Progress reports on upcoming Horticultural Expos

The Organisers of the two upcoming Horticultural Expos – Floriade Expo 2022 Amsterdam-Almere and Expo 2023 Doha Qatar – presented progress reports to the 168th General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), which took place virtually on 29 June 2021.

Opening on 14 April 2022, Floriade Expo 2022 Amsterdam-Almere is currently at an advanced level of preparation, Chief Executive Officer Hans Bakker informed BIE Member States. On the Expo site, planting of the arboretum is making progress, and the development of pavilions is underway. Throughout the summer of 2021, the public will be able to discover the site as part of Floriade Preview, which includes a ride on the newly installed Cable Car offering views over the Expo site.

Mr. Bakker also presented some of the key features of the Expo, including the 170-metre long Floriadekas greenhouse, and the Art Pavilion. The visitor experience will moreover include the opportunity to enjoy the Expo’s lively cultural programme, with numerous music and dance performances as well as forest theatre, community art projects and augmented reality. In addition, the Expo will offer in-depth explorations into the “Growing Green Cities” theme, with the extension of the Floriade Dialogue series of knowledge exchange events, and the launch of a new online learning platform.

Regarding international participation, Mr. Bakker announced that 39 countries have so far confirmed their participation in Floriade Expo 2022, with several having already submitted their garden-pavilion designs. Participants will have the chance to exchange more closely with each other and with the Organiser during an Official Planning Meeting set to take place in the Netherlands in Autumn 2021.

The General Assembly was also informed about the progress of the following Horticultural Expo – Expo 2023 Doha Qatar. Sheikh Ali bin Jassem Al Thani, Ambassador of Qatar to France, reiterated Qatar’s enthusiasm to host the first Horticultural Expo in the Middle East, stating that the Organiser has an “unremitting determination” to making it a “truly remarkable event”.

Offering an overview of progress on the site, Mohammed Ali Al Khoori, the Secretary General of the Expo Organiser, indicated that with the infrastructure in place, building work and landscaping are now underway, and are set to be completed in March 2022. Some of the main components of the Expo now under development include greenhouses which will feature hydroponic cultivation, the Expo House which will feature a 2,000m2 event area, and the Grand Desert Park.

Mr. Al Khoori additionally noted that following the approval of the change of dates of the Expo, the Organiser has adopted a new strategy for international participation, with invitation activities ongoing with around 40 countries. The new opening dates has also led to the Expo branding being reworked, with a new logo that has been approved by the BIE, and the preparation of a new website and social media presence.

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