New worries for Switzerland’s troubled national exhibition
The Swiss government announced on Thursday it would not be giving an extra SFr50 million to organisers of the troubled national exhibition, Expo.02.
In 1999, the government promised it would provide the additional funds if exhibition organisers raised an identical amount of money through sponsorship from small and medium-sized Swiss companies.
Exhibition organisers have so far only been able to attract SFr2 million from the companies.
According to Expo.02’s finance chief, Walter Häusermann, small and medium-sized companies “seem to prefer being involved in a specific exhibition or event, rather than just handing over money into the general pot.”
Exhibition organisers have tried to convince the government that money given by such companies for particular projects should be taken into account.
But the economics ministry confirmed the promise of extra funds had never been made on those terms.
“We will only match the SFr2 million total given by the companies for general spending,” said Stefan Aeschimann, general secretary of the economics ministry.
Häusermann is nevertheless calling for an extra SFr30 million in government funding for the exhibition.
“We are also planning to target some rich Swiss both at home and abroad,” he said.
Despite its announcement, the government indicated on Wednesday that it was happy with the way the exhibition was progressing.
In a 90-minute presentation to members of the Swiss cabinet, Expo.02 director Nelly Wenger and artistic director Martin Heller described what would fill the exhibition spaces when the project opens its doors to the public in May next year.
The Swiss president, Moritz Leuenberger, expressed his satisfaction with the preparation: “They certainly succeeded in whetting our appetite,” he said, “and we look forward to Expo.02’s opening.”
Last month, organisers received a much-needed boost when the Swiss food giant, Nestlé, announced it would contribute SFr10 million to the project, while the Swiss healthcare giant, Novartis, also pledged SFr15 million.
In mid-February, however, the mobile telecommunications company, Orange, withdrew an investment of SFr15 million which had been earmarked for Expo.02. SAirGroup, Swissair’s parent company, soon followed suit when it pulled out of a SFr6 million sponsorship agreement.
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