The last thing visitors to the nation of Colombia’s pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai can expect to hear is, “don’t touch that!” With 20 interactive displays throughout the Colombia installation, information exchange clearly starts with the fingertip.
Helios Interactive Technologies served as technology architect for the full complement of displays, each of which enables visitors to engage with government agencies and corporate sponsors, and “touch base” with the country’s railways, airports, renowned emerald mines and other major assets. The displays are all highly interactive, incorporating multi-touch technologies for an exceptionally memorable experience.
Three large-format touch-tables are installed in the pavilion’s third hall, along with five 55-inch LCD touch screens and 12 19-inch LCD touch screens. Collectively, they serve as virtual tourist bureaus, enabling visitors to explore personalized information about Colombia’s richly varied regions, from the Caribbean to the Pacific.
“These exhibits required an extensive amount of cooperation among private and government agencies and Helios, and the results reflect those partnerships,” said Mike Schaiman, Helios co-founder and managing partner. “With 70 million people expected to visit Expo 2010 in Shanghai, we wanted to make the Colombia Pavilion a highly memorable stop on everyone’s itinerary.”
The fifth world’s fair of the millennium, Expo 2010 opened on May 1 and will run through Oct. 31, at the Nanpu Bridge-Lupu Bridge Region in the center of Shanghai. In building the displays, Helios partnered with Ralph Miller, of Ralph Miller Productions of San Francisco, and the nation of Colombia. Two months into Expo 2010, it has drawn nearly 1 million visitors each weekend – a powerful follow-on to the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Located directly across from the USA pavilion, the Colombia exhibit welcomes as many as 10,000 visitors each day.
