CHICAGO - The proud host of two landmark world fairs, Chicago looks forward to being part of the 2010 Shanghai Expo which will open on April 30, said a Chicago executive on Thursday.
Thomas W. Bartkoski is the director of International Business Development for World Business Chicago, the city's not-for-profit economic development corporation. Chaired by Mayor Richard M. Daley, the corporation focuses on advancing the Chicago region's global position as a thriving business location.
In an exclusive interview, Bartkoski told Xinhua, "Chicago has a sister city relationship with Shanghai which goes back many years. Mayor Richard Daley and Mayor Han Zheng of Shanghai have maintained a very close relationship. They both visited each other's cities many times."
Bartkoski visited Shanghai last fall and saw the enormous preparation under way. "It is just staggering in terms of infrastructure and facility. Clearly, Shanghai has put a lot of effort into being a good host and putting on a memorable fair," he said.
Chicago has had the honor of hosting two world fairs in the past: the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 and the Chicago World's Fair in 1933-34. Bartkoski said, "Chicago is so proud of the two fairs that they are represented permanently on our city flag: two of the four stars signify the two world expos."
The first world's fair, The World's Columbian Exposition, was held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago was chosen over New York City, Washington, DC, and St. Louis, Missouri, for the honor of hosting the fair.
Bartkoski said: "The fair had a profound effect on architecture, art, and Chicago's self-image. An important legacy of this fair was the 'City Beautiful Movement.' After visiting the fair, many architects, designers and artists realized that they needed parks and spaces to make their cities beautiful places to live."
Reflecting on the second fair in 1933, Bartkoski said: "It was the first fair of its type to have a theme revolving around scientific and technological progress. The theme 'A Century of Progress' was the driver for the fair and its participants."
Talking about its historical significance, he remarked, "the fair was very significant at the time because it came during the Great Depression and it was a great economic boost for the city. The reason it went for two years is because it was so successful that the local and federal government encouraged them to come back the second year. It helped Chicago through a tough period and also brought infrastructure and cultural benefits."
The Chicago World's Fair 1933-34, known as the first world expo boasted a theme of "A century of Progress."
Bartkoski said: "This was the first time businesses and companies could show off their technology and knowledge in scientific advancement at such a large scale. Chrysler put up an assembly line to demonstrate to people how to make cars. Ford came in the next year after seeing how successful Chrysler had been during the first year. For the first time, companies realized that a fair like this could be a big deal for advertising."
Regarding the financial aspect of the 1933-34 fair, he explained, "the business community raised money themselves so the government and the public did not have to pay the bill. They raised enough funds to back a 12 million dollar bond issue in 1933 and were able to manage it without going into any deficit. The fair turned out to be a great success, kept the local economy going, and was a real spur for local business."
Looking back, Bartkoski felt both nostalgic and proud about the two successful Chicago fairs. Meanwhile, he said, "we are very much looking forward to our future, which is very bright. Today, Chicago is one of the major economies in the world. We are about fifth in the scale of global cities in terms of economy. Chicago is also one of the most diversified large economies in North America and has been the top destination for foreign direct investment for several years (in the United States)."
Bartkoski said: "A world expo is really a great opportunity for a city to show itself to the world, and also a wonderful opportunity for people to come together and learn about the host city and various cultures. For humanity, it has great potential to encourage understanding and exchange of knowledge."
Regarding the upcoming Shanghai Expo, Bartkoski added, "Shanghai has a theme that will really help spread knowledge about green technology and the environment. I have no doubt that the 2010 Shanghai Expo is going to be a very impressive world fair. And people from all over the world, including Chicago, are going to be very impressed by what they see," he exclaimed.
