Join 2025 We will solicit proposals for events to be held at the Expo!

For Applicants

On the theme, “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”, Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan provides opportunities to support challenging initiatives implemented by diverse people, regardless of their nationality, region, culture, race, gender, generation or disability, to address social problems and create the future.

We aim to set the stage for social problem-solving hoping that more people connect with the people putting on events, with the Expo giving a social boost to event initiatives.

We are looking for events that are powerful and able to create connections and provide a wide variety of interactive and non-interactive experiences such as presentations and exhibitions, in an entertaining way to enable participants to feel the exciting future that is nearby.

Interactive events aim to offer opportunities for the whole community to participate in, e.g. a matsuri (festival).
Bring together your passions and ideas share and discuss local attractions and culture aimed at co-creation to establish approaches for solving social problems.
Examples: Matsuri (festival), workshops, parades, etc.

Presentation-style events aim to offer opportunities for event hosts to share their ideas and stories.
Use entertaining methods to communicate your hopes and ideas and send your message to the future.
Examples: Dance acts and other performances, presentation styles, music concerts, comedy events, etc.

Exhibition events that offer opportunities to showcase diverse cultures and arts.
Fuse new expression and local tradition in the form of an exhibition or installation art to showcase your future vision.

Seizing this Expo as an opportunity to send a message to the world, we want to provide spaces for participants, who play the leading roles, to give shape to their diverse dreams and the challenges that each of them faces to take a step further toward transforming the future.
We are looking forward to receiving your proposals for events full of passion for the creation of the future.

Event Concept

THAT ONE STEP WILL SHIFT THE FUTURE.

Four key questionsin light of the future

  1. 01Is that one step on your own motive from within?
  2. 02Is that one step an unknown experience?
  3. 03Will that one step serve to come out of your shell?
  4. 04Will that one step move someone’s heart?
  5. 05Is that one step an endeavour leading to the future?

Process Flow from Solicitation to Implementation

1. Public solicitation. From September to December 2023. (Filling out the entry forms, Submitting proposals) / 2. Evaluation. From January to March 2024. (Conducting interviews based on application documents and evaluation of the documents, Notifying applicants of the evaluation results (Scheduled in April)) / 3. Adjustment/Production. (Holding information sessions, Final Application / Final Registration, Determining event implementation, Making adjustments for the implementation of the proposals)/ 4. Implementation. From April 2025. (Expo Opening)

Application Guidelines

Application Period From 12:00 on Friday, September 15, 2023 to 23:59 on Sunday, December 31, 2023 (Japan standard time)
Note: A second solicitation is scheduled, but available facilities and dates will be limited.
Types of General Public Events All forms of events in various genres are being solicited.
Example events: Live performances, concerts, shows, performances, dances, lectures, symposiums, talk shows, forums, presentations, festivals, bon dances, parades, contests, competitions, recitals, exhibitions, fairs, screenings, live recording of broadcasts, etc.
Events genres: Music, dance, traditional arts, plays, theatre, musical, cinema, video, comedy, magic, juggling, arts, traditional arts and crafts, media, live recording of broadcasts, live broadcasting, live streaming, academic contents, education, culture and everyday life, local culture, local revitalization technology, technology, sports, medicine, health
Exhibiting in the metaverse space An available option when holding an event in the event facilities on Yumeshima Island (real space) is the holding of a virtual event simultaneously at the virtual event hall in the Metaverse space which will be developed as a Virtual Expo.
We will also accept events to be held only in the virtual event site. For details, please see Virtual Events in these guidelines. Check here for details.
Note: Events should be planned to allow general visitors to view and participate in the events. (Events that are kept only within particular groups of people are not acceptable)
Application Procedures Interested participants are asked to fill out the entry form and attach documents to proceed with the application. Note: Applicants wishing to apply to hold a virtual event can also use the above entry form.
Cost of Participation The costs of producing and running the events shall be borne by the event organisers. .
Event Facilities Check here for the available event facilities

Evaluation / Selection

Selection Procedure The judging committee, consisting of intellectuals, will be responsible for selecting the participants based on the following criteria for selection:
Assessment Criteria Used for Selection
1. Theme
Is the event in line with the theme of the Expo, what is provided regarding the challenges of solving social problems and the information in the For Applicants section above?
2. Quality
Is the quality level appropriate for an international exposition?
3. Feasibility
Is the applicant sufficiently experienced and capable of implementing the event?
4. Diversity
Does the proposal offer a range of ways to participate and involve people who have diverse backgrounds?
5. Entertaining
Will the event please spectators and participants and motivate more people to visit the Expo?
6. Future prospects
Is the content of the event sustainable and able to continue even after the Expo?
7. Expandability
Is the proposal linked to any other events that will boost the Expo apart from the event on the day?

