Residents’ perceptions of environmental certification, environmental impacts and support for the world expo 2015: the moderating effect of place attachment

Purpose Based on social exchange theory (SET) and signaling theory (ST), this study aims to evaluate how an event’s perceived environmental certification (PEC) by residents, affect their evaluations of environmental impacts and subsequent event support (ES). The moderating role of place attachment (PA) on some of these relationships is also evaluated. Design/methodology/approach Using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), a theoretical model is tested on a sample of 450 residents who attended the 2015 Milan World Expo. Findings PEC positively affects evaluations of positive environmental impacts (PEI) but negatively affects evaluations of negative environmental impacts (NEI). PEC positively affects ES while the relationship between PEC and NEI is moderated by PA. Research limitations/implications Items used to measure PEC, PEI and NEI are not exhaustive. SET has its own limitations in explaining residents’ ES, which the authors have attempted to attenuate by using ST. Practical implications Using environmental certification as a communication tool must demonstrate to residents how it reduces negative externalities, rather than focusing only on its positive community benefits. Less well-educated residents had the lowest ES, suggesting the need to use social media to increase ES. Originality/value This study contributes to understandings of the perceptions of the benefits of event certification by residents, and how this affects their ES. PA moderates the relationship between PEC and NEI.

Analysis on the Situation of Tourists in Shanghai MICE Tourism Industry

Nowadays, Chinese convention and exhibition industry and tourism industry are in the rising period of development with more opportunities as well as various challenges. After reform and opening-up, conference and exhibition tourism began emerging in China, especially since the 21st century. With the successful holding of international and professional exhibitions such as the 2008 Olympic Games, 2010 Shanghai World Expo, APEC annual meeting, Shanghai China International Industry Expo, one belt and one Road International Cooperation Summit Forum and Davos forum, MICE tourism has developed rapidly and made great contributions to Chinese economic growth and social progress. Based on the theory and research content, this paper designs a targeted questionnaire that is distributed on the Internet. Data from the questionnaire are collected and analyzed on the basic characteristics of the consumption behavior of MICE tourists in Shanghai. The results show that the main purpose of MICE tourists in Shanghai is to participate in exhibitions, and the time of shopping and sightseeing is shorter.

The World Expo as a means of global cross-cultural communication (on the example of participation of Ural and the Chelyabinsk regions)

This article is a historical foray into participation of the Ural and the Chelyabinsk regions in the World Expos in the context of cross-cultural communication, in which the interaction between the exhibiting countries on the global questions of modernity takes place through the dialogue of cultures. In the broad sense, exhibition first and foremost is a significant attribute of culture and cultural life of a particular environment, and form of distribution of culture. The scientific literature features the following definition: “…exhibitions are the key presentation instrument of cultural policy of the country”. The real scientific achievements are concentrated in a single space. Each exhibition promotes different cultural traditions and contributes to the enrichment of cultures. As pertains to the participation of Ural, it is too early to speak of the full-fledged participation in the dialogue of cultures at World Expos; however, the region has made decent steps towards it. There is no doubt that the World Expo is an remarkable international event. Each host country makes every effort to ensure an immense scale of the event, attract wide audience of visitors and exhibitors. Therefore, the exhibition should be viewed from the global perspective.

From Sheikhs to Sultanism

Muhammad bin Salman Al-Saud and Muhammad bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the respective princely strongmen of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have torn up the old rules. They have spurred game-changing economic master plans, presided over vast anti-corruption crackdowns, tackled entrenched religious forces, and overseen the mass arrest of critics. In parallel, they also appear to have replaced the old ‘sheikhly’ consensus systems of their predecessors with something more autocratic, more personalistic, and perhaps even analytically distinct. Moreover, ‘MBS’ and ‘MBZ’, as they are known, are now effectively in command of the two wealthiest and most populous Gulf monarchies, and increasingly important global actors--Saudi Arabia is a G20 member, and the UAE will be the host of the World Expo in 2021–2022. Such sweeping changes to the two countries’ statecraft and authority structures could thus end up having a direct impact--for better or worse--on policies, economies, and individual lives all around the world. This study tests the hypothesis that Saudi Arabia and the UAE are now effectively contemporary or even ‘advanced’ sultanates, and situates these influential states within an international model of autocratic authoritarianism. Drawing on a range of primary sources, including new interviews and surveys, the book puts forward an original, empirically grounded interpretation of the rise of both de facto rulers.

