Image from expo2027.us
As the U.S. eagerly anticipates the potential to host the 2027 World’s Fair, Minnesota’s World’s Fair committee is making its final push to host the Expo.
The bid, backed by a decade-long campaign, is culminating with state leaders lobbying international delegates in Paris and Bloomington.
The Expo site would be located in close proximity to the largest tourist attraction in the United States, the Mall of America, and the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, making it easily accessible for international guests.
Billions of public tax dollars have been invested in infrastructure in and around Bloomington, making the city well-equipped to handle the influx of visitors.
Their goal is to secure top rankings for Minnesota’s bid from the delegates of other countries.
Representatives of the Minnesota USA Expo bid committee, alongside U.S. State Department officials, have been working tirelessly, making frequent trips to Paris to promote their bid.
The decisive moment arrives on June 21, when the 140 to 160 delegates cast their ballots.
Minnesota is vying for the prestigious opportunity against Argentina, Serbia, Spain, and Thailand.
Winning the approval of Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) delegates requires a two-thirds majority on the first ballot; otherwise, subsequent rounds of voting will follow, eliminating the country with the lowest votes each round.
However, securing the bid is only the first step.
“We would still need to put together a public-private partnership and secure financing,” noted Ted Johnson, senior advisor for Minnesota USA Expo.
Minnesota’s civic and political leaders have been striving to host the Expo for a decade, having narrowly missed out to Argentina for the 2023 expo.
Prominent state leaders, including U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, have been meeting with representatives from other voting nations and will continue to do so in the lead up to the vote.
Governor Tim Walz, Representatives Tom Emmer and Dean Phillips, and Senator Klobuchar have been instrumental in rallying support for the bid, with Governor Walz personally writing to 22 countries asking for their endorsement.
The proposed Expo, themed “Healthy People, Healthy Planet: Wellness and Well-Being for All,” aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 3 and will cost an estimated $1.3 to $1.5 billion.
Slated for the summer of 2027 near the Mall of America, organizers expect to attract 14 million visitors over the 93-day run.
In anticipation of a potential win, the Minnesota Legislature has approved a $5 million grant to assist with planning.
The last time the U.S. hosted a World’s Fair was in New Orleans in 1984, marking a possible end to a 40-year hiatus if Minnesota secures the bid.
Minnesota, a global hub of health, nutrition, and medical technology, is a fitting host for the expo given its alignment with the proposed theme.
The state is home to several Fortune 500 companies operating in these sectors, and more than 387,500 workers are engaged in the healthcare industry.
The proposed site in Bloomington offers numerous advantages, including easy accessibility to public transit, lodging, attractions, and the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.
The region has successfully hosted large-scale events, such as the Super Bowl, the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four, and the Minnesota State Fair.
Further enhancing the appropriateness of the location, Bloomington is located in Minnesota’s Medical Alley, the world’s leading health technology innovation cluster.
The area is home to the highest ranked hospital, the globally recognized Destination Medical Center, and the nation’s largest private health insurer.
With more than 1,000 healthcare companies employing over 500,000 Minnesotans and millions worldwide, Medical Alley is at the forefront of health innovation.
Despite these strengths, the committee is cognizant of existing disparities in health outcomes within Minnesota.
Recognizing that financial constraints often prevent residents from accessing life-saving healthcare, the Expo aims to learn from international participants and facilitate a global conversation about these and other health and wellness challenges.
The Expo 2027 Committee is dedicated to creating an inclusive platform for sharing promising innovations and engaging in necessary, sometimes uncomfortable, conversations about global health and well-being issues.
The U.S. hosts are committed to openness, acknowledging that no one nation has all the answers.
They aim to provide a welcoming stage for a broad range of global issues, cultures, viewpoints, and disciplines, embracing the fact that every region has unique successes and setbacks from which all can learn.
The last World’s Fair in the U.S. took place in 1984 in New Orleans, making this an opportunity to end a 40-year hiatus and put Minnesota on the global stage.
For more information, please visit expo2027.us or find them on Facebook at MinnesotaUSAExpo2027.