Assessment criteria 1, 2 and 3 will be weighed heavily during evaluation

Notification of Evaluation Results Applicants will be notified of the evaluation results by mail. We will not respond to any inquiries about or objections regarding the process or results of the evaluation.

Application period: By 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, December 31, 2023, Japan Standard Time

Application Flow

  1. Call for general public events on the Internet (Application guidelines for general public events)
  2. Submit the form (Confirm your consent to the entry rules and regulations/Fill out the form)
  3. Apply using the Entry Form (Obtain the information required for entry and apply)
  4. Notification that the entry has been received (Applicants are notified that their entry has been received)
  5. Interview regarding the content of the event (If necessary, the Association interviews applicants regarding the content of their Entry before April 2024)
  6. Evaluation
  7. Tentative offer (Notification will be sent by e-mail after April 2024. An information session will be held.)
  8. Final application (Applicants who have received a tentative offer will be informed of the details of the final application)
Source: NTT

Virtual Event

The Virtual Event allows content created by the event organiser to be deployed and distributed to people around the world in a virtual event space that is developed as a Virtual Expo application. “Virtual Event Planning and Creation Procedure” that contains the information necessary for considering the implementation of a virtual event will be available for viewing after you submit your entry form.

“Outline of Virtual EXPO and Virtual Events” are available here

Cautionary Notes

Commercial Activities, Food and Drink

To eliminate excessive commercialism from the Expo in principle, only commercial activities accompanying the event are allowed. (Ex: Sales of an artist’s merchandise associated with a concert; products, food or drink sold in sets with experiences in line with the theme of the Expo, etc.)
Events primarily designed to sell products or to provide meals are not allowed.

Note: Sales of products and eating and drinking are not allowed in some of the event facilities. Check the Outline of Event Facilities for details.

Collection of Costs from Visitors in Each Event

Individual event admission fees cannot be collected from general visitors.

Prohibitions
  • Event content that undermines public order or that violates laws/treaties, etc.
  • Content that involves security concerns
  • Abuse or slander against a particular country, group or company
  • Content that is likely to be hazardous to visitors or the facilities
  • Content that excessively deviates from the original proposal, etc.
  • Any content other than as set forth above that is deemed to impede the management or administration of the Expo.
Refusal to deal with organised crime
  • Applications submitted by an organised crime group, a member of an organised crime group (or a person for whom a period of five years has not yet elapsed from the day on which the person ceased to be a member of an organised crime group), an associated member of an organised crime group, a company related to an organised crime group, a corporate racketeer, a racketeer acting under guise of social movements, etc., a member of an intellectual crime group or a group that is likely to engage in an act of terrorism or other criminal acts, a terrorist (including suspected terrorist) or other equivalent people. When a group submits an application, these conditions shall apply to all group members. If an application is found to be submitted by an antisocial force or group in the process of evaluation, the application shall be rejected.
  • Any content other than as set forth above that is deemed to impede the management or administration of the Expo.
Cancellation Policy

The events shall be cancelled if any event occurs that makes it impossible to implement the Expo itself or that makes it difficult to use the event facilities. The Organiser shall assume no responsibility for damages incurred by the event organisers as a result of the cancellation. The same applies in cases where the streaming of the event is cancelled due to reasons such as a failure or emergency maintenance of the online streaming systems, including the virtual site platform.
Moreover, when any of the prohibited actions set forth in the previous section have occurred, the decision of the event’s having been selected may be rescinded or the event’s content may be restricted or suspended. 
If the event is cancelled for reasons ascribed to the applicant, the applicant shall immediately inform the Association of the cancellation and send the Association written notice. A cancellation fee may be charged depending on when the cancellation notice is submitted.

Compliance with the Rules

Please observe the rules in the Expo Site.

Handling of Personal Information

The personal information of applicants shall be used within the scope necessary for contacting the applicants for communication concerning their applications, evaluation and implementation of the events or for the evaluation process. Moreover, it may be provided to the Association, the BIE (Bureau International des Expositions) or the judging committee within the scope necessary. We require you to consent to the Privacy Policy set by the Association

Special Note

Among the proposals received, the Organiser of the World Expo 2025 may select excellent proposals in line with the theme of the Expo to be exempted from the paying of fees required for implementation.

FAQ

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

For inquiries or information about applications
Event Division (Team 1), Event Bureau, Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition 
E-mail ippan_saiji@expo2025.or.jp