EXPO2000, which closed on Tuesday, attracted a total of 18 million visitors during its five months duration. Of these 1.7 million visited the Danish Pavilion where Arla Foods, Carlsberg, Danisco and The Federation of Danish Pig Producers and Slaughterhouses hosted an exhibition on the subject of consumers’ rights. The event marked the first time Denmark’s leading food companies joined forces at an international exhibition.
EXPO2000 suffered an overall loss of DKK 10 billion primarily because attendance did not live up to the expected 40 million. The lower figure was of no great concern to the Danish Pavilion, however.
“Had 40 million arrived it would have been hell on earth,” said the head of the Danish Pavilion, Ambassador Ole Philipson, to Politiken, the Copenhagen daily. “We would have had long and impatient queues.”
Praised as one of EXPO2000’s most impressive, the Danish Pavilion will remain in Hanover. It has been bought by the Danish fashion firm Bestseller (Jack & Jones, Vero Moda, Only and Exit) which intends to use the pavilion as a regional office and exhibition centre.