EXPO-2017: energy of the future
Kazakhstan’s participation in EXPO-2017 is one of the most important events in the history of the country’s development. This exhibition, which took place from June 10 to September 10, 2017 in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, was dedicated to the “Future Energy” theme and attracted the attention of many countries and guests from all over the world.
Kazakhstan’s participation in this large-scale international exhibition was made possible thanks to the efforts of the government, which has been promoting the idea of holding an EXPO in our country since 2010. Kazakhstan won the right to host the exhibition and became the first post-soviet country to receive such an opportunity. At the end of the exhibition, the Secretary General of the International Bureau of Exhibitions Vincente Gonzalez Loscertales called “EXPO 2017” the most successful specialized exhibition in history.
The organization and holding of the EXPO-2017 exhibition was carried out with a high level of professionalism and attention to every detail.
Over 100 companies took part in the International Architectural Competition for the best sketch idea of the EXPO-2017 exhibition complex. A company from Chicago “Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture” became the winner. A new exhibition complex called EXPO-2017 was built, which housed the pavilions of the participating countries and entertainment areas.
The total area of the EXPO-2017 exhibition complex is 174 hectares. The area of the complex allocated to the pavilion of our country called “Nur Alem” was as much as 25 hectares, and the main construction was completed six months before the start of the exhibition.
The Nur Alem Pavilion is a spherical building with a height of 100 meters and a diameter of 80 meters. At present, “Nur Alem” continues its work as a museum.
In total, 115 states and 22 international organizations took part in the exhibition. It bears noting that more than four million people visited EXPO-2017 in Kazakhstan. All the pavilions of the participants were divided into four groups: A, B, C, D.
The top ten most visited pavilions include:
Plaza of Africa – 659,452 visitors
Egypt – 608,733 visitors
Turkey – 596,462 visitors
Azerbaijan – 568,654 visitors
Thailand – 566,711 visitors
India – 557,480 visitors
Russia – 515,321 visitors
Uzbekistan – 469,575 visitors
Japan – 461,772 visitors
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – 419,285 visitors.
The main purpose of the exhibition was to draw attention for the issues of sustainable development, ecology and rational use of energy. Kazakhstan presented its achievements in this field, and also, offered its vision of the future for the energy industry.
As part of the EXPO-2017 exhibition, Kazakhstan demonstrated its innovative developments and technologies in the field of energy. The achievements such as solar and wind power plants, biogas plants, energy-saving materials and technologies, as well as the application of information technologies in the energy sector were presented there.
It bears to remind that more than 1400 small and medium-sized enterprises of the country provided the goods and services to the participants of the exhibition. There was a noticeable increase in demand for the tourism sector of Kazakhstan, namely for the services of tour operators. Kazakh capital had found itself in the epicenter of global attention and intense interest of the whole world.
Therefore, a special attention was paid to the environmental projects in Kazakhstan. A Botanical Parkwas created too, where the visitors could get acquainted with various types of plants and ecosystems, as well as enjoy the beauty and nature of Kazakhstan.
In addition, the various conferences, forums and seminars were held to discuss the energy development issues and exchange of experience between the countries. Due to that, leading experts and scientists were invited to discuss the current problems and find the solutions.
Besides that, Kazakhstan’s participation in the EXPO-2017 exhibition contributed to the attraction of investments and development of tourism. Many foreign companies and investors visited Kazakhstan to participate in the exhibition and subsequently offer their innovations and technologies for the development of the country’s energy sector. Also, the tourism industry received an impetus for the development, as thousands of foreign guests visited Kazakhstan to participate in the exhibition.
By organizing and holding the exhibition, a modern and developed tourist infrastructure was created in Astana, which made it possible to meet the needs of all visitors. The new hotels, restaurants, shops and other catering and service facilities, which had a positive impact on the economy of the city and the country as a whole, were built as well.
Kazakhstan’s participation in EXPO-2017 is associated with the new technologies, energy development and concern for the future of the planet. Kazakhstan has demonstrated its achievements in the field of sustainable development and ecology, as well as established useful international partnerships in the field of energy. This exhibition helped to strengthen Kazakhstan’s reputation in the global community and paved the way for the future development of the country’s energy industry.
