The 1985 Japan Tsukuba World Expo n embodied the qualities of all the exhibtions of the 1980s. With theme “The Living Environment, Household decoration, Science and Technology”, it showed its audience visions of the 21st Century. The attendance of over 20 million was more than several times the attendance of the inaugural World Exhibition.

Drawing the visitor’s special attention was the first ball-screen 3D picture, established according to the maximum centre of gravity, creating a new high in visual display technology and enormous soilless tomatoes.

The development of computer technology also featured strongly. While many viewed it, few were aware of the potential of this glorified calculating machine named “the computer” and how it would impact on their lives in the

future.
From the 1980s to the 1990s, people held exhibitions to display new innovations in science and technology to propose the lifestyle of a new age.
In comparison to the exhibitions of the last century, the exhibitions of the 1980s and 1990s focussed less on machines and more on man, human relationships and the relationship between man and nature. At the end of the last century, people firmly believed in their power over nature. Yet as the 20th Century closed, people began to see themselves not so much as governing nature, but rather coexisting within it.

In 1980, the Montreal International Garden Exhibition was held in Montreal,Canada.

In 1982, the Netherlands held the Amsterdam International Garden Exhibition,also called the International Garden Festival, attracting a total of 4.5 million visitors.

In 1982, the United States held the Knoxville World Exhibition with the theme “Energy Resources”.

In 1983, Germany held the München International Garden Exhibition, also called the Internal Garden and Flower Festival, attracting a total of over 11 million visitors.

In 1984, Britain held the Liverpool International Garden Festival on a land area of 45 hectares. A total of 37 countries participated in this Festival and it was visited by over 3.4 million people. The direct ticket revenue from this Festival amounted to 6 million pounds while that from other places in the city amounted to 12 million pounds.

In 1984, the United States held the International River Exhibition, also called “Water Source World Exhibition”, in New Orleans, Louisiana. With the theme “ World of Rivers: Water as the Source of Life” this exhibit displayed techniques for the effective utilisation of water.

In 1985, Japan held the International Science and Technology Exhibition in the new city of Tsukuba, a science and culture city 60 kilometres from Tokyo. This exhibition focussed on the theme of the living environment,household decoration, science and technology. The visual display hall of technology was deemed a great achievement. It also displayed a soil-less cultivated tomato vine which could produce 8000 tomatoes. Every exhibition hall was filled with computer and visual display technologies. The number of people attending the exhibit exceeded 20 million.

In 1986, Canada held the Vancouver International Transportation Exhibition to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Vancouver with the theme of “The Moving World & The World of Mutual Communications”. Focusing on transportation, this exhibition effectively utilised its riverside location.

1988 was the bicentenary of European colonisation in Australia. To commemorate this event, Australia held the Brisbane International Relaxation and Lifestyle Exhibition. This exhibition addressed the lifestyle of technologically advanced society.

In 1990, Japan held the Osaka International Flower & Green Exhibition with the theme of “New Opening”. This was the first large scale gardening exhibition in Asia, occupying a 140 hectare site. This exhibition mainly discussed the protection of the earth’s ecology for the future. A total of 120 countries and 55 international organisations participated in this exhibition. Over an exhibition running period of 183 days, 23 million visitors were reminded that human beings could not be separated from nature.

Among the exhibitions in the 1990s, the 1992 Seville Spain World Exhibition looked back on the Age of Discovery to commemorate the discovery of the New World by Columbus. In the same year, the Netherlands held the Hague International Garden Exhibition, while Italy held the Genoa International Ship & Ocean Exhibition with the theme “Columbus, Ship and Ocean”,displaying new technologies for ocean travel and navigation.

In 1993, South Korea held the Taejon World Exhibition with the theme “A New Road Forward”, the first exhibition held by a developing country. What attracted worldwide attention was that the host country had completed the operation of the World Exhibit in a short time, stressed the education

effects and was giving aid to the developing countries.

In 1993, Germany held the Stuttgart International Gardening Exhibition.

In 1994, France held the Saint-Denis International Gardening Exhibition.

In 1995, Germany held the Goteborg Och Bohus International Gardening Exhibition.

In 1996, Italy held the Genoa International Gardening Exhibition.

In 1997, Belgium held the Liga International Gardening Exhibition.

From April 3 to 15, 1997, Canada held the Quebec International Flower Exhibition. This exhibit was the BII type approved by the International Gardening Producer Association. Located in a government building, the exhibition hall was divided into two sections, a greenhouse with floor space of 6400 square metres, mainly used for the exhibition of live plants, and an enterprise exhibition area with floor space of 4600 square metres for domestic enterprises to display and sell pot flowers, fresh flowers, dry flowers, seeds and craftwork. Quebec raised funds and prepared the plant materials to lay out the exhibition for the ten exhibitors.

The World Exhibitions in the 1990s stressed retrospection as well as looking to the future. As the century was approaching its end, people were forced to ponder what the future held.