Expo 2020 Dubai, which was postponed for a year due to the pandemic, officially came to a close at the end of last month after welcoming over 24 million visitors from around the world. In true 2021 fashion, this World Expo also included a virtual platform that enabled those who couldn’t make it in person — or those who wanted to revisit certain elements of the expo after returning home — to explore Country Pavilions, tune in for special events, and more.
The Virtual Expo attracted around 250 million additional visitors throughout the Expo’s six-month run, and it will now remain online to allow both new and return visitors to access it and to serve as a digital archive of Expo-owned content. The idea for the virtual component was conceived of years ago, although the timing during the pandemic made its accessibility particularly relevant and important.
According to Expo 2020 Dubai, the virtual experience was, unsurprisingly, most popular among younger users — 70 percent of virtual visitors were under 44 years old. Rehan Asad, Expo 2020 Dubai Chief Program Officer, notes that the events and entertainment were key drivers for virtual engagement throughout the Expo, and that the platform will allow the legacy of the event to live on in the future.
“Just as you can go onto YouTube and watch videos from 10 years ago, we think the rich content and experience we created will see people explore the site in months and years to come,” he said in a statement.
Expo 2020 has set an important precedent with its creation of a robust virtual experience, and the team intends to hand its domain, virtualexpo.world, over to the Bureau International des Expositions (BEI) so that it can be used and adapted by other host countries for future expos as the world becomes more reliant on digital technologies and alternatives for events.
“Virtual Expo is the UAE’s gift to the world,” added Asad. “Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General, Expo 2020 Dubai often said that our vision is to bring the world to Expo, and, with Virtual Expo, take Expo 2020 Dubai to the world.”