Page 67 - Magazine December 2021

Interview Contractors News

Interview to sell tickets, provide information about the exhibition subcontractors from three different continents and 23
and promote Expo 2020 as a must-see destination, nationalities working together in order to achieve the
Daniel Orti, ACCIONA Culture Engineering ME Director always showcasing the creative and innovative spirit best performance for Expo has been and enormous
of this event. challenge that we have successfully overcome.
This vision of what a Universal Expo means for us It has been very comforting and enlightening to see
process needs to be carried out always taking care of has helped us to successfully deliver two of the most along the last weeks such number of visitors in Dubai
the Quality standards, the interrelations among the relevant pavilions in Dubai: Terra-The Sustainability Expo 2020 enjoying our work. We feel honoured with
different disciplines and the sensitivity in the value Pavilion and the United Arab Emirates Pavilion, the the amount of positive comments and feedback we
add by each Participant, the true protagonists of the Dubai Expo 2020 host country. constantly find in social media.

exhibition.
We create unique, memorable visitor experiences 4. How challenging was it during the pandemic 6. Which is the ACCIONA’s key approach in
that stimulate emotions and awareness with a playful for a Spanish company to work on the Expo developing and delivering these huge and iconic
and instructive approach. 2020? projects?

It is worth to highlight to main points that, under our We like to introduce ourselves as storytellers. Our
2. How long has ACCIONA been involved? perspective, made a difference in the way we faced mission is to wrap the visitor into the experience
Since 1990 and for 30 years, the company has the project delivery in Dubai Expo 2020 projects through the highest quality standards in all our

participated in 9 Expos and has successfully delivered during the pandemic: activities. When working for Expo projects we have
71 pavilions for various countries and organizations First of all, our local implementation: although we are always to go even further in the creative processes
in the majority of the Universal and International a Spanish company, we are firmly established in the and the application of state-of-the art technologies.
Expos held to date. UAE with staff of multiple nationalities, robust local The latest, the more innovative and creative projects
supply chain and a well-established structure. are showcased in these events.
3. How did ACCIONA’s work complement the And second of all, we cannot forget the digital
exhibition design of the pavilions? Can you transformation where we already had an implanted 7. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has recently
give some concrete examples of the solutions culture of digital work including video conference applied to organise World Expo 2030 in Riyadh.
ACCIONA came up with at Expo 2020 projects? meetings, remote working, and decentralised What does this mean to ACCIONA Cultural

Our value is to convey a visitor journey through a set services among other policies embraced by Acciona. Engineering?
of different technical solutions. What matters is the A good example of this is that although some offices As part of Vision 2030, the Kingdom is redefining
user experience beyond the technology behind. needed to be close during the lockdown due local its population wellbeing through the introduction of
At Expo 2020 Dubai, we have been responsible for a legal requirement, none of our projects stopped. We an intense cultural agenda that includes first class
1. Can you clarify ACCIONA Cultural wide range of works across Expo pavilions including continued providing our services to clients and a good worldwide events... Apart from their desire of been the
Engineering’s role in the different Expo projects? the United Arab Emirates and Spain (in Joint Venture example of it is that the first Dubai Expo 2020 pavilion host country for the World Expo 2030, six ambitious
Since its origin, the history of ACCIONA Cultural with Empty), Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion, the to open in January 2021 was Terra-The Sustainability landmark projects being developed in the Kingdom
Engineering (ACE) has been closely linked to global Youth Pavilion and 47 Thematic District Pavilions. Pavilion. aim to help transform the economy while showing the
exhibitions, designing and implementing all kind of In total, ACE has undertaken 54 Expo projects: 51 world and all Saudis the nation’s geographic wealth,

scopes in pavilions and shows for different countries pavilions, 6 Biomimicry Micromuseums (off-grid 5. Talk about the challenges of implementing cultural heritage and hospitality, economic ambitions
and organizations across the World and International exhibits installed into six locations of the Expo 2020), 34,895 square metres of exhibition at Expo 2020 and aspirations for environmental conservation.
Exhibitions. Moreover, we have delivered the Airports Welcome Dubai for a Spanish company. All these Giga-projects will enable a social and
ACE’s success results from its capacity to understand Desks and Mall Kiosks, located at the three Managing 54 Expo projects that features 34,895 economic change in KSA that is very aligned to
that an exhibition project is more than just the international airports and main malls across United m2 of exhibition space, plus putting together 23 ACCIONA´s approach to Social Sustainability policies.
sum of their parts. The knowledge of the whole Arab Emirates, as a part of the end-to-end experience.
process is crucial to identify high-priority elements The key message here is to expand the experience
and milestones in order to meet the schedule. The beyond the exhibit itself aiming to raise awareness,

28 29