What the heck is a World Expo?
…is exactly what I said to myself when I opened the email from my director saying that 30 members of the Minnesota Marching Band were headed to perform at Expo 2020 Dubai on behalf of the United States.
The Beginning
I received this email while sitting at a Gopher Men’s Basketball game. Initially, I thought it was a joke. Had someone hacked my professor’s email? However, I quickly realized that it wasn’t, in fact, a joke but an opportunity of a lifetime.
Minnesota is currently bidding to host a specialized Expo in 2027. It would be the first World’s Fair on Health. So the US State Department wanted a group to represent the United States and Minnesota at US National Day on March 6, 2022.
I was selected for this trip to play my trumpet and lead our social media team while abroad. I was both nervous and excited about this opportunity because I knew I would be the youngest one leading the charge on our team. Before leaving, we had meetings to finalize our content plans and received media kits from multiple brands. This was a fantastic opportunity to practice everything I have learned in my college classes.
What is an Expo?
So, what the heck is a World Expo? World Expos happen about every 5 years and are one of the oldest global events. At Expo 2020 Dubai, 192 countries participated in the event. I had no idea what I would expect to see at such a large international fair.
When I got there, I saw massive buildings, called pavilions, for each country with informational exhibits inside that all had to do with one of the main themes: opportunity, sustainability, or mobility.
These Expos happen to showcase different initiatives taking place around the world, and learn more about the people & culture in these countries.
US National Day
This day was the main reason we were flown out as a group. Our extensive performance day was to show off Minnesota culture on a global stage on behalf of the entire United States. We had 4 different performances scattered throughout the day.
Our first one was in front of the Sustainability gate, the next was a parade down the streets of the expo, which led to a turf park where we had a stage performance. We were wearing wool uniforms during these, which quickly became very sweaty! In this giant gold dome, the third performance was in front of United States government representatives, including the Secretary of Commerce, and United Arab Emirates representatives, including the Sheik. Finally, our last performance of the day was a stage show in front of the USA Pavilion to close our US National Day.
Although many problematic things have happened and continue to happen in our country, this day was fascinating and encouraging. The things that make our country unique were on display for everyone to see. Of course, much more progress needs to occur, but I am glad I got to see a new perspective on some of the great things we have accomplished.
Takeaways
Performing in front of an audience that isn’t used to seeing a traditional marching band was one of the best feelings I have ever experienced. The crowd was almost silent, not from boredom but from intently listening and enjoying the music.
Having the opportunity to do something I absolutely love abroad, while also being able to manage social media for an organization I am passionate about, is the greatest thing I have ever done.