USAG Vicenza Commander visits USA Pavilion at Milan Expo 2015

The Vicenza garrison commander recently got a glimpse of U.S. involvement in a World's Fair when he visited Milan Expo 2015. Col. Robert L. Menist Jr. toured the expo May 29 to show support for the USA Pavilion and host country Italy.

"We appreciate Col. Menist's support for our efforts to showcase U.S. engagement here in the heart of Europe, and the unique role that our nation can play in the future of food worldwide," said U.S. Consul General in Milan, Ambassador Philip T. Reeker.

With Milan selected as the host city for this year's World's Fair, Italy then chose its central theme. For the first time in history since its inception in 1851, the theme of a world expo is food: Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life. This theme brings together more than 140 nations as well as world organizations to focus on the question of how to feed nine billion people by 2050. Previous expos gave the world the Eiffel Tower, the sewing machine and ketchup. Milan 2015's ambition is to devise a plan to decrease food waste and combat hunger and obesity.

"I encourage members of the Vicenza Military Community to come and take part in this important event (and enjoy some great food!)," Reeker said. "With the World's Fair in Milan our Italian hosts have created a global platform to discuss food security, agricultural sustainability, climate, environment, trade and other issues. Our pavilion is a strong representation of America's creativity, innovation and leadership to feed the planet in a safe and sustainable way," he added.

Menist agreed that a visit to the Expo is a must. "I really enjoyed my time there. I appreciated the opportunity to connect with our team at the Milan Consulate and see in person the tremendous effort they are investing to represent the United States. We also discussed ways to incorporate some of the messages of the U.S. Army into their efforts," he said.

The American contribution to the exposition is a sleek pavilion -- the only one that has been completely privately funded - that rises vast and narrow in steel and glass on the expo's mile-long main concourse, with a popular terrace and a great view of the entire site.

Designed by New York-based Bibier Architects, the building features a mobile vertical farm of harvestable crops and an interior boardwalk made from salvaged lumber from Coney Island, post-Hurricane Sandy. The giant American flag (with a plate, knife and fork in lieu of stars) and the large-screen portraits of President Barack Obama and the First Lady on display are making it one of the most iconic places and a must-stop for selfie photos.

"I think the USA Pavilion is one of the most popular because people are interested in what the United States has to say about food and what we are doing to ensure food security," said Sharon Yang, chief of protocol at the pavilion.

Yang, who handles the non-stop flow of visits of many world-famous dignitaries traveling to Expo daily, said the pavilion is also built in a way to be inviting with an open boardwalk where visitors are allowed to walk freely. "It's a popular stop on the main concourse and we are proud of the narrative we get to share on American Food 2.0," she said.

At the pavilion, the theme is communicated through interactive screens and video messages. The USA Pavilion, Menist said, approaches global issues such as food safety and sustainability. "It offers a learning experience that aims at creating awareness about the global challenge of how to feed a growing population with fixed resources."

One highlight of the pavilion is the Great American Foodscape exhibit on the ground floor. It offers a series of interesting videos on America's food diversity and how immigration has led to cultural and culinary intermingling.

Running from May 1 to Oct. 31, this giant exhibition site covers 272 acres (equivalent to 150 soccer fields) and is expected to welcome over 20 million visitors. With few exceptions, all buildings will have to be removed and recycled after the fair, in line with the sustainable approach of the energy-saving theme.

With food as the theme of this year's event, culinary delights from host Italy and beyond will be one of the main draws, along with the shows and attractions offered in several pavilions that opted to treat the Expo like an amusement park.

"It was interesting to see how participating countries approached the food theme and how the theme is being communicated with visitors," Menist said.

Visitors line up at the Brazilian Pavilion intent on climbing onto a tensile net structure suspended over a vision of a rain forest. Still, others happily exit the German complex by jumping onto a giant slide. These are just an example of the approaches taken to attract guests.

For this reason, Milan Expo 2015 can be an exciting round-the-world trip for the entire family in which each pavilion offers a fun journey through the culture, perfumes, colors and traditions of its people.

World expos are held every five years; the next one will be Dubai 2020 in the United Arab Emirates. Learn more about the event and its attractions at http://www.expo2015.org/en.

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