The 2nd Assembly of the Association of Cities and Regions Hosting an International Exhibition now, with a great number of visitors, which has Panel Discussion exceeded 22 million, EXPO Aichi is about to close successfully. Ms. Christine mentioned that expositions are places for great communication. I agree with her wholeheartedly. As an opportunity to consider how we were able to accomplish this and what action AVE members will take in order to develop future Expos, the “effects” of expositions will be discussed in this first session. We also heard Mr. Pieter van Wesemael speak, from the perspective of an Moderator architect, of how to measure and evaluate the Prof. Koshin Kimura values of expositions from various points of (Professor of Nagoya Gakuin University) view. He showed us that Expos, in order to create a modern society of tomorrow, must be a Session 1 place for experiments to carry out structural “EXPO’s Effects on the Regions” reform. I believe that was also the objective of EXPO Aichi. Considering these perspectives, Panelists: we will have discussions with various aspects. Mr. Nobuyoshi Hasegawa In our first session, we have panelists (Vice Governor of Aichi Prefecture), from Seville and Hanover, who have hosted Dr.h.c. Herbert Schmalstieg Expos in the past and have made use of them (Lord Mayor & Chief Executive of for their post-Expo city strategies. We can listen Hanover), to their experiences, the lessons they have Mr. Alfonso Seoane Yarza learned, and how they have exploited the (Deputy President of Foreign Relations effects of their Expos as Expo-hosting cities. Office of the City of Seville), Following them, a representative of Aichi Mr. Kinya Masuoka Prefecture and the mayor of the City of Seto (Mayor of the City of Seto) will speak about the actual actions they took for EXPO Aichi. We will then discuss the direction to be taken by Expo-hosting cities/regions. (Kimura) First, I would like to hear from Mr. In the first session of this Symposium, Alfonso Seoane Yarza from the City of Seville. the discussion will proceed under the theme, EXPO Seville in 1992 was a mega-event with a “EXPO’s effects on the Regions.” Previously, very large number of visitors, which exceeded in the keynote speech, Ms. Mari Christine 40 million. Although it would be interesting to talked about the goal of EXPO Aichi, and the hear how such an event was accomplished, organizers’ efforts and challenges in order to today, we would like Mr. Seoane to speak of the realize this goal. An environmentally conscious initial goal of EXPO Seville and the expected EXPO of the future with wide-ranging benefit during the launch and preparation. participation was held with great exchange We have several questions already among the people from all over the world. And prepared, but first of all, what was the initial 44 The 2nd Assembly of the Association of Cities and Regions Hosting an International Exhibition goal of EXPO Seville when you first began the Seville. The year 1992 marked the 500-year project? anniversary of the discovery of the American Continent, an event the government wished to commemorate with some festivities. Heavy investment was thus carried out for this purpose as well. For these two reasons—the expo and the festivities—investment was concentrated in Seville in particular. These initiatives were designed to yield distribution of wealth and investment levels equal with those of other provinces. The central government thus endeavored to achieve prosperity and economic development in Andalucia and Seville, an effort (Seoane Yarza) that has resulted in development that is not only Good afternoon. Thank you very very advanced, but also quite well-balanced. much for your kind introduction. Firstly, I’d One example is the rapid like to talk about the history of this event. development of highways and railways. What The Seville Exposition was held in 1992, at a I would like to emphasize here is that the time when Spain had just become a member of people of Andalucia were extremely motivated, the EU. It was therefore a time when the demonstrating self-respect and re-assessing the entire country was gearing up for new level of their skills for the better. They were development. able to exude confidence and demonstrate their It was also a time of change in skills to the people of the world. politics. The Socialist Party became for the In response to your question, first time the leading political party in the therefore, I would like to emphasize that administration. Spain is comprised of 17 through the international exposition we were autonomous communities. Andalucia is able to raise the economic status of Andalucia located in the southernmost province of the to that of the other provinces, and second that country, and Seville is the capital. In 1992, it the event brought forth the confidence and was set as the venue for the exposition. self-esteem of the people. In 1992, Andalucia was still in the process of development. During that period, the (Kimura) newly-formed socialist party was looking to Thank you very much. I went to legitimize new investment in developing areas Seville several years ago after the 1992 such as Seville and Andalucia with a view to exposition. There was also the exposition of ensuring more equal distribution of wealth, and 1929. Those two international expositions were the country’s becoming a full-fledged member held during periods of historic change. 1992, as of the EU. you mentioned, was the year Spain became a The population of Spain stood at 40 million, member of the EU. It was also the 500-year with one million in the city of Seville. The anniversary of the discovery of the American central government was able to carry out heavy Continent by Columbus. 1929 was a time when investment over a short period of time due to Spain became very important in the history of the fact that the exhibition was to be held in the world and struggled to find its identity. 45 The 2nd Assembly of the Association of Cities and Regions Hosting an International Exhibition Self-respect and self-esteem are very (Seoane Yarza) important because they give hopes and dreams I had not really thought about that, to the locale. As the Expos provided those, they but yes, please allow me to speak a bit further were great events. on the disadvantages or drawbacks. When we As a result of the international organized the Exposition Committee, there was exposition, I am sure you enjoyed many a certain degree of negative impact. This benefits, but there must have been some might not be the case of Aichi, in the sense that challenges and difficulties as well. What Aichi is highly developed in terms of its challenges did you face? economy. But with some communities or (Seoane Yarza) regions, factors such as large-scale investment, One of the biggest challenges or corporations setting up where they previously problems we had was that there were a lot of had no presence, or large subsidies provided to people who became “victims” of the success. the region related to the exposition can lead to Of course, the exposition itself was undeniably negative consequences once the exposition is a success. We expected some 30-35 million over. visitors, and we ended up with 40 million, a Let us consider the very short time number that exceeded our expectations. Our frame of the first two or three months following preparations could not adequately the conclusion of an expo, which in the case of accommodate the large number of people. Seville fell in 1993-94. The regional economy One day, we had as many as 600,000 visitors, had not yet been able to absorb the effect of the resulting in a great deal of congestion at the exposition during this time. It was a very venues. time-consuming process for the region to Furthermore, we were working with a absorb and digest the investment. total space of just 215 hectares, which meant I believe that it is necessary to that we were not always able to offer an properly prepare the receiving end for the optimal level of service. The economic impact of an expo, though in Japan higher-than-expected turnout meant that the there is no need to prepare the region or event was a great success, but at the same time community for the economic impact of such an brought about certain problems. event. For cities or regions that are not prepared for it, however, if the economic impact comes (Kimura) about very quickly, it is very difficult for the I guess that’s the difficulty lying investment, economic impact, and economic beneath the success. assistance to be absorbed. It has been 13 years since EXPO The idea is that the private sector Seville. After the EXPO, a program called absorbs the investment and becomes the driving “Cartuja ’93” was carried out, which was force behind economic development. In designed to develop the site into a park for new Seville’s case, however, this was an extremely technologies. In that sense, the exposition must time-consuming process. At the risk of have impacted not only on Cartuja but on sounding partial, I can honestly give the Seville Seville as a whole. Could you describe the event nine out of ten points, yet at the same ongoing impacts that you wish to continue? time there is no denying that in the years 1993-94 there was clearly difficulties related to the expo due to the region’s inability to absorb 46 The 2nd Assembly of the Association of Cities and Regions Hosting an International Exhibition economic impact.