We go down under to Australia for our featured Expo Enthusiast for this post. Jason Ford is from Brisbane, Australia, and all his enthusiasm is for Expo 1988, which was held in his home city.
The only World Expo Jason has attended is Expo 1988 in Brisbane, yet his enthusiasm for preserving its memories has increased over time. He is contemplating attending World Expo 2025 in Osaka... let's hope he does!
At the time of Expo 1988, Jason was only 18 and an apprentice chef, so all he managed to collect as remembrances were a program, site map, coin box, and a carved Papua New Guinea piece. Oh, and his Season Pass! He didn't earn much, but over time, as his career grew, so did his passion for collecting memorabilia from the Expo. Now he believes he has one of the largest collections of Expo 88 souvenirs.
While he did not work at the Expo, he has chef colleagues who did work there. Brisbane benefited from the large influx of tourists to Queensland during the Expo, which really put Brisbane on the map for the world. Many hotels and restaurants were developed during the Expo, and the city grew afterward because of it. This is often one of the benefits of a city hosting an Expo, as it is usually planned for an area that needs redevelopment, and it can help to give an economic boost to the host city and area.
Jason states that World Expo 88 was a game-changer for Brisbane, South Bank, and Queensland as a whole. It turned South Bank from an industrial area into this amazing public parkland that everyone loves today. The Expo brought a cultural shift too, making arts and entertainment more accessible to everyone in Brisbane. For Queensland, the economic boost was huge. Tourists flocked in, creating jobs and business opportunities. It really helped put Brisbane on the map as a "new world city" and attracted new investments. The success of the Expo led to the development of South Bank Parklands, which is now a major leisure and cultural hub.
One cool thing that happened was the Brisbane City Council started allowing sidewalk al fresco dining to accommodate the style of dining at Expo 88. Before that, it was prohibited under local government by-laws. This change opened up great dining opportunities for locals and excellent business opportunities for the hospitality industry. In the hospitality industry, the Expo created tons of jobs. For someone like Jason, who was an apprentice chef in 1988, it was a golden opportunity. Working in large hotels built for the Expo tourists gave him invaluable experience and skills. On a personal note, 1988 was a big year for him. He was an 18-year-old first-year apprentice chef. While many of his colleagues worked at the Expo, he benefited from the increased job security and work experience. Plus, it was the year he met his wife, so it holds a special place in his heart. Expo 88 didn't just transform Brisbane and Queensland; it also had a lasting impact on people's lives and careers, shaping the cultural landscape for years to come.
All the above is why the experience of Expo 88 is something he wants to keep alive. Jason was honored with having designed the Expo 30th Anniversary Logo that appears on the brass plaques that accompany Expo 88 Sculptures that are now located all around Brisbane. These days, his focus is on maintaining and building the Expo 88 Legacy Facebook page with high-quality content. He's working on creating a digital footprint for an event that took place in and analog era. His ultimate goal is to compile enough digital imagery, video and text that AI can eventually create a VR experience of Expo 88. This way, future generations can travel back in time and experience what the amazing event was like. His work as moderator of the 'World Expo 88' Facebook group is proof. We encourage to visit the group to see the many posts of souvenirs and history has he posted and memorialized.
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