the business world is very important in this phase of preparation of this six month long demonstration. Important leaders of the business sectors of innovation, technology, energy, mobility, security, and banking have decided to invest in this as partners."

Expo Milano is listed in the Italian trade show directory for 2015. http://www.eventseye.com/fairs/f-pro...no-5092-1.html

It not a place to go to, "burn off jet lag." Although it lists 143 countries as partners including Afghanistan and Iraq, I wouldn't expect that to be more than honorary. The President of the Expo is Claudio Luti, President of Kartell, a giant multinational company that specializes in making industrial designs out of plastic. His statement about it was, "Expo Milano 2015 offers a great opportunity that we must all be able to grasp, together, to reset in motion the industrial engine of Milan and indeed that of our country."

"This section introduces the entire commercial offering process and the key milestones related to the period that spans from the initial engagement until the signature of the Services Contract. As already mentioned, the final commercial offering will be the result of a collaboration between participants, the organizer, and its official partners. Starting from the selected services, Official Partners will be able to realize and consolidate a commercial offering."

Italy is known for having fantastic local, traditional fairs in each season, that allow for fantastic experiences of culture. This won't be one of them. I'm sure that the Expo is something that some people will like. I think that average person who attends will be happy to get away from the commercial pavilions about coffee, cocoa, rice, mobile phones, Wi-Fi, banking services, etc. all with heavy advertising.

tyn

The Chairman of Expo is Diana Bracco, not Claudio Luti

Perche

You are right, Luti was speaking as its Ambassador. Bracco is Chairman of he Bracco Group, an international company that sells medical x-Ray diagnostic equipment. Next in line in running it is Giussepe Sala, former head of Pirelli Tires, who then moved to become head of the TIM cell phone network, and Telecom. Now he runs the Medhellan investment. Group. Next is Fabio Marazzi, who runs another investment group that specializes in fostering international transactions. it sounds very business oriented, rather than cultural, despite the window dressing.

jimi727

I have been researching more and found this: The New York Times lists Milan as the #1 place to visit in 2015 , primarily because of the Expo


here

Perche

I always take these lists with a grain of salt. Like movie reviews. Lonely Planet recently listed its top ten cities to visit in the USA for 2015. First place was Queens, New York. Second was Western North Dakota. It comes down to what is being pushed, and individual interest. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/north-am...in-the-us-2015

Edit: keep in mind, the New York Times article lists Philadelphia as the #3rd best city to visit in the world in 2015. If anybody believes that....

Giggleswick

I came upon this page discussing some of the Expo Milano architecture while looking for something else, and I thought I'd post it here, in case anyone is interested:
http://www.archdaily.com/tag/milan-expo-2015/
(I'm sure that there's plenty more out there, too.

Anyway, "worth visiting" is always a subjective judgment, but it looks like there will be some interesting stuff there for those interested in modern architecture, food production and consumption, biodiversity, development and hunger issues, technology, etc. If those don't interest you, then the Expo probably won't, either.

PWMTrav

I'm from Philadelphia, even though I don't live there anymore. On a list of cities, and only cities, in the US to visit, I could see Philly cracking a top 10 or 5 list this year. The usual history, plus the serious revitalization of parts of South Philly - like the food scene on East Passyunk - make Philly a better place to visit this year than at any point in the past decade. But #3 place to visit in the world? That kind of placement seems paid for