Lithuania's participation in this year's world exhibition "Expo 2020" in Dubai can become an opportunity for business affected by the pandemic, according to the organizers of the country's presentation, who are looking for companies that will organize the sale of Lithuanian food and souvenirs.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of the Environment announced an updated selection of commercial activity operators.
Romas Jankauskas, general commissioner of the Lithuanian pavilion, announced that the selection was first announced a year ago, but few companies responded, and at the same time, the coronavirus pandemic hit, which delayed the exhibition itself for a year.
"In the Lithuanian pavilion, which has already been built there, such a cafe-bar, small, with 25 seats, and a point of Lithuanian products, souvenirs, products will be provided (...) An operator is required, a maximum of a couple of operators, who would organize all catering and trade", - BNS said R. Jankauskas.
Although such exhibitions are not commercial, each state may devote up to one-fifth of the total space to trade.
The selected company or companies will have to purchase the goods at their own expense, transport them, obtain all necessary permits, hire employees, and accommodate them. According to R. Jankauskas, this "can be both profitable and unprofitable".
"Dubai already has very minimal restrictions in the field of trade and catering, and on October 1, when the exhibition starts, it will last for half a year, it may not be a bad situation and it may be a chance for someone to recover from that crisis," said the general commissioner of the pavilion.
Service providers will be selected based on the country's delivery method they offer, so that it is useful in representing as many Lithuanian companies as possible.
There are no plans to postpone the exhibition again
The Ministry of Environment, which is responsible for the country's appearance in Dubai, announced at the end of February that the Lithuanian pavilion has already been built, and its installation work is currently being completed. The exhibition has been in preparation for three years.
In the pavilion of almost one thousand square meters, which was designed by the architects of the small association "Baukas", there will be an exposition presenting Lithuania's achievements in technology, environmental protection and other fields. The exposition should be completely ready in September.
"If the conditions were at least as they are now, it would certainly be a very good, productive participation. But maybe after the summer, after the active vaccination, which is being carried out very intensively in Dubai itself, both around the world and here, - if that situation changes for the better, then everything should be very good", said R. Jankauskas.
According to him, Lithuania has chosen the optimal premises, because the country's budget, as before, is one of the smaller ones. For example, Germany allocates 50 million for participation. euros.
"The biggest investment is probably the building itself. Lithuania will have an individual building in a very good location. (…) We are between the Slovenian and Swedish pavilions. That building cost about 3 million. euros, and the entire participation, all other expenses cost another one million," said R. Jankauskas.
On October 22, a national day dedicated to Lithuania will be held at the exhibition.
According to the ministry, although Expo 2020 was postponed for a year last year due to the global pandemic, there are no plans to do so again. It will be held under the conditions prevailing at the time.
The previously predicted number of visitors - 25 million - may decrease, but the organizers of the exhibition are not in a hurry to change it yet. The name of the exhibition does not change either - although it will actually take place in 2021-2022, it will continue to be called "Expo 2020".
Author Vytautas Budzinauskas
