FROM LONDON TO DUBAI - 171 YEARS OF NATIONAL BRANDING THROUGH WORLD EXPOS (1851-2022)
FROM LONDON TO DUBAI - 171 YEARS OF NATIONAL BRANDING THROUGH WORLD EXPOS (1851-2022)

Summary/Abstract: This paper intends to chart throughout history the foundation and transformations experienced by world fairs – starting with the first-ever international exposition in London in 1851, and continuing up until the present day, with the Dubai 2020 world exposition having been rescheduled to run from October 2021 until March 2022, in order to analyse the role of this type of large-scale events. Special focus in this paper is on the Romanian participation at world fairs, starting from 1867 until today.In analysing the purpose and evolution of world exhibitions this study applies the theory of constructivism in order to explore the images that state project when they participate at this particular type of event. At the same time, the research examines world expositions as part and parcel of any state’s public diplomacy strategy for its own promotion on the global stage, as it contributes to national branding. In terms of methodology, for the purpose of research, this paper relies mainly on document analysis, both from open sources and from archives, those of the International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE) and the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Regarding the focus of the analysis, and in order to offer a broader overview of this topic, some of the more famous world expositions from the past were selected and, in order to counterbalance, some of the more recent ones.

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