Water, nature protection and green infrastructure will have their own space at Expo 2027 Belgrade. On 21 October, Serbia's Ministry of Environmental Protection, the state water management company Srbijavode and the organiser, Expo 2027 d.o.o. Beograd, signed a contract for a joint presence at the specialised exhibition, which runs in Surčin from 15 May to 15 August 2027.
The venue for the signing fits the subject. The three parties signed at the Belgrade Fair, at the opening of the 21st International Energy Fair and the 22nd EcoFair, which run in Hall 3 until 23 October.
A pavilion built around water
The contract was signed by Environment Minister Sara Pavkov, who currently serves in a technical mandate, Srbijavode director Goran Puzović and Expo 2027 director Danilo Jerinić. According to Novosti, Jerinić said the joint presence will have its own pavilion. Its location on the site, floor area and budget have not been announced.
The content is clearer than the architecture. The partners plan to show completed projects alongside planned investment in four areas:
- protection of water resources;
- water supply and sewage infrastructure;
- nature conservation;
- adaptation to climate change.
Pavkov said the ministry will present its goals for 2028, 2029 and 2030 and beyond, including wider sewage networks and household connections. She described water protection as one of the most important directions of future investment. School programmes for children are also planned. Srbijavode has already picked a slogan in the spirit of the Expo's sport and music theme: "Play for water, play for the future" ("Igraj za vodu, igraj za budućnost").
Two extra events on the Expo calendar
The ministry also confirmed two events that add to the programme around Expo 2027 Belgrade:
- World Environment Day on 5 June 2027, which Serbia will host during the exhibition;
- an international conference on desertification and drought in autumn 2027, with experts from 197 countries expected.
Neither event has a published venue yet. A UN-linked observance in the middle of the Expo, and a technical conference of that size a few months later, will both need conference halls, interpretation, accreditation, security and hospitality in Belgrade.
Riverbank works tied to the Expo
Puzović also gave an update on the riverbanks. He said the Sava quay will be fully landscaped from Ušće to the Gazela bridge, and that riverbank works will continue in Belgrade and elsewhere in Serbia as part of Expo preparations. No completion date was given.
What it means for exhibition contractors
Serbian public institutions are now booking their own exhibition space, separate from the national pavilion. That is a different kind of client from the foreign national sections, and for local firms often an easier one to reach. A pavilion about water and climate is likely to rely on models, interactive displays, AV content and educational spaces for school groups. Exhibit designers, AV integrators, set builders and model makers in Serbia should watch for related procurement. As public bodies, the ministry and Srbijavode will normally have to tender this work. These tenders appear on the national Public Procurement Portal (Portal javnih nabavki).
The setting of the signing is also a reminder that the Belgrade Fair is still the country's main trade show venue in the run-up to the Expo. This year's energy and environment fairs brought exhibitors from Germany, Turkey, Greece, Hungary, Canada, Bulgaria, Croatia and Poland, according to the organiser. Pavkov called Expo 2027 the largest international event Serbia has ever had. The organisers expect more than 140 international participants and over four million visits across the 93 days, so the institutional pavilions now being added will compete for the same fit-out crews and suppliers in early 2027.
Sources
- www.tanjug.rs
- www.novosti.rs
- www.republika.rs
- sajam.rs
Photo: Anton Lukin / Unsplash licence / source
