Media Release
Parker & Partners, an
Australian firm based in Sydney and Canberra, has won a $2 million contract to
provide communications and public affairs services for Australia's pavilion at
the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.
Parker & Partners was selected through a competitive open tender
process run by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Parker & Partners'
communications and public affairs strategy will be critical in positioning
Australia at the forefront of what the organisers predict will be the biggest world
Expo in history. The Australian
pavilion is expected to attract some seven million visitors over the six months
of the Expo.
Australia's participation in
the Expo reflects the Government's strong commitment to the Australia-China
relationship.
Parker & Partners'
services will be integral in building interest in the lead-up to and during the
Expo, assisting in the delivery of key messages about Australian achievement,
innovation and capability in this strategic market.
The Expo represents a wealth
of opportunities for Australian business, commencing with the project's $83
million procurement program. As
the project develops there will be opportunities for companies to participate
in trade missions, business networking events and sectoral promotions, and to
become corporate sponsors.
Parker & Partners, which
is part of the Ogilvy PR Worldwide group, will lead a consortium of highly
skilled companies including Australian-based Alpha Salmon and Yello, and Ogilvy
PR in Shanghai. Parker &
Partners was established in 1998 and has a team of 20 consultants working
largely in Sydney and Canberra. In
2005 they delivered award-winning communications services for Australia's
pavilion at the 2005 Aichi World Expo.
The Communications and Public
Affairs contract is the first of the five major, Expo-related contracts to be
awarded in 2008 and 2009 through public tenders. Tenders for Construction, Exhibition and Technical
Operations; Staffing, Retail and Operations; and the Pavilion's Cultural
Program are currently in the market.
The final tender, for Decommissioning, will be released in early 2009.
The Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade is leading the Expo project in collaboration with
Commonwealth agencies, state and territory governments and private sector
stakeholders. The Shanghai World Expo
will take place between 1 May and 31 October 2010.
Media Enquiries: DFAT Media Liaison - 02 6261
1555