Swiss Pavilion Roadshow successfully concluded in Shanghai

“Nature’s Playground” Intensified its Expo Promotions in Yangtze River Delta Cities

(November 23rd, 2009 - Shanghai) The month-long interactive roadshow of the Swiss Pavilion successfully concluded in Shanghai Zhongshan Park yesterday. As the first country pavilion to tour the Yangtze River Delta region, the Swiss Pavilion “Nature’s Playground” intensified its Expo promotions in a roadshow format. Over 10,000 students and the general public visited the interactive exhibition and appreciated a first-hand taste of the highlights of the Swiss Pavilion before the Shanghai Expo opens.

”The roadshow is another milestone of Switzerland’s active participation in the Shanghai Expo,” said Mr. René Seiler, Consul of the Swiss Consulate General in Shanghai. “Next year will be a great one for Sino-Swiss celebrations on several counts since in addition to our active engagement in the Shanghai World Expo, we will also be marking the 60 year anniversary of bilateral relations between our two countries,” Mr. Seiler added.

Since October 26^th, the one month roadshow has toured Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou and Hangzhou, generating extensive reporting by the local media and becoming one of the local hot topics. Many visitors said they enjoyed learning about Switzerland’s achievements in innovation and sustainable development through the engaging roadshow and are excited to see more at the Swiss Pavilion next year.

Mr. Manuel Salchli, Deputy General Commissioner of the Swiss Pavilion said, “As the first international participant pavilion to tour the Yangtze River Delta region, we are delighted that our preview captured visitors’ imagination and gave them a first-hand look at the highlights of the Swiss Pavilion. We also encourage you to come to the official Swiss Pavilion next year, to enjoy a journey in ‘Nature’s Playground’ that is surprising and fresh, playful and interactive and showcases a diversified Switzerland.”

The Swiss Pavilion’s star attractions, including a piece of the interactive and intelligent pavilion facade, the chair lift and a 3D viewer, were popular among the local visitors. A student majoring in photoelectrical engineering said that the facade of the Swiss Pavilion aroused his interest as it applied the latest photoelectric technology, showcasing Switzerland’s advanced high-tech capacity and reinforcing the concept of environmental protection. In addition, visitors also enjoyed the chair lift and the 3D viewer that bring to life sustainable success stories from Switzerland.

The roadshow marked the beginning of an exciting new round of promotions for the Swiss Pavilion. A few of the highlights being planned include a cutting-edge lighting display on Shanghai’s landmark buildings by a legendary Swiss light artist, as well as a six month online photo competition “Our Future, Your Vision, Inspired by the Swiss Pavilion” with a grand prize of a free trip to Switzerland for two people.

It has been estimated that over half of the 70 million visitors expected to attend World Expo 2010 Shanghai will be travelling from the Yangtze River Delta Region. The Swiss Pavilion hopes to be one of the most popular international pavilions at the Shanghai Expo.

Background Information
For more information about the official Swiss Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo, please visit www.swisspavilion.ch.
For more information on Switzerland's theme "rural-urban interaction", please visit www.swissinfo.ch/expo2010.
For more information about Switzerland, please visit www.swissworld.org.


For more information, please contact:
Ms. Selinde Dulckeit, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide，Tel: +86 21 2405 1772, Email: selinde.dulckeit@ogilvy.com
Ms. Chun Xiao, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide，Tel: +86 21 2405 1716, Email: chun.xiao@ogilvy.com
Mrs Kieu Duy Tran, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), Presence Switzerland, Deputy Head of Team Marketing & Communications, Tel: +41 31 322 35 23, Email: kieuduy.tran@eda.admin.ch