Hyundai Motor Group Engages in Busan World Expo Bid Activities in Paris

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] At the Palais des Congr?s in Paris, France, where the Korean delegation and competing countries delivered intense presentations to win the bid for the 2030 World Expo, Hyundai Motor Company’s wrapped vehicles promoting the Busan World Expo patrolled the streets around the conference venue to provide support.

Hyundai Motor Group announced on the 30th that during the 171st General Assembly of the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) held in Paris on the 28th and 29th, it actively fostered a favorable atmosphere for hosting the Busan World Expo by utilizing Hyundai’s eco-friendly vehicles and local networks.

Hyundai Motor Group operated Hyundai vehicles wrapped with the 2030 Busan World Expo logo around major tourist attractions in Paris such as the Palais des Congr?s, the Louvre Museum, and the Eiffel Tower, where the General Assembly was held. This was to promote Busan, the candidate city for hosting the World Expo, to key officials of BIE member countries attending the assembly and tourists visiting Paris from around the world.

In particular, Hyundai Motor Group used its eco-friendly vehicles, including the dedicated electric vehicles Ioniq 5 and Kona EV, during the bid activities, reflecting the vision of the Busan World Expo, which seeks a sustainable future under the theme “The Great Transformation of the World, Voyage Toward a Better Future.”

Hyundai Motor Group also focused on building consensus for hosting the Busan World Expo by screening videos highlighting Busan’s competitiveness as a candidate city at Hyundai and Kia’s local sales bases in Paris, and by providing promotional banners and brochures for the Busan World Expo.

During the 170th General Assembly of the International Bureau of Expositions held in Paris last June, Hyundai Motor Group also supported the bid with a Hyundai Tucson vehicle wrapped with the Busan World Expo logo. Unusually for a private company, a researcher from Hyundai Motor Company’s R&D headquarters participated as the lead speaker in the competitive presentations among candidate countries.

At this General Assembly, the third round of competitive presentations was held among four candidate cities: Busan, South Korea; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Rome, Italy; and Odesa, Ukraine. The host city for the 2030 World Expo will be decided by a vote of the 170 member countries of the International Bureau of Expositions around November next year.

A Hyundai Motor Group official said, “As the competition to host the 2030 World Expo intensifies, Hyundai Motor Group continues to carry out bid activities that can practically help secure votes. We will actively promote Busan’s unique competitiveness as a host city and the vision of the Busan World Expo.”

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Group was the first among domestic conglomerates to form a dedicated group-level task force called the ‘Busan Expo Bid Support TFT’ in August last year, and is actively supporting the creation of a domestic and international buzz for the Busan World Expo bid through its official global SNS channels.

Hyundai Motor Group produces and publishes content in English and Korean on 10 global SNS channels including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, showcasing Busan’s excellent tourism infrastructure, cultural content, and its capabilities and future vision as a World Expo host city.

So far, a total of 23 pieces of content such as short-form videos and card news have been published to promote Busan as the optimal city for hosting the World Expo. The global promotional content has garnered over 80 million exposures, receiving great responses from netizens worldwide.