Technical Preparation Meeting for Specialised Expo 2027 Belgrade
Representatives of Organisers and Participating Countries are gathered in Belgrade from 1 to 3 October for a Technical Preparation Meeting ahead of Specialised Expo 2027 Belgrade. Taking place just over 200 days before the Expo’s opening, the three-day meeting marks the transition into the fit-out phase for individual pavilions, as Official Participants and their contractors prepare to begin work on site.
The meeting follows the International Participants Meeting held in March 2026, moving the dialogue between Organiser and Participants from planning to on-site implementation. Designed to align technical, operational, safety and legal procedures before Official Participants take possession of their pavilions, the meeting focuses mainly on countries participating with individual pavilions. More than 250 country representatives and technical experts are taking part in the meeting, alongside Expo Organisers and BIE officials.
The programme combines workshops with site visits to the exhibition halls, pavilion areas and the Expo Village, covering logistics and operations, technical and construction standards, health, safety and environmental requirements, and National Day protocol. By bringing technical teams, contractors and the Organiser together on site, the meeting supports efficient decision-making, helps reduce operational risks and ensures alignment with key milestones and deadlines ahead of the opening.
In his opening address, Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, Secretary General of the BIE, said: “This is the moment when concepts become pavilions, when plans become schedules, and when, as an ensemble, we move from composition to rehearsal. Let us make sure that when visitors arrive in Belgrade on 15 May 2027, a welcoming, playful and inspiring experience awaits them.”
On the sidelines of the meeting, Secretary General Dimitri S. Kerkentzes met with the Acting President of the Republic of Serbia, Ana Brnabić. Together, they discussed the significant progress made so far in preparing for the Expo, as well as the next steps towards its opening next May.
Serbia was elected as the host of Specialised Expo 2027 during the 172nd General Assembly of the BIE in June 2023. Taking place on a 25-hectare site in Surčin, Expo 2027 Belgrade will gather more than 140 International Participants between 15 May and 15 August 2027.
Expos are global events that explore a chosen theme through engaging and immersive discoveries. Among the different categories of Expos, Specialised Expos are designed to respond to a precise challenge facing humanity and may take place in the interval between two World Expos. Specialised Expos are limited in terms of duration - lasting up to three months - and space - with the exhibition area not exceeding 25 hectares. The site is entirely built by the Organiser, Participants being provided with pavilion space.
The most recent Specialised Expo, Expo 2017 Astana, took place in the capital of Kazakhstan under the theme “Future Energy”, and received almost 4 million visits.
