Less than 100 days to go: Expo Milano 2015 opens May 1

MILAN, Italy – Less than 100 days to go to the opening of Expo Milano 2015: on 1st May the World Expo (Universal Exposition) will be welcoming for six months (until 31st October) 20 million expected visitors from all over the planet, bringing together different cultures and languages. Italy and Milan, indicated as top travel destination for 2015, also thanks to Expo Milano 2015, will be presenting themselves to the world through one of their most characterizing aspects: food and nutrition.

The key players of this event will be the Participating Countries presenting their experiences and solutions in the field of nutrition: the theme of the event “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life” is the topic that more than 130 Countries will be expanding on through the architecture of their spaces, and exhibitions, appointments and shows organized during the six-month period. A varied and rich proposal that has already led to the sale of more than 8 million tickets: owing to agreements entered into with more than 100 international Tour Operators and through the direct channels of resellers, airport Infopoints, Expo 2015’s Partners and especially the website http://www.expo2015.org, to date one third of the total amount of tickets available has already been purchased (according to estimates, 24 million tickets will be sold by the end of the event).
In the last 100 metres left to run before breasting the tape, works proceed at a fast pace: 53 Countries are busy finishing their “Self-Built Pavilion” – autonomous pavilion (a record in the history of the event) – while the others will be setting up their spaces inside the 9 Clusters of the Universal Exposition: that is, “villages” gathering the main States that produce specific foods (Coffee, Cacao, Rice, Spices, Cereals and Tubers, Fruit and Legumes) or that are interested in developing specific aspects of the event’s theme (Bio-Mediterranean, Food and Nutrition in the Dry Zones, Islands Sea and Food).

On the occasion of the press conference at The New York Times Travel Show, Piero Galli, General Manager Event Management Division of Expo Milano 2015, highlighted the success in terms of participants and tickets already sold and presented some of the news of what will be the biggest global event on food and nutrition that will offer visitors from all over the world a unique and extraordinary experience. Ugo Alciati, of the Michelin-starred Guido restaurant in Pollenzo (Italy) and a living legend in Italian food, attending the NYT Travel Show as an Expo 2015 Chef Ambassador, talked about his vision of the Universal Exposition and its interpretation of the theme “Feeding the Planet. Energy for Life”. His vision of food is intimately linked to the territory, the tradition as well as to the service and innovation.

Piero Galli has also illustrated the interesting initiatives showcasing the countries, international organisations and civil society and involving the local people during the six months of the event.

The exhibition site of Expo Milano 2015 will be open every day from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., from 1st May to 31st October, with a programme mainly devoted to in-depth analysis during the day (Expo by day) and to entertainment in the evening (Expo by night). Therefore, the 20 million visitors expected will be able to appreciate a mix of culture and amusement: on one hand, there will be conferences and debates on the global and social challenges connected to the right of all the populations worldwide to healthy, safe and sufficient food, converging in the writing of a strategic document on the issue, the “Milan Charter;” on the other hand, there will be exclusive shows offered by the Cirque du Soleil, events organized by the various Countries, gastronomic experiences offered by hundreds of ethnic restaurants, coffee bars and refreshment areas, as well as special initiatives for children and families.