Pepsi Pavilion

In 1970, Tudor composed the sound system of an entire pavilion at the Osaka World Expo as a “musical instrument.” When taken at face value, this statement implies an uncanny image of “instrument” that is more difficult to grasp than the ordinary use of the term in electronic music to address modular components. For if the Pepsi Pavilion is itself an instrument, then the instrument is larger than a human being, thus placing the performer, along with the audience, “inside” the instrument. The presence of the Pepsi Modifier that Gordon Mumma designed and installed inside the pavilion, in addition to the fact that Tudor made nine or ten “programs” to be performed there, further complicates the simple equation between instrument and composition that has been associated with Tudor’s music. The investigation of what really happened at the Pepsi Pavilion led to the puzzle of just how many instruments were involved, which triggers a reflection on the topological binary of “inside” and “outside” that Tudor used to make sense of his approach.

The Visegrad Group countries: The United Arab Emirates Perspective

This manuscript analyses the role and importance of cooperation between the Visegrad Group (V4) countries and the most globally active member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which is the United Arab Emirates. In view of the V4+ concept implemented with partners from the Middle East, Israel or Egypt, the presented analysis is important and meets the lack of this element in the scientific debate. This study is based on empirical research and its findings are the result of not only observation but also 10 years of direct participation of the author in many activities related to the cooperation of the Visegrad Group countries and the UAE, including as ambassador, senior advisor to Dubai Expo 2020, especially responsible for strategies and dynamisation relations between Central and Eastern Europe (except Poland) and the United Arab Emirates. According to the author’s opinion, presented in the conclusion, there is now a huge opportunity to present V4 projects, including as a part of the broader strategy of the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) during World Expo Dubai, which will take place from October 2021 to March 2022, and make this initiative a globally recognizable project. However, coordinating and accelerating joint actions is required.

LEGAL GLOBALIZATION AND UNDECIDABILITIES OF DEVELOPMENT: THE CASE OF CHINA DURING GLOBAL CHALLENGES

On May 1, 2017 the World Expo Museum was open for operation to become an innovative international museum in China and the very best example of unique initiative of Shanghai Municipal People's Government with a purpose to educate the public. The World Expo Museum comprehensively demonstrates World Expos’ historical value, impacts of global change and regional outline of human development trends. The paper revises author’s vision of the future of global governance from the perspective of China-foreign interactions experience. Analyzing legal globalization from the aspect of involved agents, the author presents a case study of World Expo 2010 that signifies Shanghai's status in the 21st century, shifting from "the next great world city" to “the excellent global city”. Establishment of the World Expo Museum is explained as a subsequent result of international cooperation and a ‘bottom-to-top’ policy of global importance. Ongoing development of museums/expos is seen as a global innovative trend of eco-environmental intercultural exchange and a creative project for future generations, while China continues extending openness to the rest of the world. Expo 2020 Dubai has been postponed due to COVID-19 by a one year following the global mega event running from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. It can be thus said that such actions show a global collective desire of mutual cooperation in times of undecidable global challenge.

LEGAL GLOBALIZATION AND UNKNOWN OF DEVELOPMENT: THE CASE OF CHINA DURING GLOBAL CHALLENGES

On May 1, 2017 the World Expo Museum was open for operation to become an innovative international museum in China and the very best example of unique initiative of Shanghai Municipal People's Government with a purpose to educate the public. The World Expo Museum comprehensively demonstrates World Expos’ historical value, impacts of global change and regional outline of human development trends. The paper revises author’s vision of the future of global governance from the perspective of China- foreign interactions experience. Analyzing legal globalization from the aspect of involved agents, the author presents a case study of World Expo 2010 that signifies Shanghai's status in the 21st century, shifting from "the next great world city" to “the excellent global city”. Establishment of the World Expo Museum is explained as a subsequent result of international cooperation and a ‘bottom-to-top’ policy of global importance. Ongoing development of museums/expos is seen as a global innovative trend of eco-environmental intercultural exchange and a creative project for future generations, while China continues extending openness to the rest of the world. China is actively involved in global governance reform and a global agenda that defines the future of dignity, security and mutual benefit is noted. These provisions demonstrate that the rest of the world needs more information about China. Expo 2020 Dubai has been postponed due to COVID-19 by a one year following the global mega event running from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. It can be thus said that such actions show a global collective desire of mutual cooperation in times of undecidable global challenge.