The Bureau of International Expositions (or Bureau International des Expositions, which would actually translate as "International Bureau of Expositions) is the organization responsible for sanctioning World's fairs. It is based in Paris, France and was established as an international convention in 1928. However, many fairs take place unsanctioned, for example, the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair. Image File history File links BIE.png‎ Bureau of International Expositions logo This is a logo of an organization, item, or event, and is protected by copyright and/or trademark. ... A Worlds Fair is any of various large expositions held since the mid-19th century. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur Tossed by the waves, she does not founder Coordinates : , Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) Administration Subdivisions 20 arrondissements Département Paris (75) Région ÃŽle-de-France Mayor Bertrand Delanoë (PS) City (commune) Characteristics Land Area 86. ... 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... View of the New York Worlds Fair 1964/1965 as seen from the observation towers of the New York State pavilion. ...

Potential host nations can apply to the BIE to hold a BIE-sanctioned Expo to celebrate some special event or to represent a concept or theme of their choosing. BIE currently has three expo classes: universal, international, and specialized. Historically other classification systems have been used.

From 1933 (when the treaty came in to effect) until 1976, there were two types of expos: 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ...

• Universal (or General) Exposition, including:
  • General Exposition 1st category - at which each country had to build its own pavilion,
  • General Exposition 2nd category - at which the pavilions were built by the expo.
• Specialized (or international) exposition, where the expo would build the buildings.

Unlike with universal expositions, there was no set time between specialized expositions. There have been some specialized expos in which countries have built their own pavilions (Liège 1939 was such an event). The Seattle Century 21 Exposition 1962 was a "universal" exposition (General Exposition 2nd category), in the same category as Paris 1937 and the 1939 New York World's Fair, and thus, according to the rules, countries should not have been allowed to build their own pavilions. Liège (Dutch: Luik, German: Lüttich; before 1946, the citys name was written Liége, with the acute accent) is a major city located in the Belgian province of Liège, of which it is the capital. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Emerald City Location Location of Seattle in King County and Washington Coordinates , Government Country State County United States Washington King County Incorporated December 2, 1869 Mayor Greg Nickels Geographical characteristics Area     City 369. ... The Space Needle, built for the Century 21 Exposition. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur Tossed by the waves, she does not founder Coordinates : , Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) Administration Subdivisions 20 arrondissements Département Paris (75) Région ÃŽle-de-France Mayor Bertrand Delanoë (PS) City (commune) Characteristics Land Area 86. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The 1939 New York Worlds Fair, located on the current site of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park (also the location of the 1964 New York Worlds Fair), was one of the largest worlds fairs of all time. ...

The second category phase came under the 1972 protocol - which was first used after Expo '75. Under that system there were just 2 types, Universal (the 1st and 2nd categories were combined) and International (or specialized). Under this system, each country could build its own pavilion at a universal expo, but buildings could be provided for poorer countries. At an international expo, the expo built the pavilions. Also, the theme at a universal expo was larger or more open. Only Expo '92 in Seville and Expo 2000 in Hanover have been held in this category. 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Expo 75 (Japanese: 沖縄国際海洋博覧会, Okinawa kokusai kaiyou hakurankai) was a Worlds Fair held on the island of Okinawa in Japan from July 20, 1975 to January 18, 1976. ... Expo 92 is the informal name of the worlds fair held in 1992, which had two sites: Seville Expo 92 in Seville. ... Seville (Spanish: Sevilla, see also different names) is the artistic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain, irrigated by the river Guadalquivir (, ). It is the capital of Andalusia and of the province of Sevilla. ... This article needs copyediting (checking for proper English spelling, grammar, usage, etc. ... Hanover (German: Hannover []), on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany. ...

The latest set of categories came with the 1988 protocol. There are two types - "registered" and "recognized". The registered expos are to be held every 5 years starting in 2010 (Expo 2005 was registered under the 1972 protocol, but decided to follow the new system anyway). It is up to each expo to decide if they will let each country build its own pavilion or not, but the BIE has let it be known that they wish that only the expos in the "10 years" (2010, 2020 etc...) have countries building their own pavilions and that for the expos in the "5s", the expo should build the buildings. In between these registered expos, there will be one recognized expo - which can be held for only 3 months and be no bigger than 25 hectares. Expo 2004, which was not held, would have been the first of this type. Both Genoa Expo '92 and Taejon Expo '93 were held as "test runs" for this type. 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2010 (MMX) will be a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A part of the Global Loop at Expo 2005 Expo with the Corporate Pavilions in the background. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The International Exhibition Genoa 92 Colombo 92 took place from 15 May to 15 August 1992 in Genoa, Italy. ... Daejeon Metropolitan City is a metropolitan city in the centre of South Korea, and the capital of South Chungcheong Province. ... Taejon Expo 93 was a three-month international exposition held between August 7, and November 7, 1993 in the central South Korean city of Daejeon (at the time spelled Taejŏn). The theme of the exposition was The Challenge of a New Road of Development, with various other sub-themes around...

See also

• List of world's fairs

This is a list of worlds fairs (with notable permanent buildings built). ...

External links

• Bureau of International Expositions
• Site advocating restoration of USA membership in the BIE