The Milan Candidacy

On 31st March 2008 the BIE (Bureau International des Expositions) members met in Paris and chose Milan for the 2015 Universal Exposition with 86 votes against the 65 votes of its rival Smirne.

The challenge to bring the Expo to Italy began in October 2003 when the Italian government decided to put Milan forward as a candidate to host this major international event with the theme “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”. The rival city was the Turkish city of Smirne.

There were fundamental milestone along the path that led to Milan’s victory: the presentation of the Dossier detailing the project, the theme forums focusing on the proposed themes, and the foreign missions to persuade countries to back Milan’s project. The teamwork and commitment at all levels saw Milan win the day with a 21-vote lead. But this was just the first step in a new challenge: turning the Expo 2015 into a unique and extraordinary event.