The Foreign Service Journal, September 2016

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2016 21 ence we can be proud of. Five years before the Milan Expo, we had even less time—just 10 months—to build a pavilion at the even larger Shang- hai Expo 2010. While ultimately racking up acclaim on multiple levels in present- ing American culture and values to more than seven million Chinese visitors, the reputation for being one of the last coun- tries to sign on to China’s big party hung on as a juicy media trope of delinquent American leadership. Time for Decisions Now, with the window narrowing for a decision on next year’s three-month expo in Kazakhstan, we run the risk of snubbing the first world’s fair in a former Soviet state, even while 90 other countries have signed on. Next on the horizon is the larger, six-month Dubai Expo 2020. Given strong U.S. political, military and commer- cial interests in the United Arab Emirates, it’s a good bet that we will eventually say yes to Dubai; the question is when. Rather than face yet another too-little, too-late presence, the department should begin planning now. That means not just relying on the regional bureau, but also requiring the active engagement of the public diplomacy, economic, energy and environmental bureaus, at a minimum. A well-supported lead office is needed to integrate programs and interests through- out the department and other agencies into a variety of expo programs that sup- port U.S. interests, policies and business. It’s worth repeating that we have suc- ceeded at recent world’s fairs far beyond the modest U.S. government resources invested. Even while private-sector fundraising foundered, our U.S. pavilion in Milan attracted more than six million visitors during the six-month expo, as well as garnering positive reviews and interna- tional press coverage. First Lady Michelle Obama and Secre- tary of Agriculture TomVilsack led presi- dential delegations to the Milan Expo, while Secretary of State John Kerry gave a speech linking food security and global change during his October visit. Why Should We Care? But why should we care about a presence at world’s fairs? What are the benefits? • “Part trade show, theater of national- ism and techno-utopian fantasyland,” in the words of one academic, world’s fairs Secretary of State John F. Kerry with student ambassadors at Milan Expo 2015. COURTESYOFBEATRICECAMP