THE IDEA OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NATIONAL PERFORMANCES BY PARTICIPANTS OF EXPO 2015

Abstract

Universal expositions, referred to as Expo, are events organised every five years, during which usually about 150 countries strive to present their distinctive qualities and achievements in an attractive manner – devoting special attention to natural values, culture and science. However, expositions should not only focus on exhibitors’ unique features, but they should also comply with the main topic of an Expo event. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to examine – based on observation conducted during the exhibition event held in Milan – performances given by countries in the context of referring to the main motto of the Expo. In 2015, the slogan used for the event in question was: “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”, and it directly referred to the idea of sustainable development. The observation made it possible to distinguish four groups of national exhibitions. Pavilions of selected countries were classified under those groups, and if there were displays that clearly referred to the central theme of the Expo, as well as strongly emphasised national distinctive qualities, a detailed description was provided.