Over 1.2 million visit Malta pavilion at Shanghai Expo so far

More than 1.2 million people have visited the Malta pavilion at the Shanghai Expo since the sprawling six-month showcase on the world opened on May 1.

Rather than be dwarfed by the glamorous, extravagant and colourful pavilions such as those of Saudi Arabia, Australia, China or the US, it seems the 350-square metre corner of Malta has made quite a name for itself.

Malta’s pavilion sits at the edge of the European Joint Pavilion which incorporates a host of small nations including Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro and San Marino.

The fully-fledged Café Jubilee, part of the Gozo-born café bistro chain which operates in Malta and Hungary, has become the talk of the ‘town’.

China-based deputy commissioner general Oliver Xuereb said Café Jubilee, which seats 45 people, has attracted thousands of people including Expo staff and directors.

“If we did not have this bar, half the people at the Expo would not know each other!” he explained. “There are very few social events at the Expo but our pavilion and Café Jubilee are always open. It is the only place in the Expo Park that is open when people are finished for the day and they want a drink before heading home.”

Cisk lager has also seen increased sales since the franchise began selling bottles outside the pavilion to take away. Chinese visitors are curious to taste one of Malta’s most popular beers.

Daily visitors to the Expo are averaging 350,000 and with target visitor numbers topping 70 million until October 31, the Malta pavilion has proven to be a valuable marketing tool for the islands.

Asked how officials planned to exploit opportunities presented by the Expo, Commissioner General Alan Camilleri said it was important to expose the islands to the world, not just the Chinese. With more than 180 countries participating, Malta could use the network to its advantage, he said. One of the reasons a sizable business delegation was present in Shanghai for Malta Day at the Expo in May was to leverage any potential exposure in favour of Maltese businesses. He believes business will be done following the “very positive ripples” from the China business trip.

The business focus tied to the pavilion is related to tourism, education and inward investment.

“There are positive arguments for each and we do believe these also strike a chord with the Chinese,” Mr Camilleri added.

Privately, some officials believe that the pavilion only needs to entice around 30,000 visitors to Malta to make the exercise worthwhile, but Mr Camilleri said the numbers were not the main priority. Quality was more important.

“Visitors to our pavilion are more than we have expected,” he explained. “One has to keep in mind that at any Expo, 70 per cent of the visitors are from the host country so our expectations need to be adjusted to this reality. Having been there, one has to take quite an open approach to the ‘visitor effect’ and leverage this as much as possible to our advantage.”

The government allocated a total €1.3 million to Malta’s participation in the Expo, of which $650,000 were a grant by the Chinese government. Mr Camilleri explained only minimal changes to the pavilion are allowed by the authorities but none are planned.

The pavilion takes visitors on a journey into the islands’ history with the help of audio-visuals and the latest technology in intelligent lighting, with the theme ‘7,000 Years - A Life Centre.’

After walking past flowing sculptural forms representing the islands’ megalithic heritage and depictions of contemporary island life, visitors watch an 18-minute version of The Malta Experience in Mandarin and English in a round theatre. Outside the theatre are replicas of Caravaggio’s The Beheading of St John and of the ancient Goddess of Fertility statue.

Hostesses and supervisors distribute information on what Malta offers in terms of hospitality, services, education and investment advantages. Visitors may also pick up Malta Enterprise brochures and DVDs, Malta Tourism Authority brochures in Mandarin, business publications in English and Mandarin focusing on Malta such as Country Profiler, material relating to logistics and study opportunities, HSBC publicity material and souvenirs like eight-pointed cross pins and textile carrier bags. A large grandmaster Playmobil figure, ‘Giovan’, stands by the door.

Jubilee Group of Companies chief executive Alex Scicluna recently returned to Malta after overseeing the first three months’ operation in Shanghai.

“We had been asked if we wanted to participate in the World Expo within the Malta Pavilion because past experience shows that pavilions with a food and beverage activity are more popular,” Mr Scicluna said.

“The venture has turned out to be a huge success. Since we wanted to recreate an authentic experience we imported Maltese beers, soft drinks and wine. We were amazed by the response from daily visitors and staff of other pavilions. Although there are hundreds of other catering venues which are much larger than Café Jubilee, we can proudly say that the Malta pavilion and Café Jubilee are one of the best known locations in the entire Expo.

“Our Tuesday night parties have become a permanent fixture in the Expo activity calendar. Café Jubilee’s participation on the national pavilion has created a symbiotic relationship that was beneficial to both parties: it increased overall visitors to the pavilion and enhanced our image and exposure abroad.”