Later this month, the Paris-based Bureau of International Expositions is expected to announce the postponement of this year’s World Expo in Dubai due to the coronavirus. Originally slated to run from October to April, the new dates will likely be October 2021 to March 2022.
The postponement will also affect Japan. A 2022 finish in Dubai means just three years until Osaka-Kansai/Japan Expo 2025. World Expos are held once every five years to give everyone ample time to prepare. Given the uncertainties over the coronavirus pandemic and the logistical and financial realities of hosting an Expo, Osaka, Kansai and national leaders may soon have to discuss options.
First up, of course, is the “Full Speed Ahead” option: The 2025 Expo takes place exactly as planned. But this looks very risky now because it assumes: 1) the crisis will soon end; 2) there won’t be new waves of infections between now and 2025 that create worldwide shutdowns; 3) that a vaccine will be administered globally by then; 4) that despite virus-related economic damage, most governments will commit to big exhibits in 2025; and 5) that, despite economic concerns in Japan about the virus and the postponed Tokyo Olympics, Kansai and national government and business leaders will honor their pre-pandemic promises of funding for the expo over the next few years.