Minnesota Not Selected To Host 2023 World Fair
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Making the focus "Healthy People, Healthy Planet," wasn't enough to get the 2023 World Fair to Minnesota.
Minnesota was in a three-way battle with Poland and Argentina. Delegates from 130 member countries of the Burereau International des Expositions took their final votes Wednesday morning. Officials with the City of Bloomington were at the State Capitol in St. Paul anxiously awaiting the results.
Minnesota was eliminated after the first round of votes after getting just 25. Poland and Argentina each had 46 votes to advance to the next round.
Specialised Expo 2022/23, 1st round of voting. Poland: 46 votes. USA: 25 votes. Argentina: 46 votes. Poland and Argentina go to the second round. #BIE162
— BIE (@bieparis) November 15, 2017
"While we are of course disappointed, it needs to be said that it's been a great experience for our team to become fully engaged with the BIE and member states from around the world," Mark Ritchie, Minnesota World's Fair Bid Committee CEO and President, said.
Minnesota was hoping to host the first World Fair host on U.S. soil in nearly 40 years. The bid to bring it to the Twin Cities cited the state's position as a healthcare leader with one of the world's top hospitals in the Mayo Clinic. Minnesota is also home to nearly 20 Fortune 500 companies.
The state's bid has Bloomington, near the Mall of America, as the proposed site for the 2023 World Fair and it would take place over the summer. Officials say the World Fair is expected to bring 12 million visitors.
"This is certainly disappointing news, but it does nothing to diminish the phenomenal work that has been done these last two years," Gov. Mark Dayton said. "I want to thank Mark Ritchie, Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Kathy Tunheim, and all of the many Minnesotans who worked so very hard to put our state in the running for this extraordinary opportunity. The work they did put our state's many accolades on the world stage, and demonstrated again why Minnesota is such a world-class place to live, work, and innovate."