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Expo Interview: A Corporate Perspective
When most people think of the structures dotting the landscape at Expo 2010, they think of the grand country pavilions with their inspired exteriors and culture-rich interiors. But there’s a different, lesser-known side of Shanghai’s international event. In addition to the 192 nations and 50 non-governmental organizations, which are represented by various pavilions, a handful of companies have erected corporate pavilions at Expo 2010. Anthony Elvey, director of Cisco China’s World Expo 2010 Program, and Wendy Herrero, event marketing communications manager for Cisco, explain why their company established its presence at Expo 2010, offering insight into the corporate side of the World’s Fair. For a video tour of Cisco’s pavilion at Expo 2010, Click Here.
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 EXHIBITOR Magazine: How did Cisco decide to have such an impressive presence at Expo 2010?
Anthony Elvey: There are two main reasons. The first is that it reinforces our commitment to China. The second is the relevancy of the theme of World Expo, which
is "Better City, Better Life." This is closely aligned to Cisco’s own vision for Smart+Connected Communities, which is about how technology, particularly networking technology, can help municipal governments enhance cities with compelling public services. World Expo was a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the potential to achieve the Smart+Connected Life.
 EM: Has Cisco participated in World Expos before?
AE: This is the first time that Cisco has run its own corporate pavilion at a World Expo or World Fair event.
EM: What are Cisco’s goals for its pavilion at Expo 2010?
AE: Cisco’s objective at the World Expo is to showcase our Smart+Connected Communities vision and our ability to build an ecosystem to sustain the development of those communities. We feel that we have met those objectives in the first three months alone. We have hosted many high-level government delegations from around the world in our pavilion as well as met with traditional players in city development such as real estate developers.
We have had some of our most senior global executives, including Chairman and CEO John Chambers, visit the pavilion, and they have held very senior-level discussions with both government and business leaders from around the world. This has opened many doors to Cisco, doors that previously were not accessible to us. So for that reason alone, we have been satisfied with the results so far.
We have also been very satisfied with the awareness for the Cisco brand among members of the public. We have seen very long queues daily for our public show and believe this has generated a better understanding of Cisco’s brand and the role we play in everyday life.
 EM: The theme of the Cisco pavilion is “Smart+Connected Life.” Why was that theme chosen, and how is it woven throughout the pavilion?
AE: The Smart+Connected Life theme is really about how technology, and in particular the network, is changing we way we live, play, learn, and work. The movie in our public show visualizes what this life could be like in 10 years, but in reality, the technology exists today to create that life. The showcase on our second floor demonstrates how the network can enhance real estate, public utilities, sports and entertainment, transportation, healthcare, and education, and these are all solutions that exist today.
EM: What are some of the most exciting elements of the Cisco pavilion?
AE: We are not just showcasing a concept; we have created a living and breathing Smart+Connected Community. Cisco Smart+Connected Communities are being built in places such as Incheon, Korea and the state of Colorado in the United States. Also, the implementation of these technologies is already being planned in Chinese cities such as Chengdu and Chongqing and also internationally, in Songdo, Korea, where Cisco is helping incorporate networked technology directly in the city infrastructure.
EM: Are any parts of the pavilion experience inspired by Cisco’s exhibits or corporate events?
 Wendy Herrero: We did take elements from some other showcases from around the world, but we are very proud to say that the Cisco pavilion is the most advanced showcase for the Smart+Connected Communities vision.
EM: How is planning a corporate pavilion similar (or dissimilar) to planning a corporate event?
WH: A corporate pavilion is very different from planning a corporate event. For one thing, a pavilion is an actual building, and it can live on for years, although in the case of the Shanghai Expo, ours is living for six months. It  has all of the amenities and security of a typical Cisco building: Cisco TelePresence conferencing, conference rooms that can be booked using Outlook, public demonstration areas and VIP customer areas, restrooms, and Cisco badged access/entry.
Planning our pavilion at Expo was very challenging in so many ways. For one, Cisco has never participated in an event of this size, length, or magnitude before, and we have learned a lot in the process.
Overall, we are very happy with the outcome of our Cisco pavilion and the experience we are able to give to visitors.
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