"Look and see which way the wind blows before you commit yourself." — "The Bat and the Weasels," Aesop's Fables
One year from now, representatives from Osaka, along with Paris, Baku, Azerbaijan and Ekaterinburg, Russia, will gather in Paris. One city will be awarded the World Expo 2025 by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).
To win an expo, a candidate needs more than a strong theme that is relevant and timely, yet idealistic and future-oriented. Beyond the technical requirements (available venue, ease of location, adequate transportation infrastructure) and cost concerns, there is the "diplomacy" issue. Why, exactly, should the 170 members of the BIE vote to ask the world to visit your expo, your city, your region and your country?