Sitting Down with Australian Pavilion Director Mr. Peter Sams

Q. You have the title of Pavilion Director, what does that mean?

A. As Australian Pavilion Director, I will be managing operations at the pavilion to ensure we deliver a high quality, informative and enjoyable experience for visitors and guests. We will demonstrate to the world what an amazing place Australia is to visit, study and do business in. I will also ensure that our staff, partners, and suppliers interests are a priority.  

Q.Hospitality and international travel have taken a beating – how important is Expo to start the world moving again?

A.Critical. As one of the first mega-events as the world starts to focus on economic recovery, the UAE and all participating countries recognise what an important role the Expo will play in showing that recovery is possible and happening. The Expo will also be a terrific example of how to host a mega-event in a safe manner, but still offering an excellent experience for the millions of visitors.  

Q. We understand you may be a veteran at these type of events – tell us more!

A. My thirty-one year career with the Australian foreign ministry continues to be wonderful. I have been lucky to serve in many countries including Expos in Aichi, Japan in 2005 and again in Shanghai, China in 2010. While Dubai is very different, and it would be entirely inappropriate to simply repeat prior approaches, it is certainly an advantage to be able to draw on prior success and failures. This will certainly be the best yet!

Q. You must have had some amazing experiences – apart from working with HSG – what is your highlight of Australia’s Expo Heritage? 

A. Actually, working with partners like HSG is a really nice part of the work. Establishing that we both can support each other in achieving our own goals and to do so in a professional, but also fun way, is very Australian and very rewarding. In terms of personal highlights, I spent half an hour showing Chinese President Hu Jintao through the pavilion in Shanghai, and similarly for the Crown Prince (now Emperor) of Japan. As an Australian, it was an honor to show Princess Mary and the Danish Crown Prince through our pavilion too. But beyond the name-dropping, the really rewarding part of these projects is creating a team and a pavilion that represent our beautiful and diverse country, and to do so in a way that shows the public and VIPs not only what they expect to see of Australia (yes, you will see pictures of a kangaroo!) but also to show the diversity, ingenuity and true spirit of Australia.

Q. What is the importance of having partners like HSG forming part of the pavilion experience?

A. How could we not? The point of our presence is to advance Australia’s interests and to showcase the best of Australia. The Expo team and I are working with high quality Australian businesses such as HSG to demonstrate what they are capable of and their capacity to provide the highest standards of product or service. 

Q. Just give us a taster of what visitors can expect?

A. The experience starts with a warm Australian welcome! Then we will speak about our 60,000 years of Indigenous history including how Australia’s first people were the world’s first astronomers. . We will also look to the future and give visitors a sense of the unlimited possibilities that our theme “Blue Sky Dreaming” and the idea of connected optimism can bring…and of course you can enjoy Australian food and drinks, souvenirs and watch performances in our forecourt. Australia is also the leading nation for sport at the Expo, and right next door to the pavilion is the Aussie Sports park, where we will hold a huge variety of sports, health and wellness activities. 

Q. What can the Australian Pavilion offer to business?

A. The pavilion will host an enormous variety of business, trade promotion and government-led events in the pavilion’s VIP area (where a lot of the HSG product will be put to use!). Whether you are a customer of, or an Australian business, there will definitely be activities to take part in. 

Q. What are you most worried about as we approach opening day?

A. Our pavilion is ready, and we are now working through the staffing and setup of equipment in the building. I am confident that we have the various components for success. For those Australian businesses that are unable to attend in person, we will have innovative options for online participation. So what am I worried about?…I want to make sure that we establish terrific quality for day one, and then sustain and improve that performance throughout the six months…it is a marathon not a sprint. Our partnership with HSG will assist us to do that and I am looking forward to sharing the journey with the HSG team. 

Q. Thanks so much for your time. Good luck and where can everyone keep up to date with the progress of the Pavilion?

A. Keep an eye on our socials and also on the web, links below…make sure you drop into the pavilion and say G’day…tell us that HSG sent you!

#GdayExpo

https://www.facebook.com/Expo2020Australia/

https://www.australiaexpo2020.com/

https://www.instagram.com/expo2020australia/?hl=en

https://www.linkedin.com/company/expo-2020-australia/