About Us – Expo Unit

About Us

The Department of State is responsible for U.S. participation in international exhibitions. The Department’s Expo Unit in the Office of the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources, created in 2017, manages U.S. engagement with the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE  ), organizes U.S. participation at overseas Expos (also known as World’s Fairs), and mobilizes international support for U.S. candidacies to host Expos. The United States rejoined the BIE  in 2017 following passage of bipartisan legislation H.R. 534   (U.S. Wants to Compete for a World Expo Act) signed into law by then-President Trump (P.L. 115-32).

Expos are an excellent, cost-effective platform to promote commercial and public diplomacy objectives reaching millions of people in-person and millions more through traditional and social media.

The United States has had national pavilions at every overseas Expo since 1851 with the exception of two, and hosted a dozen World’s Fairs (the last was New Orleans in 1984).

Contact Us

The Acting Expo Unit Director is Kara Snesko. You may contact the Expo Unit at expo@state.gov.

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