The origins of large-scale
exhibitions are French: Paris
hosted many of the most
memorable expositions between
1848 and 1937. The French word
for exhibition, ‘exposition’, has
become synonymous with largescale
events of this type and in
1928 the Bureau International
des Expositions or International
Exhibitions Bureau (BIE) was set
up in Paris. Since then, the BIE
has been recognised as the
sanctioning body for international
expositions. The name 'expo' first
came into use by the BIE during
the 1960s, as a commonly used
shorthand for large public
exhibitions on an international
scale. Interestingly, expos are
now considered the cultural and
economic equivalent to the
Olympic Games.