The First International Participants Meeting for World Expo 2015 opens on October 25, 2011 in Milan and initiated with the Flags Display Ceremony.

The flags of all the confirmed Official Participants to Expo Milano 2015 were unveiled to be permanently displayed in the centre of Milan until the end of the Expo Milano 2015.

From left front: Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales, Secretary General of BIE; Giuliano Pisapia, Special Commissioner of Italian government for Expo Milano 2015, and Mayor of Milan; Giuseppe Sala, CEO of Expo 2015 S.p.A.; Jean-Pierre Lafon, President of BIE (25.10.2011)

"This meeting is a key moment in the Expo project. It is equally important for the organizers, for the participants and for the BIE. It is a time when we are laying the cornerstone of the participation; and we are placing a time stamp on the beginning of a cooperation project that will last until 2015 and beyond," said Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales, Secretary General of BIE at the opening session.

"The theme of Milano 2015 "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life" must be understood as essential foundations for building quality participation," added Loscertales.

"The theme must be a permanent reminder to everyone that we continue to use more of the earth's resources that are available. [...] We shall focus on effective educational messages and deliver - at least some solutions - to make real progress towards creating sustainable lifestyles."

Jean-Pierre Lafon, President of BIE, spoke at the Flag Display Ceremony and indicated that Milan may "take the role of being innovative, not only in the organization, but also your thinking and contents by foreseeing to group the different participations by their theme" to cope with the challenges they will meet during the preparation of the event.

Jean-Pierre Lafon, President of BIE

Giuliano Pisapia, Special Commissioner of Italian government for Expo Milano 2015, and Mayor of Milan, speaks at the Flag Display ceremony

Guido Podesta, President of the Province of Milan

Diana Bracco, president of EXPO 2015 S.p.A

Roberto Formigoni, General Commissioner of Expo 2015 and President of Lombardie Region

A public roundtable "Carta 2015" was organized to discuss the theme of EXPO Milano 2015. The initiative is intended to be one of the main legacies of Expo Milano 2015. Through a broad international debate, it aims at discussing the great challenges the world is facing in the field of nutrition and present proposals for their solution.

Carta 2015 round table discussion

On October 25, 2011, at the opening plenary session of the meetings in Como, Italy, the General Commissioner of Expo 2015, Mr. Formigoni, delivered a message from the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano.

"I'm satisfied to have found that the official participants that have joined Milan's Expo are already 57, including governments and international organizations, plus a big number of private entities.

"This universal exhibition will be the most relevant event hosted in Italy in the last decades. I fervently hope that the active collaboration of the national and international parties involved can fully realize the significant potential of Expo 2015, catalyzing the best skills and resources available on a global scale around a strategic theme as 'Feeding the Planet, energy for life'."

The first meeting of the International Participants is one of the most important events during the preparation and implementation process of the Expo that allows early engagement of international participants, who will have the opportunity to actively contribute to the development of the Expo theme.

A video made by Expo Milano 2015 organizers on the First International Participants' Meeting

Read More:
The Program for the International Participants Meeting (in English)

The Official Website of Expo Milan 2015