10 Sep EXPO 2017: German Pavilion wins gold
Pavilion recognised for best interpretation of the EXPO theme
Persons: Dietmar Schmitz (Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy) BMWi, together with pavilion director Bettina Bochynek from (Hamburg Messe and Congress) HMC, is pleased about the Gold Award for the best interpretation of theme. Credit: photos: German Pavilion / HMC
Astana, 10. September 2017 — Germany sweeps the awards at EXPO 2017 in Astana: The German Pavilion has been acclaimed with the Gold Award for the “Best Interpretation of Theme” — the subject of this year’s EXPO was “Future energy”. Germany also received three awards from the prestigious US-based trade magazine Exhibitor.
After three months, the first international exposition to be held in Central Asia came to an end on 10 September 2017. Almost four million visitors attended. The event concluded with the presentation of gold, silver and bronze awards for the best national presentations by the Bureau Internationale des Expositions (BIE), which is responsible for world expositions, together with the Kazakh EXPO hosts.
With its “Energy on Track” concept, centred on the “Made in Germany” energy revolution, the German Pavilion impressed the international jury and won first prize for the best content in the category for large pavilions covering over 700 square metres. Alongside its compelling dramaturgy, the pavilion was praised for the level of expertise on show and its entertaining presentation of exhibits. The exhibition began with a global perspective before zooming into an individual’s viewpoint, presenting research on the subject of renewable energies, electromobility and energy efficiency and how these topics will contribute to the German economy in future. The grand finale of a visit to the pavilion was the “Energy Show” with a spectacular laser display.
The trade magazine “Exhibitor” recognised the German presence with no fewer than three awards, including in the main category of “Best Pavilion”. The other two awards given to the German Pavilion by the international jury of eminent experts, representing the fields of design, marketing and communication, were in the categories of “Best Interpretation of Theme” and “Best Activity/Interactive” for the Smart Grid table, which vividly illustrates the functionality of intelligent electricity networks.
Dietmar Schmitz, Commissioner of the German Pavilion from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, the agency responsible for organising the German exhibition, is delighted about the prizes: “Winning the Gold Awards and the distinctions from Exhibitor magazine fills us with pride. They serve as wonderful recognition for all of the people who contributed to the success of the German pavilion. The Awards also show that our interactive approach, with exhibits that people can touch and interact with, is the perfect way to make complex topics easy to understand”.
The Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, Brigitte Zypries, gave a positive verdict: “The German Pavilion has successfully presented our modern, innovative and welcoming country to visitors. By presenting pioneering methods and solutions for sustainable production, storage and distribution of energy, the pavilion made an important contribution to the EXPO theme, and was impressive in showing that Germany is a reliable and capable partner as the international community tackles this key issue together in the future.”
The German exhibit was one of the most popular national contributions among visitors to the EXPO. Over the three months that the event took place, around 600,000 people from all around the world viewed the German Pavilion. It scored very highly in survey responses, with 95.8 percent of the respondents rating the German Pavilion as “very good” or “good”. Visitors also gave top marks (95.6 percent “very good” or “good”) when asked about the thematic content of the exhibition. There was also praise for the expertise and friendliness of the staff. The survey, conducted on behalf of the German Pavilion, included interviews with around 2500 visitors.
The most prominent German guests were the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and his wife, Elke Büdenbender on National Day of Germany at EXPO 2017 on 12 July. In addition, crowned heads of state such as King Felipe VI of Spain and Prince Albert II of Monaco paid a visit to the German Pavilion, as well as high-level representatives from business and politics, including the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nasarbajew.
The restaurant, featuring typical German food and beverages, was a big draw for guests. Traditional meals such as Sauerbraten (braised beef) and the various speciality beers were particularly popular. The German presence at the EXPO in Astana also had a rich and varied cultural program with numerous artists from the fields of music, dance, theatre, film and fashion.
Germany’s participation in the EXPO 2017 in Astana, Kazakhstan, was organised by Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH (HMC) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The concept was developed by a consortium consisting of insglück Gesellschaft für Markeninszenierung mbH, gtp2 architekten and mac messe- und ausstellungscenter Service GmbH.
“It was a great honour to represent Germany at this world exposition”, said HMC’s Bettina Bochynek, Director of the German Pavilion. She continued: “Special thanks go to the Kazakh people for their hospitality and helpfulness. l would also like to thank the pavilion team for their excellent work and fantastic commitment” Around 130 people worked in the German Pavilion altogether; 80 employees in the regular pavilion with a further 50 in the restaurant.
The next world exposition will take place from 20 October 2020 to 10 April 2021 in Dubai.
Press contact: Frank Bumann, Press Spokesman for the German Pavilion at EXPO 2017
Tel. +49 (0) 40 8539 9891, +49 (0) 160 3850 343, Email frank.bumann@expo2017-germany.com
More information about the German Pavilion and the trade magazine Exhibitor:
